Relapse

I’m not going to even entertain her and her stupidity. Well, Tanner is at school and Lilly is at daycare,” I tell her. “So you can go to your room and leave me alone.”

The last time we saw each other was in a courtroom and I have no intentions on staying in here and playing nice with her.

She lets out a gasp and my fingers twitch.

Not even here five minutes and she makes me want to find a cigarette. I already know that Emmet won’t let me bomb one off of him and I don’t feel like going to the store to get one.

“This way,” I say sharply before leading her down the hallway to the guest room. It’s just barely set up with only a desk and a full size bed, but it’s more than she deserves.

Her lips twist into a frown as she turns her nose up. “Really, Ivy? I could have stayed in a hotel if I knew that this was the sort of treatment you were going to be giving me.”

“It’s more than what you deserve, but be my guest, there’s a Motel Eight not even a mile up the road,” I snap.

She balks, placing a hand to her chest. “A Motel Eight? And what do you mean it’s more than I deserve? I’m your mother, so I deserve your respect and it’s obvious I’m not getting it right now.”

“You’re an egg donor.” I clarify, an old anger and resentment waking up in me.

She points a manicured finger at me. “You watch the way you talk to me, young lady!”

“Young lady?” I snort at that. “I could have sworn you made it clear when I lost my virginity and came to you about it that I wasn’t a lady. If I remember clearly, you told me I was a whore.”

Her eyes fill with rage and she drops the designer purse and it hits the floor with a thump. “Oh you want to do this now?”

I fold my arms over my chest. “I can’t imagine a better time.” How dare she come into my house and try to tell me how I should treat her when she’s done nothing but treat me like shit since the day I was born?

Her fists ball. “You are a fuckup.” Ah, and now the act is over. “I don’t know why on earth your sister would even think leaving her children to you would be a good idea when you’ve proved you can’t even take care of yourself. For fucks sake,” she raises a hand, “run a brush through your hair, it looks ridiculous and what are you wearing?” She takes in my outfit. “You look like you were meant to be on the trash pile but some type of way snuck into this nice house.” She takes a step forward and as I watch her eyes fill with hate, I know she’s going to go for the jugular. She always does. “Oh, that’s right. You’re here because you’re leeching off the insurance money from your dead sister.”

I don’t think twice, I slap her. Hard enough for my hand to sting and for there to be a handprint on her plastic face.

Her eyes widen and she places a hand over the mark. “Don’t worry, I’m going to be reporting this behavior to the judge when I take your ass back to court and get custody of my grandkids.” She goes into the guest room and slams the door in my face.

I glare at the door as I square my shoulders. She can threaten me all she wants but there’s no way in hell that she’s going to get my kids.