Page 45 of Hot Four Teacher (The Lawson’s #4)

Chapter forty-four

Mothers and Daughters

Michelle

I still don’t know, but it’s almost showtime. I’ll wing it.

6:59.

Oh, come on.

Last night, after she emptied the contents of her stomach, I got her into bed. She mumbled, “Mom, Coach Miller is a really good guy. You need to find someone like him. He saved me tonight.”

My thoughts go to Dane. He really is a great man. Aside from my dad and brother, he’s the best man I know. Just thinking about him makes me realize how lucky I am. And what are the odds that he would find her like he did?

My stomach churns as I imagine the awful things that could have happened had Dane not been there. I have no idea what she was thinking.

7:00.

Time to find out.

Standing up, I head toward Eve’s room while turning on the most annoying song I can find and blaring it through the speakers on my phone. The moment I step through the bedroom door, she tries covering her head with a pillow, but there’s no way in hell I’m letting her get away with that.

I snatch it off her head and toss it across the room. Then, I do the same to her blankets.

“Oh, no, little girl,” I say.

“Mom,” she groans. “Can we do this later?”

“No. Get up. Now.”

“I feel like shit.”

“Good. Let’s go. I’m not asking again. You have two minutes to meet me in the living room, or your phone is mine for a month.”

I know that will get her. That phone of hers is practically an extra appendage. There’s no way she’ll risk giving it up.

I’ve got news for her. I might take it anyway.

Before I take a seat on the couch, I fix myself a cup of coffee.

Eve walks out and sees what I’m doing. “Can I have some of that?"

“You can have coffee after we talk.”

She sits down, pulling her knees to her chest and waiting to hear what I have to say.

Not caring if I make her wait, I take my time. And when I finally sit next to her, I take a few slow sips just to make her wait even longer.

She decides to speak first. “Mom, I’m really so–”

I cut her off. “Eve, what the hell were you thinking?”

“This cute guy added me on Snapchat. We seemed to have a lot in common. I told him things that I liked, and he happened to like all the same things.”

I stop her. “Eve, did you ever think that maybe he was just telling you he liked those things, so he could get closer to you.”

She chews on her cheek. “No. I thought he really liked me. I was excited that an older guy was into me. Or any guy for that matter.”

‘What do you mean?” I ask.

“I mean I seem to repel boys like the plague. Ever since last year when I wouldn’t put out, guys at my school don’t want anything to do with me. Mom, my own dad doesn’t want to spend time with me.”

I knew we weren’t out of the woods on that subject. I fucking hate that man.

“Sweetheart, I know what your dad did was awful, but that’s not a reflection on you.”

“It feels like it is.”

“Eve, I bet you dollars to doughnuts that in a few years, when things get hard with that new family, he’s going to leave. He’s always done that. Doesn’t matter if it’s with girls, jobs, or his kid. That’s just who he is.”

“I know, but that doesn’t make it suck any less.”

“No, it doesn’t. But it also doesn’t give you a pass to go off the deep end. If you do something stupid every time your dad does, we are going to have a problem.”

“I know. I just wanted to have some fun.”

I set my hand on top of hers. “I know all about having fun. In my teenage years, I had my fair share. My fun led to you.”

“I’m not ready to have sex,” she tells me.

“Then, how about you don’t go to a frat party where they’re probably expecting it.”

“I just…I don’t know.”

“Eve, do you know how dangerous what you did was? You could have–” My voice gets caught in my throat.

“Mom, I know–”

“No, you don’t. Eve, it’s one thing if you decided to have sex with someone you like. What could’ve happened last night was completely different. I know you’re going to do dumb teenage stuff, but you have to have at least a speck of common sense.”

The more I talk, the angrier I get. Every scenario that could’ve happened flashes through my head, and I’m not ready to stop bitching her out.

“At some point, you have to understand your actions have consequences.” I pause for coffee. “What I don’t understand is you and I have always had a pretty good relationship. But you go through these phases of completely shutting me out. I want to be able to trust my kid.”

“I want you to be able to trust me too.”

“How do you expect me to do that?” I ask. “When you do something like this, it makes me question everything. I don’t want to be the mom who hovers and monitors everything you do.”

“You don’t have to do that. You can trust me.”

“Can I?”

“Yes! I’m sorry. I did one stupid thing. It won’t happen again.”

I shake my head. “You can’t guarantee that.”

“Why not?”

“Because you’re my daughter.” I pause to smile. “Look, you’re not getting off with just a warning here. You’re grounded for a couple weeks, and when you’re free again, you’re on a tight leash. You’ll turn on your location on your phone, and you’ll check in with me…constantly.”

“Deal.” She says it as if she has a choice.

“Sweetheart, I need you to get it together. You say you want me to start dating again, but it’s hard to do that if I’m having to micromanage you.”

She looks shocked. “You’re dating?”

“I had a date last night…until I had to cancel.”

“Oh.”

“Yeah.” I nod. “Just get it together. And as for the boys, ignore them. That’ll make you mysterious, and they’ll come sniffing around.”

“Should you be giving dating advice?” She jokes.

Oh, kid…if you only knew.