Stop Playing Innocent // COMPLETED

40 // Boob

"One of his friends invited him to his house after school, so he's probably there right now", I say with a shrug but already headed for the door to go upstairs.

"Oh, a friend, huh?", the suggestive yet cheeky tone of her voice stops me in my steps, "Maybe he's gotten himself a girlfriend, what do you think? I mean, he is a very attractive boy, and I'm sure-"

"No, I saw him going into Matt's car when school ended, so it's not a girlfriend", I suddenly speak, but try to keep my fists from clenching at the strap of my bag.

My mum nods and then moves over to the cutting board on her countertop.

"Ah, I guess we'll never know. Just like I still don't know who your secret boyfriend is, either."

"Secret boyfriend?", I choke out a laugh.

She giggles, "Oh, please, Jo'ee. You've been so bubbly and dress up a bit more these past few months. I can't help but think of what kind of a guy you've possibly met."

"Very funny", I 'laugh' and try to wave it off, but feel even more nervous when having to pause before quietly asking her, "... What if I did have a boyfriend?"

She thinks about it and smiles at the thought while cutting up the vegetables.

"Well, then it would only make sense that I would look forward to meeting this 'boyfriend' and can already bet that I will like him just as much as I love you."

At that, my stomach felt like pretty much stabbing into itself at her words. Or more so, the very coincidental image in my head of me
introducing the words,
"Mum.... meet Damon.
Damon, meet... mum?"

With shaky fingers in my pockets, I smile at her one last time and lean onto the frame of the door.

"Yep", I breath out, "Sure you would."

|

Around 2:30am
Laying on my bed, I turned over to my side and blankly stared at the childhood photos hanging on the walls of my room through the pitch darkness.

I couldn't sleep.

And as cliché as I had to admit it to myself, I also couldn't stop thinking of what my mum and Michael had said a few days back when I and Damon returned home from Florida. About how they were already thinking of having a wedding sometime this upcoming summer.

Rolling over to my back, I pull the covers off of my body and bring my hands up to my cheeks in even more stress.

Just when my life seemed too good to be true...

When unexpectedly, an almost soundless, shy knock comes at my door.

"Jo?", Damon's much deeper voice quietly says behind it.

"Damon?", I call back in hesitation of how late the time was by now.

"Can I come in?"

"Uh, yeah, sure. I wasn't sleeping anyway", I sit up on the edge of the bed, tugging my loose t-shirt lower to try and cover how bare my legs looked with only my pajama shorts on.