“Don’t call him that. Look at him now.” Ollie gestures his hand over to Ares’s face. I glance up and watch as he smothers the grin that was lifting his lips. His brows lower as he glares at Ollie with mock anger.
Feeling better already about the whole situation, I push Ollie’s shoulder. “Come on, you’re taking forever.”
Ollie’s mouth drops open as he shares a look with Ares. “I see how it is, everything is always my fault.”
“Now you’re getting it,” Ares mumbles jokingly, and starts for the stairs. I blow Ollie a kiss over my shoulder and follow Ares downstairs. My heart is a little lighter after the exchange.
Dante is behind the wheel of the suburban we’ve been using more and more. “You’re not driving?” I look over at Ares, surprised.
“It doesn’t look like I am,” he drawls, and opens the rear door for me to slide in. I hit the button for the seat to fold down, but Ares places his hand over mine and stops me, returning the seat upright. “You can sit in the middle.” He nods his head at me.
That’s perfectly fine with me. Sitting cuddled between Milo and Ares sounds almost perfect. Milo lifts his arm and lays it over the back of the seat, giving me room. “Hey, you okay?” His dark blue eyes search mine.
“Fine.” I reach for my seatbelt while Ares is settling next to me. He looks around, like it’s the first time he’s been in the backseat—probably is.
“Ready?” Dante finds me in the rearview mirror, it makes me think of all the times I’ve ridden in his car.
“I’m good,” Ares announces, his knee lying against mine. I place my palm face up on his thigh, and he clasps his hand over mine immediately. Milo threads his fingers under my hair and cups my shoulder.
I’m nervous as hell to see my mom and Wyatt, but I know I won’t have to face it alone.
“Hey guys, I’m glad you all came!” Rosa greets us when we walk into the kitchen. Her eyes meet mine, and she gives me a wry smile while wiping her hands on a dish towel. “Mal made dinner, are you hungry?”
Dante lifts his nose in the air. “I’m always hungry. Roast?”
Rosa nods and looks over her shoulder to make sure no one is in earshot before bringing her hand up to cover half of her mouth. “Don’t tell him, but it was a little dry,” she whispers.
“It’s always dry, Mamma.” Ares grabs my hand before I have a chance to fidget too much.
“Are they in our old room, I mean Ares’s room?” I shake my head and thin my lips at the slip.
“Yes, Laura, they’re in your old room,” Rosa answers kindly.
Dante stops his journey into the kitchen. “You want some company?” he offers.
I glance around at all four of them and notice that each of them is waiting patiently for my response. I straighten my back and take a deep breath. I don’t know why I’m so worried; it’s just my mom and my… her… whatever. “No,” I croak. Clearing my throat, I try again. “No, I’ll just check and make sure they aren’t busy.”
“Come on boys, come sit with me.” Rosa wraps her hand around Ollie’s forearm. “Tell me how the remodel is coming along.” She looks over at Milo. I back up a few steps with the guys all still watching me like I might fall apart if I’m out of their sight. I brace my hands on my hips and give them a good glare, which has all of them pretending to focus on Rosa.
“I could go for some roast,” Dante declares.
“Where is William?” Ares picks up an apple from a basket and sinks his teeth into the red flesh, chomping off a bite as his eyes linger on me without an ounce of hesitation.
“He’s in the den, supposed to be working, but I heard him shouting at the TV. I think he’s watching some game.” Rosa waves her hand dismissively. Ares leans his elbow on the counter and raises one brow at me.
“I’m going,” I snap, and turn on my heel. “Thought there wasn’t a rush,” I mutter under my breath.
I find the way to the room easily. It doesn’t feel like that long ago I was cursing the size of this house and how I always got turned around. I remember the morning I ran into Mia after the first night I’d slept in Ares’s bed. Raising my hand to knock on the door, I look over my shoulder expecting to find her standing there, judging me, but the hall is empty.
I rap on the door softly, almost hoping they don’t hear me, so I have an excuse to run back to the kitchen. “Come in.” My mom’s voice is clear and soft.
I turn the knob slowly and peek my head around the door. I don’t immediately see them, since the room is set up completely different from when it was Ares’s.
