Total pages in book: 35
Estimated words: 33698 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 168(@200wpm)___ 135(@250wpm)___ 112(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 33698 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 168(@200wpm)___ 135(@250wpm)___ 112(@300wpm)
CHAPTER 22
CLOVER
“I’m honestly not sure what you want me to say, Clover. I, ah, only found out about you and Dylan when it blew up in the media.” She flicks a glance over to Dylan. “Are you so sure he didn’t seek you out because of me?” Of course, she would try to make this about herself. I shouldn’t be surprised. Obviously nothing has changed. She is still self-centered and selfish.
“That's not going to work!” I snap at my mother. “You might toy with me with your love, but you will not use my love for Dylan for any of this.” I feel Dylan tense next to me. My words weren’t exactly an I love you in the traditional way, but it’s the truth. I do love him, and I won’t allow my mother to use that love to manipulate this. If anything, it’s because of her I’ve been so guarded with Dylan. I’ve made him pay for the sins of my mother. My eyes start to water.
“Oh, honey.” My mother tries to come toward me, but Dylan goes to block her at the same time that Cloudy grabs my mother’s shoulder and pushes her back down into her seat. The man is not only Dylan’s driver but often acts as his security. He takes his job very seriously, and one hard rule with Dylan is that no one was to touch me unless I approved. The only exception to that would be if it was for security purposes to get me out of a situation if needed.
Dylan worried that he might come off as too overbearing at times to me, but he actually filled this void in my life. I never realized how much I longed to know there was someone that wanted to take care of me in such a way. I didn’t know how badly I missed it until Dylan was doing it.
“You keep your hands off me.” My mother tries to bat at Cloudy’s hand, but it’s already gone. He released her shoulder the second he got her back into her seat.
“Don’t be rude to him. He’s only protecting me.”
“From your own mother?!” she screeches, showing her true self. There she is. The mother I remember.
People might have loved my mother’s voice, but when she got worked up and started to throw a fit her screeches were like nails on a chalkboard or maybe I only feel that way because I grew up with her. I got to bear witness to more than a few temper tantrums.
“You know when I think back on life before you left, I always let the good memories come to the surface, but when I really think about it, there are only a handful. Seeing you today is a reminder of the bad ones. Of how poorly you treated my dad. I’ve been so mad at you for leaving, but I should be thankful. You did us a favor. We lived a happy life without you.” It’s truly awakening.
“I didn’t leave. I tried to visit. Your father wouldn’t let me.”
“There you go again. Trying to lash out at someone I love. If Dad did do that, I’m sure he had his reasons. I trust whatever decisions he made, because every one of them I bore witness to, my dad always did with love for me.” My mother’s lips purse.
“I don’t care what it would take. No one would stop me from seeing my child. No one,” Dylan says from beside me.
“You always favored him and him you.”
“I can’t believe you just said that.” I shake my head, a humorless laugh bubbling out of me. “No, actually I can.” Some things never change, and this woman standing in front of me is a prime example of that. She doesn’t even deserve to be called my mother.
“You're jealous of the attention her father gave her. That’s some fucked-up shit.” I can feel Dylan getting madder by the second.
“What did you want me to do? Stay in that podunk town slinging beer for the rest of my life?”
“No,” I answered honestly. “You could have made it work. You chose to leave and never come back. Not even after Dad died.” She tries to speak, but I hold my hand out to stop her. “I won’t believe you if you say you didn’t know. Even if you didn’t, it only goes to show you never checked in. You didn’t come back because you couldn’t face me.”
The room grows eerily silent. I don’t speak. I let the unease build, hoping it will make her uncomfortable.
“I thought this could be our chance to reconnect. I mean, what are the odds that Dylan gets signed on for the remix and you two end up together.”
“Fate?” Is that what she’s saying?
“Yes, fate.” She perks up at that. “You believe in fate, don’t you?”