My eyes are wide, heat is burning in my cheeks and I can feel Hayden’s glare on the back of my head. Liam is breathing hard, his arms on each side of my hips. What the hell did I just do?
“I---,” I mumble, words leaving me. “I--,” I jump down, my head spinning and push past Liam.
“Katy,” Liam yells, but I don’t stop, I continue through the crowd of teenagers until I’m at my car. I start it and zoom out of the driveway. I can’t believe I just kissed Liam Erickson. I’m barely able to keep my mind on driving while I go home. What will I say to him Monday? How freaking embarrassing. Of course I didn’t think this through before I went and laid a big smooth on him. Jeez, Katy. Why do you let Hayden effect you like this? It’s pathetic. I pull into my driveway, and storm toward the house.
Mom is in the kitchen when I walk in, eating ice cream out of the carton. Her dark eyes lift to mine and she smiles. It’s fake. Her eyes look a little puffy. Has she been crying? She takes a big bite of chocolate ice cream and says, “Hey, baby, are you okay? You look pale.”
“I’m fine, Mom.” You’re the one that looks bad. It must be Dad.
She frowns. “Still not back together with Hayden?” she asks, taking a second large bite of ice cream. She looks really rough.
“No,” I whisper. “Um, are you sure you’re okay, Mom?”
“Yes, sweetie,” she says through another bite.
“Okay, well, I guess I’m headed off to bed. I’m tired.”
“Sweetie, about your dad and me, look I’m sorry---,”
“Mom, please. I don’t want to talk about Dad, you, Hayden or Holly. I want to go to bed, please. I’m tired.”
Mom nods. “I was just going to tell you, he left,” she says.
My heart stops. Left? As in already left? No, no, no. “Left, without saying goodbye? He moved out already? He wasn’t going to wait on me or anything?”
“He told me to tell you he would be back tomorrow to get his things. He will see you then.”
I close my eyes and fight back the tears. “This sucks.” I hate him.
She looks up, eyes sad. “Yeah, it does. I’m sorry, Katy…”she keeps talking but my head is spinning too much to try and handle the excuses.
Mom reaches for my hand. “I’m going to bed,” I say, biting back to the painful lump growing in my throat.
Mom retracts her hand, nods and pushes her long hair from her shoulder. “Okay, baby. Get some sleep; it’s been a long week.”
You have no idea.
“Katy, get up. Someone is here for you,” I hear Mom say.
At first I think I’m dreaming. Because, Jennifer knows not to come this early to see me on a Saturday and I don’t know anyone else who would want to. I slightly open one sleepy eye and glance up at her. I’m not dreaming. She is staring down at me, an eyebrow raised. I feel the effects of my staying up late and crying. My eyes feel swollen and they are tender. “Tell them I’m asleep. Is it Jennifer?” I rub my eyes.
Mom shakes her head. “No. It’s a gentlemen caller,” she says, very Southern, with a drawl and everything.
I set up in the bed. “Who?” My heart thuds. Hayden?
“His name is Liam.” What. The. Hell. “He is waiting down stairs, you better get up.” She smiles. This. Is. Not. Happening. “He is cute, Katy--,”
“No, Mom. Don’t even go there.”
She throws her hands up in surrender, rolls her dark eyes and leaves my room. Flustered, I jump out of my bed, and grab a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. I pull my hair into a low ponytail and rush downstairs. Liam is sitting on the couch across from my mom, talking. I wince. I blink twice. He is still there. My nightmare is real.
Mom’s eyes flicker up to mine. “Katy, nice of you to get up and join us.” Liam turns around and his eyes meet mine. Embarrassment swarms me and I feel my cheeks heating. I could cook an egg on them.
“Liam, can I have a word with you?” I ask, narrowing my eyes. My fingers tap nervously along my forearm.
Liam smiles and I hate that my stomach flutters when he does. “Sure thing, partner. I was just explaining to your mom how you needed today off so we could go to the library. She said you could miss helping her in the garden.”
I look over at my mom who is smiling. I narrow my eyes and her smile flattens. “My dad is coming today, to pick up his things.”
“About that--,” Mom says, standing up. “He won’t be here until tonight. He is going to stay for dinner. We have to try and talk all of this out, Katy.”
I shudder. Talking with Mom and Dad would end in boxing match. When I look up Liam is staring at me, eyes steady. “Okay, let’s talk, Liam. Mom would you excuse us?”