“What? You think that guy in there is better than Matt?” she demands, pointing at my closed bedroom door. “He doesn’t love you.”
I flinch at her words. Even though I know they’re true, I hate that she acts like no one ever could. She makes it sound like Matt is my best option, and I should just settle for that. “Don’t worry, Mom. I won’t be bringing him home for the holidays. It’s just sex.”
She slaps me across the face, making me gasp in shock.
“You little ungrateful bitch …”
I hear the bedroom door open behind me, and my mother takes a step back when Ryat storms out of it. He wraps his hand around her throat, slamming her back into the wall. “Never touch her again!” Yanking her from the wall, he shoves her back into it once again, making a picture of Sarah and me fall off the wall beside her, and the glass shatters on the floor next to them. Stepping into her, he asks, “Do you understand?”
She nods the best she can, her hands gripping his forearm with wide eyes. He’s cutting off her air.
“Blake isn’t going to answer your calls or return your texts. So quit fucking trying.” He lets go of her. “Now get the fuck out,” he commands as she rubs her neck.
“I don’t take orders …”
He grabs her hair, and she screams out as he drags her across the room to the front door. Opening it, he shoves her out into the hall. “You son of a …”
“Don’t fucking come back!” Then he slams the door in her face and proceeds to lock it. “I’ll have the locks changed today.”
I stay where I’m at, my hand pressed to my throbbing cheek and tears stinging my eyes. He turns to walk back over to me. “You okay?” he asks, cupping my chin and forcing me to look up at him.
“Yeah,” I lie, shamed and embarrassed at what she did. My mother has never hit me before. I wish I knew what her obsession with Matt was.
“You sure?” His emerald eyes search mine before dropping to my reddening face.
I nod, looking away from him, and whisper, “Thank you.”
Stepping into me, he gently forces me to look up at him once again. I can’t tell through the tears that I refuse to let fall, but he looks concerned. “You don’t need her, Blake. Not when you’ve got me.” Then leaning forward, he kisses my forehead before pulling me into the bedroom to start round four.
I hate to think of it, but it’s obvious he returned just in time.
_______________
I’M WALKING DOWN the hallway with Sarah at Barrington Monday morning when I ask, “Have you messaged me lately?”
She frowns. “Not since the other weekend. Why?”
I haven’t received any from her, but she’s also been staying at the apartment. Except for Saturday night. She and Gunner never did return after they left for the house of Lords party. Something tells me Gunner knew Ryat was back and wanted to leave us alone. “Well, my mother showed up at our apartment yesterday morning …”
“She what?” she shrieks. “What did she want?”
“Well, that’s the thing. She said she’s been calling and texting me, but I haven’t received any. And I know you had said that you were texting me when Ryat and I were at the cabin, and I wasn’t answering.”
She nods. “I blew up your phone and nothing.”
I adjust the books in my hand. “That’s odd … right?”
She shrugs. “I call it a blessing. Well, not the fact that my calls didn’t go through, but definitely regarding your mother’s.”
“But shouldn’t your text have come through once I got service?” I ask, thinking out loud.
“Maybe. I guess it depends on how long you went without it. You were gone all weekend.”
“But …” It did work. I spoke to Ryat while I was there. I had called him and then received that text from him. Had it been dead when I plugged it in that night? I can’t remember. When I’m with Ryat, he demands all of my attention. “Will you call it now?” I ask her.
“Sure.” We come to a stop, and she digs her cell out of her back pocket. She goes to her recent calls and presses call on my number. Mine starts ringing immediately.
“Hmm.” I decline the call.
“See, like I said. It’s a blessing that you’re missing her calls,” she jokes.
“Guess so,” I add skeptically. It just seems odd.
“So, what else did she have to say?” she goes on.