Page 7 of Wild and Bright

I exhale heavily, shutting my eyes. “No, but it doesn’t matter. I can’t live with her anymore. I absolutely can’t.” I wrap my arms around myself. “I think it turns me into a bad mom.”

“That’s not true at all. You’re an amazing mom.”

I shake my head. “I do stupid things when she provokes me. Childish things. Like today, the whole fight started because I made her think I was putting Cadence in one of my videos, and I wasn’t. Not that I have anything against doing it, but I only let her think it because I knew it would piss her off.”

He smiles warmly. “Yeah, but that’s just who you are.”

“A child, you mean?”

“No, a firecracker.”

When I stick a finger inside my mouth and pretend to gag myself, he chuckles. “It’s a good thing.”

“No, it’s not. It’s gross. And it’s only when I’m with her, which is why I need to get out.”

He winces dramatically, smiling afterward. “I don’t know if it’s only when you’re with her.”

I scowl at him, balling my hand into a fist. As I lift my arm to punch him in the shoulder, he reaches out and pulls me into a tight hug, pressing my face against his chest. “God, I’ve missed you. Come live with me if you guys need to get away from your mom. I can’t give you a job, but I can give you a big bedroom.”

“Don’t tempt me.” My voice is muffled against his shirt.

“Seriously.”

The vehemence in his tone makes me push away from him. His light-brown eyes are earnest and probing.

“I’m not going to mooch off you.”

“Why not? Why not mooch off me for at least the next six months before we start touring again? I’m going to be bored as hell, and my condo is big enough for the three of us. I can even cover your student loans until you get on your feet.”

“Oh my God.” My voice is breathless. “You’re really serious.”

“Yeah.”

I step back, shaking my head. “Absolutely not. I’m not taking your money just because you’re rich now. I refuse to be one of those people.”

“Lauren, it wouldn’t be like that. Come on. You know it wouldn’t be like that. I love you and Cadence—”

I lift my hand to silence him. “I need you to stop talking, because the more I think about your gorgeous condo and being able to look out at the ocean all day, the more I want to say yes, and it isn’t right. I’m sick of being dependent on people. I need to do this on my own.”

He frowns. “Why?”

“Because it’s time for me to be a real adult. It’s part of being a good mom. The only way I’ll take money from you is if I work for you.”

He shrugs. “What if you blew me on occasion?”

When my mouth drops open, he laughs. “Jesus, it was a joke! I’m not really going to charge you rent in blow jobs.”

“What if I did everything except that?”

His brows draw together. “What do you mean?”

“What if I was your wife for the next six months? What if I take care of you in exchange for free room and board and my monthly student loan bill? I’ll give you everything a wife would give you, except blow jobs or sex. I’ll be like an old-fashioned fifties housewife. I’ll clean your condo, do your laundry, make your meals, and when you need sex, I’ll politely look the other way. Like a good fifties housewife would.” I smile. “We could even have twin beds.”

“I really don’t need you to do that, though. I have a housecleaning service. And a laundry service.”

“Cancel them. Let me do it instead.”

He frowns, lifting his hand and scratching the back of his head. “I don’t know how I feel about putting you to work like that. I’d rather you just live with me, no strings attached.”

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