"Seventeen. "
Tully nodded. "I went to see Wings in the Kingdome when I was about your age. Whats the trauma?"
"My parents think Im too young. "
"They said no?"
"How lame is that? Everyone gets to do stuff like this except me. My mom wont even let me drive with boys who have their license. She still picks me up from school every day. "
"Well, sixteen-year-old boys are notoriously bad drivers, and sometimes its not . . . safe to be alone with them. " She thought about that night in the woods, all those years ago. "Your mom is just protecting you. "
"But well be in a group. "
"A group. Thats different. Nothing can happen as long as you all stay together. "
"I know. I think shes worried about their driving. "
"Oh. Well, I could take you guys in a limo. "
"Youd do that?"
"Sure. Solves all the problems. Chaperone. Driver. Well have a blast. Ill make sure no one gets hurt. "
Marah sighed. "It wont work. "
"Why not?"
"Because my mom is a bitch and I hate her. "
That caught Tully off guard, shocked her so much that she couldnt think of what to say. "Marah—"
"I mean it. She treats me as if Im a child. She doesnt respect my privacy. She tries to pick my friends and tell me what I can do. No makeup, no thongs, no belly ring, no staying out after eleven, no tattoos. I cant wait to get away from her. Believe me, once I graduate, its sayonara, Mom. Im going straight to Hollywood to be a star like you. "
That last bit flattered Tully so much she almost forgot what had preceded it. She had to force herself back on track. "Youre not being fair to your mom. Girls your age are more vulnerable than you think. A long time ago, when I was your age and thought I was invincible, I—"
"Youd let me go to the concert if you were my mom. "
"Yes, but—"
"I wish you were my mom. "
Tully was surprised by how deeply she felt those words. They found a soft spot inside her. "You two will get past this, Marah. Youll see. "
"No, we wont. "
For the next hour Tully tried to crack through Marahs anger, but it was a durable shell, impossible to breach. She was stunned by how easily Marah claimed to hate Katie, afraid that these two would never repair their damaged relationship. If there was one thing Tully knew, it was how ruined you could be without a mothers love.
Finally, the intercom buzzed and Edmonds voice came through: "The Ryans, Ms. Hart. "
"They know Im here?" Marah said, popping to her feet.
"It couldnt have been hard to figure out," Tully said, going to the intercom. "Let them up, Edmond. Thanks. "
"Theyre going to kill me," Marah said, pacing, wringing her hands, and all at once she was a child again, gangly and tall and gorgeous, but still a child, scared that she was going to be in trouble.
Johnny was the first to walk through the open door. "Damn it, Marah," he said, "you scared the hell out of us. We didnt know if youd been kidnapped or run away—" He broke his sentence off, as if he were afraid to say more.
Kate came up behind him.