Total pages in book: 93
Estimated words: 87174 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 436(@200wpm)___ 349(@250wpm)___ 291(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 87174 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 436(@200wpm)___ 349(@250wpm)___ 291(@300wpm)
Parker gasps. “Matthew, you will watch your mouth.”
But he doesn’t. “Are you kidding me right now, Mom? He’s a douchebag. He used you, and all the while he had his girl waiting for him.” He moves toward us.
Parker steps in front of me, but I don’t lose my connection with her, putting my hands on her shoulders. She is ready to say something, but I cut her off.
“There seems to be some confusion with the facts. Did my ex-girlfriend show up surprising me? Yes. Did I want her? Absolutely not. Do I want her over your mother? Not a chance in hell. I messed up with your mom. I made her doubt me and us and for that I’m sorry. I get you are protecting your mom. It’s your role. It’s who you are, but you have to know that I’m going to be the one beside you helping to keep her safe. I will never ever do that to her,” I say to him, hoping he sees that we are on the same side. “I love her. I love all of her. I love everything that she is.” I’m putting myself out there to an almost sixteen-year-old, hoping to hell that he believes me.
“So all that stuff that you are engaged isn’t true? The blonde hanging all over you in my mom’s arena isn’t true?” That sentence makes Parker throw my hands down and glare at me.
“She walked into my fucking arena and brought that shit to my work space,” she hisses. Before I have a chance to answer, Matthew does it for me.
“Adam kicked her skanky ass to the curb.”
I know his mother said to watch his mouth, but I have no choice but to laugh out loud. He looks up at me and something clicks.
“Parker, why don’t you go wash your face so Allison doesn’t see you like this? I’ve got to have a talk with Matthew.”
She looks at me, not sure what to say. I know that all she wants is to protect her kids, but this boy is turning into a man. She needs to give him that.
“Ummm, okay, but you, mister, better watch your mouth.” She points to Matthew. “And you make sure he watches his mouth.” She turns to walk away, but I can’t let her go that fast. Grabbing her hand, I pull her to me, looking into her green eyes that are almost gray with the sun. I almost lost her. I kiss her mouth. Just a touch, but it’s enough to know that later we still need to finish this conversation.
I wait for the door to close shut before turning my eyes back on Matthew.
“I don’t know what you heard, but I want you to hear the truth from me. Did I date her? Yes. Yes, I did. Did I love her? Nope, not even a bit. Were we together while she was here? Not even for a second. I’m here, Matthew, and I’m not going anywhere. I love your mother. I love her so much I couldn’t breathe without her. I love her so much I’m not going anywhere. I’m here in front of you laying my cards on the table. That woman in there has me wrapped around her beautiful little fingers. I want a forever with her. I want your permission to give her that. I promise you this. I will never ever hurt her. At least not on purpose. Never on purpose. Man to man, you have to know that I’m not going anywhere.”
Matthew crosses his hands over his chest. “When my dad left, she tried not to make us see her upset. She tried to hide that she was hurt, but at night when all the lights were out and she thought I was sleeping I used to hear her sob. I used to hear her sob till I fell asleep. Hoping that I would fall asleep fast so I wouldn’t have to hear her. She is the best mom anyone can ever ask for. My dad didn’t deserve her. He was never there for her. I didn’t see it before because I was young. But she always bent to make him happy, and she always shielded us so we wouldn’t get that feeling that we were his second thought.” With that, his hands fall down to his sides. He just laid out all his secrets to me, all because he loves his mother more than anyone can think.
“I’m sorry that all of you had to go through that. I’m sorry that she was hurt.” I start to say with Matthew shaking his head.
“It’s not your fault we got hurt, it’s not your fault she cried. But this,” he says, twirling his hand around, “this is your fault. You bringing it to her home, that’s your fault. I don’t like it. I really, really hope you aren’t fucking her over.”