It's past noon when I roll up to my childhood home the next day. It's an hour long drive to here from campus, but it's a trip I feel is necessary now that I have mom's necklace back. I'll be able to give it back to her and hopefully mend the divide that it caused between us.

The house is nothing special. Not the nicest one on the street but also not the worst, modest in size and structure. I park behind my mom's old Toyota before sliding out of the car and proceeding up the porch step to the front door. I brace myself before ringing the doorbell, anticipating seeing my mom again.

I texted her this morning to let her know I'd be coming so it wouldn't be a surprise, but I almost expected her to tell me to not even bother given the nature of our last conversation. Surprisingly, she agreed for me to come on over.

She opens the door with a curt smile, done up in her usual way; mousy hair tied back in a severe bun, classy, minimal makeup, and her favorite pair of pearl earrings dangling above her shoulders.

"Hi, mom." I greet cheerfully, smiling sweetly at her.

"Hello, Emerson. I'm glad you could make it." She remarks, stepping aside to let me in.

I enter the home and she shuts the door behind me before striding off into the kitchen while I kick off my shoes. I hear the familiar jingling of dog tags and clicking of nails on the hardwood floor and look over with a large grin to see Daisy slowly trotting her way over to me.
I crouch down and open my arms up to the large German Shepard mix, "Hey, girl, c'mere you sweet puppy."

She nuzzles right into me, hopping excitedly as I scratch her in all her favorite spots. Her tails thumps rapidly against the floor as she rests her head in my arms.

As I pet her I hear mom say from the kitchen, "You shouldn't get her so worked up, she could have a heart attack at her age."

Immediately I settle down and pass Daisy a sad smile and one final scratch before straightening up and walking into the kitchen. She follows slowly behind me as I move to sit on one of the stools at the counter.

Mom busies herself with stirring something on the stovetop so that she doesn't have to look at me as she makes small talk, "Was the drive alright?"

"Yeah, it was good."

"Any traffic?"

"Not much."

"That's good."

There's a short silence as she keeps her back to me. I can tell she's still upset with me. My mom has never been a warm presence, but she's not usually so icy towards me either.

Fortunately I have the solution to our dispute sitting right in my pocket, thanks to Ghost.

I clear my throat as I begin furtively, "So, about the necklace..."

Mom huffs a sigh, "Please, don't bring that up to me right now. I'm trying so hard to remain calm about it."

"Well I have good news." I reassure her, piqueing her interest and causing her to turn and face me. I smile proudly at her as I dig through my pocket and pull out the necklace. She gasps loudly, clapping a hand over her mouth, as I state the obvious, "I got it back."

"Oh my god." She rushes over and snatches the item out of my hand. She holds it delicately, examining it closely as though to ensure that it's the same necklace before she cries, "Thank god. I was so worried."

"I know." I tell her, passing her an apologetic look, "I'm really sorry I lost it in the first place. That was totally irresponsible of me. I want to give it back to you so you can keep it here safely and not have to worry anymore."

She glances at me as she remarks, "Of course I'm keeping it here, I'm not trusting it with you anymore after what happened."

I purse my lips tightly at her blatant disregard as she safely tucks the necklace to the side of the counter, far away from me.
"Well, again, I'm sorry." I restate, trying not to let her tone get to me.

She passes me a tight smile before turning away to continue stirring her pot as she questions, "How did you get it back?"

I stiffen in my seat. Do I tell her about Ghost? Chances are she'll have something to say about my relationship with him and it will lead to more questions. But maybe it will be helpful to get her opinion on the matter.

"Actually, my friend is the one who tracked it down." I tell her hesitantly. She passes me a confused glance as I elaborate, "He knew I was upset about losing it and he went back to the club to find it for me."

Mom is quiet for a moment as she mulls this information over, before finally remarking, "That's very generous of him." I can hear the suspicion in her tone and I'm not entirely surprised when she asks, "Who is this boy? Have I met him?"

"No, you haven't." I say, "I met him a few weeks ago. His name is Ghost."

Her lips purse, "That's a name?"

"It's a nickname."

"How strange." She remarks, mostly to herself. "Is he in one of your classes?"

I shake my head, "No, he's not in school. We met at..." I trail off, knowing I can't tell her about the night we met because she'll only call me stupid for getting involved in a fight in an alleyway at night. I quickly come up with a lie, "At the park. I was studying and we just sparked up a conversation."

"Hmm," She seems to be deeply vested in the subject as she asks, "How old is this boy? What does he do then if he's not in school?"

"He's not much older than me." I reply, though I realize I don't actually know Ghost's exact age. I chew the corner of my lip as I reveal, "And he's a boxer."

This seems to surprise her. Her shoulders stiffen and she shoots me a wary look while remarking, "A boxer? Like he gets punched in the face for a living?"

"Well I don't know if he's making a living off of it. It's just something he likes to do." I explain, frowning slightly at the judgement in her tone.

