Taking Chances Read Online Free PDF

mutual.”
     
    It was the Tuesday night before Thanksgiving and we were lying in my bed. I rolled on top of Chloe. She looked amazing. Her hair was a tousled mane all over my pillow, her face without makeup still beautiful as she had a glow about her every time we finished making love.
     
    “Not that kind of crazy. I mean, yeah that, but I don’t understand how you’re not nervous about tomorrow. You’re going to meet my mother for the first time. That’s a big deal, Patrick.”
     
    Our bedtime talks had become habit. For the past week we’d spent every night in my bedroom. Now that we’d crossed that threshold we were pretty much all over each other every night. It seemed we were doing most of our talking in bed. Chloe didn’t think that Myra would be coming over for our early Thanksgiving dinner the next day considering what happened at the hospital. That subject was one of the first of our late night talks.
     
    “I’m confused. I’m embarrassed. I’m angry. I can’t believe she spoke to you that way. I’m sorry.”
     
    “Stop apologizing,” I’d told her as she lay in my arms with her head on my chest.
     
    “Well, it’s not right. I feel awful. I know that Myra has trust issues when it comes to white people and, to be quite honest, I have no idea where it comes from, but I would have thought she’d trust my judgment and just be happy for me.”
     
    “Her accusations were hurtful and totally off base, but I’m giving her the benefit of the doubt because she’s concerned about you. I respect that.”
     
    “Yeah, but that still doesn’t excuse what she did. Hell, I’ve been concerned about some of the guys she has dated, but I never acted like that. It just wasn’t my place. I’m going to talk to her.”
     
    Chloe tried, but Myra didn’t seem interested. For the past week she’d avoided Chloe at work and wouldn’t return her phone calls. Chloe had finally given up and gave in to her own anger at the situation. “Whatever,” she fumed, coming in from work one day. “If she wants to act like I’ve done something to her then screw her. I extended the invitation and that’s all I can do.”
     
    Eventually our pillow talk got around to the subject of my own delicate relationships. “I don’t even think Max realized how deeply he hurt me. He asked how it felt to be the one everyone turned to. Well, it sucks. Everyone in my family knows that Charlotte is slipping away. Everyone is worried about her, but somehow I’m the one they all expect to fix it. Does he think I like seeing my mother’s face lose hope when I have to tell her Charlotte doesn’t want to have anything to do with our family?  Does he think it was easy keeping one friend’s secret from another?”
     
    As usual Chloe knew exactly what to say to make me feel better. “You know what I think? I think we’re both too consumed with trying to fix things beyond our control, things outside of our responsibility. You can’t beat yourself up over Max’s behavior towards Paul, or Charlotte’s decisions in whom she dates, or whether or not she’s going to class. All you can do is try and help when they let you.”
     
    We were determined not to let anything spoil our holiday plans; that is, until the night before Chloe’s mother was to arrive. That’s when Chloe seemed to completely lose her shit. We’d spent the whole day cleaning the apartment and shopping for groceries. Chloe’s uncle Troy was released from the hospital after a few days and insisted he was strong enough to come the next night with Crystal and Brianna. Including Paul, Chloe’s mother, and Chloe and me, we had to cook for seven people. Frankly, that had me more on edge than meeting Adrian Brooks for the first time.
     
    “Patrick, you’re worried about the wrong thing. You don’t understand. My mother was a cop. A detective. She knows how to get things out of people and sometimes it’s a little scary.”
     
    “What is she going to do? Lock me