"No it's not. You need to live your life." She gave me a crooked smile and winced. "Damn stitches."
"It is my fault, Mom. If I was there-"
"Then, the idiot would have probably killed you. It's all good. He's gone, and I'm done being anyone's punching bag. When I get out of here, we're going to start looking for a new place to live." She reached up and touched the side of her eye.
I dropped down into my seat and gave her a look. "With what money, Mom?"
"My raise." She tried to smile, but didn't pull it off too well. "I got a raise at the hospital, and Dr. Barnes said that if I fill out a few forms, he'll look into putting me into a sponsorship program for battered women. They do all sorts of stuff for you, including help pay for your degree."
"Really?" This was the best news I'd heard in forever.
"Yep. I'll be in college right beside you." She laid her hand beside her, palm up.
I reached up and took it, clasping my fingers around hers softly. "So, there's no way for you to lose your job?"
"What? Heavens, no. Dr. Barnes thinks I'm the one who tugs the moon into the sky every night. There's no way anything can happen to my position. I work too hard, and there is already too much stacked against me, which they're aware of." She patted my hand with her free hand. "Now...tell me where you were last night. With that pretty girl? Val?"
"Yes, ma'am, but we're not going to see each other anymore." Sadness like I'd never experienced filled up the cavity of my chest, and I took a shaky breath.
"Well, I think that's the dumbest thing you could do. It's a mistake. She's the one. I just know it." She laid back and narrowed her eyes at me. "What's really going on? Tell me."
"Nothing. I'm just a little butt-hurt over her not wanting anything to do with me." I pulled my hand back and slumped down in my chair. "She's a Scott, Mom. Those people are takers and abusers. She's no different. I'm not interested in being her puppet."
"You a puppet?" She snorted. "I think you're full of it, but you'll talk to me about it when you want to. Until then, suffer in stony silence like you always do."
"I don't suffer in silence." I rolled my eyes and leaned back farther, letting my eyes close. "I'm glad you're okay. I almost had a heart attack when I got home and you weren't there."
"I know. I'm sorry for all I've put you through." Her voice was soft, but I had a hard time hearing what else she was mumbling. Now that I knew she was okay and the rest of our lives were relatively intact, sleep was taking me under.
"I love you, Mom," I grumbled and clasped my hands over my stomach as the darkness took me far away from my concerns. I had lots of them, but the top concern followed me deep into my dreams and plagued me without reprieve.
How am I going to let go of Val without hurting her?
You're not.
Chapter 22
Two Days Later
Val
"Maybe something came up, Val." Amy reached over and rubbed my shoulders as she tried to comfort me.
"It's been two fucking days." I growled under my breath and tried to keep from letting my voice get to loud in the m
iddle of the restaurant. "We slept together and then the fucker won't call me or text me or anything? Come on...really?"
"That is pretty shitty." Amy shrugged and tried to give me an apologetic look. "Is he worth all this drama? You'll find someone else, you know you will."
"I don't want someone else." My voice was far louder than I wanted, but I couldn't get a hold of myself. "I want him!"
"Okay. Shit. Then, let's go get him. Something happened. There's no way that he's not into you. After the sex you guys had? Any guy would be falling over himself to get to you. Three times in one night is super ho-"
"Thank you," I snapped at her, sounding more like my mother than I cared to admit. "I'm going by the shop today, I guess. He's not showed up for swim practice for two days either, from what Martin said. Where is he?"
"Probably working or dealing with something at home." She got up and gathered her trash. "Go figure out where he is, and if he's just being a stupid dick, then drop him. You don't need this drama in your life. You have enough of it already. Between your mom, dad, and Carolyn, it's a wonder you're sane at all."
"Thank you. Right?" I got up and gathered my stuff, too. I'd spend the last two days sick or crying over this sorry bastard, and he didn't even have the common courtesy to call or text me that we were over. "Over before we even started."