“Thank you, Haddie.”
“I’m your momma, too. You don’t ever have to thank me, but I want to go back to a few days ago. Tell me exactly what you heard.” I look away, unwilling to talk about it anymore. “Word for word to the best of your memory.”
“Okay.” I let out a big sigh. “I don’t remember word for word, but I found out Dax is paying for Devin’s daughter’s daycare. Before that day, Dad told me Mom believed we got married because we fell in love, but that was a lie. He told her the truth,and she still let me marry a stranger. Dad was taking rent money from me each month and giving it to Devin. Dad and your son had some arrangement, and I was supposed to get the apartment for free. Dax found out about it but never told me.” I give him a glare after my last statement. “Dax told Dad that if I didn’t marry him, he would press charges on Devin for stealing from him.”
“What was the point of that conversation?”
“Basically, Dad wanted Dax to get me to not be so hard on Mom so she wouldn’t feel the need to confess.” Anger bubbles underneath the surface at all the lies my parents have told me.
“And what was your husband’s response?” I give Dax a good dose of side eye before answering.
“He said he wasn’t going to do that, and if I found out about the lies, I would have him.”
Haddie leans back and crosses her arms as if she just won an argument.
“So, he defended you and refused to lie to you. He had your back and told your father to go to hell.” Haddie points at her son. “Baby, that man is right over there.”
“But he did so much dirt.”
“To get you to marry him?”
“Yes. Creating a scenario for Devin to steal so he can use it to his advantage. That’s diabolical.”
“You knew he did dirt, and you chose to marry him to help your mother.” I open my mouth, but she raises her hands. “Honey, I was a young girl once, too. You would not have agreed if you thought he was a troll.” I purse my lips shut and refuse to answer. This is exactly what Eden said. “What is important is what he said about you when he had no idea you were listening.”
“But—” she holds up her hand and talksover me.
“Now, let’s go back to the second thing I want to talk about. Tell me why you were going to give my son a chance twice.”
“Haddie, that doesn’t matter. He still stripped me of my choice. Then he starts financially abusing me. I have no access to money. He somehow turned off the car and told me he destroyed my most prized possession: my grandmother’s sewing machine. The one she got fromhermother, and the one she used to teach me everything I know. My great-grandmother had to clean houses to afford it. And do you know they wouldn’t sell it to her? She asked one of the rich ladies she worked for to buy it on her behalf, and she did. That’s how she ended up with it, and now your son destroyed it. I’ll never forgive him for that. He’s so cruel.”
“I never—”
“Daxton, hush!” Haddie admonishes. “Sweetheart, I will bet everything I own that he didn’t do a thing to that sewing machine.”
“Then I lost out on the shop because he cut off all my access to money. He never intended to help me. It was his way of manipulating me. I’m done with it all.” I wave my hand around. “I’m exhausted, and I don’t want to fight anymore.” I stand abruptly. “I’m going to call Selene.”
“You’re not going any damn where,” Dax says.
“Young lady, get your ass back here and sit down.” I freeze at Haddie’s tone. “Right now. Don’t make me drag you by your ear like I did my son.”
Not wanting a confrontation, I return to my seat.
“Now, tell me why you decided to give my son a chance, not once but twice.” Her voice sounds stern now. “Talk.”
I purse my lips, unwilling to talk about this in front of Dax, but I realize I don’t care anymore. Let him hear everything he’s going to miss out on.
“He’s handsome. I’m very attracted to him, too. You’re right. I would not have agreed if I wasn’t attracted to him.” I exhale at that admission. “There are parts of him that are amazing.” Haddie smiles and nods her head for me to continue. “He’s very generous, smart, and can be sweet when he wants. I was happy in the marriage, Haddie. I told him things, and he listened. He went out of his way to do things to make me happy. I thought he understood and cared. I found myself missing him when he wasn’t around. You know how good I felt when he urged me to go back to school? I felt like he understood me. Understood my dreams, but he has another side. The side that’s manipulative, calculating, and selfish. He threatened my cousin, so he’s dangerous.”
Even from across the room, I notice Dax’s eye roll at my last statement.
“Honey, everyone has multiple sides to them. Good and bad, and all the good things you said about him are still true. He’s still the man you thought was worthy of a chance. He’s still the man you missed when he was away, he’s still the man who made you happy in this marriage, and he’s still the man who will defend you to any and everyone.”
“Yeah, but—” Haddie holds up a hand, and I shut up.
“I’ll be honest. I don’t care who did what to whom. I’m not equating them, but he did stuff, and so did you. We both know he’s not going to hurt your cousin. If he wanted to hurt her, he wouldn’t have let her kick his ass that day.”
“She didn’t kick my ass,” Dax yells from outside the room.