She huffs and shakes her head, "How could anyone enjoy such a violent sport?" She turns back to the stove while she mutters sarcastically, "Sounds like he really has his life put together."

I feel anger bubbling within me and the urge to defend Ghost fights to escape my lips. I figured mom wouldn't approve of him in any way, but she doesn't have to be so critical of him.

"He's actually really good." I assure her, even though technically I've never seen him fight. But he did tell me he was good. That counts for something.

Mom just hums dismissively as she finishes stirring whatever is in the pot. She reaches into the cupboard for two bowls as she questions in a cautious tone, "What does Brody think about this new friend?"

I glance down at the counter, knowing she would ask this eventually. I fiddle with my fingers in my lap as I mutter, "He, uh, he doesn't like it." I peek back up at my mom through my lashes as I furtively add, "He told me to end the friendship."

I wait for her reaction, expecting it will be something close to how Ghost reacted. She'll tell me that's not right, and Brody can't control who I'm friends with.

Instead she remarks, "Well, he must have good reason to ask that of you."

My face scrunches up at her with confusion. She agrees with Brody? My brows are drawn down into a tight frown as I question, "Why would you say that?"

Mom sighs with exasperation as she ladles the soup from the pot into the bowls and sets one down in front of me. I glance down at it with an upturned nose, not feeling hungry in the slightest.

"If Brody doesn't trust you with this guy it's probably for good reason. He's just looking out for you, Emerson." Mom explains as though it's that simple, like she knows the situation better than I do.

I can't help but disagree, "Brody has never met Ghost, he has no reason to not trust him. He's just being controlling, don't you think?"

She passes me a sympathetic smile, like I'm stupid for implying such a thing as she replies, "You may think it's controlling now, but I think it's for the best. You aren't always very smart with the decision you make, honey. Sometimes you need to let the people who care about you decide what's best."

I almost can't believe what she's saying to me, but then I remember who I'm talking to. This is the woman that decided for me that I'd be going to college. She decided that I'd be a finance major. She decided that writing would never produce anything of fruition for me.

In her eyes it's almost like she can pass the buck to Brody now, let him call all the shots from now on so I'm no longer her burden to bare.

Trying to remain patient and open-minded I point out to her, "But don't you think Ghost sounds like he's a good guy? I mean, he got the necklace back for me, just because he knew how upset I was about losing it. I didn't even ask him to do that. In just the short time I've known him, he's been there for me. He's helped me when I'm feeling sad and he takes time out of his day to talk to me. Isn't that a good thing?"

Mom tilts her head at me as she studies my face, seeming to realize something the more I talk. Her lips are pulled into a tight line as she states, "I think it's actually too much of a good thing."

I frown, "What does that mean?"

"I think your infatuation with this guy is dangerous. Just hearing the way you talk about him, it's clear you like him a little too much. That could ruin your relationship with Brody, Emerson." Her face turns dark and her tone somewhat threatening as she continues, "Do you realize how lucky you are to be with someone like Brody? He can take care of you, always. He's good to you, he loves you. It's a wonder he chose someone like you, and you'd be very stupid to ruin that. You're not likely to find anyone better than him."

My chest tightens at her words. I've always known how much my mom approves of Brody solely based on the fact that he comes from a wealthy family. In her eyes, that's all the matters. He can provide for me and I can live comfortably for the rest of my days.

I understand where it comes from. When my dad died he didn't leave us with much. I was young at that point, so I didn't always notice how hard it was for my mom to support us both. The older I got, however, the easier it was to see. The past due bills, the empty cupboards and fridge, the crappy car that was always dying on us.

She doesn't want to see me struggle the way she always has. She may be more on her feet now than she ever has been, but that hasn't gotten rid of the fear. Being with Brody does ensure a comfortable life.

But will it be a happy one?

My eyes are cast down as I softly remark, "Being friends with a guy shouldn't be something that ruins our relationship."

Mom shrugs, her tone light as she retorts, "That may be, but if it's something Brody doesn't like, then I suggest you listen to him. Some guy you hardly know isn't worth ruining your relationship."

I decide to drop the conversation there, not wanting to get angrier than I already am. We eat in silence and once we're done I move to the living room to play with Daisy while mom washes the dishes. Once she enters the room she watches silently as I sit on the floor petting my puppy. She crosses the room with a serious expression on her face and sits down on the couch opposite me.

Eventually she speaks somberly, "Emerson, there's something I need to tell you."

Immediately my chest tightens at her words. I lean against the armchair to face her and question, "What's wrong?"

Her eyes glance at the old dog and my stomach sinks, knowing this won't be good as she sighs tiredly and announces, "Daisy can't stay here anymore."

I frown at her, confused as I question, "What? Why not?"

Mom sighs again as she utters, "She's becoming too much of a burden, honey. Her eyes are getting worse, she's almost needing constant care just to make sure she's okay and I can't deal with that. I have to work and when I'm not working I would like to be able to go out with friends and have a life, but I can't because I'm too busy taking care of your dog."

