Page 28 of Drunk on Love

Avery really was going to kill him.

“The thing is... when I told her I’d come up here to help you move, and everything”—Avery looked away at the reminder of her breakup, and he quickly rushed on—“I—accidentally—said something that led her to believe that we were together. You and me, I mean.”

Avery’s eyes widened.

“Your mom thought we were dating? Oh no. She must have been even more disappointed when you told her it wasn’t true.”

Luke looked down at the table.

“LUKE.”

He cleared his throat and looked up. She was giving him her fiercest glare.

Where were mashed potatoes when he needed them?

“I didn’t... exactly... tell her it wasn’t true.”

Avery kept staring at him.

“See. It was just that... her whole face lit up when she thought I told her we were together. She didn’t question the sabbatical thing at all.”

Avery picked up her glass of wine and took a long gulp. Luke sighed.

“I know, I know. I lost it, Avery. I should have prepared a better story to tell my mom about why I suddenly quit my job and what the hell I’m doing with my life and I’d planned to figure all of that out on Sunday night and Monday and then Sunday night I met a hot woman at a bar and Monday I found out she was my new boss and that drove everything else out of my head so I was vastly underprepared for that dinner with my mom and so when she beamed at me like that when she thought I said you and I were dating I just went with it.”

He shook his head and took a breath.

“I’m not usually like this. I procrastinated applying for new jobs for weeks, I lied to my mom—I don’t do things like this! What’s wrong with me?”

Avery patted his hand.

“You’re having a quarter-life crisis. I didn’t expect it to happen to you, of all people, but that’s exactly what this is.”

“A quarter-life crisis? I’m twenty-eight. Exactly how long do you think I’m going to live?”

She brushed that off with a quick flick of her hand.

“That job did a number on you! Those people sucked, that job destroyed your confidence, it made you feel unworthy, whichyou’re not, but I know you won’t believe me.” He tried to smile at her, but she just shook her head. “I’m glad you’re going to be up here for a while—you need to get your swagger back.”

He hoped his face looked as skeptical as he felt.

“How long have you known me? I don’t think I’ve ever had ‘swagger,’ Avery.”

She rolled her eyes.

“You know what I mean.”

Yeah, he knew what she meant.

“I did sleep with my new boss the other night, if that counts?”

Avery giggled.

“Good point, but that feels like an isolated incident. More of that, though.”

He laughed, and then sighed.

“Anyway, I’m sorry for involving you in all of this, even though I did it accidentally. I feel like such a child, lying to my mother about all of this.”

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