Page 73 of Exes and Oh Hell No

But this… this is a whole new level of unexpected.

His newfound wealth and publicity didn’t change him.

At least, not in the way I thought it would.

If anything, he’s using his increased visibility and money to do good in the world.

I turned and began painting, hoping like hell he didn’t see the way he was affecting me.

He’s so fucking observant when it comes to me, there’s a part of me convinced he did, but I’m choosing to live in denial.

We spent the rest of the day working together, the conversation flowing easily.

Everything felt too familiar.

Comforting.

I wanted to fucking hate it.

I was desperate to believe this was part of my plan.

But I’d only be lying to myself.

Terror spikes inside my chest,making my hands shake as I stand in the shower.

It isn’t just how well Ford and I are getting along that shakes me to my core.

It’s the memories of my childhood flooding my head.

“Why are you crying, Mom?”

My hands rubbed over her shaking shoulders as she sat at the kitchen table, her head in her hands.

She refused to look at me as her sobs filled the room.

Finally, she sniffed, wiping the tears away.

“It’s fine, Harper. Really. I just had a bad day today. Sometimes, I just need to cry and get it out. Then I feel better.”

I nodded, not at all convinced.

She was hiding something.

I stuck close to her the rest of the night, observing her.

My dad had to travel out of town for the week because of his job, and I was noticing things I hadn’t before.

Things that were different from my friends’ families.

My mom seemed lost and helpless, and it bothered me so much that I started spying on her.

I pretended to be asleep, but when I heard her voice, I snuck out and followed the sound.

She was on the couch, her back to me, talking to Tawnya, her best friend.

“I don’t know what to do if he leaves me for her. I don’t know how I’ll manage. I can’t raise Harper on my own.”

She hiccupped, raising the glass of wine to her lips, and took a long drink.

---