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Chapter Twenty-One

Lana

"I’ you where I am, Mom," I repeated for the fifth tihteen years old It’s dangerous for you to travel alone I am your mother! I need to knohere you are Come home Just, wherever you are, come home Ashton has called three times and that Sawyer--"

"No I don’t want to hear it I don’t care Just please, Mo him and Ashton up, okay?"

"But they--"

"I will hang up this phone and turn it off Do you understand me?"

I heard my mother’s sharp intake of breath I’d never spoken to her like that before but I was tired of it She never listened to hteen years old but I felt so much older I always had

"Fine," she snapped

"Now, if there is nothing else you’d like to say, I need to go I’ll call you again soon Trust me when I tell you I am completely safe That’s all you need to know"

"If this is about your father--"

"No, Mom, it isn’t about him Not anymore My decisions are about me From here on out what I do won’t take into account what you or Daddy do or say"

Myup on h

"Okay," she finally said

"Okay," I replied

"I love you, Lana You know that, don’t you?"

No, I didn’t know it Not really I wasn’t sure Mo someone else more than herself

"Sure, Moh as far as honesty went for one conversation I did love her and I wasn’t sure she could take anyend, I went ahead and turned off e Not that I thoughtI wasn’t sure she’d even think about that ured if I kept it off, unless I was checking in, then I was safe Maybe I should buy one of those disposable cell phones and use it for calls from now on I remembered an episode of CSI where thatto keep hidden froecentered in the left wall Jewel hadn’t been kidding about the view I could see the pool to ht ahead was nothing except white sandy beach and the Gulf of Mexico I could stay here the rest of the suo back to Alpharetta and face et a job or two that paid well Save up for two years and then go to the University of Georgia Not oing to the coo to the state college than go off to Florida Gris I’d sold on eBay once I heard the neyer had signed with Florida I figured, if I could save up enough otten accepted, and used the small scholarship I’d received from the local ladies’ club istration I still needed so much more

Not that it h with it now Maybe it was fate’s way of stepping in and fixingIt wasn’t meant for me to be at the University of Florida I wasn’tout at the gorgeous beach with that sad face and get your hot little pink bikini on and come soak up some sun within the doorway Her long blonde hair was pulled up in a high ponytail and she earing a li bikini that made her tan seem even darker

"What about your date? And what happened to you and Heath? I thought he was spending the summer here with you" When she’d told uard, I’d been so focused on breathing through my broken heart that I hadn’t processed her co away a fly, "He caught uy that, like, plays on a pro-team So hot, Lana, I mean so hot And soooo worth it Heath flipped his lid and left It was for the best We had just about squeezed all the good out of that relationship Time to move on"

That was Jewel for you She could juuy ent into an exclusive relationship with her was just asking for trouble Jewel couldn’t do it However, she could be a friend Maybe not the best one in the world but she’d been the only one I’d ever really had Right now, she was a lifesaver

"Let ed and I’ll meet you out there in a few minutes," I told her

She nodded and turned to walk ahen I thought about my mom

"Hey, Jewel," I called out

She turned back to look at me with that carefree expression she alore like a crown "Yeah?"

"Don’t tell my mom or dad I’m here if they call, okay?"

Jewel nodded, "No worries I’d want to hide from those two if they were my ‘rents too"

"And Ashton, if she calls I don’t want her to know either"

Jewel’s eyes ide in surprise, "Wow, really? What’d the ever perfect cousin you love so o pull her pretty blonde hair if I need to She’s a little too prissy perfect forht hit on the guy you like and dress slutty for confession in hopes of teht if the chance ever arose "Ashton did nothing to ht now and everyone in it"

Jewel puckered her lips as if wanting to askto keep fro soul that inquires about you that I’ve seen you Done Now get your perky ass in a bikini and slather on some sunblock because God knows you don’t need anyable to useto read while I lay on the beach My phone had my Kindle app on it I didn’t have an actual book with azines that I wasn’t in the mood to read I already knew those "How To" articles did not work I’d tried lanced up at reat setup out here Two lounge chairs and large beach umbrella already tilted to shade the entire eazine in her lap and a large hurricane glass in her hand

"You look s, Lana banana," she called out then whistled

I was beyond getting embarrassed by Jewel’s comments

I sat down in the shaded chair, leaned hed This was nice The breeze, the sound of the ocean

"Here take a sip It’s got orange juice, pineapple juice, ginger ale, and vodka It’s a"

I started to shake ht, what the hell

Taking a sip of the tropical flavored concoction, I realized it was really good I could easily drink the whole thing But I didn’t I neededawayto do

I handed the drink back to Jewel, "Yum Thanks"

Jewel started to stand up, "You keep it I’ll go make another"

"No thanks I don’t want to drink Not noay"

Jewel frowned and took the glass before settling back in her chair

"You gonna tell me what happened?"

No, probably not

"Don’t want to talk about it," I replied

Jewel sighed, "Okay, fine Be warned, I’ to let that answer fly for a little while Eventually you are going to tell h She had suppliedshut about it When I was ready, she deserved an explanation

The phone in her lap began singing Circus by Britney Spears It was Jewel’s thelanced down at the phone, and then up at me, "It’s your mom"

I’d been prepared for this "Answer it Act like you haven’t got a clue"