Until Him (Inevitable, #1)

by Cora Rose

My phone rings from the cupholder, and I glance down at it. Mom. Fuck, I forgot to call her back. I quickly fumble for the phone and press the green button. “Hey, Mom,” I say, and my heart jumps a little. “Hey, Logan. I was just calling because it’s been a while since we chatted and I miss you. And so does dad. You know how he is.” My ribs are going to snap with how tight my chest feels. “Yeah, um, I’ve just been busy,” I say. “I know, I totally know. I just…I wanted to make sure you were okay.” I know what she’s referring to, and no, I’m not okay. Not really. But I don’t want to go there either. I’ve been avoiding my family for a reason. “I’m fine. Doing really good,” I say. “I’m actually on my way to meet my tutor for chemistry.” “Awesome. So glad to hear you found help.” “Yeah, me too.” “I just wanted you to know that I love you, and I would love for you to come home and visit if you want.” “Yeah, I would like that,” I lie. It just rings false to my ears, and she knows it too but neither of us addresses it. Avoidance must be another curse on the family. We never like to bring up the stuff that makes us uncomfortable. We’d rather live our lives walking on eggshells. We love our fucking eggs. My parents even have chickens.