Page 28 of Fast

Some things never change. Her tone turns to ice at the mention of my father.

The moment is fleeting though and the smile she welcomed me with is back on her face.

“All the stuff you shipped back from school arrived safely a couple of days ago.”

I nod, looking around the room. “Cool. But this isn’t my stuff, right?” I ask, pointing to all the surrounding boxes. “What happened here? Did you become a hoarder? There are so many boxes in the hallway that I could barely fit into the door.”

Mom grabs my hand, guiding me toward the couch.

It’s wrapped in plastic and it makes a weird, rustling noise when we sit down.

“No, baby girl. I’m not a hoarder. If anything, I’m decluttering. I kept some of the important stuff over there.” She points to a small pile of boxes in the opposite corner. “We’ll put all those old photos in storage. The rest is being donated to our church. Moving is the perfect time to declutter.”

Declutter.

It seems to be her new favorite word. But that isn’t what attracts my attention.

“Moving? Did you say moving?”

She nods. “We’re moving to Star Cove. The house is sold. Everything is packed, and the movers are coming tomorrow morning.”

I shake my head, confused. “We are moving to Star Cove? You do know you can’t move in with me in the dorms, right? And my classes don’t start until next week. Where are we going to stay in the meantime? Did you find a place to rent in town? I mean, that’s great, but you didn’t have to move because I’mgoing to college in the next town over. I’ll be only thirty minutes away. I could come home most weekends if I wanted to.”

Not that I want to come home every weekend. I hope to have a social life once school starts. “I missed you, Mom. I’m sorry I haven’t been very communicative, and I didn’t come home after the last time we saw each other. I was mad at you for shipping me off to school, but I’ve had plenty of time to think about everything that went down. I know what I did was wrong, and?—”

She squeezes my hand. “Let’s not dwell on the past. It’s been two years and I’m glad we both had time to cool off. You’re eighteen now, and I’m sure we can move forward by being open and honest with each other from now on.”

I would like that.

Hopefully me being eighteen means that she’ll relax a little. She’s always been so strict since she and Dad split up. Of course, not living at home will help each of us have some space and, in time, get a better relationship than we’ve had up to this point.

I don’t say any of that, though. “Ok. Starting over is good. So, are you buying or renting in Star Cove?”

Her hazel eyes drift away from me and she clears her throat. She looks nervous, her gaze pinned on the box she was taping closed when I entered the room.

“Zara, we need to talk.”

Shit. I stifle a groan, because I want to show her that I did some growing up in the past two years. But nothing good ever came from the words “we need to talk.”

“Ok,” I try to keep my tone as neutral as possible. “I’m listening.”

“Sweetie, there’s a reason I’m moving to Star Cove. In addition to you going to college there. About eighteen months ago, I got a new job. I was hired to curate the PR team of the new mayor’s political campaign. When he got elected, he hired me permanently as head of his team.”

I take her hand in mine. “Mom, that’s awesome. Congratulations. I know working as a secretary for the local high school wasn’t your dream job. So you decided to move to Star Cove to make your commute easier? I know thirty minutes isn’t a lot, but if you work long hours, I understand. And I’ll be nearby living on campus, so that works out. I’m really proud of you for not settling for a job that didn’t fulfill you and got something you love.”

She nods, her smile still a little hesitant. “I’m glad you approve, sweetheart. But avoiding the commute, and you going to school in Star Cove, aren’t the only reasons why I’m moving.”

I tilt my head to the side, in the attempt to keep our gazes locked when she looks away again. “No? I mean, I’m sure the mayor must be paying you decently, but Star Cove is full of rich people. Houses there are more expensive than in Shell Cove. So it can’t be to save on rent. Did you downsize? If you got a small apartment and you’re worried about me being disappointed, don’t worry. I won’t be there that much. I haven’t heard anything about my dorm application yet, but I was planning to go to the campus housing office next week and?—”

“Zara.” She finally looks me in the eye. “You haven’t heard from the campus housing office because I withdrew your application.”

She did what?

“You did? Why? Mom, classes start soon and if I don’t get a room in the dorms now, I might have nowhere to live. Star Cove isn’t a huge town.”

She sighs, but her tone is gentle. “I withdrew your application because you won’t be needing accommodation on campus. Our new place is only a ten-minute drive from campus and we haven’t spent any time together for forever. I want you to move in with me.”

I don’t know how to feel about this. I’m disappointed, because I was looking forward to the full college experience and living with my mom isn’t exactly what I had in mind. Especially since we’ve always butted heads in the past.

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