Page 107 of Manhattan Tormentor
What a chump.
Had he switched on the last Alabama game, he definitely wouldn’t have seen me in their jersey.
I grin wryly and push away from the table. This short family time is all I can stomach. Fortunately, he thinks I’m heading south tomorrow. This sham show won’t need repeating for months.
“I’ll walk you out.” Mom says. Dad has his head in his iPad, not giving a shit if I’m leaving or not. I don’t know why he insists on these sham family moments, it’s a waste of time and pisses me off.
“You know this is bullshit, Mom. Why are you still here?”
It’s testament to how many times I’ve posed the question this past year when she doesn’t show shock. She touches her already perfectly straight brown hair and looks at me. “We all have our secrets, Finn. And if you keep irritating your father, he will realize you aren’t in Alabama. And then the real trouble will begin.”
I blink. Now I’m shocked. “I’m not as dumb as you assume I am, Finn.” she kisses my cheek. “I’m the one who gets the credit card statements. Not one transaction from Alabama, but lots from here in the city. Funny that.” When my mouth tips up in a grin, she goes on. “Be careful please. I can only hide so much from him.”
I nod with newfound respect for my mom. I still want her out of this house, but maybe she’s already planning something. I pull her into a hug.
“I’m only a call away, okay?”
“Perhaps you’ll have lunch with your mom once in a while now Iknowwhere you are, hm?”
“Definitely.” And then I just go for it. “I’m not engaged.”
She rolls her eyes. “Shocking. But let’s pretend you haven’t told me.”
“I have more news. I’m seeing someone. It’s serious. He’s called Sage, and I’d like you to meet him.” I didn’t know until right this second that I want her approval. “He’s really fucking great.”
“Don’t swear.” She tuts. “I’d like to meet Sage, you’ll call me soon?”
“I will.”
“I get it now.” She smiles. “You’ve been settled this year, not so wild. Because of him?”
I half grin and kiss her on the cheek. “Might be, but I’m always gonna be me, Mom.”
“God help us all,” she jokes.
It’s the day after when I get to see Sage. He banned me from his apartment for the night because I wastoo muchof a distraction while he was trying to work.
We had wicked good phone sex late last night because my nerd was horny, so how did that distraction work out for him, huh? Sage sets my mouth free, my veins buzz through my skin. Sacked out on the couch in his apartment, I play a video game he’s testing for his mom while he geeks out over his winter classes. He’s such a sexy nerd, my mouth waters to fucking maul him, but then he reminds me what we’re doing later.
Dinner with his family.
Great.
Fun.
I’m not nervous, but he’s close to them, for his sake I don’t want it to turn out badly. Sage knows I only need him to like me.
“What if they tell you to dump me?”
“Lachie might, Theo definitely will,” he says with a half smirk. I finger a hand through his messy blond locks. He’s wearing his glasses today instead of contact lenses, and his hotness has skyrocketed. “You’re my boyfriend, my decision, so they’ll be fine with it.”
Fair, but I expect to have to earn their trust. We’ve been together almost six months, it’s the first time he’s asked me to go home with him. On the insistence of his mom, once she knew he had a boyfriend.
“They might think we’re not serious.”
He shrugs, unbothered. Nothing much bothers Sage. Except if one of his Frankenstein experiments goes rogue, and he loses his shit.
“I’m a Fierro. I grew up knowing all about the power of family, love, loyalty, and strength of character. I grew up seeing it all around me. I know what’s important. I know why it’s important in a relationship and it’s nothing to do with what people say about you, how they judge you. It’s giving a shit what your partner thinks about you. Making them happy and yourself happy first. And I understand that sometimes, even when it’s scary, you do everything within your power to protect it. They’ll see I’m serious about you.”
