I sputter, inhaling chunks of grape before coughing them back out. “No. God, no. Why would I talk to Mathis?”
“He feels horrible about what happened.”
“He should.”
Why the fuck does she want to talk about Mathis? I pace the kitchen. The thought of talking to Mathis makes me twitchy, and I have to do something to keep myself occupied.
“He apologized to your father and me. Then he took us out to that fancy restaurant you two used to eat at. What was it called?” Her voice is too sugary sweet, her words luring me into answering, but I bite my tongue.
“What do you want, Mom? Is this why you called? You want to talk about Mathis?”
She sighs, and the disappointment is obvious. She’s never tried to hide it. She’s been on me for a while now to give Mathis another chance.
“You need to get over it, Lennon. I think you’ve made him pay enough for his indiscretions, don’t you?”
“Do you even hear yourself right now? After everything he’s put me through, you still want me to marry him? You’re insane.”
She tries to interrupt, but I’m having no part of it. It’s time she listens.
“Mathis and I have been over for a year. A year, Mother. And we’re not getting back together. Ever. It will never happen, so get that through your head. And when I do decide to get married, you can bet your ass it’ll be to a man who deserves my love, one who would rather die than hurt me, one who wouldn’t think about treating me with anything less than the respect I deserve.”
“You two were together for five years, Lennon. And you’re going to throw all of that away because of one mistake?”
“Mistake? Mistake! Him fucking my best friend was a mistake?” I yell, quickly remembering Nova in the other room.
I glance around the corner, and she’s still playing, seemingly unaware of my outburst.
“He cheated on me!” I whisper-yell, frustrated that I have to defend myself. “And that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Don’t even get me started on the hell he put me through after that.”
She sighs. “Does this have to do with that neighbor guy of yours? What’s his name?” My blood runs cold as she clicks her tongue. “Nick, is it?”
“How do you know about him?”
“No, not Nick. Noah.” I can hear her snap through the phone. “Handsome thing he is, cute daughter, too. Although her story is a bit tragic, don’t you think?” The hair on the back of my neck stands up at the mention of Nova.
“Answer me. How do you know about him?”
“You’re my only child, Lennon. Did you really think I’d let you run off to a foreign town and not keep tabs on you?”
“I didn’t run off,” I argue.
“That’s neither here nor there. I wonder what Noah would think of his precious Lennon if he knew the truth behind what brought her to Texas.”
Vibrations pulse through my body. My heart slams inside my chest, my teeth threatening to chatter because of all the adrenaline pumping through my veins.
“What makes you think I haven’t told him?”
“Oh, come on, Leni. You don’t think your own mother knows you?”
Not really. But damn it if she isn’t right about this.
“You wouldn’t do that to me.”
“I would.”
I shake my head. “Doesn’t matter. None of it’s true. You know that; he’ll know that.”
“It was all over the news. All I would have to do is show him a few articles, maybe a clip from TV, and he’d wash his hands of you faster than you could blink. You’re lucky he hasn’t already figured it out.”