Side Note: I Think I Love You (Side Notes Book 1) - COMPLETE

Chapter 37 - Ian

Side note: never tell your mother about your breakup when she asks how your week has been through a freaking video call.

I don't know how the conversation led to that topic but one minute, my mother was all sunshine and rainbows, hay bale and horses (my step dad runs a ranch)—all that kind of stuff.

The next minute, she's just about ready to throw a metal horseshoe at my face. Or, more realistically, the screen.

"How did I raise such a stupid son?" She mutters, removing her glasses from her face to rub the bridge of her nose.

"Oof," Derek whispers in my direction. "You know you fucked up when Mom does that."

I elbow him on his left side.

Mom takes a deep breath in and exhales. "Boy, you better win her back."

"Mom, what makes you think that's possible?" Although I've spent more than half of my time focusing on my studies and training for the big game tomorrow—a game that my dad might actually show up to—the rest of the time has been spent thinking about Attie.

It's been a breeze avoiding her because of football but all I wanted to do was find her and tell her everything. But I know that even without all my commitments to football, Attie would actively avoid me.

"I've told you this before, Ian. And I will say it again," my mom explains. "You do not come across a girl like that very often. Someone as sweet and independent as her. I don't know what happened—and frankly, I don't want to—but a girl like that is a girl you better hold onto for the rest of your life." She places her glasses back on her face and crosses her arms.

"I'll try, Mom," I respond with, just to shift the topic.

Her eyes move to Derek. "You see to it that he does, hun."

My brother snorts. "Already a step ahead of you."

She hums. "That's my boy. Enough about your brother's mess up—"

"Hey," I complain, but she ignores it.

"How about you, Derek? Anyone special?"

That's my cue. I look down at my phone and widen my eyes. "Sorry to cut this short, Mom. But there's a team call that I need to be a part of. I have to go." I stand up from the floor and before I can turn around, Derek pulls on my shorts.

"Where are you going?" He whisper-shouts.

I gesture to my phone and shrug before heading out of his room. Once I'm out of sight, I shoot my brother a text.

Me: You've got this, bro. I'll always be in your corner. No matter what.

Derek told me on Wednesday that he was going to come out to Mom at our next video call with her. I'm keeping that door of opportunity ajar before it slams shut. The only thing that's been stopping him from taking that step towards being his true self has been our mother—apparently when he told Dad, it wasn't as much of a surprise.

Since Monday, his mannerisms and attitude are a lot more relaxed around me and I think that maybe it has lifted a weight off of his shoulders, one that he shouldn't have been carrying in the first place, if you ask me. Maybe talking to Mom about it would ease the rest of it off.

After heading downstairs, I walk towards the kitchen and barely open the fridge door when a rhythm of loud knocking is heard. I don't need to look through the peephole to see Jason standing there because he's the only person I know who doesn't use the doorbell. Either he arrives with Derek or bangs on the door in some random rhythm that I can't figure out.