He sighs. “She really does hate me.”
How did Jinxy phrase it? “Think of this as a way to make amends.”
“What if you piss her off more by showing up?”
“I plan to beg for her forgiveness.”
He hums. “Did you cheat too?”
“Fuck no. I’m not an idiot.”
“I’m just not good at impulse control. It’s not my strength, bro.” Ezra sighs again. “I know I was a terrible boyfriend.”
“So… will you help me?” Please. I close my eyes, hoping that something I say resonates with him. “I love Abby, and I don’t know what I’ll do if I lose her.”
After a beat of silence, he laughs. “You sound so fucked right now. What the hell? Fine. But if she gets pissed when you show up, I’m gonna deny helping you.”
Thick, hot relief pours through me. Ezra’s a grade-A asshole, but I can’t deny that this is huge.
Now I just need to get Abby to forgive me.
45
ABIGAIL
My mom nudges me. “Honey, pass the popcorn.”
I set down my crochet needle, grab the bowl from the side table, and hand it to her.
She wanted to watch It’s a Wonderful Life this afternoon. That’s her go-to holiday movie. My dad escaped to his workshop in the garage while I’ve been crocheting emotional support pickles. I’ve made a half dozen so far.
A coffee commercial comes on. The young man returns from military service and sneaks into his parents’ house, presumably on Christmas, and makes a pot of coffee. His little sister tiptoes down to the kitchen, sees him, and runs into his arms.
My tear ducts sting, and I try to wipe them without my mom noticing, but she side-eyes me when I sniffle. “Are you crying because of a coffee commercial?”
“Nope. Just some dust in the air.”
The look on her face tells me she doesn’t believe me. “Are you sure you’re okay? You’ve been so quiet since you got home. You didn’t want to play Scrabble last night, and this morning, when I handed you a plate of waffles, you looked at me like I was the Devil.”
I chuckle. “Sorry, Mom. My stomach hasn’t been right since I got food poisoning. I think I had some bad nachos. And then everything with Nick threw me off my game.”
When I got home yesterday, I finally gave her the basics of my living situation. That I worked for a single dad who I started dating, that we broke up, and that I really didn’t want a lecture.
To my surprise, all she did was hug me.
“I bet you just need a good probiotic.” Then she clenches her faux pearl necklace and whispers, “Abigail, I can’t believe you were dating Nick Silva. Ezra’s mother is going to poop her pants.”
“Please don’t say anything to her. Nick and I are over anyway.” It was just easier to tell my mom I was dating Nick than to explain he and I had crazy monkey sex without any kind of commitment.
Her lips tug down, and she grabs my hand. “I know you don’t want to talk about it, but I’m here if you change your mind.”
“Thanks.”
“If you want to visit your friends while you’re in town, you can borrow my car.”
“Aren’t you afraid I’m just going to plow it into a utility trailer?” Because the worst things constantly happen to me. Baylee was worried about my trip, so she saged me to cleanse me of my bad juju before I left Charming.
Mom wraps me in a tight hug. “I’m just glad you and Hazel weren’t hurt.”
