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“What’re you talking about?” I squint up at her, forcing my eyes to focus. Blond hair. Too much black eyeliner. Breasts spilling out of her low-cut blouse. “Mom?”

“Surprise!” She holds out her arms.

I squeeze my eyes shut, but unfortunately, she’s still there when I open them. “How did you get in my room?”

“Stacy. Or was it Tracy?” She ponders. “Whatever her name is, she let me in the front door. And Nicole used her card thingy to let me in here.”

“Nicole was here?” I bolt upright and wrap my comforter around my shoulders like a cape.

“That’s an odd question. She lives here, doesn’t she?” Her eyebrows arch over wide eyes.

“Technically.” I do a quick scan of the room, but there’s no evidence of Nicole being here recently. “Where is she now?”

Mom shrugs. “She left.”

She left? Nicole was actually here. And now she’s in the wind again.

Note to self: Strangle Nicole if and when I finally catch up to her.

“God, Mom.” I shake my head, clearing the cobwebs. “You couldn’t’ve called first?”

“Where’s the fun in that?”

I snort.

“Come see your beautiful flowers!” She gestures to my dresser and a cut-glass vase overflowing with pink roses.

I gape at the massive arrangement. “Who sent those?”

“Elijah.”

I dart my gaze back to her. “How do you know?”

“I read the card.”

“Mom!” I shriek like the child I become whenever I’m in her presence.

“The other one’s from Caleb.”

“What other one?”

“By your door. It’s too big for your dresser.”

A thrill runs through me as I leap out of bed. “I can’t believe Caleb sent me flowers.”

“And candy.”

My arms barely reach all the way around the huge basket stuffed with at least two dozen white and yellow roses, a giant teddy bear, and a box of fancy chocolates.

“It’s heavy.” I haul the basket to my bed, setting it down before retrieving the note pinned to the bear’s chest. “You didn’t read this, did you?”

Mom scoffs. “Of course not.”

“Liar,” I mutter, unfolding the paper.

Kennedy,

I’m sorry I was a douche. Please let me make it up to you.