Page 15 of The Drop

Cocky asshole.

I drum my hands on the breakfast bar, trying to build up the courage to call my mom. She has tried calling me once. Once.

I’ve been putting this off since this morning; I found the moving company’s number and instructed them to deliver all the furniture to Josh’s apartment and the boxes to Cami’s.

Taking the plunge, I texted Josh. I told him I knew my mom had been paying him to date me, and he was released from any obligation to keep doing it, as I never wanted to see him again. I also told him to walk the other way if he sees me. I kept it short and sweet, and I’ve blocked his number.

I have nothing to say to him.

Then took a shower, painted my nails, and taught myself how to do a curly blowout. Am I putting off the phone call? Maybe, but my nails look cute, and my hair is bouncy, so I’m sticking with it being a good move.

Taking a deep breath,I press her name on my phone, holding it as I wait. Cami is sitting on the sofa in the living room for support; she said she will not listen, but I’ve put it on speaker, anyway.

The nerves are hitting me. I’ve never challenged my mom before, and she still doesn’t know the reason I left the party. She won’t even care what the reason is; she will want to control the situation straight away.

“Brooke,” she says curtly, and I can’t help but roll my eyes at her almost bored tone, not worried in the slightest.

“Mom,” I say just as curtly back.

“I’m hoping you’ve come to your senses and are ready to apologise to everyone.”

I blink in confusion, feeling like I’ve been sucker punched. “Apologise for what and to who?” I ask, bracing my hands nervously on the counter.

“For running away yesterday and ruining the party,” she grits out like she can’t believe I even need to ask. “The Hayles said you left a muddy track down the side of the house. I’ve offered to pay the gardening bill and, of course, you’ll need to pay me back…”

She continues to talk, and I close my eyes like I always do when she rants at me; how I could have expected any less from her, I don’t know. It’s never been about what I wanted or needed; it’s always about her. For a second, I imagine making things easy. I’ll nod and apologise to the Hayles, and Josh will propose, and this becomes one big joke we tell at all our future parties, and I never mention the conversation I overheard. No one will ever know, and I can go on revolving around Josh, just like my mom wants.

“No,” I say calmly, and I see Cami’s fist pump in my peripheral vision.

“What?” my mom asks, shock lacing her tone.

“I heard what you said to Josh yesterday,” I admit. “You’ve been paying him to date me since Dad died.”

“Oh.” She pauses. “Is that it?”

Is that it? I swing to look at Cami and she mouths, “What the fuck?” at me.

“You see nothing wrong with that?” I press, trying to get some kind of reaction that fits the crime.

“I admit, it’s not the most conventional thing to have done, but we had enough going on, Brooke. Thank God Josh came and told me before he did it.” She sighs on the phone. “Let’s get back to the topic at hand, please, look, the Hay—”

“No, I don’t think I’m going to, thank God that you prevented my boyfriend from having any free will and then lied to me for years about it,” I burst out angrily. I can feel tears pricking my eyes. Cami comes up next to me and grabs my hand.

“Don’t start with the dramatics, Brooke,” she bites out. “Come over; we will sit down and sort this all out. I think you’ll understand once I explain it properly to you.”

“I don’t want you to explain it to me, Mom.” I can’t help the sob that edges into my voice. “I want you to apologise; it was wrong.”

I already know she won’t. My mom is never in the wrong. Everything she does is justified and her version of right.I remember being little and never understanding how I could always be so wrong when my mom was always right.

“I won’t apologise for doing the best thing for my family,” she says with a tone of finality.

I realise this is it. “Okay, Mom.” I sigh, defeated.

“Perfect. Come home, and we will call Josh together. I’m sure this will all be sorted by tonight.”

“I’m not coming home, Mom; I’m moving in with Cami ”, I say calmly, squeezing Cami's hand and bracing for impact.

She sounds like she is coughing down the phone, more like choking with shock. I've never stood up to her like this before. “You’re making drastic decisions right now; calm down, let’s talk about this.”

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