Page 89 of Oblivion

“I enjoy buying you things.”

“Things that have your initials on them?”

Lifting my chin, I find her eyes and demand her attention as I utter a single word. “Yes.”

“So, you’re going to brand everything I wear with your name for the rest of my life?”

“Yes,” I say honestly.

At the look in her eyes, it’s clear she’s trying to pick a fight, but my monosyllabic answers have taken the wind out of her sails. “What if I decide I want my name all over you?” she demands.

“Tattoo, brand, or just emblazoned across my chest for everyone to see?” I ask.

“Are you serious?” she snaps.

“Deadly. When you decide you want to put your name on me, I’ll be over the fucking moon. I plan to get a tattoo anyway, and we’ll get the brands together, but I’m more than happy to wear a tag that says,Property of Sammy Morris, if that’s what you want.”

“Bullshit,” she protests.

“I’m not ashamed to let people know that you fucking own me.”

Her lips snap shut, and I chuckle, kissing her quickly before I grab the rest of my clothes and head into the bedroom to get dressed. An hour later, we’re in my car and heading back toward school.

“Do you want to ring your parents? Or we can fly out tomorrow afternoon and tell them in person?” I ask.

“We can call them,” she says absentmindedly.

“Okay,” I say, pulling up her parents’ house number and hitting call.

The moment the ringtone sounds through my car stereo’s speakers, Sammy turns horrified eyes in my direction.

“I didn’t mean now,” she whisper yells.

“Hartley residence,” her mom answers with her warm, Southern twang.

Pointing at Sammy, I urge her to speak.

“Hey, Mama, it’s me,” she says, mimicking her mom’s accent. I’m not sure if she realizes she’s doing it, but it’s adorable.

“Samantha, I was expecting a phone call from you yesterday,” her mom scolds.

“Sorry, Mama. I had to get all my classes sorted. I have some…news.”

“Are you okay? That nice young man told us you and Drew had broken up. I called and spoke to Martha about it, but she just said that things hadn’t worked out and that she didn’t know anything else.”

My eyes narrow at the mention of Drew’s name, and Sammy must see my reaction because she quickly changes the subject.

“I don’t really want to talk about him, Mama.”

“You have some explaining to do, young lady. That boy said you’d been living with him and his friends, and not in the house we’ve been paying for.”

Sighing, Sammy shrugs, even though her mom can’t see the action. “A lot happened last year, Mama. The people I was living with at Alistern House…They were…Well, I promise you wouldn’t have approved of them or what they were doing. When my friend Starling asked me to move into the house she lived in, it just made sense. I didn’t tell you because I didn’t want you to worry.”

“I’m your mama. Of course, I would worry. Your daddy said the boy who came here is from an important family, but I don’t know, Samantha. I think maybe you should come home. You could go to school here. There are plenty of great colleges close enough that you could live at home with us and just drive in for classes. Then maybe you and Drew?—”

“Mama, Evan and I got engaged,” Sammy blurts.

“I’m sorry?” her mom asks like she’s not sure she heard correctly.

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