Page 50 of High Rise Secrets
“No, I’m really not. Can you come get me? I’m too drunk to drive, and I can’t stand to see any of my friends right now.”
“Where are you?”
I don’t want to tell her I’m at a strip club, so I walk a few blocks down the street to a gas station and wait for her there. While I wait, I stare at the last message from Addison. I saw it right as I got to the club. It’s like she knew I would find out about the skeletons in her closet and call her out for it.
Is she even actually sorry for what she did, what shecontinuesto do? My anger starts to rise again, like a lead weight in my chest. I rub the spot over my heart and start to calm down when I see Mom’s sedan pulling into a spot.
I slide into the passenger side and close the door without saying a word. After a few minutes of her driving, I finally speak. “Can I stay at your place tonight? I don’t want to go home.”
She nods and glances over at me, concern etched on her face. “Of course. Anything you want to talk about? Girl problems?”
I huff and rub my forehead, trying to keep my headache at bay. “Yeah, something like that. I don’t want to talk about it right now.”
She nods again and stays silent, so the only noise is the passing of cars and the soft rock station Mom is listening to. I close my eyes and lean my head back against the headrest. I think about the night, replaying the events in my head.
Is it possible she was telling the truth?God, she seemed so upset tonight. I wanted to pull her into my arms, kiss the top of her head, and tell her it’s going to be okay. I wanted to tell her we’d get through this together—figure it out. Thanks to Mr. Tequila sitting in my stomach, though, he did the talking.Fucker.
No way of knowing now. I spoke with Aiden in human resources before I left for the day and told him she’s not working out as my assistant and needs to be transferred on Monday. I need to keep my distance from her, for the good of the company and the good of my sanity.
Mom pulls into the garage, and I get out, dragging my heavy feet into the house. She fills a glass of water, hands it to me, and kisses me on the cheek.
“Drink that and get some rest. Things will look brighter in the morning. And then we’ll talk about why you were at a strip club when you brought home that nice girl Addison not too long ago.” She places her hand on my forearm and pulls the side of my head down to her lips for a kiss, then heads upstairs without another word.
I drink the glass of water, then have a second one for good measure before trekking up the stairs to my old bedroom. There is still a bed here, but it’s no longer my room. She’s converted it into a guest bedroom, so all my sports posters and random baseball trophies are in the attic. I take off my shirt and pants to lay down in just my boxers.
I shift a few times, trying to find a comfortable position to lay in, but I don’t expect sleep to come easily for me. I grab my phone and text Dad.
Me:It’s done.
Those two words make it seem so final. Addison deserves so much better than Paul Freeman. There’s no doubt in my mind that her sleeping with him wasn’t her idea, and that he might be holding this same information over her head as well.
I should have let her explain. That’s the last thought that trickles through my mind before the world grows heavy and I fall into a restless sleep.
* * *
I wakethe next morning to the smell of coffee, bacon, and pancakes.Mom’s comfort food always makes me feel better.I drag myself out of bed and put on my clothes from last night since I have nothing else to change into. I glance at my phone and see I have a message from Dad, but I can’t bring myself to look at it right now. I’m too disgusted.
I climb down the stairs, my headache not as terrible as I thought it would be, thanks to the water before falling into bed last night. I step into the kitchen, and my mom looks at me, a warm smile on her face. “How’d you sleep?”
“Like shit. Breakfast smells good.” I sit at one of the high-top chairs at the breakfast nook, and Mom places another glass of water and two aspirin in front of me. I take the pills and finish the glass of water.
“So, are we going to talk about what happened now or later?”
How about never?I know that answer won’t fly with her, and she’ll drag it out of me sooner rather than later. Probably best to rip the Band-aid off and get it over with.
So, I do my best to recount the details of yesterday. Mom listens as we eat breakfast, only asking the occasional question here and there, just to make sure she stays on top of the story. I omit the part about Dad having sex with my girlfriend, but I do tell her about Addison being an owner ofRISE.
“Ethan, I’m sure there’s information you’re keeping from me. I don’t need to know the intimate details of your life, but everything you’re telling me doesnotsound like the girl I met. The girlImet was charming, kind, and loves you. The moment you two walked through the door, I could see it. I said to myself,that’sthe girl for my boy.” She places her hand on my arm and gives it a few pats before reaching for her coffee.
I run my fingers through my messy hair, rumpling it more. “Honestly, Mom, I thought so, too. She lost her whole family in a fire over ten years ago, and she took me home to Virginia to share that part of her life with me.” I offer a sad smile as I think about the trip a week ago. Everything was so right, and I felt like we were moving in the same direction, both of us wanting the same things.
But now…
“Did you ask her to explain her side of things last night?”
I hang my head in shame. “No. I couldn’t see past my drunken stupor.”
“Talk to her, Ethan. There’s nothing you can do that’s so bad that it can’t be fixed.” She smiles warmly. “You may have to do some begging, but it can be fixed.”