Chapter 1.

To be honest, I never once thought that something like this would happen to me. 

I've always been adamant about what I wanted to do with my life- what I would become. 

Every time someone had something to say, my family especially, about the inevitable future that awaited me if I didn't change my ways, I'd laugh in their faces. Expectations didn't have to be met. Inevitable future? Give me a break. I wouldn't be like the rest of the idiots in my family. No sir, not me.

I'd rise above and conquer the curse every single one of the women in my family seemed to be plagued by. 

Mom, on the other hand, had other thoughts.

"Mark my words Cash, one day you're gonna have to bite your tongue and remember what I'm telling you now. There's no way around it, life happens and when it does it'll be when you least expect it. It'll come at you with such force you won't even realize it until it's right there in your face."

How could I not roll my eyes at that? How could I not snort in derision at the absurdity of what my mother was telling me- no, not telling, prophesizing!

Was she kidding me? Was she insane? 

There was no way in hell any of what she was saying would come to pass; not now, not 'one day'- not ever!

"Yeah, well, when that day comes, which will be never, by the way, I'll shave my head bald and wear a t-shirt with your face on it that says Momma's always right! How about that?"

Mom smiled, her eyes crinkling in that way of hers that said she knew way more than she was letting on. I hated that look because though it pained me to admit it, she did end up being right... most of the time.

"I'll hold you to it then, girly. And in the meantime, I'll make sure to pick out a really pretty color for the shirt."

I rolled my eyes and with an experienced huff that came from years of hearing the same thing, I turned my back on her to focus on the laptop in front of me. If I didn't finish these last few chapters I'd have a certain someone riding my ass all weekend long until I did. I'd already managed to get the deadline extended a whopping five times, a record even for me. I wouldn't be able to get away with another extension this time so back to work it was... at least until the manuscript was submitted and then I could slack off for another six months... maybe longer if I got lucky.

"You know, instead of focusing on avoiding the issue why don't you just accept your fate and be happy? Venture out, stay out, have fun and stop being such a shut-in all the time. I mean, how many mothers do you know who wish their twenty-one-year-old daughters would go out and have some crazy fun?"

I grit my teeth but didn't stop typing. 

She was baiting me. 

It was the same thing every time.

Only this time, I wasn't biting. My eyes stayed glued to the screen in front of me, the keys at my fingertips clicking softly with every word I typed.

Still…

Why are we still on this stupid case? I thought we'd moved on already.

"Just look at your sisters, for heaven's sake! They're doing fine- no, better than fine, they're married to amazing husbands, one with a baby on the way and the other with a set of beautiful golden retrievers just waiting to give birth to a litter of their own, and then here you are- a miserable little hermit crab who won't even go out to pick up the mail."

Again, I could only roll my eyes at the dramatic turn she'd taken. 

I wasn't sure what she thought she was going to accomplish by bringing up my older sisters but if there was one thing she'd messed up on right then and there it was in bringing them up in the first place.

You and I both know that that's not helping your case at all. In fact, it's only making it worse, mom.

Of course, I didn't turn around and say this but I sure as hell was thinking it. 

"Seriously, when was the last time you went out? A month maybe two... I don't even remember!" mom huffed indignantly.

Okay, seriously? 

Using my sisters is one thing. 

But bringing up my daily habits? 

Please. 

And for your information, Mom, I went out just last week to pick up a bag of flour, thank you very much.

"Ah, Cash, you know I don't like to be a busybody,” Yeah, right. “It's just, well, I worry about you."

Really? Come on, what was this? Pride and Prejudice? You can't seriously expect me to fall for that, do you? 

What century are you living in woman? 

"Just… what's gonna happen to you when Dad and I aren't here?"

Good, God! It's not like ya'll are about to kick the bucket any time soon- I'd be lucky if took another forty years for that to happen.

I shook my head at the absurdity of the entire conversation. 

If I didn't put a stop to this she'd just keep on going and we’d end up with the whole If Nana were here schpiel. And Lord knew I did not want to go there.

With a sigh, and a steady pressure already building up just behind my eyes, I finally gave in and took the bait.

"Well, I'll just live with Star, Mom. I told you. I mean, it's practically a done deal already."

Mom laughed, a hearty laugh that came from deep in her stomach and set my teeth on edge.

As if they needed the extra help.

"Oh yeah, and what? David's just gonna let that happen? He's just gonna welcome you with open arms, is that it?"

I nodded. "Yeah, that's right. And if he doesn't, well, then I'll just beat him up like last time, you know I can." I smirked remembering the first time I got into it with David... ah, how great had that been? Of course, that led to the month-long silent treatment from both Star and my parents. 

But still, totally worth it.

I could still see the look of shock on his face when he realized I was serious when I said I’d beat the shit out of him… and exactly ten minutes later after I actually did. Ah, good times.

“Oh, Heaven help us.” mom sighed, rolling her eyes. “You know quite well that is a memory none of us want to relive.”

