Rough Around the Hedges Snippet (Patreon)

My brain wasn't cooperating on writing a new scene for the YA book I'm editing right now, so I popped over to do copy edits on the first half of Rough Around the Hedges. (I am looking forward to mid-July, when both of these projects will hopefully be off my plate and things will calm down.) 

Hopefully I haven't shared this one before, but it's from Will's POV. He's talking to his nana and I just love their dynamic. Enjoy! (For those so inclined, preorder links should be popping up for RATH any day now, but any bookstore should be able to preorder it for you now if you plan to get a paperback copy. 8/12/23 is the release date.)

--Lish

“How long do you think you can keep this up, Will?”

I’d made it to five. A little slow for Nana—usually I only got to three. I rested my head against the steering wheel, unable to muster up any anger because her question came from a place of love. Always. “Nana. We’ve been over this.”

She huffed, straightening her own seatbelt. “You lie to yourself, sweetheart.” My nana was not a big person—she was barely over five feet tall—but she often felt like a big person. Force of personality, I guess. She kept her grayhair short, wore red lipstick every day of her life, and still loved to go hiking every chance she got. Nana was only in her sixties and had just finally succumbed to wearing glasses when she read.

I dug deep for patience, because she meant well, but I was tired of this conversation. “Yes, I’m sure I do, but not about this.”

She crossed her arms over her chest. The scowl she sent me was of the very skeptical

variety.

“Nana, I don’t know what it was like when you dated—”

“Who says I’m not dating?” She took out her phone. “You think I can’t swipe right?”

I held out my hand for her to fist bump as I started the car. “That’s great. I’m very happy for you. But I don’t likemeeting people on apps. I’ve been busy at work. It’s made it difficult.” I threw on my blinker and eased on the gas.

“All of that can be true,” Nana said, “and also still be a list of excuses. You can’t keep putting a part of your life on hold in the hopes that she’ll come to her senses. Talk to Van. Dump the bucket. A good friend will work through it if they don’t feel the same way and Vanessa is a good friend.”

Nana loved the phrase “dump the bucket.” It was Nana-speak for transparency. “I’ll think about it,” I said. That earned me a “humph” noise from Nana, because she knew a verbal dodge when she heard one.

I didn’t believe in soul mates, not really. Or if I did, it wasn’t a single person, more of a tier, like best friends. And yeah, I don’t think BFFs is a solitary position. When it came to BFFs, I was polyamorous. Polyplatonic? Whatever. What I meant was, I didn’t think people only got one shot at love and if they blew it, they would die alone. And though I knew Vanessa wasn’t interested in me romantically, she’d raised that bar high. I wasn’t going to date someone unless I thought there was some potential there.

A lot of people can date casually, and I thought that was great, but apparently, I wasn’t one of them. Why waste everyone’s time? I knew what I wanted, and what I wanted was a partner. Nothing wrong with consenting adults fucking around, but I wasn’t into it anymore.

“I just worry.” She reached out and pinched my cheek.

“Do you want me to crash this car?” I batted her hand away. “I know you’re worried. But I’m not lonely. I have good friends. I love my job. I have a roommate that will keep me from being one of those dead bodies that no one findsfor weeks. I might get a cat.” When I stopped at the light, I glanced at her. “I have you. I’m pretty lucky.”

She sighed. “At least I raised you to think masturbation was normal and healthy, otherwise I’d really worry.”

And that, gentlefolk, was my nana. No subject was taboo, and when I’d edged into puberty, my education had been thorough. Nana signed me up for a class through the library, got me books, and made me watch a few educational videos. I had no idea what she’d done for my half-siblings. I guess she’d assumed their parents would handle it…though I’m sure she sent books. Nana thinks most problems can be solved with books. I’m not sure she’s wrong.

Happy Friday!