“KJ?”I asked, urging the concern to stay out of my voice.
“It’smy mom,” she said tersely.
“Yousound thrilled about that,” the salesman mentioned, making casual conversationas he swiped my card. “Okay, will you bepickin’ itup or should we have it delivered?”
“I’dreally like it tonight,” I admitted.
Henodded sympathetically. “I understand, but it’s just that we don’tactuallyhave it in stockat the moment. We can have it to youby the end of tomorrow night, if that’s okay.”
Iopened my mouth to protest childishly, when Kylie put her hand on my arm. “Dev,it’s one night.” She turned to him and smiled. “Tomorrow’s fine. Thank you,have a good day.”
“Youtoo,” he replied with a small nod as he handed back my credit card.
“Thanks,man,” I said, threading my fingers with Kylie’s as we walked to the elevator.“Are you going to call her back?” I asked, and she sighed.
“Yeah,but later,” she replied.
Kylie’srelationship with her mother had been on rocky ground since she moved out,shortly after we bought the store. They had maintained a civil bond, but thelines of communication were minimal at best, and I struggled to remember thelast time Kylie had mentioned visiting her.
“Maybeyou should call her from the truck?” I offered, stepping out of the elevatorwith my hand in hers. “Just to make sure everything is okay, you know?”
“Devin,”she said with a melancholy tone. “I just want to enjoy today without otherstuff interfering.”
“Iknow, but …” I proceeded with caution, pushing the department store’s dooropen. “I just think you’ll regret it if something turns out to be wrong.Remember, things might be rough between you guys, but you still care abouther.”
Witha weighted sigh, Kylie nodded her agreement as we walked through the sunnyparking lot to my truck. I opened her door, helped her climb in, and shut itbehind her before rounding to the driver’s side. When I got in, she had herphone out and pressed to her ear, looking at me with those “are you happy?”eyes. I flashed her my best cheesy grin.
“HeyMom,” she said, rubbing her temple as though a headache was already piercingthrough her skull. “Yeah, I know. I saw your call, but we … I … um …” I glancedat her as she struggled through her explanation.
Shewas hiding what was happening between us, and I knew exactly why.
Shefelt guilty.
“Uh,yeah, actually. Iwaswith Devin … Yeah, he was buying a new mattress,”she said, turning to me with a grimace and a shrug. “Oh, uh, my mom says hi.”
“HeyMrs. James,” I shouted toward the phone and Kylie playfully shoved against myshoulder.
“Um,well … no, actually, Nate and I broke up,” she said, laying a hand over herface. “Uh-huh … yeah, I know, he was all wrong … am I seeing anyone now? Weonlyjustbroke up, Mom …” Then she looked at me, eyes open and jawslack, as though she was realizing how quickly this was already moving. “But,um …” She pinned her lips between her teeth, pleading with her eyes forassistance, but I only shrugged, leaving it to her own discretion.
Inany other situation, I would have felt like a secret being kept, something tobe ashamed of. But in this instance, I understood.
Kyliehad left home with a guilty conscience weighing heavily on her shoulders. Shehated herself for leaving to live a better life, while her mom chose to stay inthat tomb of a home, surrounded by ghosts and memories. It made Kylie sad totalk to her, telling her she was continuing with her life, knowing her motherhad yet to leave the past behind and seek her own happiness.
“What?”she asked abruptly, turning to me. “Dinner? When?Tonight? Uh … Mom,we’re out, running errands, and tonight we have, um …”
“Tofuck,” I whispered, and she swatted at me, her flush creeping up from theneckline of her lightweight sweater.
Igrinned, imagining her out of that thing, out of her skintight leggings andcombat boots. I thought about my mouth, exploring every inch of her. Tastingher. Feeding on her. I let out a low groan at my own imagination, and she eyedme questioningly.
“Well,um … I guess if Dev doesn’t mind,” she said reluctantly, glancing over at meapologetically, and with the slightest sigh of disappointment, I shook my head.Because I didn’t mind. Well, maybe just a little.
ButI had the rest of my life to feast on her body. I could wait a few more hours.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Kylie
“I’m sorry,”I apologized, for what had tobe the twentieth time, as Devin steered the truck toward my mom’s house.
