by Rose Harper
I wasn’t running from anything, per se. I just got tired of being treated like shit. Which was all our relationship amounted to him. Shit. It was just a few years later that I found out he had married Cherish—the trashy ass bitch from our high school. I have no idea why he would do something like that, set his standards so low. But he had. The only things he did right with his life were opening his own construction company and divorcing that wench.
Coming out of my zoned-out trance, I found I was still blankly staring at the calendar. Rubbing my eyes, I exhaled a tired breath. Making my way down the hall, I gathered my clothes to take a shower. Turning on the shower, I quickly waxed my legs and brows. By the time I was done, the bathroom was thick with steam. I turned on the radio and gently hummed the tune to the song currently playing. My mood would be much better after a good night’s sleep and a hot shower.
I made sure that everything in the apartment was squared away before going to bed. I felt significantly better after the hot shower, that it was going to be easy to drift off to sleep. Snuggling into the covers, I turned on my side to face the wall. Closing my eyes, I let the thoughts of returning to Cedar Grove follow me into my dreams. It was going to be hell, but there wasn’t anything I wouldn’t do for my mother. If she was happy, then I was sure that I would be happy, too.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Placing the last of my bags in the back of my car, I shut the door. Standing on the sidewalk, Alex looked about as lost as a little puppy. God, how I wished I could take her with me. She would make this weekend fly by. However, I didn’t want to get her mixed up in all the shit between Brad and me. It was coming; I could feel it in my bones. Nothing ever stayed quiet in a little town like Cedar Grove. I wouldn’t be surprised to find him on the doorstep before I pulled in.
Stepping away from the car, I walked toward Alex. “Hon, if I could take you, I so would. But I love you too much to introduce you to my crazy world in Pennsylvania. Stay here and stay safe,” I stated, grabbing her into a fierce hug.
She started tearing up against my shoulder. “Five days. That’s all I’m giving you, Claire. If you are not at your desk Monday morning, I’m coming for you.”
I nodded my head and stepped out of her tight embrace. I took one last look at her before starting my car and driving away. I had a gut feeling that when I came back, I wouldn’t be the same person. There was just something about returning home that felt off to me. I’d felt that way since waking up this morning. It wasn’t a feeling that I was familiar with, which shocked the shit out of me.
I made it all of five minutes before I turned on the radio. I was never one who could just drive in pure silence, leaving me to my thoughts. Sometimes my thoughts were pretty damn scary, more so today. I was ecstatic that I was going to be seeing my mother after all the time we’d been apart. But I was not looking forward to returning home. If she would have let me, I would have paid for the whole affair if she got married in New York. But that didn’t happen. She wanted to get married in the town she was born and raised in.
It was kind of cliché, if you ask me. Getting married in the town that you have lived for the past—almost fifty—years. But I wasn’t going to speak out against my mother’s wishes. She’s done so much for me since I left, there was no way I could say no. Before going to bed last night, I thought it would be good for me and her if I arrived a little earlier than planned. I decided to leave at the butt crack of dawn—six a.m.—so I would arrive no later than three in the afternoon.
Considering the roads were still quiet, I was glad I made the choice. I didn’t need to run into any problems along the way. Having a clear head on my shoulders was the only way I would get through what I was sure would be one sham of a wedding. Then afterwards, I would come back to New York, hang out with Alex, and confess the whole sordid tale. Which, I was sure, was going to be quite extensive and require about three pitchers of margaritas.
Just as I was about to change the radio station, my favorite song came on, Fight Song by Rachel Platten. My mood shifted, drastically. Instead of feeling like I was in over my head, the chorus made me stronger. I started singing so loud, thinking about all the things that’s happened to me. This wasn’t just my favorite song; it was my life theme. I had fought, turned over a new leaf. I was the only person that could dictate where my life ended. After the song ended, I hooked up my phone to the car stereo, putting the song on repeat, and that’s what stayed on the radio the rest of the way to my mother’s house.
Coming to a stop in front of the two-story colonial where my mother lived, I studied it—weathered shutters still graced every window. The pea green door, that I knew would still hang at a crooked angle from Brad’s escapades at being a do-it-yourselfer to the pathway that had seen too many storms in its time and needed to be revamped. It would not be anything to most people, but that house meant everything to me.
Or at least, it used to.
Stepping out of the car, I took a deep breath and closed my eyes. When I reopened them, a smile bloomed over my face. It felt so different being here, but in a good way. I was home—where everything that ranged from good to bad had transpired. It was in this house that I shared my first kiss with Brad, first birthday, pretty much my first everything. Just being here dragged up painful memories. But I was going to take that song's advice. I was going to fight. I was ready to take back all the things that Brad and his mother stole from me. No one, and I do mean no one, was going to take it away from me.
After gathering my luggage, I made my way to the front door. Just before I got to the top step my mother threw the front door open, running in her haste to get to me. It has been at least six months since I saw her last. She was one hell of a sight for sore eyes. Dropping my bags, I caught her when she leapt into my arms. Tears started falling down our faces. I missed her so much. I went from seeing her every day, to only seeing her every few months. God, I was such a terrible daughter. Her face seemed like it’d aged years.
