I glance at him. “I’m only strong because you’re here. You’re my strength.” My voice is a husky whisper, filled with worry at my life taking a whole new path I never planned for.
“Listen to me,” he says. “You’ve been strong all your life. I’m merely a life raft you hold onto every now and then. And I’ll be by your side until you no longer want me.”
“Why wouldn’t I want you?”
“I mean if I tire you out with all the sex we’ll be having, you may want to break up. But then again, why would you want to walk away from this face.” He winks cockily, the smirk that I’ve come to love is firmly in place, and I can’t help but giggle.
“Come on, Handsome,” I say, pressing my lips to his. “Let’s get this over with.” I push open my door and meet Damien at the passenger side of the car, before walking up the path toward the entrance.
Creed steps out onto the gravel and offers us the once over, noticing our hands linked. A smirk curls his full lips. He’s dressed in a black leather jacket, ripped jeans, and a dark band tee that looks like it’s seen better days.
“The brand-new couple,” he says when we reach him. “You two have certainly caused a stir.”
Damien asks the question I have as well, “What do you mean?”
Creed meets the stare of his former best friend. “I just overheard Dad talking to Bradford. Apparently, your girl over here has decided jumping on your dick is better than mine. Just kidding.” He chuckles, looking at us both, before saying, “Good luck. It’s time you found someone worthy of you.” His comment is directed at Damien, and I’m shocked when he holds out a hand. “I’m done playing war with my best friend.” The tension between the two is strangled, but Damien grips his hand, and they shake on it. For a moment, I watch them connect. The friendship they had clearly meant something to them both. And when Creed walks off, I know Damien’s happy they found common ground again.
We find Mallory in the kitchen, led there by the maid, who greeted us only a day ago. When we step into the spacious, modern room, my mother looks up, and her eyes widen in shock.
“I wasn’t expecting you today,” she says, her smile sickly sweet. She doesn’t know. “Can I get you a coffee or something stronger?” Her gaze, that matches mine, flits between Damien and me.
“No. We… I wanted to talk to you.” I’m shaking, my hands are trembling, even with Damien’s fingers laced through mine. She doesn’t miss a beat, noticing the physical connection.
“Oh.” Her dark brows lift in surprise. “I heard you’d spoken to your folks, well, your step—”
“You’re my mother.” The words whoosh out in one short breath, interrupting whatever she wanted to say. “Why didn’t you tell me? I had to learn it from your sister.” I’m so confused. My mind feels like it’s been twisted in a thousand different directions and, right now, the only thing that makes sense is him—Damien.
Mallory’s mouth opens, then shuts. The guilt that pains her expression is enough to tell me she certainly wasn’t expecting this. Neither was I, Mommy.
“Can we sit? Talk?”
Her words send a burst of anger to my chest, warming me with emotions that I’ve always buried and allowed to flow free with the cuts on my thighs. I’ve never known how to express myself vocally but, right now, I find that the damn wall is about to crash wide open.
“I don’t know why I’m even here. You pawned me off on your sister, so you could travel around the world and then marry a man we didn’t know about. Not even bothering to tell us, your family. To have three new sons to look after, instead of caring about your daughter?” The anger that I’d been holding back floods through me, and it comes out as a tirade of words that I never knew I had been biting my tongue on. “I grew up idolizing you, looking up to you. I was depressed for most of my life because my dad walked out, and it was all because of you.”
“Nesrin, I didn’t mean—”
“No!” Releasing Damien’s hand, I take a step closer to her, nearing the woman who gave me life. “This time, you’re listening to me. I spent my life cutting myself because I didn’t know how to communicate. Your sister was cold, aloof, and she hated me from the moment I knew what that emotion meant.”
Behind me, I hear Damien’s feet shuffle on the ground. His boots confirming that he’s there, if I need him. He doesn’t make a sound to remind me of his presence. He doesn’t need to say a word. My silent anchor.