Page 103 of How to Date a Rockstar

Save me from Cash? Is she crazy? Her idea of saving me nearly destroyed me. “We’re not sneaking around.”

“Why else are you hiding in Winter Falls?”

“If you would have shown up at Grandma’s funeral then—”

She raises a palm to stop me. “I will not have my daughter criticize my decisions.”

“Must be nice,” I mutter.

Mom points to me. “Don’t you dare backtalk me, Indigo Scott.”

I sigh. “What do you want, Mom? Why are you here?”

“Once again, you’re not listening. I’m here to take you home and get you away from that heathen.”

I growl. “You better not be referring to Cash as a heathen.”

She tilts her nose in the air. “He is a heathen.”

“Could you please stop referring to my boyfriend as a nasty word?”

“Your boyfriend?” She scowls. “It’s worse than I thought. You’ve fallen for his charm again. He’s only going to hurt you again.”

“No. He’s not going to hurt me.” I point to her. “You’re the one who hurt me. You’re the one who made him break up with me. You’re the one who caused all my heartache. Not Cash.”

She flips her hand in the air as if to dismiss my words. “He would have hurt you eventually. Like father like son.”

Cash stiffens next to me. I squeeze his hand to let him know I’m on his side. I’ll always be on his side.

“Bullshit.”

Mom rears back at my use of profanity.

“Bullshit,” I repeat. “Cash is not his father. Cash is his own man. A man I’m proud to know. A man I’m proud to stand next to.”

Mom snorts. “Easy to say when the money is flowing from his career.”

“What is wrong with you? I’m serious. I want to know. What in the world is wrong with you? Why do you throw nasty accusations at him? You don’t even know him. You never took the time to get to know him. From the minute we started dating in high school, you were nasty. You didn’t even try.”

“Yes, well, I knew better than to waste my time.”

“Waste your time? It’s a waste of time to get to know your only daughter’s boyfriend? It’s a waste of time to be nice tosomeone you don’t know? It’s a waste of time to get to know me? Your only daughter?”

My breath hitches on the last words and Cash wraps his arms around me to hold me close.

“I can’t believe you’re being this stubborn. I blame your father.”

I wrest out of Cash’s arms and stomp toward my mother. “Don’t you dare blame Dad for being a decent human being.”

She checks her watch. “Can we continue this discussion later? We need to hurry if we’re going to catch our plane.”

I cross my arms over my chest. “I’m not going anywhere with you.”

“Of course, you are. Now, get your things.”

“I’m staying here with Cash.”

Her eyes narrow. Thank goodness I became immune to those ice daggers long ago or I’d be bleeding out on the kitchen floor of Grandma’s house.

---