“Laura?” I look over when she calls my name. Mom is sitting in a large chair near a wall of windows. The dark drapes are pulled back, letting the afternoon sunlight pour into the room. She sets down the book that was in her hands and stands up, before smoothing her hands down her hips. Her blonde hair is down in a shiny curtain, the darkness around her eyes is gone, and there’s a flush to her cheeks.
“Mom?” My voice is small.
“Hey.” She blinks several times and shifts her feet before her eyes dart off to the right. I follow her gaze and see a familiar, small lump under the sheets. I flash back to the day at Leon’s creepy house. My feet start to carry me backward without any thought.
My mom takes a step in my direction. Her mouth is moving, but I can’t hear past the whooshing in my ears. The bathroom door opens and out walks a man. He’s not wearing a shirt, so I quickly avert my eyes. A hand lands on my shoulder, and I flinch away. I look up to see my mom, her forehead wrinkled in confusion and a hurt look on her face.
“Laura.” Her words register slowly. I glance over at the bed again, but the lump I thought I saw is just a few pillows mounded up.
“Yeah,” I breathe. The man steps up behind my mom, placing his hands on her shoulders, and thankfully he’s now wearing a green t-shirt.
My mom leans into his touch, but her face is still pinched. After giving her a quick squeeze, he steps around her and stands between us. I step backwards again and take in his appearance. He’s taller than me by several inches. His cheeks still have a hollow look, but I can already see a huge difference from the last time I saw him. His eyes are clearer, but the blue color is still washed out.
“Thank you for saving me.” His voice is surprisingly strong. I lick my lips, trying to swallow the lump in my throat. “Your mom has told me a lot about you, Laura.”
I wrap my arms over my stomach and glance at my mom over his shoulder. “Like what?”
Wyatt looks over at my mom briefly. “She told me how smart you are, how hard you work. She’s told me so much.” His voice is a little breathy.
I peer over at Mom, somehow feeling a little betrayed that she told him about me, but she never told me about him. She opens her mouth, but snaps it closed quickly.
“Funny, she’s probably told you more about me than she even told me about myself.” I can’t stop how snarky my words come out.
Wyatt glances between the two of us, his brow furrowed. He takes a step in my direction, and I notice his soft flannel pants are a little too baggy, so I know they aren’t his. I lift my chin in the air, knowing by the way he looks at my mom he’s probably going to defend her.
Instead, he asks, “How have you been? You didn’t come by for a few days. Ares said you weren’t ready.” Wyatt’s eyes study mine. I give him a small shrug, not sure what answer he’s looking for. “I’m sorry I couldn’t help you.” Wyatt looks down at the ground, and when he looks back at me, his lips are rolled in. I notice small freckles on his cheeks and forehead. I reach my hand up to the bridge of my nose like I might be able to feel the little dots that pop out over my own face during summer, then fade as the fall rolls around.
He mistakes my movement, inquiring, “Do you have a headache? Here, sit down.” He waves his hand toward a chair near the one my mother vacated.
I drop my hand and peer over at him from the side of my eye. I don’t think my mother ever showed that level of parental concern for me. “I�
��m fine.”
“Well, that’s good.” He deflates a little. “Are you staying for a while?” His shoulders rise a little as he looks at me with open hope on his face. “We could talk, catch up.” He rolls his eyes upward as soon as the words leave his mouth. “I would like to get to know you,” he adds, full of sincerity.
My mom steps closer to him and lays a hand on his shoulder. I look at her hand like it’s a foreign object. She’s so comfortable touching him. “What do you say? Have a seat?” he requests again when I don’t respond.
I stuff down the feelings of rejection and unstick my tongue from the roof of my mouth. “Sure, okay.” I nod, knowing it will make him happy, and if anyone deserves happiness, it’s Wyatt. I angle my way around him and Mom until I’m near the two chairs. I look out the window and a small grin teases my lips. Leave it to Ares to hide the beautiful garden on the other side of the glass.
“What is it?” Wyatt asks, his head tilted to the side.
I motion to the windows. “I didn’t even realize that was there. Ares always had it closed up, and I never bothered to look.”
