AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I never told anyone this story, and while I would have preferred to keep that part of me locked up, I knew I had to give her something in exchange for her trust.
“When I was thirteen,” I said. “My mother had just started one of her episodes, and I ran to our neighbors next door to hide. Mr. and Mrs. Pike are some of the best people I’ve ever met.”
Her eyes melted as she listened to me. “Do you still talk to them?”
I nodded. “Every week. They practically raised me. Mrs. Pike taught me to bake. Started with pastries for a while and then cakes. I suppose it helped that I’ve always had a sweet tooth.”
The Pikes were the only reason I didn’t become a bum like everyone thought I would. When I wasn’t at school or home—which was ninety percent of the time—I was over at their house. I respected them so much that I never called them by their first names, even though they’d insisted until they eventually got tired.
Felicity smiled, her eyes lighting up. “That’s so sweet.” Then, her brows furrowed ever so slightly. “But what happened with your mother?”
Ah. There it was—the very center of everything that had shaped my life—my own sad story. I hated telling it, but saying no to Felicity did not sit well with me.
“My mother was what most people would call a junkie.”
She gasped softly, her eyes widening. “Oh. I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to…to pry.”
I gave her a small smile. Of course, Felicity would apologize for something that wasn’t her fault.
“It’s fine. I wanted to tell you,” I said. “She’s dead now, anyway, so good riddance.”
“Good riddance?” She looked horrified. “Why would you say that?”
I shrugged, the memories of my early life living with my mother resurfacing from the deepest part of my mind where I’d shoved them. “She was a terrible mother, but it’s mostly because I’m glad we don’t have to deal with each other anymore.”
“Don’t say that.”
“It’s the truth. She hated me, and blamed me for my dad leaving when I was three. I have no recollection of it, but she always said it was my fault.”
I watched in half-amusement and half-sadness as her eyes watered.
“Oh, Aaron,” she breathed. “I’m sure she didn’t mean that.”
I took another sip from my wine. “I said the same thing to myself several years ago. But over time, I began to realize she did mean it, and not only was she a fucking terrible mother, but she was also a fucking terrible person.
“Her addiction drove him away, and it eventually tore us apart. For so many years, I had to listen to her tell me over and over that I would be a fuck-up just like my father and that I would amount to nothing. My only regret is that she died from an overdose three years ago.”
“Because she never got to experience your success?”
My jaw clenched as I focused on the glass in my hand. There was a silence that ensued, and I hated it. Sharp pangs of anger flooded the base of my stomach and left a bitter aftertaste at the back of my throat. Talking about my mother always left me an angry mess. Not only had Rosaline Pegg completely ruined my childhood by deflating my self-esteem in the most brutal manner, but she’d taken from me the joys of being a child.
“I had to grow up quickly and mature into a man before I was ready,” I said. “Mr. Pike taught me my first language, C++, and bought me my first computer. Thanks to him, I’d gotten a job before I was eighteen and moved to America without telling my mother.
“It was only when I’d received word three years ago that she’d overdosed that I’d gone back. Her funeral was brief and, because of the person she was, completely empty save for me and the Pikes. So yes, good fucking riddance.” I met Felicity’s gaze. “If that’s pity swirling in your eyes, it’s wasted on me.”
As if she’d just realized she was crying, she touched a hand to her wet cheek. “I didn’t…” she mumbled. “It’s not. I’m just sorry you had to go through that.”
A low chuckle rumbled in my chest. “So, pity then.”
“Shut up,” she murmured, smiling. “What about your father? Did he ever come back?”
Would he ever come back? I asked myself every night.
“No.” I shook my head. “But I’ve made peace with it. Hell, if I were married to Rosaline Pegg, I’d run for dear life, too.”
But not without his son. The words hung in the air. So, what? My parents were shitty people. Boo hoo. I’d learned to live with it and rise above it. That was my past, and it wasn’t written anywhere that it had to shape my future.
“Well, if it’s any consolation, I’ve had a terrible experience with my family too.” Felicity heaved out a breath, leaning back against the plush leather seat. My eyes watched her movements with rapt attention, taking in the graceful way she crossed one leg over the other and her hand placement on her thighs.
