Hate, actually ✔

Chapter 14

He had been practically ignoring me the entire time and so I complained because I'm attention whore, I didn't really mean it.

He told me to deal with it and that I can't have the big one because I'm 'such a tiny human being'. I wonder if he's taken the smaller one now by mistake, or if he's just trying to be nice.

I'm going to go for the latter and hope I'm not being delusional.

●●●

The day after arriving home - well Leonardo's home - I call my mom to see how she's doing.

When Leonardo and I arrived yesterday, I slept up until this morning and I didn't have a chance to speak with her because I was really feeling the jet lag.

The fact that she couldn't be at the wedding really pissed her off but when we told her we were gonna go with her navy blue and gold theme she was a little less upset. Lauren also made sure to film the entire thing for her.

It's been really hard juggling this whole fake marriage thing and my mom's treatment. Sometimes all I ever want to do is sit on one of those uncomfortable plastic chairs next to her bed, read her favourite books to her and listen to her chastising me about the randomest things.

But then I remember that as much as I'd want to ditch this whole marriage thing so I can spend time with her, we need the money.

"How's everything going?" I ask.

Mom sighs over the phone. "I'm sick and tired of this hospital bed. They're only discharging me next week and that's seven days of life to be lived."

"Next week? Mom that's great! That means the treatment is working, right?"

"So far, yes. A month after I'm discharged is when they'll know for sure if it's working."

I bite my thumbnail anxiously. "Do you feel any better? Better than last week?"

"I feel great. In fact, Jean is thinking of whisking me off to Hawaii to celebrate the treatment. I'm thinking of going."

Auntie Jean is one of my mom's friends. They've been best friends since college and they've been in a tight knit group of four ever since they graduated. Aunt Sandra and aunt Vicky are the other two of the four.

My mom has never let them know when we were struggling financially. She's even admitted that it's a pride thing because she was one of the most financially stable people in college back when her parents were still living in New York.

My grandparents were drug dealers. That's how my mom met my dad. My dad's older brother (his legal guardian) was into the whole drug scene and was trying initiate my dad into it and he eventually met my mom - and they had me.

My grandparents were living in the US illegally and were eventually deported when their drug dealing rivals ratted them out to the police for being illegal immigrants. My mom and aunt Lizzy had student visas so they could stay, but that's when life went downhill for them. They had to work like crazy to get through college.

"Did your doctor say it's alright for you to go?" I ask.

The truth is, I'm scared of Mom going anywhere without me, but I'm not about to stop her because I know all she wants to do is live her life.