Page 102 of Meet Cute Reboot
“A little.” This conversation is going about as well as can be expected.
“I should probably apologize for our last encounter,” Cecelia says. “I said some things I shouldn’t have. I don’t usually drink.”
“We all say and do things we regret when we’re drunk.”
“Exactly! Because when Luke made out with Rose while you two were dating, he wasn’t in his right mind. It was the alcohol. I promise.”
I’m pretty sure Luke would file her comments under ‘Things I don’t want Mom to say.’
“Luke really is a good boy,” she continues, “he just took some time to figure things out.”
“True. He’s finally potty trained and he doesn’t jump on guests anymore.”
Cecelia narrows her eyes at me. I know she’s not the joking type, but I had to change the subject. Talking about Luke’s cheating days with his mother isn’t on my agenda tonight.
“You called Luke a good boy,” I try.
“Oh.” Her head twitches on her neck. She smiles stiffly. “Yes. Luke is a goodman. We’re not talking about dogs here.”
“You’re not supposed to be talking at all.” Luke enters the room with his arms full of toilet paper.
“I said I needed one roll.”
“Well, now you have twelve.”
“And you callmea hoarder.”
“You never know when there’s going to be a run on toilet paper,” Luke says. “Or when your mother is going to stop by at an inopportune time to borrow something she probably has stashed away in a closet.”
“I didn’t want to dig into my emergency supplies.”
Luke drops the toilet paper into Cecelia’s arms. Several rolls tumble to the floor. “I can’t carry all these.” She doesn’t look amused.
He goes to the kitchen, rummages through the pantry, and returns holding a trash bag. While his mother clutches two rolls, he deposits the remaining ten into the trash bag, then he grabs the two she’s holding and tosses them into the bag. “Knock next time.” He hands her the bag.
“I always knock. You never answer.”
“Knock louder than an ant.”
Cecelia clutches the bag to her chest. “Fine. I’ll use a sledgehammer.”
“Thanks, Mom.” He kisses her on the temple, and then gently nudges her toward the back door.
“I’ll leave you two alone,” she says over her shoulder. “You seemed rather busy.”
When she’s gone, he plunks down on the couch and leans back with his hands pressed against his eyes. “Sorry about that.”
“Maybe you should change your locks?”
“She would find a way in.”
“Maybe. I still think it’s sweet that you’re taking care of her.”
He lowers his hands and looks at me. “It’s sweet until she walks in during sexy time.”
I look down at my hands. “How often has this happened? Since you moved here, I mean?” Why didn’t he want his mom to talk to me? Is he hiding something? I remember my promise to myself—if I have even the slightest suspicion that Luke is still a cheater, I’m gone.
Luke leans in and lifts my chin until we meet eyes. “This is a new couch. I bought it when I moved in. And it has never,everseen sexy time until tonight.”