“This room is like a tomb, it took me forever to find the bathroom.” Wyatt’s eyes are a little brighter.
“And the closet,” I agree.
“I know.” The word comes out long. “It’s bigger than my whole room back home…or was…” He trails off. My mom takes a seat on the arm of his chair after Wyatt sinks into the cushion. He points at the side of his head. “Sometimes I forget how much time has passed since I’ve been home.” He says it simply, like it’s no big deal. “I didn’t grow up like this.” He looks around again and shrugs his shoulders a bit.
I snort. “It’s bigger than our whole house.” I thought he would laugh with me, but his brow furrows again, and he glances at my mom. She doesn’t meet his eyes.
“Mandy said you guys moved around a lot. That was smart. It must have been hard on you, though.”
I fold my hands together in my lap, my back ramrod straight in the cushy chair. “Changing schools and finding new jobs was hard sometimes,” I concede. I don’t know what else to say. It sucked. Big time. It was made more difficult because I was never allowed to have friends, but the worst was not knowing why we did any of it. I just thought my mom had a screw loose.
“I’m sorry I wasn’t there to help you two.” Wyatt looks down at his hands. “I should have fought harder,” he mumbles under his breath. My mom rubs her hand over his shoulder, and Wyatt raises his head back up and tries for a smile, but it’s forced.
He scoots forward on the chair so his knees are only inches from mine. All traces of pretend humor are erased from his face. “You did what I couldn’t.” He stares at me like I’m some sort of enigma and miracle all rolled together.
I look down, a little ashamed at how easy it was for me to kill Leon. Not the fact that my abilities let me do it, more the remorse that I never even hesitated to do it.
I feel Wyatt touch my knee with the tip of his finger. “You’re so brave, so strong.” I scoot back into the seat, getting more and more uncomfortable. I look over at the door and swallow. Have I been here long enough? Can I go now without disappointing him?
Wyatt clears his throat. “Why don’t you tell me about your Infinity? Four, huh? I bet you’re a handful.” I peek at Wyatt from the side of my eye to see what he’s thinking, but he has a genuine grin on his face. His arms are tucked over his chest, and he’s leaning back in his seat, giving me more room.
“What do you mean?” I tilt my head to the side.
“Any Synergist who needs four partners has got to be pretty special.” He says it like he’s proud.
“That she is,” Ares announces, slinking into the room without a sound. I don’t even startle. I’m finally getting used to his shadowy ways.
“I always thought it was you guys who made me special,” I retort, saying what I’m thinking out loud. Ares makes a disbelieving sound and reaches for my hand, pulling me to stand.
“Whatever gave you that idea?” He lowers himself into my seat and tugs me by my waist to sit in his lap.
My face goes bright red. I can’t even look across at my mom and Wyatt. Through my teeth, I say, “Maybe because I didn’t even know what I was until you guys told me.” My embarrassment lets a little of the anger I’m still feeling at my mother come out loud and clear.
My mom speaks up for the first time in a while. “I thought I was protecting you, Laura.”
I watch Wyatt from the corner of my eye when he turns to face my mom. “You didn’t tell her?” He sounds incredulous.
My mom shrinks a little and rubs her hands together. “I… I planned to tell her when she was older,” she defends.
“How old are you?” Wyatt shakes his head, his eyes going from left to right like he’s counting something in his head.
“I’ll be eighteen this month,” I answer.
Wyatt’s mouth drops open a little and his face goes slack. “But we manifest at sixteen. And her partners. How old are you?” he asks Ares.
“I’m twenty-three, the others are closer to Laura’s age.”
Wyatt adjusts in his seat so he can see my mother better. “How much older did you want her to be—thirty? Don’t you know what that would have been like for her, for them?” He waves his hand in our direction, but it’s almost like he’s forgotten we’re even in the room.
I tuck myself back a little closer to Ares, uncomfortable with where the direction of the conversation is going. My mom glances at me, but her attention goes back to Wyatt quickly. “I was trying to protect her. I didn’t want her to end up like me.” It’s the first time I’ve heard her snap at him. She stands, her hands balled into small fists.
