More Than She Can Chew | Book Two ✔

Chapter Fourteen

After her shower, she dressed in a warm cream sweater and dark navy jeans. A knock came from her door as she was pulling brown knee-high boots on.

"Come in."

Bridgette walked in and sat down on the lilac bed. "So, tell me what's bothering you."

Alissa sighed. Sometimes her mother was just so blatant and to the point. "Well, I met this guy..."

She nodded, encouraging her to continue.

Alissa laid down on her comforter next to her mother.

"Well, he's tall and well-dressed. He has these dimples when he smiles, and his eyes are so... brown." She smiled up at the white ceiling.

"What's his name?"

"Trevor."

"So, have you gone on a date, yet?"

"No." She sighed, "We met at the company holiday party. He was Sarah's date."

"Oh," her voice rose in curiosity. "Does Sarah know?"

She shook her head side to side, "But he said they were more friends than anything else."

"Does Sarah know that?"

"I don't know," she groaned, grabbing fists full of the comforter.

"You should tell her. A friendship is more important than a romantic escapade."

Alissa stayed silent. How would she tell her? Would Sarah hate her? Would she be okay with it? The way Sarah had spoken about Trevor at the mall, she couldn't tell if it was only lust or more...

But she really liked Trevor. He was strong and confident. He seemed to know what he wanted, and he wanted her... or at least, that's what she thought. She found that extremely sexy in a man. She sighed.

Bridgette tapped her daughter's leg. "Come on. Help me make the tiramisu."

Tiramisu was her family's signature dessert every Christmas Eve. Her mother always made it and brought it to her Grandma's house where they spent every Christmas holiday. Her Aunt Leah would usually bring the appetizers, which were these delicious Swedish meatballs and salad. It was up to her Grandma Beth to cook the dinner, usually a roasted turkey and seasoned vegetables.

"Is Zach bringing Princess Hannah to dinner?" she asked.

Bridgette grimaced. Her parents didn't like Hannah either. "Supposedly, but with their fighting, who knows?" She tossed her hands up in the air. "Why can't that boy just realize she's so wrong for him? He deserves better. Sometimes, I just want to shake that boy until he reaches his senses."

Alissa chuckled, "I know."

Zach dating Hannah was driving Bridgette crazy. She always liked to be in control of things, and watching her son not be in a happy relationship, and not do anything about it, just hurt her. Alissa was certain Zach got his control issues from their mom.

Alissa rung the water out of her damp hair with her bath towel, then brushed the tangles out.

"I'll meet you down there," she said as she looked at her mom through the vanity mirror.

"Okay," Bridgette said as she left the room.

She was excited to see all of her family again but just didn't feel like she had the emotional strength to do so. She already knew the prodding questions she would be asked. They were the same every year since she moved to Colorado.

Have you met a good boy yet?

Are you ever going to get married?

Are you ever going to move back home?

Why would you want to work in a big city anyway? It's dangerous.

Her Grandma Beth had lived in Mayfield all her life. It was a small town on Great Sacandaga Lake in central New York with a population of only around 6,500. It piqued around 8,000 in the summertime, though, when all the wealthy families would stay in their summer lake homes or would rent them out to tourists and rowdy college kids.

With a small town, came small thoughts. Her Grandma was a conservative, to say the least. After her Grandpa Ralph passed when Alissa was in high school, it was a surprise to everyone that she wanted to live on her own. She never had once in her life been on her own before. That was the most progressive she'd ever get, Alissa thought. It was probably because she didn't want to give up her lakefront property to the rich folks, as Grandma Beth would refer to them.

Alissa would die if Grandma Beth ever found out she'd been with not just one, but multiple women. She remembered her chastising her when she broke off her engagement to Marc. To her, Alissa had found a suitable husband and was at the right age for marriage, at the time 21-years-old. Maybe back in the 1940's, but not in 2014 and even now in 2017. Twenty-four was still way too young to marry.

It drove her Grandma crazy that her cousin Eliza lived with her boyfriend, Paul. Eliza and Paul were already in their thirties. They had been together for what felt like forever, but never once thought about getting married. To them, marriage wasn't a big deal. They were in love, they lived together, and they had two cute dogs. Their life was satisfying enough. Why complicate it with marriage? Why, exactly, she thought.

She still couldn't believe a few years ago, she had been proposed to by Marc and had said yes. While she didn't like the fact that she had cheated on him afterward, she still felt the shame and guilt at times, she was glad that it had happened in the end. Otherwise, she might have been stuck in some small town like Mayfield bickering with that man for the rest of her life, as was the dream Grandma Beth had for her. Yeah, right, she thought.

Alissa ran her fingers through her hair one last time before heading down to help her mother with dessert.

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A/N: Do you think she'll tell Sarah? Please vote and comment! xo