She grins. “It’s okay, at least one of us is getting it.” She leans across the table all conspiratorial like. “So tell me everything. I want all the details.”
I laugh. For the last month now, she’s been trying to get me to give her the nitty gritty on my bedroom time with Christian, but I don’t kiss and tell. “Wait, why are you not getting any?” I ask. She shrugs and her gaze goes across the room to Barrett. I gasp. “Don’t tell me you’ve gone and fallen for a footballer?”
“Not really. I don’t know. You know we hooked up last month, right?”
“Yeah, and now you like him?”
“No, I hate him. We were supposed to meet up again last night, and he blew me off for some card game.”
“Yeah?”
She leans in closer. “Apparently, there’s more than secret auctions that go on at Wolf House. We’re talking illegal card games with high stakes, and it’s not just college boys participating either. Sometimes their rich daddies and uncles join in, along with some millionaires looking for a little fun.”
“How do you know all this?”
She shrugs. “Wait, this conversation isn’t supposed to be about me, it’s about you. How’s the ankle?”
“Good, the boot is gone. My appointment this morning was fast. I didn’t want Christian to take me, but he insisted.”
She grins. “I’m sure he did.”
“It’s a huge relief to have it off. My God, I was so worried I’d still have it on for Thanksgiving. Christian and I are going to go out to dinner tonight to celebrate.”
“I wonder…” she asks with a grin.
“What?”
“How many times you can say Christian’s name in a minute.”
I shrug and make light of it. “He took me to my appointment, and I have been staying with him.”
“Dinner, huh? Where are you going?”
“To one of his favorite spots. Christian…” She grins and I catch myself and take a breath. “He’s headed to Aspen after Friday night’s game, and I’m headed home, so this is a last dinner or something.” Maybe it’s a goodbye dinner, one last hurrah, before I go back to my place. Maybe he’s planning on breaking that to me tonight. I knew it was coming and I’m fine with that.
Are you really, Maize?
“I read your Harvard letter, made a couple of suggestions, and sent it back to you.” She reaches across the table and takes my hand. “You’ve got this, Maize. But I’m going to miss you when you go to Massachusetts. Soon enough you’re going to start talking funny, taking drives in your ‘cah’, and going to the ‘bah’. But you’ll be a wicked good student.”
I laugh as she puts on a Boston accent. “Speaking of cah, what time are we leaving tomorrow?” Just thinking of Mom’s turkey dressing has me salivating.
“One. Right after class.” She glances around, her gaze falling over the footballers across the room. “I’m looking forward to getting out of this place.”
Just then my phone pings and my heart jumps in my chest. It’s crazy how happy I get every time Christian texts or calls me, but he knows I’m in the library, and he’s still in class, so this is strange, and really I need to stop being so happy to hear from him. I’m sure after tonight, I’ll be back in my house and he’ll be back in the bed of some hot cheerleader. I grab my phone and it’s not a text, it’s a call coming in from my mother.
I frown. “That’s odd.” I glance at Kaitlyn, take in her worried look. “It’s Mom. I’ll be right back.”
I hurry outside to take the call, my stomach tight. It’s not like Mom to call in the middle of the day like this. I slide my finger across the screen. “Hey Mom, what’s up?” I ask.
“Am I catching you at a bad time?”
“No,” I say and sink onto the stairs when I hear the strain in her voice. “Are you okay?”
“I am, but I’m not,” she says with a sigh. “I have to work all weekend. One of the girls went on maternity leave early, and we’re short-staffed. I’m sorry, honey. You can still come home, I just won’t be able to make us a big meal and I’ll be at the hospital most of the time you’re home.”
Disappointment courses through me but I’m not going to complain. Mom is the only family I have, and things could have been a whole lot worse. “I understand. Maybe I’ll just stay here and study.”
“I feel awful.”
“Don’t. Life happens and before you know it, it’ll be Christmas and we can gorge on turkey then.”
She laughs. “That sounds wonderful, Maize. I’ve been so busy lately we haven’t had much of a chance to talk.” A bell chimes in the background, and she covers the phone for a second.
“It’s okay, Mom. I know you’re busy. I’ve been busy too. I miss you, though.”
“Okay, hun. I have to run. We’ll catch up at Christmas.”
She hangs up and I stare at my phone for a second. I’m disappointed, but a really strange sense of relief goes through me because Mom would have asked about my races and I would have had to lie. This way, I won’t have to and by rights, now that my ankle is healed, I should probably move back into my house. That thought sits heavy as I push to my feet and head back inside.
“Everything okay?” Kaitlyn asks.
“Mom has to work through Thanksgiving.”
“That sucks. Why don’t you come home with me?”
“As nice as that offer is, I think I’ll just stay here and get some work done.”
“Okay,” she says and stands, looking a little unfocused when Barrett gets up and heads for the door. “I’ll talk to you soon.”
“Kaitlyn?”
“Yeah?” she asks and turns back to me, still looking a bit rattled.
“I’m going to move back home.” I lift my leg. “There’s no reason for me to stay with Christian any longer. I’m all healed now, and I can probably get a part time job and start paying him