My jaw tightens as I stare at her, willing myself not to get too upset as I state, "I've been paying you to let her stay here."

"It's not enough." She remarks, "I'm sorry."

I chew on the inside of my cheek, glancing down at Daisy who's now resting beside me with her head in my lap, "What am I supposed to do then?" I question, my voice thick with emotion, "I can't keep her in the dorms."

Mom passes me a sad smile as she suggests, "It might be time to put her down, Emerson."

"No." I immediately snap, glaring up at her, "She's not ready for that."

"She's just getting worse, honey. She can barely walk—"

"She still has plenty of life in her, though. She's not ready." I insist, my tone final. I glance away as tears prick my eyes and I utter, "I'll figure something out, just give me time to arrange something."

Mom thinks it over with a long pause before finally sighing heavily and replying, "Fine. I'll give you a few days to find a new place for her, but I wouldn't get your hopes up, Emerson. No one is going to want to take on that responsibility."

I ignore her, instead briskly standing up and heading for the door. I can't stand to be around her for another second. Mom watches as I pull my shoes on before glancing over at her and mumbling, "Thanks for everything. I'll talk to you later."

"Don't be mad at me, Emerson, I was kind enough to let her stay here all this time."

I huff with annoyance, "Okay. Bye."

With that I leave the house, slamming the door behind me. I'm in my car and on the road in no time and once I'm finally alone I allow a few tears to roll down my face.

I don't know what to do. I can't believe my mom would force me into a situation like this. She knows I have nowhere to take Daisy. A kennel would be too expensive and I'm not going to drop her off at a shelter. She's my dog.

In the thick of my emotions I call Brody, just to have someone to vent to. Hopefully he can help me feel better and maybe he'll have some suggestions about what I can do.

He takes a few rings to answer, and when he does he sounds distracted and slightly annoyed, "Hey, what's up?"

"Hey babe." My voice wavers, making it clear that I'm upset. Brody doesn't notice.

"What's up?" He repeats impatiently.

"I just needed to talk to you." I reply, swallowing hard.

He sighs, "Is it important? I'm kind of busy."

I frown at his dismissive tone. He sounds irritated and my chest tightens as I ask, "What are you doing?"

"I'm at dinner with my dad and some of his clients." He remarks, his tone low.

"Oh, okay. Sorry." I mumble, shaking my head at myself as I tell him, "Uhm. It can wait I guess. Just... call me when you're done?"

"I don't know how late I'll be." He remarks, rushing me off the phone as he mutters, "I gotta go."

"Okay. Love y—"

He hangs up before I even finish the word and I feel my heart break. I know I can't blame him, he doesn't know how upset I am and it's not his fault that I called him at a busy time.

But I can't help but feel like I'm alone. Every time I need him, he's not there.

That's the problem with him being the only person I have. When he's too busy for me, I don't have anyone. When I'm falling apart am I just supposed to lie in pieces on the ground and wait around for him?

Or do I get up and do something about it?

I glance back down at my phone and without overthinking it I find Ghost's contact. I know I should have deleted it by now, but I'm glad I didn't.

I press the call button and wait, hoping he'll actually answer.

"Hello?" His familiar voice washes over me and almost instantly I start to feel better.

"Ghost, hi." I breathe softly, trying to steady my voice and stop my crying.

"Who is this?" He questions, and I feel my heart sink. Did he already delete my number?

"Uhm, it-it's—"

"Rose, I'm kidding." He laughs, and my shoulders sink with relief, "I could never forget you so quickly. Though, I am surprised that you called."

"I know, I'm sorry." I quickly mutter, feeling stupid for running back to him after our conversation yesterday. I'm surprised he even answered after everything I said to him, "I know I'm being confusing. I just— I didn't have anyone else. I'm sorry. I know you probably don't want to deal with my drama anymore. You can just hang up if you want—"

"Hey, hey," He eases soothingly, interrupting my rambling, "Who says I don't like drama?"

I smile to myself, eternally grateful that he's still willing to deal with me. In a soft tone I ask, "What are you doing right now?"

"I'm at The Scrap with my friends." He tells me, and it's then that I notice the background noise behind his voice. I nod my head, even though he can't see me. He then surprises me when he asks, "You wanna meet up?"

I hesitate. Calling him up is one thing, but do I dare actually go meet up in person after Brody told me not to?

I remind myself that Ghost is here for me, and Brody isn't. I just need a friend right now, someone to talk to. There's nothing wrong with that.

With that resolve in mind I smile and reply, "I'd love to."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

AN;

Well, that didn't last long, huh?

What do you guys think? How do you feel about Em's relationship with her mom?

Lots of Ghost in the next chapter, hope you're ready!

Don't forget to vote and comment, it means so much to me.

-Sarah xo