Just One Glance (Oh Tequila Series Book 5)

looks at us like we’re disposable. Toss some money our way and it makes all the disappointments okay. Our mom, she’s worthless.” That did not even begin to describe her. “She insists that she’s okay. But how do I know? How do I see when she’s not?”
The one thing I didn’t see in Blake’s eyes was pity. That alone was the biggest reason why I’d chosen not to share my life and my turmoils. But all I saw when she looked at me was understanding.
“Jade is tough.” I knew this. “But you’re right, she won’t admit when she’s hit bottom and she won’t admit when things have gotten to her. That’s because she’s doing the same thing for you that you are doing for her. She’s staying strong. Maybe it’s time you share your feelings with her just as she should share hers with you. You have something I never had. You have someone who knows exactly what you’re going through and have gone through for years. Accept that and lean on each other.”
I let her words sink in.
“I’ll be the first to tell you that having someone to lean on is a hell of a lot better than being on your own, feeling lonely, and even scared. It took me a lot longer than it should have to realize that.”

Chapter Eight
Ruby
“I can’t believe how grown up you are.” Vera rounded the small table we sat at in the corner of Starbucks and placed a coffee before us both. “You look just like she did in college.”
My eyes clouded with tears as I thought back to the days when my mother was alive and vibrant. I wished I’d known her then, before my father. Granted, she showered me with love daily but I know that there was always a part of her that held back. My father despised chaos and unpredictability.
“So law?” I instantly shied away and Vera knew me well enough to detect what my avoidance of the topic meant. “I will never understand that man and his need to control everyone and everything around him.”
Me neither.
“I remember him and your mother butting heads almost daily. Something as simple as what they would have for dinner or what the thermostat should be set on for the summer. It was so hard to bite my tongue, which is why I kept my distance on most days. I only managed to set him off more.”
“Which is exactly why when I left this morning and he asked me my plans, I left out the part where I was meeting you for coffee.”
She didn’t look hurt, or even surprised by my declaration.
“Your father knows I’m here.” Repositioning herself on her chair, she rested her elbows on the table and curled her hands around the base of the cup. “I’m not surprised he didn’t tell you.” There was a sadness in her eyes as she stared down at her hands, avoiding eye contact. “I think you should tell him that you’ve no interest in pursuing law and that you have your own dreams.”
I laughed sarcastically, shaking my head in disbelief. “Yeah, sure, I’ll take care of that tonight.” Was she insane? Telling my father anything was impossible. He didn’t listen. It was his way, there was no other way in his eyes.
“So you’re going to allow him to dictate every single thing in your life, the way he did your mother’s?” This had gone so quickly from light-hearted to serious. I wasn’t sure I was ready to take on this topic. Somehow avoiding it, ignoring that every day I felt this large lump form in my stomach the very second I stepped inside any of my classrooms made the impending future easier to accept.
“I would hate to see you live a life you hate, Ruby.” Lifting my gaze, I was met with her penetrating stare. “I know your mother would have wanted you to do all the things you loved. She’d want you to experience life, make mistakes, and learn from them. She wouldn’t want you to be forced to be someone you’re not.”
Vera and my mother were so close, more like sisters than friends. They shared everything, and I knew if anyone understood the kind of mother mine was it was her. She fought for me from early on, ensuring that I lived out all the dreams a little girl could. The fairy princesses, the dance lessons, and midnight cookies and milk. All the things my father thought were simply a waste, she made sure I experienced them. I lost that fearfulness, that desire to dream when I lost her. I became the person he wanted me to be because it was easier than fighting him at every turn.
“So enough about all that.” I was immediately thankful for the instant detour. “Anyone special you want to tell me all about?”
“Nope.” How sad was it that I was a college student who had never really had a date?
“Oh Ruby, you need to get out there and meet people.” Fighting the urge to roll my eyes, I looked downward. “You aren’t going to have any true fun hiding in libraries and classrooms.”
“Now you sound like Darcy.”
“The girl you were with the other day?” Nodding, I still avoided her gaze. “She looked like one who knows how girls your age should be living.” If only she truly knew how well lived Darcy was. That girl had no boundaries, she was not quiet about it, either. She did not care what others thought―if you didn’t like her and the way she chose to spend her days and many nights then you could just buzz off.
“When was the last time you had your hair cut?” I feel her lift the edges of my hair and I shy away. “Maybe some highlights.”
Now I do laugh. Simply because a vision of