Merry Cherry Christmas - Keira Andrews Page 0,59
feel this strongly this fast.
He’d liked guys before. Had dated guys before. He’d never felt so out of control. This was exactly why he’d put on the brakes. The snowball hurtling downhill needed to slow its roll. He had enough to deal with.
Like that waiting email. He needed to rip off the Band-Aid already. Be a grownup and face it.
Jeremy’s phone buzzed in his pocket. “Sorry, I—” He stared at the screen. “My mom.”
“Take it, take it.” Max slipped into the living room to give him privacy. Except Jeremy’s mother was talking so loudly Max thought for a second it was on speaker.
“Where are you?”
“What?” Jeremy seemed instantly frazzled. “What’s wrong?”
“Where are you? I saw the pictures you sent your father.” She flung it like an accusation. “That doesn’t look like Toronto.”
Whoa. Max froze by the fireplace where he was going to sweep up the cold ashes from last night. He should go into the kitchen and stop listening, yet he couldn’t seem to move.
“It’s—it’s not. I’m near Pinevale. It’s a couple of hours north.”
“Who are you with?”
Standing in the foyer, Jeremy’s eyes met Max’s across the living room. His Adam’s apple bobbed. “A friend from school. I’m staying with his family for the holidays.”
“Who is this friend?”
“His name’s Max.”
“And what kind of a friend is this?” She was shouting now.
Jeremy flinched. “Just a friend,” he said, his voice cracking.
It was all Max could do not to march over, grab the phone, and tell Jeremy’s mother where to go.
“Why didn’t you tell us? You’re supposed to be on campus!”
Opening his mouth, Jeremy closed it again as his mother shouted, going on a tear about honesty and earning trust. Max’s blood pressure zoomed as he listened to her basically call Jeremy a liar, not letting him get a word in edgewise. Jeremy hunched in on himself, staring at the floor. When he glanced up at Max, he cringed, and Max could see the apology in the grimace.
Again, Max fought the urge to march over, take the phone, and tell her off. He wanted to shield Jeremy and yell at her for abandoning him. Instead, he mouthed, “That’s bullshit!”
Eyes locked with Max’s, Jeremy took a deep breath and stood up straighter, rolling his shoulders back. He cut off his mother. “Why shouldn’t I spend the holidays with a friend? He’s great and his family is great. You’d rather I be all alone in my dorm room for Christmas? Is that what you want, Mom? Is that supposed to be my punishment?”
His words hung in the air, a terrible silence following. Max held his breath.
A pained sort of whimper echoed from the phone. “No.” Her voice was fainter now, but Max could still just make out the words. “I was worried. I worry about you. You might not believe that, but it’s true.”
Tears glistened in Jeremy’s eyes. He pushed up his glasses and swiped. He whispered, “I’m fine, Mom. You don’t need to worry.”
She said something Max couldn’t quite make out, and then there was silence, but Jeremy still held the phone to his ear. A few seconds later, a loud young voice exclaimed, “Cherry! It’s me!”
Joy lit up Jeremy’s beautiful face, and Max wanted to take a picture. Jeremy said, “Hey, Sean! I miss you so much. Are you having fun in Hawaii?”
Max finally moved, giving Jeremy a thumbs up and hurrying to the kitchen to finally give him privacy. He unzipped his coat and tugged at his scarf. There were a few of Papy’s pastries left, and he ate one gratefully. It wasn’t too long before Jeremy appeared.
“Sorry about that.”
“Don’t be.” Max brushed pastry crumbs off his fingers. “You okay?”
“I think so.” He smiled. “It was great to hear Sean’s voice. He’s having a blast.”
“That’s good. Your mom sounds…intense.”
Jeremy grimaced. “That’s one way to put it.” He took off his glasses and rubbed his face. “She makes me so mad.”
Max tugged Jeremy into a hug. Forget his own bullshit—Jeremy looked like he’d just been tackled by a linebacker. Max wanted him to be okay. He wanted to see that smile again. Jeremy sagged against him, his arms circling Max’s waist, parka thick between them. He rested his head against Max’s shoulder.
“Sometimes I almost hate her,” he whispered. “But she’s my mom.”
Max stroked Jeremy’s hair. “I’m sorry it’s like this right now.” He wanted to call her every name he could think of, but that wouldn’t make Jeremy feel better. “I hope it’ll change. I’m sure she was genuinely worried about you.