Once and Again - By Lauren Dane Page 0,9
from outside. “All that nameless, faceless fuckbuddy business is beneath you, Nathan. You need a woman who’s worthy of you. Stop dragging the bottom of the barrel and you might find one who won’t screw you over. Lily loved you something fierce. She’s exactly the kind of woman you need. You made a mistake, but I believe you two have been given another chance. Don’t mess it up this time.”
She tiptoed up, kissed his cheek and swatted his behind with a towel as she guided the kids who’d just started to come in the door to their seats.
And he thought about what his world would be like with Lily in it and then realized he didn’t know. He’d certainly changed in the last six years, she would have too.
But it wasn’t an altogether bad thing. He realized he really wanted to find out who they were after all this time.
“Lily, where are the keys to my car?” Pamela wandered into the room.
Lily looked up from the essay she was proofing for her brother. “On the counter. Why? Do you need me to run an errand for you?” There was no way she was letting her mother drive in the state she was in.
“Chris needs to run to a friend’s house. He needs to borrow it.”
She looked at her mother, blinking. “We talked about this.”
“He told me he made it through the whole week without being late once.”
“It’s one week. He hasn’t turned in an assignment in his math class since November. He’s on lockdown, Mom. He’s got a long way to go to keep from failing his entire sophomore year.”
“Nancy thinks you should give him some rewards.”
She looked around the room. “Nancy’s not here. I am. Now, I told him no and you said you’d back me up. Worse, he knows he’s not allowed to have the car.”
“I’m his mother, Lily. It’s my job to take care of him.”
She looked at her mother and held back the scream of frustration roiling in her gut. She wanted to yell, So do it! But it wouldn’t help to get angry. Pamela would retreat and it would only complicate matters with Chris.
But.
“I didn’t give up my house and my life in another city to move here and help with Chris, to be undermined at every step. We made a plan. The counselor seems to think it’s a good plan. He’s responding really well to our united front. And to the stability. He’s going to school and turning his work in. Now he has to clear out the backlog. As for these friends of his, you and I both know none of them are good for him. We agreed to hold him accountable. Period. He needs stability. We need to stay strong. This is for him and his benefit.”
Pamela sighed, but Lily could see her spine hunch a little as she let it go.
Lily stood. “I’ll handle Chris myself.” She’d been the one to deal with the homework anyway.
He had the good sense to show fear in his eyes when she came into his room. “Expecting to see Mom instead?” She tossed the paper to him. “Took the liberty of helping you recognize your potential. That’s sloppy work and you’re capable of more.”
“I’ll do it better next time.”
“Oh I’m sure you will. And you’ll do better this time too. Right now. You have time since you won’t be going anywhere. Don’t go around me to her again.”
He stuck his chin out, defiant. “She’s my mother.”
“She’s mine too. And we both know she’s having a rough time of it right now. So I’m in charge. It’s not ideal, but it’s what you’ve got. Get your act together and stop being a brat. Everyone’s too tired for it.” She waved over her shoulder as she left the room. “Bring me the revisions. I’m going up to my room now.”
Chapter Three
Lily wasn’t sure why she was nervous. After all, she’d known Beth Murphy most of her life and through her, Beth’s sisters. She knew Maggie Chase and probably every woman on the other side of the door.
She knocked before she could change her mind only to have the door yanked open by a grinning Beth Murphy. “Sugar, you’re here!”
She hugged her friend and was yanked inside.
Maggie Chase approached, grinning. “It’s been way too long since I’ve seen you last. Come on in.”
Lily put her bag on the little bench at the entry and kicked off her shoes, following Maggie and Beth into the wide and full living