Page 41 of Good Girl
“Is that a yes?” He chuckles.
“Yes.” I sniffle, his arms tightening around me.
I’m home.
Vance’s voice sounds bored as he moves closer to us, looking at his FaceTime call. “No, Mother, we’re having dinner at home.”
Tristan releases me then uses the pads of his thumbs to wipe the tears from my cheeks.
Vance rolls his eyes at something his mother says. Last night, while we took a bath together, he told me how his family wants to pick out his wife and run his life. He warned me that this call was coming—they’d informed him they had news.
“I’m not alone mother, I’m with Tristan.” He turns the screen toward us.
“Hello, Mrs. Emerson.” Tristan waves.
“Oh, Tristan! How often have I told you to call me Val?” She lifts her chin, causing the wrinkles around her furrowed brow to pinch. Aside from that, all I can see on the screen is that she has shoulder-length brown hair and wears a pearl necklace. “Who is this?” She asks, her gaze slipping to me.
“Hello, Val.” I tentatively raise a hand, flashing her my biggest grin until her face drops at me using her first name.
“This is my girlfriend,” Tristan announces, causing my heart to leap in my chest. I can’t help my megawatt smile as I turn to him, nodding my head when he seems to tilt his in question. I just agreed to live here, so being calledgirlfriendshouldn’t feel as fantastic as it does.
“How wonderful. I’ve never seen you with a girlfriend before, Tristan. Perhaps you two can join Vance and Rebecca for dinner. I just informed him of the news, that Rebecca is coming to visit friends in the city.”
“Mother, I told you, I’m not interested in having dinner with Rebecca.” Vance brushes a hand through his hair, his teeth grinding causing a muscle to jump in his jawline.
“She’s coming to the city. It would be awful if you didn’t at least show her around, Vance.”
“No,” he states firmly, flitting his gaze to me. Jealousy, green and putrid, begins churning in my stomach. Vance ismine.
“Tristan and his girlfriend will attend with you,” Val proclaims like she has authority over all of us.
“She’s not only Tristan’s girlfriend, Mother,” Vance informs her, and Tristan freezes beside my solidified form. The burning jealousy ebbs away, replaced by butterflies.
Taking my hand, Tristan drags me over to where Vance has the screen pointed at himself. Tristan claps him on the shoulder, in a show of support. He’s proud of Vance.
“Apologies, sweetheart. I thought Tristan said she washisgirlfriend. Is she just a friend of his?”
“No, Mother. She’s both of ours. She’sourgirlfriend.” A full garden of elation blooms inside me, every corner of my soul warming like it’s beneath beams of sunlight.
There’s a beat of tense silence and then a grumbled, “Well, does this girlfriend have a name?”
“Angel,” Vance replies as Tristan says, “Poppy.”
I turn the phone to face me, hovering my finger over theend callbutton.
“Actually, it’s Good Girl.”
Call ended.