Kiss My Sass [Books 1 & 2]

[book 1] chapter thirty-six: election day

THE LAST THING I expected was to be woken up by the sound of a throat clearing. It felt like a terrifying nightmare when I woke up to the sight of my mother looking at James and I in bed...again. I immediately sat up and James let out a sigh from my sudden movements. When he opened his eyes and saw the horror-stricken look on my face he instantly got up.

    "Well," she spoke, breaking the silence. "I can't say I'm surprised."

    James didn't say a word as he got out of my bed. "I'll see you later," he said to me before bolting out of the room. I didn't really blame him, I would have left too if my leg wasn't injured.

    "The hospital's discharging you today," Mom said. "But before we go I want you to know that I know what happened, and we already spoke to the police."

    I raised my eyebrows. "We?"

    "James." I didn't miss the grimace on her face. "The cover story is that you were mugged at gunpoint and James saved you."

    "I thought you wanted me to have nothing to do with him." I was shocked she included him in the fake story at all. If anything she would have omitted him completely or accused him of being the alleged mugger.

    She ran a hand through her sleek, straightened hair. "I suppose there's nothing I can do about you two since it seems like you'll be sneaking off behind my back anyway. Plus, after our talk yesterday it seems like he's an intelligent boy who's a decent influence on you."

    I blinked in surprise. "You're not mad?"

    "No." She paused. "I'm furious. But I have too much on my plate right now to deal with the mess you've been creating as of late."

    As much as I didn't want to confront the fight between us, I knew if I didn't do it now we'd never resolve it. I could think of a million other things to say that would only add fuel to the fire, so I had to carefully reflect on my words before uttering them. Sucking up my pride, I spoke. "I shouldn't have said all the stuff I said."

    She raised an eyebrow. "What, that I neglect my children and don't care for them?" I looked down in shame so she took that as a sign to continue to berate me. "I know I'm busy working all the time, but it's only so that I can give you kids a future. Regardless of that, I do care. I know I haven't been to your brother's lacrosse games, but how do you think a Birch Mount scout came to see him? I did a case for the head of admissions a few years back and I called in a favour he owed me."

    My jaw slacked, completely taken aback by this newfound information. Birch Mount was Brenton's dream school and all this time he thought Mom never cared for his lacrosse games but she was helping him in ways we didn't even know.

    "I knew about Monica as well."

    I gawked at her. "You knew?"

    "I needed Niko to find out on his own. In exchange for staying out of my kids' business, I told Peter I'd stay out of his."