Free Whisper (New Adult Romance) by Ava Claire Page A

When my mom and I didn’t crack a grin, he stormed into his office. He was gone for maybe five minutes and picked up where he left off. He was furious. Angrier than I’d ever seen him, face so fucking red I didn’t say a word because I was genuinely worried he’d have a stroke or something. Then he tried to buy me off. Told me I could take some time off from school, see the world and find myself and come back next semester ready to focus on my studies. When that didn’t work, he started drinking, and finally, he said if I wanted to ruin my life, who was he to try and stop me.”
    “Ruin your life?” Not even thinking, I leaned over and nudged him with my shoulder. “Clearly he’s never heard you sing.” I realized the nearness of him when his eyes shifted to me, and I battled the urge to move closer and kiss him.
    “You’re sweet.” His gaze smoothed over my lips like they were luscious ripe fruit that he was dying to taste. “But talent has nothing to do with it.” His eyes turned back to the machine, watching the soapy water as if hypnotized. “My dad is old school. All about duty and honor. He had expectations of me, and anything less means I’m a failure.” He blinked. “I just had the misfortune of proving him right.”
    Considering he got offended the last time I attempted to be optimistic about his career, I tried a different approach. I told him something I had never told anyone. “I flubbed my Carolina, California audition.” I kicked my legs wildly for a moment, like I was trying to escape. His hand covered mine, and I could breathe again.
    I wet my lips, the words easier to let go. “Of course, it didn’t matter. They loved that I screwed up, called it endearing and exactly what they were looking for. But when I walked in, I decided to throw it. I forgot my lines, I barely smiled, and I was as awkward as I could possibly be. I wanted to fail.” My legs stilled. “It wasn’t a commercial. At least with commercials I could still have a normal life. If I got the lead for Carolina, California , it would be my life. I’d never be able to escape my mother...and to me, that was a fate worse than death.”
    “But you got the role.” He searched my face, searched for the appropriate words to say. “I’m...sorry?”
    “Don’t be,” I laughed. “Being on that show was a great experience. Without it, I never would have realized how much I enjoyed acting. I would have just lumped it in with things my mother loves, and I would have hated it by default.” And we were back on my mother. Everything always circled back to her, whether I was trying to or not. I might as well just get on with it and tell him why I called him. “I made the mistake of thinking she spontaneously grew a conscience about what happened in Sol’s office. Or all the things that have happened over the years.” I suddenly felt itchy, unable to sit still with the nerves terrorizing my insides. I launched from the table and started pacing. “Now that I get to choose what’s next and I get to decide what kind of career I want to have, there’s this...longing inside me. I want, no, I need her to be my mom. I know I’m 21, but I’ve spent most of my life being who she wanted me to be.” I stopped, posing questions that no one could answer but her.  “Is it too much to ask? Haven’t I earned it? Can’t she at least try?”
    The Laundromat was deserted except for me, Liam, and an elderly woman that might have her clothes folded by 2016 judging by her slow, precise movements. Still, I looked around, mortified. I wanted to fade into the yellowed linoleum. Just disappear. Had I really gone that far? Let out all the shit that countless therapists had tried to cajole out of me to a total stranger? But he wasn’t a stranger. When I leaned into him as he tilted my face towards him, I knew that as surely as I knew that the Earth was round and my mom didn’t have a single mothering bone in her body.
    That, and Liam had the most