That felt like a blow to the chest and a kick to the guts and I tried oh so hard to not let that all show up on my face. “You don’t know anything about love,” she said in a low voice, her accent heavy. A flash of bitterness swept across her brow. She blinked at me a few times, her brain trying to fight the sincerity she heard in my voice. I…I don’t think I should live here anymore. I met her blue-eyed gaze with what little reserves of strength I had left. He gave me a sympathetic smile and I knew I had no choice but to bite the bullet. I looked at Dex who was keeping his eye on my mom and then I turned to Maximus. “Why is he here, Perry? Did you invite him?” My mom cackled like a witch, her face fighting between belief and disbelief. I’m going to be doing the opposite of staying away from her. I had almost never heard my mother swear before and on top of that, she was acting like she actually gave a shit about me.ĭex managed a small smile and without faltering said, “I’m afraid that’s impossible Mrs. “You get the fuck out of this house and stay the hell away from my daughter.”

She shrugged away from his grasp and continued until she was straight up in Dex’s face. Palomino, it’s all right,” Maximus said, putting his arm out to catch her. I had deliberately picked 2pm knowing that my dad wouldn’t be back from his classes until at least 4pm but maybe my mom had always been an equal threat in the abuse department. She marched toward us and suddenly I was afraid of her throwing a punch at him. “We?” she questioned, her voice turning up into an ugly sneer. Impulsively, I grabbed Dex’s arm and said, “Mom, we need to tell you something.” Her face went from impassive Swede to full-on IKEA rage. “Perry, what-” she said then stopped dead as she saw Dex. It felt an awful like I was running away from home and, you know what, I was OK with that. I think a part of me thought I could get moved out of there without anyone noticing and I could just leave them a note or something. “Max, who is it?” my mother’s voice rang out. “Are you talking to us?” I asked Maximus.

Dex and I exchanged a glance out of the corner of our eyes.

Into the hollow by karina halle