Page 45 of Knot Happening

I’m leaning against the wall outside the employee entrance as Tatum steps out into the night air. The thrum of need that hits me every time this girl is around never fails to break me.

“Starlight,” I murmur as she stumbles to a stop beside me.

“You.” She manages a snarky smirk before turning in the direction of the parking lot.

“Come on, pretty girl, let me give you a ride home. I have to head that way anyway,” I offer as she looks at me skeptically. She must not be willing to fight tonight because she nods and wanders over to my ride.

“The only reason I’m agreeing is that I want to get back before the rain.”

The quiet in the truck is heavy on the short drive to our apartment building.

“How is your mom?”

“She is finally going into ABO care.” The response is almost reluctant, like she doesn't want to share that much of her life with me. She clams up after that, but I take it as progress.

When I am not running errands for Dec or Kodi, stalking my girl, or sleeping, I sneak visits to Mama Cray when I can. Because of our history… She knows me enough not to freak outwhen I slip through the door. The first time, I simply told her Tatum had asked.

I haven’t had to check in as much with Bernie’s daughter coming by, but my heart still aches with how much her mom has gone through.

“That’s great, Starlight,” I say softly as I pull in front of the building.

She looks at me with moist eyes before shaking her head.

“Thanks for the ride…”

Before I have a chance to say anything else, she throws herself out of the seat and onto the sidewalk, but quickly comes to a halt. Where her death trap of a bike sat until its unfortunate demise, sits a sleek baby blue bike with a comfortable seat.

She gasps as her eyes snap up to mine. I nod and simply toss her the keys to the chain. Her face is a mix of both irritation and gratitude as she catches them.

Blowing her a kiss, I pull away before she can fight the gift.

It may not be much, but it's a start.

Chapter Twenty-One

Tatum

I shake my head at the bike. It’s nice, but the one I had before was perfectly fine. I don’t get the sense Hayden is going to give up driving me to work, though.

I texted Meg to let her know I was on my way home, so when I arrive back in the apartment, she’s already gone.

“Mom?” I set the bags of food down on the coffee table.

“Tatum,” she looks up at me, smiling. She rarely speaks these days. Hardly ever acknowledges me. It’s unsettling. I let it go, though. Maybe today was just a better day than usual.

“I brought dinner. I thought we could watchThe Hunger Gamesand hang out before I pack up your room?” I say gently. I’d already told her I was moving her into the facility tomorrow, if everything went as planned.

“Okay.” She nods, her eyes taking on that glassy far away look once again. I sigh.

“You’re going to move into ABO Care tomorrow, is that still okay?”

“Whatever you think is best, Tatum Bella,” she mumbles, as her eyes fall closed. My throat closes tightly around the sudden pressure from holding in a sob. She hasn’t called me that in years… That was my father’s nickname for me.

I flick through a few channels, and turn on the first movie in the Hunger Games series when I find it. I move so I can lift my mom’s head, and then sit so she can rest it in my lap. I brush and braid her hair on this side, taking the braids out after I finish because they’d look silly if I left them. When my stomach growls, Mom sits up. I expect her to go use the restroom, it’s the only thing she’ll do without prompting.

Thankfully.

Instead, she starts pulling the food out of the containers I’d set on the coffee table. I’d gotten her favorite Italian food with bread sticks. It’s only been half an hour, so the food is still warm enough that I don’t bother reheating anything. Especially because she serves me a plate, handing it to me.

---