Truth Undressed (Exposed Series, #3) by Hazel Kelly Read Free Book Online Page B

to become one of those people that prioritizes money over
experience. Because money comes and goes, but adventures and memories last a
lifetime.
    And it’s not good to waste money on things . They lose
their shininess, their novelty value, and the joy from the purchase fades away.
Then you’ve no choice but to search for the next thing that will give you a
surge of happiness. But people who spend their money on experiences never
regret it. Because adventures- unlike material things- hold their value.
    But I digress.
    The point is, sometimes it’s uplifting to remember that sex gets
better as you age. And no one can teach you that lesson better than someone
who’s learned it firsthand.
     
     

Chapter
11: Kate
     
     
    Things between Carol and I had been tense to put it nicely.
    It’s not like I had completely ignored her since I found out she
wasn’t my Mom. We had exchanged grunts and the occasional pleasantry. But we
definitely hadn’t talked.
    Why should we? What was there to say? We both knew now that she
had deceived me for eighteen years about who she was and lied to me about where
I came from. To be honest, it felt more like there was a landmine in the room
than an elephant.
    And even after I had some time to cool off, I was still so
confused. Because when someone referenced my Mom, I still thought of her first.
I mean, she hadn’t actually given birth to me which was a pretty big
disqualifier, but she had done everything else.
    She changed my diapers, cleaned my nose so I wouldn’t be a
snotty kid, and was my room Mom at school until third grade. No one had kissed
more bruises or applied more band-aids as I stumbled and tripped through my
early years. And I can’t remember her ever missing a single one of my lacrosse
games.
    If it weren’t for her I probably wouldn’t even be able to read
or use a toilet. And if I add all that stuff to the fact that no one caused me
more stress, anxiety, and anger in my life, it was hard to argue that she
wasn’t my Mom. Besides that one not so teeny detail.
    But “Mom” was a loaded word, and the more I thought about it,
the less I could convince myself that Carol didn’t have anything to do with me.
Cause even though I am at least fifty percent Dawn, there’s no question who
mothered me more. I mean, Carol was invested . Time, money, energy. She’d
given me the most valuable assets she had.
    It made me sick to think of how many times I wished she would
just fuck off and leave me alone. Especially now that I know she could’ve.
    Instead, she loved me the way my own Mother didn’t. Or couldn’t.
Even when I hated myself. Which was most of the last four years. And I know I
put her through hell at times. I hadn’t been easy. On the contrary, I had been deliberately
difficult too many times to count. But she never gave up on me or decided I was
more trouble than I was worth.
    Even when I’d overheard her talking to my Dad about sending me
away, it wasn’t because that was what she really wanted. I could see that now. She
was just trying to keep me from getting hurt in ways that band-aids couldn’t
fix.
    But even though I wasn’t pissed at her anymore, I had been
avoiding her. I feared there was a chance she would say “Right. So you’re
eighteen now and you know the truth. My job is done and it’s time for you to
run free.”
    And I couldn’t bear the thought of losing another Mom. Or even
worse, being rejected by another one. Especially when I wasn’t really as
independent as I liked to pretend. I mean, shit. Most of the time, I still felt
as vulnerable as a newborn.
    Of course, I didn’t know what she was thinking. About me. About
me knowing the truth. And I needed to know for better or for worse. So when she
finally mustered up the courage to invite me to lunch, I said yes.
    Because I had no choice.
    Losing Dawn was the worst thing that ever happened to me, but
losing Carol would mean losing everything.
    We were both pretty quiet in the car on the way