I snorted. “Speak for yourself.”

“Cash!”

Despite the exhaustingly long conversation going on between us, I was pleasantly surprised to realize I'd somehow managed to get an entire chapter completed. Being on auto-pilot had its perks. Now I just needed eleven more to go. 

Behind me, mom let out yet another exaggerated sigh complete with the whole weary rubbing at her temples with the pads of her fingers. 

I suppressed the urge to breathe a sigh of my own.

If anyone had a right to, it was me.

"Look, all I’m saying Cash, is that dating and marriage are a part of life. Whether you choose to be with a man or a woman- it doesn’t matter. What matters to us is that you don’t end up alone and with no one to care for you you. I mean, don't you see how well your sisters are doing now? Don't you wish that could be you? I'm sure you've dreamed of it at least, haven’t you? Even if you won't admit it out loud. I mean come on, honey, it's not the end of the world if you get married."

Ugh. Here we go.

I managed to keep cool enough to keep on tapping away at the keyboard without smashing every keep into oblivion. Keeping my voice even and not on the brink of exploding took a little bit longer but I eventually managed it, much to my pleasant surprise.

"No mom it's not the end of the world but I'll have you know that I don't need to get married to be happy. I don't even need to have a partner of any kind to feel fulfilled. I'm doing perfectly fine as I am now. And FYI, I don't know what kind of universe you live in but to get married, first, you need a partner, something I happily lack. Oh, and another thing- what kind of mother tries to throw her own daughter to the wolves? Old, young- that’s just not right. And in case you didn’t know, there's stuff I have to do, things I have to see and experience, and unlike the rest of my neurotic sisters I am not in any hurry to give up my freedom any time soon, and to be completely honest I don't think I ever will be, so be a dear, and lay off!"

Ooh, soooo close.

Oh, well, at least I hadn’t cursed.

Yet. 

I could never be too safe with mom. She just knew exactly the right buttons to push.

There was a moment of silence that followed. And to be honest, it was a bit weird. I was expecting some sort of retort from her; some whining, some crying maybe even the good old guilt trip about grandkids and some shit. But when I looked at her reflection on my laptop screen just to make sure she hadn't keeled over from the frustration, I was taken aback by what I saw there:

She was sitting back in her rocking chair as if she didn't have a care in the world, one leg crossed over the other and swinging back and forth in the most carefree way. 

Strange.

And stranger still for Nina Huxley, the one woman on this planet that I knew of who championed the idea of marrying off young daughters to complete strangers.

I frowned. Something wasn't right. 

Turning in my chair to face her, I could only glare, narrowing my eyes at the smile she offered me and the eerie feeling deep erupting deep in my gut. 

Oh no.

No, no, no. Something was definitely up.

And I didn’t like it.

Not one bit.

Her eyes were like two pools of glittering honey as they looked at me, crinkling at the corners with barely restrained mirth. She was practically winking at me, enjoying an inside joke at my expense. The uneasy feeling growing in the pit of my stomach only grew more intense with every moment I spent staring into that mischievous gaze. And if there was one thing I hated more than being told what to do, it was feeling uneasy.

"Mom...?" My frown deepened."What are you up to?"

Nina Huxley had the gall to bat her eyes, her lashes fluttering against her cheeks all innocently. "'Up to?' What are you talking about Cash? I'm not 'up to' anything." 

I narrowed my eyes at her. There was no way in hell I believed her. "Mom."

She shrugged. "What? I'm not. Honest!"

Cocking my head to the side, I stared hard at her, hoping the fury simmering just underneath my skin would be warning enough for her to give up the truth. But instead, this only made her smile grow broader, her eyes giving nothing away except perhaps a glint of amusement, again, at my expense. 

This was a load of bullshit. 

I jumped from my seat, practically lunging across the room to close the distance between us. To her credit, she didn’t even flinch when I got in her face, my voice a low growl.

"Damn it, Mom!"

She chuckled holding her hands up in surrender in the face of my unleashed anger. "Ok, ok, fine! It's... well, I'm not... it really isn't that I'm 'up to something' per se... more like..."

I raised a brow, my foot tapping impatiently on the wood floor below. "Yeah?"

"Well, you see, Cash, I uh... oh dear, how do I say this?"

I threw my hands in the air. "Argh, come on mom, just spit it out already!"

This earned yet another amused chuckle from her. God, even her eyes were glittering with mirth. 

Rage seethed hot and thick in my veins.

"Well… I set you up on a date."

Huh?

Did I- did I hear right?

Surely, she had to be kidding.

A quick glance at her face told me she was not kidding.

Uh… HUH?!

My jaw dropped. Somewhere, somehow the world shifted, the very earth rippling under my feet before it was violently ripped from right under me. My mind was going at a million miles- words and thoughts flying at rapid-fire speeds in their attempt to articulate what I was feeling and yet the only word that came out, the only one that manifested from all the chaos in my head was-

"WHAT?"

