CHAPTER FIFTEEN

XAVIER

In an awkward twist of fate, my mum called and fixed a day for us to meet. I didn't think she'd really show so I don't put it on my calendar. I'm at Camden's house and he's having a pool party when she calls. I almost ignore the call but I wanted to hear her excuse so I answered. Boy, was I shocked.

"Xavier, I came to the house to pick you up but you're not home." She whines into the phone.

I move the phone away from my ear and take another look at the caller ID. She's at the house to pick me up? Who is this woman?

"Shit, that's today? I forgot. I'm at a pool party."

Other parents would be upset their seventeen year old son is cussing but not mine, it doesn't even register to her.

"It's okay, I can pick you up from there. Send me the address."

Fuck no. "Don't worry about it, I'll just leave now."

"Nonsense. I'll come. This will give me the chance to see your friends."

That's a nightmare. "Mom, you don't have to. I'll just meet you at the restaurant."

She sighs and her voice takes a hard tone.

"Xavier, do I have to tell your father that you don't want me to meet with me?"

There it is. She has shown her real self. My mom's voice is usually light and happy, except when she wants to control me. She's known about my father's abuse for years but always turns a blind eye to it because it serves her.

"I'll send you the address."

"Good boy, I love you." She says, going back to her happy voice.

I end the call and send her the address of Camden's house. My good mood has just vanished.

"What's wrong?" Camden asks.

"My mum is coming." I say.

"Helen is coming here?" Derrick asks.

Camden's eyes widen and his cheeks get a pink hue.

"Dude still? Come on, that's my mom." I say to him.

She might be a horrible mother but she's still mine and one of my best friends having a crush on her will always be disgusting. Camden shrugs and laughs.

"She's in town and she wants to meet my friends."

"Your mom is in town?" Lacey asks.

I groan in annoyance. Lacey didn't keep to her words about moving on to someone else. She's still trying to hook up with me even after I warned her to stay away from me.

"Lacey, sucking up to my mum won't win you any points." I tell her point blank.

She pouts and swims away. I walk away from the pool area and go into the house. I'll just wait for her in the foyer, introduce her to my closest friends and be done with today.

My parents are still married but you wouldn't know that by how much she's not at home. They refuse to get a divorce but they don't want to stay around each other. Last year my mother didn't spend a single night at the house. I only saw her when I went to LA for the summer.

I quickly get dressed in the guest room and go downstairs to wait for my mom's arrival. Camden is already there in clothes he wasn't wearing before. I laugh at his antics.

"She'll eat you alive man," I tell him.

"It's cool, I like black widows. Is she still married to your dad?"

"Yup, and she's not going anywhere either."

"Pity, I would have made a great step dad."

My face squeezes in disgust and I put him in a headlock.

"Hey you're messing up my hair. How is your mum going to fall in love with me now?"

By the time, Derrick joins us, Camden and I are laughing very hard. Our laughter drops when Lacey follows Derrick in her bathing suit. That's a wild approach to meeting the mom of the guy you want to trap but that’s Lacey’s way.

"You're friends with her again?" I ask Derrick.

We invite Lacey to things because she's head cheerleader and she always comes with the hottest girls. After I told Derrick that Lacey tried hooking up with the basketball team's captain, he started ignoring her.

He shrugs. "She apologized and promised not to do it again."

Camden and I exchange looks and shake our head. Despite being the most twisted and tortured, Derrick is the most forgiving. Which is why his anger towards Rain doesn't make any sense. But it's his battle and I'm not going to interfere with it. I'll just keep trying to make sure he doesn't do something truly horrifying to her.

A car pulls in and I open the door. I walk outside to meet my mom and my friends and Lacey follow me. The car stops and I open her door before her driver can get out of the car. She climbs out of the car and showers me with hugs and kisses. They're all fake and for show and it leaves me feeling cold but I hide it.

"Mom, you remember Camden and Derrick right? That's Lacey, we go to school together."

"Hello, Mrs. Bishops. I'm Lacey Washington, my mother is on the board at Gerald's with you." Lacey says and extends her hand.

I didn't know that. Then again, I know next to nothing about Lacey personally. My mom takes her hand but has a look in her eyes. She doesn't like Lacey. It's funny because they're the same people in different ages.

She gives Camden and Derrick a hug before I get into the car and we drive off. I can pick up my car later or have a driver pick it up for me.

"Are you sleeping with that girl?" Mom asks as soon as we leave the compound.

Her voice has lost all the light and she means business.

"No." I say.

She nods and relaxes. What is it about Lacey that has her acting crazy? I focus on my phone the entire drive and when we finally stop, I glare at mum. She brought me to a country club? This isn't a mother-son lunch, she's here to show off her perfect son, with perfect grades who always plays sports.

"Really? I thought you said we were catching up."

"We are. We're just catching up with other people."

Typical. I follow her inside to a private area where a woman and her daughter are already seated. The girl looks familiar so I smile and wave like the good boy she brought me here to be.