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Secondly, Farrow Ballantine could hold her own. She thrived on tiny victories. It would be pointless to fight every battle for her when everything that made Octi the woman I loved could be summed up with her heart.
Strong, vibrant, steel-coated, and warm.
Mom paused. “She declined the money, by the way.”
“I know.”
“Her deal with you was probably more lucrative than what I offered.”
“I know that, too.”
“And you don’t find her to be a gold digger?”
“No.” I left no room for doubt in my voice.
Question answered.
Case closed.
If she pressed, I’d make good on my threat and leave. Permanently.
“I don’t think she’s a gold digger either.” Mom fingered the cannula in her hand, not meeting my eyes. “But that’s not my point.”
I checked my watch, unhinged by the prospect of missing my flight and ruining any chances with my feisty littlenot-gold digger. “Whatisyour point?”
“That you could do worse.” She didn’t dare look at me. “I think Eileen is lying to you.”
“About?”
“Her personality, her aversion to touching, pieces of her history. Take your pick.”
It didn’t come as a shock. Mostly because I’d already placed her on the top of my shit list for the crime of refusing to be broken up with when we were never even in a real relationship.
Any extra negative traitcould only be considered a bonus.
“It doesn’t make a difference. The engagement was always a sham. I have no intention of marrying her. The better question is why you would let your son marry a liar.”
“Because she molded her life around yours. Someone willing to do that is someone willing to keep you safe.”
“I don’t need to be safe.”
I was finally realizing that. With each touch. Each rainfall. Each god-awful drive in that death-trap Prius.
Every time I held myself back, I became smaller as a person. There was as much risk in taking leaps as there was in not leaping at all.
“You do.” She shot forward, not quite managing to shoutormove where she wanted to, but I knew she would if she could. “You are the only thing left in my world. I love no one more than I love you. Don’t you realize that?”
“No shit, I do.”
She didn’t even admonish me for my language, too busy driving her point into me. “You need to be safe. Your dad would want you alive and happy.”
“Iwillbe happy. So long as I have Farrow. As for alive…” I paused, diving my fingers into my hair. “I can’t promise to be perfect in every single moment, but I’ve certainly learned that life is valuable.”And not through Oliver’s so-called lesson. “I won’t take unnecessary risks. But make no mistake—I won’t cower in fear, either.”
Thetap-tapof my heel against the tiles startled me. I hadn’t realized how upset the prospect of cutting Mom off made me.
Truly, before the accident, we shared an incredible bond.
Every time I saw Mom behave like a stranger, latent childhood memories pried at my mind, cracking apart my anger. Late night movies. Surprise arcade dates. Make-your-own dumpling nights. Even Romeo wanted to move into our house.
