“Hey. How’re you doin’?”
Silence.
Then I heard a hitch, like she was crying.
Stupid.
Stupid, stupid, stupid.
How’re you doin’? What kind of question is that? My brain asked.
I ignored my brain.
“Mom, I know what’s going on,” I told her.
“You do? How do you know?” Mom asked.
“I have a friend who… wel , he’s more than a friend. He’s kind of my boyfriend.” I looked up at Mace. He wasn’t looking concerned anymore, his mouth was twitching.
Effing hel .
I kept going. “Wel , we’re actual y kind of living together.
His name is Kai Mason. I cal him Mace. Though, not just me. Everyone does. That is, everyone cal s him Mace.” Why was I babbling?
“Anyway, he’s nice and he’s cute. You’d like him.” Cute?
I was stil babbling!
“How do you know what’s going on?” Mom got back to the subject.
“Wel , he’s also a private investigator.” Mom gasped.
“No! No, he didn’t investigate you or anything. I mean, wel , he did. After we found out from his Dad, who’s kind of a jerk…” My eyes skidded toward Mace’s face again but I couldn’t see it as his head was tilted down. His shoulders were shaking however and I knew it was with laughter. I forged ahead, “Anyway, it’s a long story. His Dad told me you were sick so Mace checked up on you and he told me you were in trouble. So –”
“Did you pay the mortgage?”
My hand went to Mace’s thigh, I squeezed and his head came up. I was right, he was smiling.
The smile faded when I said, “No, I didn’t pay the mortgage. Mace did.”
“Your Dad’s real mad about the mortgage. Went to the bank and told them to return the money but they won’t do it because we’re behind.”
“He’s going to have to get over it,” I told her. “We’re sending more money, Mom. Our friends did a col ection.”
“Don’t do that Stel a.”
“Mom –”
“Don’t you do it, girl,” she snapped.
Al of a sudden her voice had changed and I felt the blood run out of my face.
She could be harsh but it was unusual. Mostly she was quiet, timid and did everything she could to be invisible.
Mace saw me pale and his eyes narrowed on my face.
He dropped his hand from my neck, sat straight and hit the button for the speakerphone.