“You think I don’t know I messed up? That I was totally self-absorbed? I let her go to school and work while I sat on my ass in that motorhome because I was scared. You think I don’t know that?” Mom’s eyes are wide, and unshed tears are brimming her bottom lashes. “I lived it,” she sneers. “Every day alone and afraid. Hating myself a little more each day, but useless to do anything to change it.” Guilt makes my shoulders sag. I don’t want to be the reason he’s mad at her.
Wyatt’s face softens and he stands up. “Mandy, I’m not judging you, but I need to understand,” he pleads with her.
Ares’s hand coiling into a fist should have been my first warning that something was about to happen. He’s always so calm and controlled, so I didn’t anticipate his reaction. “If you know, then why the fuck are you still doing it?” he barks, his voice dark.
I turn so I can see him. His face is grim: lips hard, jaw clenched. “Right now, you’re still making this about you.” He lifts his hand, his fingers spread wide as he gestures at my mother.
Her mouth drops open, and her head jerks back like she’s shocked by his statement. “You are still just thinking about yourself.” Ares enunciates each word slowly. His hands go to my arms and he braces me before standing. In the next second, he’s in front of me, blocking me from her. “Have you ever once even apologized for letting her be the one to take care of you, when it should have been the other way around? I’m not just talking about the lies and omissions here either. I’m talking about what she lived with every day.” He’s not full-out shouting, but the anger simmering in his voice might just be worse. I move to the side so I can see what’s happening. Wyatt is looking back and forth between Ares and my mom, he appears torn.
“I mean, she’s been working since she was thirteen, not because she wanted a phone or some shit. She was working to pay your bills, feed you,” Ares accuses.
Wyatt’s eyes bulge. “Wait a minute, wait.” He spreads his arms like he’s keeping my mom and Ares apart, but Ares hasn’t moved since he stood up. Turning his back to us, Wyatt says, “Mandy?” His voice is an incredulous whisper.
Mom sniffles, tipping her chin in the air. “He’s right. I can’t argue, because it’s true. I was a broken mess who faked it for a few years.” She lets out a self-depreca
ting laugh. “When that got too hard, I quit faking.” She doesn’t even attempt to defend herself.
I try to put myself in her shoes, to see how I would feel if I lost one of the guys, but the thought makes my stomach hurt. I reach for Ares’s arm. This isn’t going to help. Yes, I’m still mad. Yes, my heart still aches every time I see her give and accept affection, but this isn’t what I want.
Not quite done, Ares spews, “I get that what happened to you was fucked up—believe me, I get it—but she didn’t deserve your indifference.”
“Ares.” His eyes dart down to me. His top lip bunches up when he sees my face. “It wasn’t pretty, but we survived,” I tell him, with my eyes locked on his.
“No. You survived, she existed.” He tosses his hand in my mom’s direction. I can see the pent-up words simmering behind his lips. He wants to say so much more, but he doesn’t, and that’s for me. I wrap my hand around the side of his neck and give him an appreciative smile.
“That’s what you were keeping from her,” Wyatt utters softly, meaning the connection between Ares and me. “What we didn’t have the chance to explore before it was taken from us.” When I look over, he’s staring at my mom. The sadness on his face is as clear as the frown marring his features.
Mom brings her fist up to her mouth and closes her eyes. “I get it,” she whispers. “I get it.”
“I never knew what I was missing, but you kept it from them.” I find my voice, and then shake my head when I think about the years we’ve missed. I wonder how different things could have been when I first met the guys if I had actually known what I was.
But I can’t change it—can’t give back the two years we’ve lost—and neither can she. “I wish things could have been different for us, Mom,” I tell her around the lump in my throat. Because that’s one thing she could have changed. One thing I can’t understand.
If I lost Dante, or one of the others, I think I would do anything in my power to hold on to whatever piece of them I had left.
Her head lowers and I watch as her shoulders jerk a few times, but her sobs are silent. I think she’s perfected that. Never once did I see her cry, but the evidence was always there. Wyatt places his hand on my mom’s shoulder and that makes her shake even more.
Infinity Chronicles Book Four: A Paranormal Reverse Harem Series Page 21