I guess I’ll have to do the same thing with this. Who even watches these things? Bored teenagers? Not people who really care about the nonexistent love life of a single mother.
“Maybe something good will come out of it,” Maddie says, her voice full of hope. I’d like to know where she finds that and order it in bulk. On the list of Worst Things to Ever Happen to Me, this is ranked solidly at number five.
“Fine,” I agree, only because I’ve been trying to delete the video for the last minute and can’t figure it out. Maybe Crew can help me.
It’s nothing. Just a little viral video with…thirteen million views! How many people are on this app?
I take a deep breath. It’s fine. It will be over before I know it. Now if I only believed that.
Fourteen
Ward
“Youcan’tavoidMomforever.”
I knew accepting my sister’s call while on the way to another one of my mom’s set-ups was a bad idea.
“I’m not.” It’s literally been three days since I saw Mom last. Sisters are so dramatic.
“She’s upset though.”
I might not be very good at reading others’ emotions, but that much had been abundantly clear.
My mother chose Sunday night dinner as the Great Inquisition. Not only did she and Dad lay into me about joining the family business and question all my life choices up to this point, but they’d also invited a friend, who was a therapist.
After I left, said therapist told my mom she’d be willing to meet with me, and then my mom called to inform me of my good fortune claiming, “she’s the best in the state.”
I may have been a bit harsh in response and hung up on her. Very un-gentleman-like, I know. Despite what she thinks of me, I’m not broken. Damaged? Yes, but I don’t need some dinner guest in disguise to tell me that. I saw a therapist a few times after I got home. Maybe I wasn’t open to help, or maybe he wasn’t very good at his job, because it didn’t change anything. I still have the repeated nightmares and the shackles of guilt. A stranger can’t fix that.
I scratch the stubble on my chin. “Why don’t you go take over the family business and get them off my back?” I ask Collins.
“Because I don’t want to.”
“Exactly.” I flip on my blinker with a little more force than necessary.
“There’s a difference, Ward. I’m no good at numbers, spreadsheets, and dealing with people. Maybe someday I could come work on the side, but I want to be with my girls. That’s always been my priority.”
The guy behind me honks and I change lanes and speed up. “My priority has been to avoid the business at all costs.”
She sighs and I can almost picture her rolling her eyes. “You haven’t been down to the office in years. Maybe you should check it out, see what Mom and Dad have done, see if it’s still as awful as you remember.”
I remember a fancy building and a company claiming they helped “millions of people” every year. Helping people find jobs after tearing down their homes to build strip malls and resorts, that is.
“Yeah, maybe,” I lie, and turn into the back parking lot of the fancy restaurant my mother made reservations at. “Right after I have the best date of my life.” Sarcasm fills my voice.
“That’s the spirit, sunshine.” I attempt to bite back a growl at Collins’ reference to my attitude.“You know, for someone who hates dating, you sure do it a lot.”
WhyamI going out tonight? I’ve avoided more dates than I could count, giving Caleb plenty of opportunities to find love. But he seems as resistant to it as I am. I should have sent him tonight.
“I feel bad for the way I treated Mom,” I say, finally.
“A simple apology would have sufficed,” Collins says. “I have an alternate theory if you’d like to hear it.”
I narrow my eyes at the idiot who just tried to cut me off. “Do I have a choice?”
“I think youdowant love.” Collins continues on as if she didn’t hear me. “But you’re too scared to admit that to yourself, so you go on dates, hoping love will fall in your lap so you’ll have no way to deny it.”
I hit the steering wheel and the blare of the horn muffles what I really think about her theory.
