Kiss My Sass [Books 1 & 2]

[book 1] chapter thirty-one: my mom ruins my relationship

MY IDEA OF the perfect morning was waking up next to James, both of us safe and happy in each other's arms. What wasn't a part of my ideal criteria was waking up at the crack of dawn to my mother standing by the foot of my bed, glaring at me. My eyes instantly snapped open and I felt my blood run cold. "Mom," I gulped.

    "Daniella Evangeline Parker!" Full name, how typical. "What on earth is he doing here?"

    James groaned as he slowly woke up, his expression mirroring mine verbatim when he spotted my fire-breathing furious mother.

    "You," she growled, pointing at him, "get out of my house and never come back here again."

    "Mom!"

    James gave me a stern look, indicating I should shut up. "She's right." Without another word, he got out of my bed and walked out the door, not even bothering to retrieve his clothes from yesterday.

    "That was harsh," I scoffed at my mother who didn't seem the least bit fazed.

    Her steely eyes were still zeroed in on me. "What were you thinking? You're seventeen, and as long as you're living under my roof you are not to bring dangerous boys like him in your bedroom for crying out loud!" she seethed. "He is troubled and I don't want you to have anything to do with him." She couldn't even be bothered to address James by his name.

    I felt my blood boil at the accusations she was throwing at him. "He's not troubled or dangerous. He's nice, smart, caring, and—"

    "I don't want to hear this, Daniella. If I see you two together again I won't hesitate to kick you out of my house."

    I gawked at her. "Mom, can't you just listen to me?"

    "We'll talk about this when you're home," she dismissed in a stern voice. "Get dressed and go to school." She stormed out of my room without hearing me out though I wasn't surprised. For Mom the final word was always hers.

~*~

    James was already gone by the time I was ready for school so I drove Brenton to what turned out to be the most painfully silent ride. Everyone in the house heard what happened but I was relieved Brenton wasn't trying to pry or talk about it. The last thing I wanted to do was relive any of this morning's fiascos. I parked the car and we parted ways as I ran into the school looking for James. I spotted him at his locker and made my way over, not caring who I bumped into or shoved on the way there. His back was facing me as he retrieved his textbooks.

    "I'm so sorry about this morning, I don't know what got into her. It's all my fault, you said you wanted to leave, but I made you stay and I'm..." My voice trailed off when he turned around and I sucked in a sharp breath of air. Although his nose was much improved since yesterday, he was sporting a black eye, bruised cheek, and a busted lip. "What happened?" My fingers hovered beside his face but James recoiled before I could touch him.