Page 58 of Part of Forever
Mom looks worried and furious.
“You are in so much trouble,” she whisper-yells, if that’s a thing, but I know she’s tired and doesn’t want to wake Nathan up yet. “Lying about this?”
“I didn’t know, and then when I did, I just wanted to enjoy it. We didn’t even do anything.” I cling to Tucker’s hand since it’s the only thing really keeping me grounded right now.
“You still went,” Mom hisses at me. “You still were going to spend the night with him. And you.” She turns to Tucker and I take a step closer to him.
“I’m sorry, Catherine,” he says sincerely, and I see Mom’s eyes soften slightly, but I know she’s not going to back down. “I wasn’t thinking…”
“You’re right, you weren’t thinking. You are both too young to be having sex,” she says.
“Mom.” I know my face is bright red. “That wasn’t what happened. Or what was going to happen.”
“We just wanted some time alone.” His face is also pink, and his ears are bright red. “I am sorry.”
Mom lets out a long sigh. “It was a stupid idea. Both of you might be eighteen, but that doesn’t make you adults.”
I look straight at her; there’s a lot I want to say, but nothing I want to say in front of Tucker. We may not have graduated from high school yet, but technically, weareadults. Doesn’t that mean we should be able to make our own choices?
“Go upstairs, get some sleep,” Mom says quietly, surprising both of us. “In separate rooms obviously, but we’ll talk more in the morning.” Then Mom hugs me, which makes Tucker’s eyes go wide. I know mine must look just like his. Mom doesn’t do hugs, so I have no idea what’s happening. But before I can register the hug, she releases me and gives me a nudge in the direction of the stairs.
I head up to Grace’s bedroom and Tucker stays behind while Erin whispers to him in hushed tones at the bottom of the stairs. I wait in the doorway for Erin’s door to close downstairs, then I’m down the hall and going down the stairs, where I meet him.
“What did she say?” I ask, my hands on his shoulders.
“That it wasn’t my smartest move, which she might be right about.”
“But it was a good night, and it gave me something to look forward to in the future,” I whisper.
His eyes darken.
There are so many things I’d like to do with him, but exhaustion has hit. “I am tired, though.”
His eyes clear. “Me too. I’ll see you in the morning?”
“I’ll be here,” I say, and he kisses me softly before heading back downstairs. I sink into Grace’s bed and I’m asleep in minutes.
Grace is watchingGrey’s Anatomyon her laptop when I wake up.
“Morning,” she says without looking at me. The sinking feeling in my gut that’s been there for days hits full force again.
“I’m sorry for not telling you,” I finally get the words out.
“I don’t really care,” she says, still watching her show and not looking at me. “But why did you tell him and not me?”
“It just came out after the Valentine’s Dance, and even though I’ve had so many opportunities to tell you, I just couldn’t get the words out. I didn’t want to be the girl with cancer again.” She and I have always been friends, but when I was sick the first time, she got closer with other girls. And even though I was young, I understood. I was in the hospital, and she needed new friends. But it still stung. Still stings. I think that’s part of why I didn’t tell her; I didn’t want to lose her again.
“Rosie.” She slams her laptop shut. “This isn’t like last time.”
I sigh. Of course she knows what I’m thinking. We had plenty of chats about everything after I was in remission. “I know.”
“Obviously you don’t, or you would have told me.”
“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you.” My voice sounds small. “I should have, and you have every right to be mad at me. But did you have to do this? Tell our moms about where Tucker and I were last night?”
She looks a little guilty. “You’re my best friend, we’re supposed to tell each other things.”
“You didn’t tell me about you and Nathan. I wasn’t mad about that, just surprised.”
