Consequences (Chloe PoV)

Closing the door behind me, I locked up. Mom was home. It was a rare day for her to be free of obligations. Considering the sweats and hoodie, along with the mess her hair was in, she was taking advantage of it. I gave her a guilty smile as our eyes met. Yep. She knew.

“Mom, I—”

“Skipped school? I know. I got one of those automated calls saying you were absent.”

I nodded, saying nothing. I already lied to her enough, and I knew this was going to happen. Didn’t regret a thing, though. I needed that break more than anything. Nothing but Jake, Alexis, and some time to get my head straight.

She crossed her arms. Sighing, she shook her head. “Come sit. We need to talk.”

My bag slid off my shoulder, setting it on the floor as I walked over. I left my coat on the floor and plopped down on the couch beside her. She surprised me by snuggling up against me. With an arm snaking behind me, she pulled me tight against her. I melted into her embrace. God. It was the simplest things like this that I missed most. It had been a long time since we had a moment like this. A healthy dose of guilt hit me as I realized a good part of the blame was on me. Recently, I’d been spending a lot of time at Jake’s house. Not just for him, but for Alexis too. They were two very important parts of my life, and I was starting to neglect the third. The rock that had gotten me this far.

“So. Want to talk about why you skipped?”

“Just... needed some time away. Figured I’d have a little snow day. Or two.” I was looking down at my lap, anything to avoid her stare.

“With Jake?” I didn’t say anything, letting the silence answer for me. She nudged me, causing me to look up. She had a grin. “Like the strong, silent type, eh?”

I rolled my eyes, doing my best to fight off the embarrassment.

Her smile turned soft and loving as she looked at me. “You seem to have found yourself a good guy. His aunt and uncle are wonderful people too.”

“Yeah. He’s great.” He’d been over a few times now. I couldn’t keep him a secret forever, so I’d invited him for dinner. I’d warned mom about his... condition. The emotion suppression, not the ‘see’s emotions’ or whatever. The best part was that mom accepted Daniel and Sophie’s invitation for a night out. I hoped that would be a regular thing. Mom could use a few friends and some time out and about.

“That smile tells me all I need to know.” I looked up at her with confusion before realizing I’d been smiling. “I won’t make this a big deal. You are old enough to start charting your own path and have proven yourself trustworthy.” She had a guilty look on her face. I knew she was talking about how often I was left to fend for myself growing up. Mom did her best to be there for me, but it was hard just being the two of us. She worked a lot to make ends meet and left me alone more than she should have.

I didn’t hold it against her though. Mom worked her ass off for both of us and was the best mom anyone could ask for. I just wish I’d turned out different. Someone she could be proud of. Not... me.

Unfortunately for me, Mom wasn’t quite done yet. She said she wasn’t going to make this a big deal, but a little one? “That said, you did lie to me.”

“Technically, Alexis was there too. She’s Jake’s neighbor, so we often hang out there.”

“Uh huh.” My cheeks burned red as she stared at me with that look on her face. “And as much as I’d love to not know, the nurse in me and memories of being your age won’t let me... you two using protection?”

“I’m not an idiot.”

She held up her hands. “Okay. Okay. That’s all I needed to know.” Grinning, she nudged me with her elbow. “I’m not asking for you, but for me. I’m too young to be a grandma.”

I huffed, feigning disgust, but I couldn’t stop smiling. She laughed before pulling me close for another hug. She gave me a kiss on the head before rubbing the top of it. “But enough about boys and relationships. Today is my day off! As it is freezing and miserable outside, no way I’m leaving. So, I was thinking we veg out. I got some hot cocoa mix, a mountain of junk food we can work through, and some cheesy romance shows to watch. How does that sound?”

I grinned. “Sounds awesome.”