I sniffled. “God. I’ve missed you, woman.”
She laughed through her tears. “Not as much as I’ve missed you, sweetie.”
Holding on to her for a bit longer, I tightened my hold before releasing her. Wiping the tears from her cheeks, I smiled. I picked up my luggage and followed her inside. She showed me up to my room and left me to get ready for dinner. Closing the door behind me, it felt like I was transported back in time. Nothing. Had. Changed. All the posters were still taped to the wall. All my pictures were still taped to my mirror. I sighed, running my fingers over the picture of Brad and me on our prom night.
Many good things happened to me in the ten years that I’d been gone. But that day, even though my heart still hurt from his distrust in me, was the best day of my life. I could still feel his hands roaming over me to this day. His soft, gentle caresses. I shivered, closing my eyes. Just being with him left me breathless, even thinking about my time with him all these years later still took my breath away. I felt a tear slide down my cheek.
Opening my eyes to take one last look at the picture, I took it off the mirror and stashed it in my bedside table. I opened my luggage, getting freshened up from my long drive. I headed out of my room and went down to the kitchen when I was done. I could hear my mother in there cooking and singing. I smiled, noting the good mood that she was in. Was that because of me or her upcoming wedding? I wanted desperately to believe that it was because I was home. But something told me that it wasn’t. She was just happy that I could be here for her on her big day.
I made my way to the kitchen, stopping in the doorway. She had apparently heard me enter the kitchen because she stopped what she had been doing and looked at me. Meeting her eyes, I saw such longing that I began to get choked up. It was not supposed to be like this; I was supposed to be strong. Not show how much I truly missed being here. Damn her for making me cry, damn this house and all the overwhelming memories. Last, but not least, motherfucking damn this hellacious wedding. Pulling out a chair from the old worn table, I sa
t. Breaking eye contact with her had been strictly out of necessity, I didn’t want her to see how torn up I was on the inside.
A comfortable silence overcame the room. It was as if we didn’t know how to act around each other. In all truth, from the short visits she made to New York we haven’t been around each other more than a few hours at a time in almost ten years. Clearing my suddenly dry throat, I figured the best way to get past the emotionally-charged silence would be to nip the problem in the bud.
“I’m sorry for not coming back to visit. I just … couldn’t.” I stared down at my fidgeting hands in my lap.
She sighed, coming over to kneel in front of me. Tapping my chin, I looked at her. “I know, baby. I know. I was just glad that you came here for me. I know it’s hard, and I shouldn’t have asked, but I wanted my little girl here.”
I nodded. “I should have visited. I shouldn’t have let him ruin what we had.”
“Ruin what? You’re still my partner in crime, don’t you ever forget that. It’s not like we didn’t see each other. I came to visit when I could, and I’m sure you would have done the same if your heart would have allowed it. Don’t focus on the past, sweetie; look toward the future. You have so much to offer. Any man will be glad to marry you,” she finished with a smile.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
I gave her a weak smile. “I love you so much.”
“As I you,” she replied, gathering me into a hug.
After releasing me, I found the ache in my chest had dissolved. Leaving behind nothing but happiness. I’d been wanting to explain myself to her for so long, but the right time never seemed to present itself. I was so glad that a woman like her was my mother. Any person would be jealous, I was sure. She was so understanding, no matter how much it hurt her. She always tried to see others’ points of view.
“Okay, so back to the lighter side of things,” I giggled. “What time will I be meeting this handsome man you’re marrying, and his son?”
At that she beamed a radiant, love-filled smile.
It was a smile that had always been for me; I’d never seen her this way over a man before. She looked happier than I’ve ever seen her, which spoke volumes of the man I have yet to meet. I was happy for her, but envious at the same time.
“Oh, Claire, you’ll just love them. Shawn is so sweet, considerate, kind, and so loyal. You will just love him,” she finished in a screech as she twirled in a circle.
“Mom, he can be all those things and I wouldn’t care a lick, well not as much anyway. But does he love you?”
She began nodding furiously as she responded, “Honey, he sure does. I can feel it.”
I smiled. “Great, that’s all I care about, Mom,” I said with a sigh. “So what time will I be meeting this infamous Shawn?”
She glanced at her watch before responding, “In about fifteen minutes actually,” she finished with horror etching her features. “Oh my God! Nothing is done, the table isn’t set, and the food isn’t in the right serving dishes. Nothing is ready.”
I chuckled at her frazzled stated. My mom always took things to the nth degree. It was actually kind of hilarious. But I decided to put her out of her misery. “Let me help you, Mom. I will set the table while you get the food ready. Then after everything is done, we can go and make ourselves sexy,” I snickered.
She gave me the stink eye, but chuckled. “Dear, he’s not really your type, ha. Trust me. But his son is going to be here also, so while we’re having dinner you can get to know him,” she said, before whispering something that I couldn’t hear.
I jerked my head in her direction. The smile that had been on her face was gone, replaced by a nervous look that I wanted to ask her about. I wondered what the hell that look was about, but opted to set the table before asking her about it.
