Tempting Nora by A.M. Evanston Page A

when terrified—she lied.
    "Playing hide-and-seek," she said.
    "I'm in no mood for your games." Her mom wrinkled her nose and hauled her closer. "Come here."
    Nora trembled as she was pulled against her mom's thin body. On a good day, she loved the feeling of her parent as she curled up against her. On a bad day, she hated even being near her.
    "Look at this picture." Her mom shook the p hotograph she was holding under her nose.
    Nora looked down. It was a p icture of her dad. The man was tall with long brown hair that fell into hazel eyes. She'd come to loathe the sight of him. After all, the photograph was often the cause of her mom's insanity.
    And when her mom went insane, she was the one who was punished.
    "Your father," her mom said. "He left because of you."
    She should have been numb to her mom's cruel words by now, but she wasn't. Instead every time her mom told her about her dad's departure, the pain made her heart fester and rot. By now, she'd never forget the truth, even if she wanted to.
    "I know," Nora said.
    "It's your entire fault." Her mom shook her until her head bobbed. "You ruined everything. We were going to get married, but then you came."
    "I know," she said again because that was what her mom wanted to hear.
    "You're such a nuisance," her mom said. "I could change my life, but you…you're still here!"
    The words made her flinch. She tried not to cry , but she couldn't control herself. Tears slipped out. All she wanted to do was be a good girl so her mom would smile at her again. Yet it was too hard during times like these.
    "I'm sorry, Mom," she said, tears streaming down her cheeks. "I'm so sorry."
    She clung onto her mom's clothes, desperate for a hug, a gentle touch, anything.
    Her mom's nostrils flared as she stared down at her. Then, as if the wind blew the woman's madness away, her eyes softened. The woman petted her head.
    "There now," her mom said. "Don't cry."
    It was too late. She was crying.
    "I'm…so…sorry…" Nora's bottom lip trembled.
    "I know." Her mom sighed, then seized her hand. "I know what will make you feel better. Chocolate. Do you want some chocolate?"
    Her mom worked at a c andy factory. She was always bringing her chocolate.
    "Y-yeah." She nodded.
    "Okay." Her mom led her to the door.
    Nora awoke with a start, sweat on her brow. For a moment, she thought she was back at the old house again, trembling because of her mom's outburst. She breathed a sigh of relief when she realized she was in her apartment. She was an adult now, an adult who took care of herself. Her mom was long gone and she had no intention of ever finding out where she'd went. She was certain that if she ever laid eyes on the woman's face again, she would remember every last moment of pain.
    As she rubbed her chest, she stared down at the bed sheets. Why did I dream about my mom again? At first she thought she should blame the nightmare—no, the memory—on last night's food binge, but she knew that wasn't the case at all. No, she'd had the nightmare because she'd told Gideon about her past. Doors had been opened in her heart yesterday that had been sealed shut for a long time.
    I'm such an idiot! she screamed in her head.
    It had been years since she'd had dreams about her mom. She'd thought she'd gotten over the pains of her past, but now she was having nightmares again. Geez. She lay back down and touched her face, discovering it was damp with sweat and something worse.
    Tears.
    Apparently while she fought her hardest not to cry during the daytime, she still wept at night. She curled up in a ball, furious with herself for letting the past hurt her. As she struggled to get her bearings straight, she heard a thud and then a meow. Chubby was on the bed and waddling toward her, his orange eyes bright. After he reached her, he curled up at her side. When she ran her fingers through his thick fur, she thought, How did he know how much I needed him right now?
    When Chubby stared into her face, she realized it