The Fire and the Veil (Veronica Barry Book 2) by Sophia Martin Read Free Book Online Page B

people’s children, Mom. I don’t need you to babysit me.”
    “It’s not babysitting, Ange. It’s ‘caring for.’ Being a good mother. You know. Parenting,” Melanie said. Her pancakes lay untouched in a pool of syrup.
    “Mom, I’m fine. ”
    “I know! I’m the one making sure you’re fine. You know, making you dinner, doing your laundry—these are things I might not be able to take care of so much if I was getting my paralegal degree.”
    “Sure you could,” Veronica said, trying to sound light. “If you weren’t working, taking classes wouldn’t take up more of your time than your job does now. Besides, Angie’s such a big girl now, I bet she can do her own laundry.”
    Angie rolled her eyes and then stuck her tongue out at Veronica.
    “At least think it over some more, Mel,” Veronica said.
    Melanie rolled her eyes, just like her daughter. “Fine,” she said, and dug into her pancakes again.
    When they were done eating, Angie helped clean up the table and load the dishes into the washer. Then she trotted back up stairs and shut her door, turning on her music. As soon as she did, Melanie turned her attention back to Veronica.
    “So you felt weird,” she prompted.
    “I thought maybe we could talk a little more about this going back to school question,” Veronica said.
    “No way,” Melanie said, giving the counter a quick wipe. “Today, it’s all about you.”
    Veronica sighed. “Great.”
    “So… you were telling me, even though things went well, you felt weird?”
    Veronica pushed in the chairs around the table. “He was being sweet. He made me breakfast, and he wanted to spend the whole weekend together. He was really excited that I’d stayed the night.”
    “Excited how? Like, he wanted to jump back into bed?” Melanie asked as she led Veronica into the living room, bringing their coffee mugs and the pot of coffee with them.
    “I don’t know, maybe.”
    “Man, I miss the days of being able to just spend a whole weekend in bed,” Melanie said, settling into the coach.
    “It was more like he was all proud of himself for ending my dry spell. It was kind of icky,” Veronica said, sitting next to her.
    Melanie contemplated this. Veronica wrapped her hands around her coffee mug to warm them. “Yeah, I’m not sure I’d like that either,” Melanie said.
    “It was just sort of… tactless,” Veronica said. “And, kind of cute, too, you know, he was like a little kid who just did a wheelie. But then I started to worry that he was going to brag about it to everyone.”
    “Who’s everyone?”
    “I don’t know. His friends? His partner?”
    Melanie cringed. “Ooh. You really think he will?”
    “Maybe, I don’t know. I mean, people tell other people about their dates. Here I am, I’m doing it right now, aren’t I?”
    “Yeah, but you’re not bragging about anything. You’re not telling me potentially embarrassing stuff about him—”
    “Well—” Veronica said, “I bet he’d be embarrassed if he knew I said he was like a kid who did a wheelie.”
    Melanie pursed her lips. “Maybe.”
    “I think I just need to stop being so uptight. I’m just not used to dating. At least, not past the first date. It’s just normal stuff. He’s going to talk to about me to his friends, just like I’m talking to you. I can’t let it bother me.”
    “But it does.”
    “But it does!” Veronica wailed. She buried her face in her hands. “How can I make it stop?” She peered up at Melanie through her hair.
    “Honey, you’re going to have to be honest with him about it.”
    “Oh, Mellie, he’s going to think I’m so high maintenance.”
    “So what?” Melanie said. “So you’re high maintenance. He might have gotten a clue about that when he met you at a crime scene, covered in blood.”
    “Thanks for the memory.”
    “I’m serious, though. You’re may be high maintenance, but it’s because you’re really special, V. I mean that.”
    “And in the best possible way,