I balk, stepping back, my throat tight. I don’t know what I expected from Dustin’s mother, but it wasn’t that. I protectively shield Squint from her.
“Mother!” Dustin says, quite firmly. I haven’t ever heard Dustin raise his voice. It startles me.
Allison straightens her spine, her eyes shooting daggers at Dustin. “You, of all people, should know better. Did you think I wouldn’t find out? It’s all over the celebrity news. You’re running around making a fool of yourself.”
“If you’re going to treat Jera this way, you’re invited to leave.” He puts his arm around me and scowls at her.
“I’m sorry. Where are my manners?” She puts a hand to her chest. It’s obvious she’s not sorry at all. “Please, forgive me,” she says, the sarcasm dripping heavy off her words. “The last several tramps took him for over a million dollars. I know I shouldn’t jump to conclusions, but what’s going on here is quite clear from the photos of you two. How much has she asked you for? Or rather, how much have you spent on her?”
My brain is still stuck on something she said two sentences ago. “Photos?” I squeak out. Oh, no. This is bad. I’m putting Jera in a terrible situation.
“Pictures of you at a gala and the two of you on Catalina Island making out on the beach. If you meant to have a secret affair, you weren’t careful enough, dear.” She glares at me.
Jera has to be livid. I haven’t heard from her though. I pull out my phone and the screen is black. The battery ran out at some point today. Great. Jera’s going to flip out. I’ve messed up so bad, and Jera’s the one who will suffer for it. I pull Squint close to my chest.
“Who I date is none of your business,” Dustin says calmly. “If we can’t have a civilized conversation, you know where the door is.”
“It’s my business because it’s not just your money. I won’t let my hard work be wasted. Everyone knows about the exploits of Jera Davenport.” His mother waves her hand in front of me, like I’m living proof of this.
Dustin shakes his head. “For your information, Jera hasn’t asked me for any money, and I haven’t offered any.”
I glance at Dustin because that’s not true. Didn’t he offer Jera money for the fence being on her property? And didn’t he just spend a ton of money on moving it?
Dustin seems to read my mind because he gives me a tiny shake of his head.
Allison raises an eyebrow. “I know all about the lawsuit, if that’s what your little non-verbal communication is about. I’m not stupid. Looks like the two of you decided to settle things…out of court.” She says it like she’s implying all kinds of inappropriate things and heat rushes to my face.
“Our relationship isn’t like that. I think we need to talk about this later,” Dustin says while taking his mother’s shoulders and guiding her to the door. “I’ll call you later, Mom.”
She turns before going into the entryway. “Fine. I’ll leave. You know my thoughts on the matter. Get out before things get even more expensive.” She shoves her sunglasses on and storms out of the door.
I stand there, staring at the door, my hands trembling. Squint wiggles to get down, and I set him on the floor. I’ve never had anyone speak to me that way, and it’s shaken me. Dustin envelops me into his arms. “Are you okay? I’m so sorry. My mother can be horrible sometimes. I didn’t know she was going to attack you.”
“I’m okay,” I say as I cling to him.
“Are you sure? I think we should sit down.”
I shake my head. I need to plug in my phone and have a conversation with Jera. She has to be upset if she’s seen the photos of us. I have to explain things to her, and the best place to do that is over at Jera’s house. “I can’t,” I say, my emotions in my throat. “I have to go home for a bit.”
“Because of my mother?” He pulls back so he can look in my eyes.
“No. It’s something else. I just need to call someone and deal with something.” I’m having trouble looking him in the eyes. I hate not telling him everything that’s going on. I hate the lying. I never should have told Jera I would do this.
“Okay, that’s fine.” He places his hands on my shoulders. “As long as you’re all right.”
“I am.” I try to smile and show him I’m fine, but I’m sure I don’t look fine at all. I feel like I’m having a nervous breakdown.
Dustin steps back from me. “Do you want me to make us some dinner?”
I don’t know how long it will take to talk Jera down from the ledge I’m sure she’s on, but I nod anyway. “Yes. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”
“Sounds good.” He kisses my forehead. “Please forget what my mother said. I’ll talk to her. I don’t want you to feel like what she said has any influence on me.”
“I don’t.” I call for Squint and snatch him into my arms. As I leave, I look back at Dustin. “Wait for me. I won’t be long.”
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