Page 66 of The Love Trick

“Uh…” His voice trails off. “Um…”

“You weren’t at practice.” Mom’s voice is painfully fake.

Blaze visibly swallows. “No, ma’am.”

“Uh-huh.” She squeezes my arm lightly and then turns to me, asking theonequestion I’m not ready for. “Are you guys having relationship issues?”

Onlymymother would ask a question like that in front of both of us.

That’s just how she is.

And she’s waiting for an answer.

“I broke up with her,” Blaze blurts out, his tone painfully soft. “It just wasn’t working for me. We’re better off as friends.”

The lump in my throat prevents me from saying anything as my mom’s jaw drops. She makes a face that has me wanting to crawl inside a hole and stay there. “So … you led my daughter on?”

Blaze flinches. “Um, no, not exactly. I love her. I do. It’s just that…”

“It’s just that the whole thing was a freakingjoke,” I explode, glaring at Blaze. “And he needs to get to his workout sesh before his pre-workout high wears off.” I pull my mom right past him, and Blaze just stands there, stunned.

I shake my head, dragging my mom until she rips her arm away from me and lets out the loudest sigh I’ve ever heard. I glance past her, relieved that Blaze is already inside the gym.

“Whatwas that?! I’ve never seen you so…” She can’t even put the words together, glancing back toward the gym. “What’s going on here?”

“What’s going on is that I’m tired of pretending, Mom,” I snap, unable to hold back anymore. “Blaze and I were never really dating. We faked it. All of it.”

Her eyes widen and her mouth falls open before she grabs my hand and drags me off down the street toward a little grassy knoll. She doesn’t say a word until we’re sitting on a park bench—which is surprising given that she usually complains about bird poop being everywhere.

She finally breaks the silence. “Why on earth would you fake a relationship, Adeline?”

“Because I’m sick and tired of being judged by you and Granny and everyone else for still being single at almost thirty. I just wanted everyone to leave me alone for once,” I confess, my voice breaking as tears well up in my eyes. “It was easier to pretend than to deal with the constant questions and pitying looks.”

“Oh, honey.” Mom’s expression softens as my words sink in. “I’m so sorry. I had no idea you felt that way.”

“It just feels like nothing I do is ever good enough. Like I’m the disappointing daughter who can’t measure up to everyone’s expectations,” I say, the floodgates opening now. “I’m so tired of feeling like a failure.”

“You’re not a failure. Not in any way,” Mom says firmly, brushing the tears from my cheeks.

“Really?” I pout.

“Really.” She pulls me in for a tight hug. “Addy, you are strong and capable and more than enough just as you are. You don’t need to pretend or put on a show foranyone.”

“Thank you.” I pull back from the hug, wiping away the remaining tears with the back of my hand. “I’m really sorry for lying. Granny is just so—”

“Oh trust me, I know better than anyone how hard Granny can be,” Mom interjects with a knowing smile. “I grew up with her, remember?”

I nod, dabbing my eyes.

“And I’m realizing now that I’ve picked up some of her bad habits along the way.” A sheepish look crosses her face. “But I’ll do better. I promise.”

I sniffle. “I appreciate that.”

“I hope you know that your worth isn’t dependent on your relationship status or what others think of you.”

“Okay,” I whisper, feeling a sense of relief wash over me as I lean in to hug her once more. For so long, I’ve been carrying the burden of other people’s expectations, but in this moment, wrapped in my mother’s embrace, I feel a glimmer of hope that things could be different. That, perhaps, I can start to live for myself and not for the approval of others. “I love you, Mom.”

“I love you too, sweetheart.” She leans back against the park bench, her own eyes glistening with unshed tears. “And I’ll support you in whatever path you choose from now on.” She smiles.

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