Slow Grind (Men of Mornington Book 1) Read Online Free PDF Page A

don’t.
    When I turned sixteen, the courts said if I didn’t want to communicate with my mom, I didn’t have to, and I didn’t. The phone calls and letters about how I was doing—the fake shit—stopped, and I never thought twice about it. My life was easier without having to worry about her shit. But she’s still my mother, and I still feel a twinge of hurt when I think about how easy it was for her to forget me. I know our lack of contact is as much my fault, but she’s the parent, not me.
    “Watch your tone, Aubrey,” she snaps harshly. Ah, there’s the mother I remember . I hear the voices of other people in the background and her being extra nice to me begins to make sense. She has to let everyone know her daughter is an important part of her life by being the perfect mum. And now I’m gagging again.
    “This is important,” she adds, her voice quieter. Are you sitting down?”
    “Yes, I’m sitting,” I lie as I pace around the room. I know my mum likes to be a drama queen, but something tells me this is serious, so I stop the attitude and just listen.
    “It’s Max, honey. He’s sick.”
    My world stops in that very moment. Max is never sick. Since his cancer went into remission when he was eighteen, it’s like he was bitten by some super-power-giving outback spider that makes it so you don’t even get a cold. He’s so healthy, like, all the time . He watches what he eats, works out regularly and even takes vitamins. Max and sick are words I never thought I’d hear again in the same sentence. No wonder it’s an emergency.
    “What’s wrong with him?” I ask, hoping it’s going to be something silly like a cold, but something in my gut tells me it’s going to be much worse.
    “I think it’s time you come home, Aubrey. Max is going to need you, honey.”
    “Need me for what? Please just tell me, Mother.” I sigh, getting sick of her spinning me in circles.
    “It’s cancer. It’s back.”
    “Shit,” I say, my worst fears confirmed. “What did the doctor say? How bad is it? I need more than just the cancer is back, Mum.”
    “We’ve known for a while. He’s been getting treatments but they don’t seem to be working. We’re out of options, and he’s going to be in rough shape. It’s time you come home and spend some time with him before …” Her voice cuts out as if she can’t finish the statement, but she doesn’t have to. I know exactly what she means.
    Before he dies.
    But Max can’t die. He’s Max. He’s my person. My lifeline. My piece of home when I start to miss Melbourne, my old friends and my childhood bedroom. He’s the one person I know will always be there for me. No matter what. He’s mine.
    “Why didn’t anyone tell me? Why didn’t Max tell me?”
    “He didn’t want to, honey. We were certain these treatments would work and he’d be all fine and you’d be none the wiser. Your father didn’t want to get you all upset about something that wasn’t going to be a tragedy.”
    “Wait. Dad knew?” I ask, hurt.
    “Of course he did. He’s Max’s father, Aubrey.”
    “And I’m his sister !” I yell, tears stinging my eyes.
    “Aubrey, I need you to take a breath and lower your voice. You’re in your last year of Uni and preparing to graduate. You needed to focus on you. Max isn’t going to be happy I’ve told you. It was the one thing he wanted … for you to not worry about him while living your life.”
    I take a long breath and bite back a reply. I hate the way she talks to me, but this isn’t about her and me. It’s about Max.
    “I’ve already spoken to your dad, and he’s arranged a flight for you in a couple of days. He’ll be coming at the end of the school year. He’s talked to your professors about you finishing the semester online so you don’t have to take an incomplete for your classes. He also said something about doing your ballet routine via Skype. But you need to be here now.”
    “Okay,” I mutter, feeling absolutely