Page 34 of True Blue

Mom

Christopher and Paul will be coming to the Alumni event we have tomorrow. I expect you to act civil and salvage this relationship. I spoke with Paul, and he says Chris hasn’t moved on yet, so there is still time. Pietro will have your dress delivered Saturday morning.

Layla rolls her eyes. “She’s so fucking delusional. Does she really think she can order you to make up with him after the last conversation you guys had?”

Mom called me the morning after Christopher left, immediately lecturing me about how big of a mistake I had made and how much I'm going to have to do to make it up to the Tonkins’. I’d let her speak, waiting for her to get it all out while I sat on my bed, still in my pajamas at nine in the morning. Once she was done, she asked me what I was thinking, and I’d started.

“I don’t want to be with him, Mom.” It was all I said as she continued to give me reasons we were good together. I had to have said it eight or nine times before she exhaled in frustration and told me I was acting like a child.

“Then maybe I’m not mature enough to be dating right now, Mom.” The weight of the conversation had started to take a toll on me, making me feel like I'd gone on a twenty-mile run.

“Please be serious, Janette.”

“I am, Mom. I don’t want to be with him. I did it for you and it made me miserable. So, I broke up with him for me. You can’t ask this of me anymore.” I listened to the silence that followed with my heart hammering in my chest.

“We’re not done discussing this, Janette,” Mom hissed and then hung up on me.

I told Layla the whole conversation, smiling as she paced my room and angrily complained about how unfair and crazy Mom was acting.

“Clearly she does think that,” I say and pull my legs up, squishing the pillow between them and my chest. “It’s going to be a fun event with Mom smiling and shooting daggers at me the whole time. Plus, Christopher will be there probably hovering around me and making stupid comments about how lucky I’d be if he took me back.” I roll my eyes and sigh, rubbing my shins.

“Oh my god!” Layla jumps up from her chair, clapping her hands and then grabbing her phone and typing into it manically. She squeals when she’s done, whispering, “I’m such a genius,” to herself.

“What?” I furrow my brows at her, hugging my legs tighter.

“You need to bring a date!” She claps again, jumping a little as well.

I sit up, dropping my legs. “Lay, what did you do?”

A devilish smirk lights up her face as she sits down, leaning back and crossing her legs. “Just wait. He’s on his way. It’ll be perfect.”

I groan, already knowing I’m not going to like this plan. A loud knock on her door startles me and Lay chuckles before getting up to answer it.

“What’s the emergency, Lay?” Axel asks, walking in and stopping when his eyes fall on me atop her bed. His eyes flick down to the pillow in my hands before smirking. I smile weakly.

“Take a seat,” she says, pointing to the fluffy folding chair in the corner. He walks over, plopping down and folding his arms over his chest as he glares at his twin. “J needs a favor.” Layla sits back down facing him with a serious look.

He sits forward, leaning his elbows on his knees. “What’s going on?” Axel looks over at me, worry instantly written in the lines that appear along his forehead.

“I have to go to one of my mom’s campaign events tomorrow.” I try to sound confident but end up wringing my hands in my lap and avoiding his eyes.

“Okay,” he says after a long pause. “What’s the emergency here?” He looks between me and Layla with raised eyebrows.

“She needs a date,” Layla blurts. I glare at her, but her overly excited eyes are locked onto Axel.

He looks directly at me again and I meet his eyes, feeling like a middle schooler asking a boy to the dance again. “Why isn’t Chris going with you?”

I squirm. “Um, we sort of broke up.” I stare down at Layla’s comforter, finding the words so much harder to say than the first time I had to in this room.

Axel sits up further, the motion pulling my focus. “When?” he asks, clearly trying to hold back a smile. The look makes the corners of my mouth tilt up.

“Two weeks ago,” I say, and he releases his smile, dispelling the prickly feeling in my chest that told me he’d react like Mom did.

“So, you need someone to hang out with at this thing?” He leans back, crossing his arms again and my eyes track the flex of his biceps under the tight long sleeves of his shirt.

“More like someone to keep him and Aunt Sandy at bay. Think you’re up to the task?” Layla mimics his posture, adding a quirked eyebrow as she challenges him.

“Chris is going to be there?” Axel’s head swivels between the two of us. I nod, wringing my hands again. “I am so in.” His smile turns into a vicious grin and my stomach flips. “What’s the dress code?”

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