Wrong number. (Completed)

Chapter Twenty-One

NICK

"Ahh! I am stuffed!" I said, patting my stomach. I reached over to grab a cookie from the middle of the table until I heard a chuckle come from my girlfriend.

"That's your fourth cookie tonight," she placed a delicate hand on my shoulder and sat down in her chair after doing the dishes. I offered my help but she refused it.

"But they're soooo good." I finished grabbing my fourth cookie and taking a large bite out of it. She smiled. "If you don't want me to eat the cookies. Don't be so good at making them." I winked at her. She squeezed my hand under the table. "If you keep bringing me treats like these, I might just blow up into a balloon. Would you be okay having a fat boyfriend?" I smirked.

"I'd make you run with me." Everyone laughed at the table.

"Thank you for doing the dishes, Stacy. And thank you very much for the oatmeal chocolate covered cookies." My mom said.

"They truly are addicting." James added as he reached to the middle of the table to grab one.

"Thank you for the meal, Ms. Owens. It was very good." My mom smiled.

"Please, just call me 'Sallie.' Do you have a curfew?"

"On school nights it's nine." My mom nodded.

"Well, it seems we still have a couple hours."

"Nick," James began, "how did you two meet?"

"Stacy accidentally texted the wrong number and for three weeks we exchanged calls and texts slowly falling for one another and then we finally met and ... now we're here," I looked at my girlfriend then picked up her hand and kissed it. She blushed and looked away.

"Wow, seems like you two are ... close."

"Any future plans?" My mom asked.

"Uh .... haha ... " Stacy tried to begin. I squeezed her hand.

"Stacy wants to go to college in Utah. I plan on following her."

"Oh, do you want to go to college there too?" James asked.

"I don't know if I want to go to college just yet. I don't know what I want to be and I don't want to waste money on a useless degree." My mom's boyfriend nodded. What he said next had me squeezing the life out of my girlfriend's hand.

"Well, money won't be a problem if you let me help you. And if college isn't your thing then you could just come work for me."

"Kind of sounds like you're married to my mom, James."

"Well, we have talked about it," he quickly glanced at my mom and she nodded in agreement, supporting him. She was agreeing with this rich asshole.

"Look, you're not my dad. I'm not your son. Spend your money on your own guys' future kids together."

"Nick, James is just being supportive."

"I just want to help you, Nick. This is what a father should do. Let me give you that experience."

"Don't talk down my dad. I respect that man. No matter the shit he put my mom and I through. He's still my father. And I don't want any other asshole's money. I want my dad to support me. And if he doesn't then fuck it. I don't care. I've survived five years without a man in my life and I've turned out just peachy."

"Nick."

"Mom, once I'm gone, you don't have to worry about me anymore. I know I've been a burden for you since you were seventeen and that I was just a mistake in yours and dad's life. Just wait a few more fucken months and I'll be gone. You can move in with rich guy here and never have to worry a fuck about me." I didn't have any more to say, and I had lost Stacy the moment I talked back. Her hand was no longer intertwined with mine. And I knew I'd fucked up.