Page 103 of Fierce-Hyde

“Not much,” she said.

“But she called you,” he said. “And then you were in a mood after. Is she upset that you didn’t go home or something? Do you normally do that?”

“No,” she said. “I haven’t in a few years. I figured I’d get the guilt piled on me over it, but she ended up saying she was going to dinner with Dan.”

“The guy that blew her off a month ago?” he asked.

“That’s him. I guess a few weeks ago he reached out and asked if he could have a second chance after he hadn’t talked to her since the day he said he needed space.”

“And she agreed?” he asked.

“Sounds it. I didn’t bother to tell her it was a bad idea. I’ve done that before. She’s an adult and makes her own decisions.”

She’d gone to the other room to talk to her mother because she didn’t want Hyde to witness the call. Not that she thought she’d yell because she never did with her mother, but she was more embarrassed than anything else.

“How come you don’t feel that way about everything else with her?” he asked.

She squinted one eye when she looked at him. “I’m trying to. I thought it was odd her whining emails and texts haven’t been as frequent the past few weeks. Guess I should have realized there was a guy back in her life. I didn’t think it’d be Dan again, but it’s her problem, not mine.”

“Until it happens again and she calls you crying,” he said.

She didn’t know if Hyde was purposely baiting her or not. “What’s this all about?”

“Nothing,” he said.

“It’s something. I know you’re not trying to work me up, but I’m getting there. So something is bothering you. What is it?”

He didn’t answer right away and then said, “How come you didn’t tell your mother about me or spending the holiday with my family?”

“Were you listening at the door?” she asked, frowning.

“No,” he said. “But you left the door open and I could hear some of your words. Not once did my name come up or anything close to it. Unless I’m wrong and then I’ll say I’m sorry.”

“I didn’t tell her,” she said.

“Why?”

“Does it bother you?” she asked.

“Obviously,” he said. “We are in a relationship. We love each other even if we are taking it slow. You are going to my parents’ house for the holiday and yet your mother doesn’t even know I exist. So yeah, I’m bothered.”

Not the best way to start her day, but she had this coming. She was glad he could be honest, even if it was something she didn’t want to hear because she knew she was wrong.

“I couldn’t get a word in edge-wise with her,” she said. “I really wanted to tell her and tried, but she kept cutting me off talking about Dan and how great he was. When she finally stopped, I heard him in the background and she said she had to leave, that he’d just gotten there.”

Her mother didn’t even say bye, just hung up on her.

Nothing she hadn’t had done to her before.

Did she feel her mother used her? Yeah, she did.

But she had her own defense mechanisms and didn’t want to be criticized for them either.

“So you wanted to tell her?” he asked.

“I planned on it. I figured today would be a good day to say it by mentioning I was going to your house.”

“You had to go into my bedroom to say it?” he asked. “Why?”

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