Life and Other Complications by Heather Mullaly

Author:Heather Mullaly
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Favored Oak Press

Luke didn’t say anything as he walked me back to the Millers’ after dinner. And I didn’t ask. I figured he would talk to me when he was ready. When we got to the Millers’ front porch, I was expecting him to walk me to the door and then leave. But he sat down on the porch steps. So I sat down next to him.

“It would be pointless,” he said. “But Mom can’t see that.”

“She wants you to be happy.”

“She doesn’t want to face reality.”

“She’s your mom. You can’t blame her for that.”

Luke let out a breath and nodded.

“I don’t want to face reality either,” I told him.

He looked at me, the tension disappearing from his face. Instead his expression became half worried, half resigned. “You changed your mind about us.”

“I haven’t changed my mind about anything.” My throat was getting tight. “I’m just not ready to lose you.”

Luke wrapped his arms around me. “I’m right here.”

For now.

When the porchlights flashed, I looked at the time. “I’ve got to go in.”

Luke stood up and offered me a hand.

I didn’t have to look to know that Mrs. Miller was watching us through a window. Luke apparently didn’t notice or didn’t care. Because he leaned in and kissed me.

“Goodnight, Aly,” he said.

“Goodnight.”

When I walked into the house, Mrs. Miller was waiting for me in the foyer.

“We need to talk,” she said.

Which is never a good sign.

I followed her into the family room where Mr. Miller was watching TV. He turned it off when we came in. Mrs. Miller sat next to her husband and pointed at a chair on the other side of the room. I sat down, unsure what I should be bracing myself for.

“How was dinner?” Mrs. Miller said.

“Um, nice.” Mostly.

“Did you behave yourself?” Mr. Miller said.

I wasn’t sure what he meant by that. I had been polite and offered to help with the dishes and thanked the Harrisons for having me. But that apparently wasn’t what the Millers were concerned about.

“Did you keep your knees together?” Mr. Miller said.

It took me a second to realize what he meant. Understanding brought all of the heat from my body rushing into my face.

“I’m not sleeping with Luke,” I said.

The Millers studied me, as if they were trying to decide if I was lying.

“And I’m not planning on starting.”

Mrs. Miller said, “You remember what Dr. Jordan told us. There is no safe sex for you. Condoms break.”

“I know.”

“You could infect him,” Mrs. Miller said. “And the last thing that sweet boy needs is to catch your disease.”

He’s a sweet boy. I don’t want to know what they think I am.

The lecture went on for what felt like hours. But my thoughts were only loosely connected to what they were saying.

I love Luke. Did they really think I would ever take a chance of giving him HIV? How selfish do they think I am?

They know how much this disease has put a shadow on my life. Or they would, if they paid attention.

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