Total pages in book: 47
Estimated words: 45210 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 226(@200wpm)___ 181(@250wpm)___ 151(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 45210 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 226(@200wpm)___ 181(@250wpm)___ 151(@300wpm)
He laughs and puts his arm around my shoulder. “I think I’m supposed to be telling you that.”
I’m fidgeting as we sit and wait for my mom to show up.
Kanan goes from rubbing my back, to holding my hand, to rubbing my back again.
When my mom comes in, I’m sort of stunned to see her. “Mom?”
She’s my mom, but she looks nothing like I remember. She’s always been worn-out looking, but she was using most of my young adult life. I knew it even if she tried to hide it from me. But now, she looks radiant. “You look great, Mom.”
She tosses her hair. “Thank you. I just got my tips done. Doesn’t the color look great?”
I sit rigidly, and because Kanan is so attuned to me, he does the same. “Uh, yeah,” I stutter. “It does. How’ve you been?”
She falls down in the chair across from us and claps her hands together. “I’ve never been better. I’m clean as a whistle.”
“Uh, that’s great.”
She nods. “Yep, they told me that I could leave, but why would anyone want to leave this place? All the food I can eat. They offer all the spa treatments, activities, I can come and go as I please. And it doesn’t cost a dime. I’ve got it made… I’m not leaving here.”
I stare at her with my mouth hanging open. I’m not sure, but there’s something off about her. “And you’re staying sober… right? Are they making sure you’re staying sober?”
Her lips lift in a smile, but I can see the look in her eyes that says she’s not telling the complete truth. “Yeah, they drug test me.”
I lean in. “And you’ve quit using. You’re not doing drugs anymore?”
She laughs. “What’s with the twenty questions, Emerson? I’m still your mother. I should be the one asking the questions. Like what’s he doing here?”
I point my thumb at Kanan. “Are you talking about Kanan? You mean, the man that saved me when I was fifteen… the man that had to help me when my own mother decided to steal my trust fund and sell my truck? You’re asking why he’s here? You should be thanking him.”
She rolls her eyes. “Is that what this is all about? You want your money back? You look like you’re doing fine without it.”
I suck in a breath and look at Kanan, and he’s giving a dirty look to my mother before he turns to me. “It doesn’t matter. My money is your money anyway.”
I shake my head. I should be mad because he lied to me, but I know why he did it. In his mind, I needed to have an out if I wanted to leave. Hopefully by now, he knows that will never be an option for me.
I turn back to my mom. “Kanan is my husband, Mom. We got married two months ago.”
“Married? But…”
I raise my hand to stop her. “No, there are no buts. I love him, and he loves me.”
She points at me. “You’ll regret it. Eventually one day, you’ll regret marrying a man that does his kind of work. Because that’s all that matters to them… the job… and nothing else.”
I know her and my dad didn’t have the best of relationships, but I do know that my dad loved her. I stand up, and Kanan stands with me. “You ready?”
I thread our fingers together. “I’m ready.”
My mom leans forward. “Where are you going? You just got here.”
I turn to look at her, and Kanan positions himself between us. He’s always so protective and even more so since we found out I was pregnant. “We’re leaving, Mom. I wanted to come and see you because I was hoping we could start over. I wanted to have a relationship with you, but I don’t think that’s possible.” I tighten my hold on Kanan and try not to get choked up. “I know you’re using, and I know somehow you’re passing the drug test.”
She laughs. “You don’t know anything.”
I shake my head sadly. “Unfortunately, because of you, I know a lot about drugs and how they affect people. You’re high on something. I know you’re using, and I also know you’re taking advantage of whoever’s paying for this. While you’re here, you’d better get things figured out, because it’s not going to last. Walker is not going to keep footing the bill for this.”
With that being said, I turn and walk out. Kanan is right beside me the whole way, and when we get outside, he’s opening the door to his truck and helping me get in. He doesn’t leave me; he just stands beside me, waiting for me to collect my thoughts.
“I’m okay,” I assure him.
He brushes a tear off my cheek. “I know you are. You’re one of the strongest women I know, Em.”
I look at the door we came out of. “I don’t know. I just wanted my mom to be my mom, you know. I wanted her sober.” I look him in the eye. “She’s not, right? She’s on something.”