Page 58 of Ticket to the Stars: Part Two

“Yeah,” Bishop said. “I mean, no, she’s not…”

Deacon coughed and asked, “What makes you think she’s pregnant?”

My mom stared at me. “Why else would you want to meet today? And bring these three? One of them is the father, isn’t he?” She sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose, visibly working to calm herself down. “I knew something like this would happen—”

“Mom,” I cut in before she could say anything else about me being pregnant. I still had my IUD, but it wasn’t worth jinxing it. “I’m not pregnant.” Once the words were out there, the tension in the air dissipated.

She leaned back in her seat, still eyeing me up like she thought I was lying. “You’re not?”

“No,” I quickly said. “I’m not! That’s not why we… we’re not here to announce a pregnancy.” Even saying that last word made my cheeks burn. I wasn’t sure how the heck a pregnancy would work when the father could be any of the guys next to me. Plus, Isowasn’t ready to be a mom just yet.

“Oh, well, that’s good. Forget everything I said, in that case.” Mom smiled, as if it was all forgotten, just like that. And to her, I supposed, it was that easy, because the last thing she wanted to think about was becoming a grandmother.

I cleared my throat before saying, “There is something else, though—and I need you to promise me you’ll stay calm and try to hear me out.”

My mom blinked at me. “But you’re not pregnant?” When I shook my head no, she let out a heavy sigh and said, “Then whatever it is, I can handle it. Lay it on me.”

“Well, um,” I paused, trying to find the right words to say, “we’re… together.”

I wanted to hit myself.We’re together?That was the stupidest way I could’ve said it.

We’re together. Well, duh, of course we were together. Together here, together in a band, together everywhere.

“I can see that,” Mom said.

“No, I mean… we’re… uh.” For some reason, the words just wouldn’t come out. I glanced at the guys, psychically asking for help. Maybe one of them could figure out a better way to say it.

Priest scooted forward on the couch, his ass barely on the cushion. He looked like he either wanted to run away or fall to his knees before my mom and promise her he would take great care of me.

Oh, boy. This should be good.

“Angel’s Mom,” Priest started, holding up a hand to his own chest, “I, along with my friends here—” He gestured to Bishop and Deacon. “—are in a serious, committed relationship with your lovely daughter. We take good care of her, we’re faithful to her, we pretty much worship her and the ground she walks on—”

Bishop must’ve sensed he would keep going on, because he cut in, “What Priest is saying, in way too many words, is—”

But Bishop didn’t get to finish, because Priest blurted out, “We’re sleeping with your daughter. Seeing, I mean. We’reseeingyour daughter. Together. Sometimes all at once. Sometimes not. Sometimes there’s just two.” I think he said all that in a single breath, too.

Bishop reached over and smacked Priest’s arm, which stopped him from continuing to ramble, but the damagewas done, and I was absolutely mortified. Heat flushed my face, and I had to bury my entire face in my hands, give myself a protective shield from the stupefied look my mom was giving me.

Why did Priest have to go and say all that? Wasn’t he supposed to be the cool and charming one? That was just way too much, all at once. A lot of things my mom didn’t need to know or hear. Ever.

I peeked at Priest through my fingers and found him looking at me, apologetic. At least he realized he’d screwed up. How I wished I could go back in time and press the mute button on him, get him to shut the hell up before he said something we’d all regret.

But it was too late for that now.

“Oh,” my mom said, sitting straighter in her chair. “Oh. I see. That’s… definitely not what I was expecting.” I couldn’t look at her, not straight-out, anyway, but even with my peripherals, I could see the new way she was taking us all in. “You’re all together. This isn’t some joke?”

Priest opened his mouth to say more, but seeing as how he’d said enough, I shot him a glare to shut him up. Bishop was the one who said, “It’s not a joke. We’re together, the four of us, and like Priest not-so-eloquently said, we are committed.”

A minute passed before she asked, “How long?”

I couldn’t hide behind my hands forever, so I lowered them to my knees and rubbed my palms against my jeans. So sweaty all of a sudden. Go figure. “A while. I’m… I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner. I just, I didn’t know how to, or how you’d take it. It’s not exactly normal.”

“No, it’s not,” she admitted. Thankfully, she seemed to be ignoring everything Priest had blurted out—that was good for all our sakes. “And I don’t really understand it, but, I guess, if you’re happy, then I’m happy, too. I’m your mother, honey, I’ll love you even if you bring home ten boyfriends.”

“Ten?” Priest quipped. “Whoa. Hold up. Where are these other seven guys coming from? We should get a vote, don’t you think?” In this case, his sarcasm was not appreciated.

My mom was going to say more, but right then, the sound of a school bus stopping in front of our house filled the air, so she got up and said, “That’ll be Cleo.” She went to the front door, opening it before Cleo reached it.

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