Page 71 of Allure

“If that’s what you think, then you haven’t had sex with someone who knows what he’s doing,” he says.

I flip him the bird, and he shakes his head and enters the library.

“Who was that?” Mom demands.

“Hell if I know. Some nosy, judgmental prick.”

“Brooke!”

“What? He was eavesdropping and butting in on our private conversation.”

“And here I was thinking maybe he had a point.”

"Mom, there have to be boundaries. We can't talk about sex like this. I will eventually find a guy I'm willing to date."

“Will you?” she asks quietly. “Because all you’ve ever done is sleep around and move on. You can’t be happy with any one guy. Why is that? Are you missing something in your life? Is it your father? Did I do wrong by you by not marrying again?”

“Mom, are you seeing that therapist again?”

“So what if I am?” she asks defensively.

“Why don’t you sleep with him?” I ask.

“I will not just spread my legs for any man!”

“I’m not suggesting any man. I’m suggesting the only man you’ve really spoken to on a deep, personal level outside of my father.”

“Brooke, this is highly inappropriate!”

“Glad we’re in agreement.” I smirk. “My sex life and yours shouldn’t ever be discussed.”

She blows out a breath. “That’s not true,” she murmurs. “You’re my daughter, and I need to make sure that you’re safe.”

“I am. I’m on birth control, and if I ever do find a guy to sleep with, he’ll wear a condom.”

Although, if I’m honest, in the heat of the moment with Declan in his room, I forgot to mention one to him. Thank fuck he had the presence of mind to put on one.

“Good. The last thing you need is to become pregnant before you graduate. You have your whole life ahead of you. And especially to become pregnant from a guy you only ever intend to sleep with once! Do you want to have to deal with child support payments for eighteen years?”

“Since we’re continuing to talk about my sex life even though I’ve made it abundantly clear that I don’t want that, how about this, Mom? How about you go out and have a one-night stand? I think being laid would help you get over the hurdle. Father’s dead and gone. You grieved. You need to move on and live your life because, honestly, Mom, if you keep living in the past, I’m not going to want to continue to have a relationship with you.”

Hell, that’s harsh.

But it’s also the most truthful thing I’ve said to her in a long time.

“Brooke, if this is about those ridiculous allegations you conjured up in your head when you were a child—”

“And we’re done.” I hang up, fight the urge to throw my phone, and instead block my mom’s number.

A bit extreme? Maybe, but I’ve known for a long time that I’m going to cut ties with her entirely at some point or another. Why wait?

Sure, she can cut me from the credit cards, but my father’s trust fund for me is available for me to use now. I don’t have to wait until I’m twenty-one.

But there is one concern I have for my mom. Once I do sell my father’s company, whenever that is, she’s not getting a penny. It’s her sole source of income. She doesn’t work. How is she going to provide for herself? I know it’s not technically my worry, that she knows that I’ll be taking over at some point, but she has no idea what I plan to do, what I have in store for Adams Tech for the Future. ATF for short. I’ve always thought the name was corny, but is my mom hoping I’ll just continue to support her lavish lifestyle until she dies?

If she had been a good, kind, caring mom, I would have no issues at all helping her financially and every other way, but when I came to her, crying, bruised, telling her the terrible truth that no one else would ever hear about, she turned away from me, claimed I hurt myself, and never wanted me to talk to her about it again.

She chose her abusive husband over her abused child.

---