Page 75 of First Kiss with a Mothman
“I only came to get the last of my stuff so I can stay with Mort. Don’t try to stop me.”
“But be reasonable, baby!” she says in a whiny, playing-the-victim tone.
“I was reasonable. We were reasonable,” Arie replies. He holds my arm, and I glower at her. “We were more than reasonable when we chose not to press charges on you.”
“It was all your uncle!”
She tries to step forward, but Arie points and says, “Stay back!”
For a long silent moment, she studies us. At least she has the decency to appear contrite and uncomfortable. “Mom, you kidnapped Mort.” Arie squeezes my arm, and I place my hand over his.
“But I just…I only wanted to…”
“Mom, I’m a monster now. And even if I weren’t, how can I ever trust you again? You tried to kill Mort.”
“I didn’t!” Her eyes well up with tears as she continues, “Your uncle promised that with the mothboy’s blood, we could turn you back to normal.”
I glare at her with disgust, and Arie steps forward. “Mom, are you even listening to yourself?”
She sniffs and looks around. “I know now that was…wrong of me. Your uncle’s weird rhetoric twisted my mind, and I…I wanted what was best for you. I’m sorry.”
“Apologize to Mort,” he says softly.
She looks me in the eyes. “I’m sorry, Mort.”
Arie nods. “If you really want what’s best for us, then you’ll give me some space.”
“For how long?”
“Indefinitely.” He taps my arm, and with that, I escort him to the passenger side.
“But I can’t stay away from you. I’m your mother! I need to…” She rushes close to us, and I let out a massive buzz with my wings. Even under my coat, the sound echoes loudly through the suburban neighborhood. In moments, every flying insect in a half-mile radius has arrived.
Arie’s mom gasps and steps back at the massive swarm circling us. “Don’t call me, Arie, or any of our friends at Creelin U unless we call you first!” I holler over the noise of the bugs. “If you do, the insects of the world won’t be very happy.”
She looks around in horror, then back towards us. Arie smiles and nods.
“Arie! Please, what can I do to earn your forgiveness?”
I rub my boyfriend’s shoulder and allow the insects to leave. They only swarmed for a minute, but now the air seems so quiet. “Make sure Uncle Robert and Selena never bother me, Mort, or any other monster ever again. Do whatever it takes to lock them up.” Arie shrugs. “Then we can chat.”
I don’t dignify Miss Baker with another glance before I rush to the driver’s door. In moments, we drive away from Arie’s childhood home. In the rearview mirror, Arie’s mom sobs on the sidewalk. A pang of sympathy nearly echoes in my chest until I recall I was tied up and left to die at her hand.
The thirty-minute drive back to Creelin U feels like leaving a huge part of Arie’s life behind. But with his hand in mine, I’m fairly certain he’s happy to move forward. And I get to help him build a new life, a job I intend to do for as long as he’ll let me.
Chapter
Twenty-Three
MORT
Applause of an entertained crowd used to satisfy me as a child. Then, like most of my showbiz memories, I grew indifferent to it. A cheering crowd hasn’t mattered to me for years, until now.
Because it’s for Arie. We’re in the auditorium for the final concert of the semester, capping off orchestra class. Surrounded by glistening garlands, standing front and center, my man looks majestic.
Or should I say my monster, since he’s covered in raven feathers. He’s exposed his monstrous form to everyone as he’s played several solos. And I didn’t think he could get any more beautiful, but here we are. With his solo done, I cheer and holler in support, both impressed and thrilled at his talent. If I wasn’t holding my cello in the back, I’d be clapping so hard my hands would go numb.
Things have been going well for us, all things considered, the past two weeks. Arie and I spend plenty of quality time together as we study and get into a groove of him living with me. He’s going to stay with me even when school is out, a choice he agreed to.