The hands Nina Huxley held up were no longer of surrender. Now, they were a shield, ready for anything and everything I could and would throw at her. 

But again, I wasn't even thinking of that- I wasn't even thinking of anything at all except maybe trying to unscramble the words she'd just into a semblance of something that made sense. But when I couldn't even do that, I finally broke down and asked.

"I'm sorry... I- c-can you please repeat that? A what?!"

Mom didn't even bat an eye. "A date, hon."

My vision was swimming, tinged by a bright shade of red. I could hear my voice, hollow yet firm as it reverberated from my chest and burst from my lips but I could hardly believe it was coming from me. 

"No." 

I shook my head. “No.”

I crossed my arms tight over my chest to keep it from exploding. 

Not yet. It was too soon. Let me get out what I need to say and then I can self-destruct. 

"No."

Funny, how I was on the very verge of self-destruction and Mom was over here, almost unbothered by the distress threatening to tear me apart. And she either didn’t care or was just blissfully unaware of the murderous intent coiling around me like thick hot waves, smiling sweetly at me despite the imminent danger she was in.

 “Cancel. It.” I grit painfully. “I'm not going.”

The smile grew even sweeter, making my teeth ache."Oh, but you can't possibly, Cash. Did I forget to mention, that it's Mr. Asheton's son?"

I could give a fuck who it is! I wanted to scream.

All I cared about was containing the overwhelming urge for violence long enough for mom to promise she'd cancel the stupid thing. And judging from the twin flames of red bursting to life in my cheeks and the jackhammer pounding its way through my skull, I'd say I didn't have that much time. So I needed this to be quick.

"I. Don't. Care." My body was shaking from holding back such destructive ire. I’d never even tried to do something like that before but because it was mom… well, I had to.

How could I possibly explain a broken home and broken wife to dad?

"What? How can you say that? You don't want to embarrass Dad and his boss by canceling, now would you? I mean, what would he say? Sure, Mr. Asheton might be angry, his ego might even be bruised at having his precious son stood up, and then who's to say what he's capable of. I certainly wouldn't want to do anything that'd jeopardize dad's job, would you?" 

The horror, the gall- the balls of this woman!

Was she serious?!

She was serious!

"Oh no, mom, you did not just seriously say that!"

I was on the edge of losing it. I mean, I was gonna lose it. It was just a matter of how many seconds I still had left before my timer went off.

Just what had this woman done? Was she really that desperate to ruin my life?

"Mom," I began, sucking in breath after breath in the hopes that it would calm the tightness in my chest. Spoiler alert: it didn't. "Listen to me very carefully, because I know that at your advanced age, you're a bit hard of hearing, I am not-"

"Oh, really, Cash? Gonna make fun of my age now? For your information sweetie, I am not a day over forty-five and I can hear perfectly well, thank you. Now, don't you worry about a thing, honey, you’ll do fine. I'm sure he'll love you!"

GOD! Could this woman just SHUT-UP for FIVE SECONDS!?

I threw my hands up for the second time that day. 

How could I get it through that thick skull of hers? 

Was. Not. Interested! 

“Look-”

"Well, I won't keep you anymore dear. I know you have a lot of work to do so I'll just go give dad the good news. I'm sure Mr. Asheton will be very happy to hear this too!"

She didn't even let me get a word in before she got to her feet and nimbly made her exit, sparkles of glitter and joy practically fluttering after her as she went off in search of dad. While all I could do was stare after her, hands wrapped tightly around thick bunches of my hair as I struggled to come to terms with what had just happened. 

Okay... okay…

Cash, breathe. 

In. Out. In and out. 

There you go, that's it. 

Yeah... you're good. See... just needed some air. 

Just a little bit of air…

It was true. 

The iron vice around my chest loosened. The tight grip around my hair relaxing enough for it to slip through, though my fingers instantly burst with a new kind of pain as the blood rushed back into the semi-curled digits. 

For once, I was at a loss. 

She'd really done it, hadn't she? 

Set me up on a blind date... and with my own dad's boss's son or whatever...!

"Ugh." I had to sit down. I had to do something before I collapsed into myself like some sort of black hole. 

I reached for the rocking chair the little sneaky busy-bee had just been sitting in and pulled it to me before plopping wearily into it.

She had to be insane. That was the only explanation I could come up with for what she'd done. As I rubbed at my eyes, pressing the heels of my palms hard into them, I shook my head and chuckled bitterly.

This was so not happening to me.

I laughed, the sound full of bitterness and despair.

Well, the joke was on her because I was not going. Not for all the money in the world, not for all the begging or whining, not for all the bribes or guilt trips- in fact, there was no power strong enough on this earth that could make me go.

So there.

Let's see how she got out of this one.

I was not going to fall in line with my sisters… or any other woman dumb enough to believe in a man’s lie. I was not going to ruin my life just because mom expected me to get married and live "happily ever after."

“Happily Ever After” was for Disney.

And I would do me...

Whether she liked it or not.