A Piece of Heaven (Allendale Four 1)

“Morning,” I said. “Everything okay?

“No,” she said in a quiet voice. “I don’t think it is.”

“What’s wrong?” She’d come home late last night, after Jackson left and I’d locked up the house. “Did something happen at the banquet?”

She swallowed and glanced away from the phone. “I had a long talk with Justin last night—after he dropped you off. He said Jackson was here.”

I felt the blood drain from my face.

I took a sip of coffee and calmed myself, prepping for damage control. “Yeah, he just came over to check on me. Make sure I got home safe.”

“I thought that’s what Justin was here for.”

“Mom.” I exhaled. “I wanted to spend a little time with my boyfriend. Not a big deal.”

She slid the phone across the table. “That’s what I said, until he showed me this.”

Dread pooled in my stomach, turning to a heavy cement. There was no doubt about what she was looking at. The Fakestagram page. My page. A Piece of Heaven.

“Did he tell you someone is messing with me? I didn’t post those photos.”

“He did say that and that he’d tried to get you to tell me about this weeks ago.”

“I was handling it and didn’t want to bother you. It’s just stupid high school stuff.”

Her eyes flicked to the screen. Which picture was she looking at? Garrett? Eric? Anderson? The list was long and I felt my mouth go dry.

“I need you to explain what I’m looking at, Heaven.”

I sat down at the table, feeling the disappointment rolling off my mother. I could argue all day that someone was setting me up, that I was being stalked, but the photos told another story. My clothing and change of behavior revealed a different, un-defendable position.

“I’m waiting,” she prompted.

“It started out as just a prank by me and Justin.” The rat bastard traitor, I didn’t add. “And people took it the wrong way. I got mad and decided to push some buttons.”

“I don’t know what that means,” she said. “I know you started with the more-revealing outfits. I tried not to judge. It’s your life, but I also didn’t want to set off another anxiety attack—not after the last one was so bad. But I had no idea you’d gotten so out of control.”

“I’m not out of control.”

She snatched the phone off the table and held up a photo. It’s the most recent one—one I hadn’t even seen. I stare at the photo, feeling the familiar twist of anxiety in my chest. It was of me and Jackson on the front step last night. There was only one way to describe Jax’s expression.

Orgasmic.

I dropped the phone, feeling sick to my stomach at the invasion of privacy.

“As much as I don’t want to see that, at least he’s your boyfriend. I’m not naïve, Heaven. It’s the other photos that are a problem. The other young men…men I trusted you were safe with.”

A fat tear ran down my cheek. I brushed it away. “I am safe with them.”

“No, honey…they’re not. They’re using you and taking advantage of a girl with a lot of problems who’s desperate for some affection and attention.”

“Stop. That’s not true. You don’t understand.”

“You’ve been lonely. I’m not around as much as I should have been—your dad is gone. It’s not unusual to want to find comfort with someone—anyone.”

“Mom,” I said, teeth grinding together. “Stop.”

“I blame myself…I saw all the signs that something was really wrong. I should have known when you had that major attack that you were spiraling. It’s not the first time and we’ll get through this.” She tried to reach for my hand across the table. I snatched it away. She sighed. “I know you’re mad, but one day you’ll see that I’m just trying to help you.”