Page 19 of I Don't Need Your Romance

I grip the phone as my stomach tumbles. “What?”

“Dad just got the latest credit card statement, Sophia Reed. You’ve spent hundreds of dollars on books!”

I blanch. “Um…it’s not so bad. I mean, spending lots of money on books is normal…”

“Not in one month, Sophia.”

When she keeps calling me “Sophia,” things are not good.

I sigh. “I know I promised I would try to buy used books, but…” What can I say when I love holding a brand-new book in my hands? Plus, I’d have to wait to find used books for the new releases, and Ican’twait.

“Please, Mom. I really need to buy these books—”

“No, Sophie. Your room is packed with books, half of which you’ve never read—”

“But Idoplan to read them—”

“And you come home from school every year with hundreds of books. You have no room for any of them!”

“I have been meaning to clear out some of my old books and make room for my new ones—”

“How does it make sense to buy new books when you haven’t read any of the old ones?”

“Trust me, Mom. It makes a lot of sense,” I mutter.

“I’m sorry, sweetie, but you are not allowed to buy a single book until you finish reading every single one you bought in the past.”

“But, Mom!”

“No buts, Sophie. This behavior cannot go on.”

“So my credit card is not going to work on…anything? What if I need something?”

“Considering all of your charges have been for books, your dad and I think you’ll fare just fine. If there’s an emergency, you can ask the school for help.”

“This is so unfair,” I grumble.

“We love you, Sophie, and we feel this is best. You need to learn that you can’t just throw money around—ourmoney, I might add. We love that you love to read, but you need to be responsible with it.”

I know they’re right, but they’re also not. Like, obviously I want to read all the books I bought, but new books are being released all the time. There’s just so much a human can keep up with.

“And don’t forget the school library,” Mom reminds me.

I make a face. “The librarian doesn’t rush to buy the new stuff. She still hasn’t gotten the sequel to a fantasy book I asked for weeks ago.”

Mom sighs. “I know this is hard, Sophie, but we work hard for our money. When you make your own money, you can do whatever you want with it. If you want to throw it away on books you’ll never read, that’s up to you. I just hope you’ll make smarter choices.”

“The store is now closed!” someone announces. “For all those who are present in the store who want to make a purchase, please head to the cash register. Everyone else, please head to the exit. Thank you for shopping with us.”

“I have to go, Mom,” I say. I have some cash. Maybe I can buy at least one book.

“Call me when you get back to school,” she says. “Dad and I want to catch up. Love you.”

“Love you, too. Bye.”

With my cheeks once again flaming, I return to the cashier and dig in my bag for my wallet. “I think I might just buy one book.”

“Okay, hun.”