After everything had been done, we scurried off to our rooms to get ready. I wanted to make a good first impression, so I chose a simple silky black number with my cheetah pumps. It was conservative, yet sexy. I looked at myself in the mirror to make sure it wasn’t too revealing. Nope, it was perfect. I added the smoky eye look to my lids, a little bit of blush, and lip gloss. Then, I set to taming my wild mane. Finally, after about ten minutes of messing around with it, it fell in soft waves down my back.
Turning side to side, I studied myself in the mirror. Being happy with my appearance, I set out to the kitchen to see if our guests had arrived. Upon entering the kitchen, I saw my mother still fiddling with the dishes on the table. I chuckled, quickly covering my mouth with my hand when she gave me a deer-caught-in-headlights look. I’ve never seen my mother so nervous before. However, I could tell that she was hiding something from me. I just didn’t know what.
I was just about to ask her what was up when the doorbell rang. Her head shot up to me. I looked from the front door, then back to her. I was closer, which meant that if she tried to beat me to the door, I would still get there first. I was so glad that I kept up with my exercise routine all these years. The old geezer didn’t stand a chance. I smiled a shit-eating grin, turning for the door. I was about to take a step when my mother whizzed past me, giggling nervously.
I followed after her, grabbing her around the waist to get in front of her. The doorbell sounded again just as I grabbed the door handle. I smiled triumphantly at my mom. Laughter boomed out of her petite body. “I beat you,” I whispered.
“Just a minute,” she yelled to her beau on the other side.
She walked toward me, taking my hands in hers. Meeting my eyes, she inhaled. “Claire, there is something that I need to tell you. But I don’t want you to be mad at me. Please just see it from my point of view, okay?”
“Um… Mom, I’m just meeting Shawn and his son for the first time. I’m going to be surprised, regardless,” I giggled.
She shook her head. “Promise me right now, that you will not be mad at me. Pinkie promise.” She held out her pinkie toward mine.
As I took her pinkie with mine, I winked at her. “I swear on all that’s holy, I will not be mad at you. You are my life, Mom.”
Tears filled her eyes, but I waved her away. I thought about what she just said to me, and it gave me pause. My mother was really worried about me getting mad over something. I bet this had something to do with what she whispered earlier. I looked back at her before gripping the handle. Sweat was beginning to gather on my brow. Damn, she was making me nervous. The suspense was killing me. I was just going to do it.
The doorbell rang again just as I twisted the handle, opening the door. I plastered a smile on my face, backing up to the bottom of the stairs as the door opened all the way. My mother’s worried eyes floated between myself and her man at the door. I opened my eyes wide as she looked back at me. I wanted my presence to be a surprise. In the first few seconds of meeting someone you found out who they truly are.
“Hey, darling,” a deep, gravelly voice called out, the sound striking a memory of mine.
My hand fell from the door as the man entered the house. When he got to my mother, he picked her up and swung her around, peppering her entire face with kisses. My mouth hung open in shock. I put a hand over my stomach, and one over my mouth when I recognized who it was. Henry Titan. He was my mother’s fiancé. My soon-to-be stepfather. This just couldn’t be. It just couldn’t. That would mean that… Oh, God, no!
“Where’s your lovely daughter?” Henry asked, looking in my direction when she pointed toward me.
When his eyes set on me, they widened. His eyes filled with tears, as did mine. I was completely speechless at this point in time. Henry Shawn Titan was going to become a part of my family. I should have known, pieced it together before now. I can remember her telling me that Henry started going by Shawn after the divorce. But until now, I hadn’t put two and two together.
“Claire?” I nodded my head, tears escaping my eyes. “Oh my God. It’s really you! You’re really here!”
He left my mother and ran to me, grabbing me into a tight embrace. I did what I haven�
�t done in forever. Soaked up the tight embrace of a Titan man. This man had been like my father. I still considered him as such. I forgot how much I missed him. He was the one to pick me up and soothe me that afternoon on the side of the road. He was the one to put everything into perspective. I owed him—and my mother—my very life.
“I’m really here,” I whispered into his neck.
I stepped out of his arms and raced toward my mother. “Is this what you were worried about? That I wouldn’t approve of your fiancé?”
She nodded, and I shook my head. “Mom, you couldn’t have picked anyone better. That man has been like a father to me since high school. Do you know he was the reason I was able to live so well and finish my degree?”
Her eyes watered when she gazed from me to Henry. She got choked up as she slipped past me to kiss the man that made every bit of my future possible. I smiled as I saw them embrace and kiss. It wasn’t disgusting seeing them like this. It was beautiful. I had been so lost in my happiness that she was with Henry that I forgot one small, crucial part. His son.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
My eyes widened when I finally put two and two together. Brad, my ex-lover, was soon to be my stepbrother.
She hadn’t been nervous about introducing me to Henry. No, she’d been nervous because Henry was tied to the monster that broke my heart all those years ago. The monster, dammit to hell, that still held my fucking heart. No matter how many pieces it was broken into, it was his.
Fuck me.
I felt a presence at the front door. Goose bumps broke out all over my body, as the hair at the nape of my neck stood on end. I knew that feeling. It had been ten long years since I’ve felt anything like it, but I would never forget it. I glanced toward the door and my whole world crumbled at the sight I saw.