Page 68 of All I Ask
“Hello?” I answer the number I don’t recognize. I’m praying my daughter didn’t list my phone number on that dating site.
“Good morning.”
“Who is this?”
“I’m crushed that you didn’t recognize my voice,” a deep male voice says with a chuckle.
“Derek?”
“Don’t act so surprised, I do have your number, and since we’re friends, I figured it was time I called.”
I haven’t heard from him in the last week. I’ve done my best to not talk about him, think about him, or look for him at every turn. I hoped that after the last thirteen years of doing just that, I would be a pro. However, I’ve yet to master this skill. He keeps starring in my dreams, and I find myself daydreaming about his lips.
“Sorry, you took me by surprise. Not to be rude, but why are you calling me?”
“Chastity asked me to.”
Okay, but why didn’t she call me? That initial fear that something has happened to her hits me. “Is she okay?”
“She’s fine. I should’ve led with that. She’s at the house after working with my dad at the clinic. They got a little sidetracked with the animals and then my mother refused to let her leave without eating.”
“Okay…” I say, confused. “What is she doing now?”
“She’s doing her homework. Are you okay with me dropping her off or do you want to come get her?”
“I’m sorry, did you say she’s doing her homework—at your house?”
Since when does she hang out where Everly is?
“Yeah, it’s a long story.”
I’m sure it is. “I can come get her. I have to run out and I can grab her on my way back.”
Tonight, Chastity and I will have some mother-daughter time. I baked a cake that I plan to eat for dinner. Cake has eggs and eggs are healthy.
“Sounds good. What time are you thinking?”
Yeah, sounds great…I won’t be able to avoid him face-to-face.
“An hour? Is that okay?”
I’m not sure why I’m asking him if that’s okay, she’s my daughter.
“I’m guessing that’s fine, she and Everly are talking now.”
“Umm…what?” I ask with a hint of panic and a lot of confusion in my voice.
As of last night, Everly was being referred to as Satan’s mistress. I don’t think the two of them suddenly became best friends.
“Yeah, I had the same reaction. Apparently, the school is trying to force them to be friends.”
“How so?”
“They were paired together on a writing assignment about social media.”
That’s really not the smartest idea. Chastity likes working with a partner as much as I like the idea of seeing Keith’s face. She always ends up doing the entire thing on her own, getting the other person an A, and complaining about incompetence in the education system.
While I normally find her frustration funny, I have a feeling this time it won’t be entertaining.
