Page 16 of Their Tracked Obsession

I clenched my teeth together. If I hadn’t? I’d lay into my mom like no one’s business.

Gloria had a conceited attitude, and it shone through more when she was intoxicated. She got on my last nerve, and I was sick of her. I wanted to yank out my hair, and this special time with her wasn’t even close to over yet.

“Calvin! I need you to—” Raven touched my shoulder and shook her head.

I could see in Raven’s eyes that she knew how upset I was with my mother. She noticed the strain between us, but if I told the chauffeur to pull over and haul my mother out on her drunk ass, I’d regret the decision for the rest of my life. My wedding was coming. This was an opportunity that was only supposed to happen once in my life. No matter how much she made me angry, I needed my mom there for all the significant events to do with these nuptials.

“…get us to the bridal boutique, toot sweet!” I added with a smile.

“Yes! That’s my girl!” Mom cheered and hugged me close. “Oh, how I miss these moments with you. Remember when you were five, and I used to read you fairytales with a happily ever after?”

The fictional stories of princesses getting their prince charming after a long journey of betrayal, sadness, and sometimes death. Yes. I remembered being snuggled up against my mother, tucked safe and warm in bed while she read to me. She’d kiss my forehead when my eyes grew too heavy with sleepiness and leave me to dream of my knight in shining armor coming to save me.

“Yes. I remember,” I whispered, my eyes growing misty at the memory of a more affectionate time.

“Now you’re getting your fairytale, sweetie.” She kissed me on the forehead. “To two men. Who would’ve thought my daughter was so promiscuous?”

“Mom!” I gasped and pulled away from her.

The wonderful moment between mother and daughter was gone. Christ! She made me sound like a slut. Thank God the limousine came to its last stop. I needed to get out. To catch my breath because she suffocated me and made me regret inviting her. Hopefully, for the next few hours, she could learn to contain herself.

I got out of the car and joined Raven’s side. I peered up at the sign reading Bridal Bloom. The boutique where I’d find my dream dress, and it’d bring me one step closer to helping me say I do.

“I’m excited for you!” Raven squealed, and her heels tapped against the pavement.

“Second time’s the charm.” Mom raised her latte to toast. “Isn’t that right?”

Mom had to bring up Sebastian. She had to go there and remind me of the awful day I’d been kidnapped in a wedding dress I had worn to marry a sorry excuse of a man in order to save my life.

I couldn’t let the bitter memory ruin this important time for me. The weight of the world’s sufferings had brought me to a greater path. A track to happiness. Life with my phantoms and a fairytale I’d never thought I deserved until they loved me.

I stuffed the bitterness down and smiled at my mom. “Yes.”

Inside Bridal Bloom, we searched row after row of wedding gowns. All white, pristine, and elegant. Raven had her hands full, white lace up to her nose because my mom kept handing dresses to her as if she was a goddamn shopping cart. Mom found a wedding veil and hung it over her head.

“I think it’s time to try these on.” Raven muffled against the dress’s material.

“No. A few more,” Gloria argued.

“Fine. Here…” Raven sighed and pushed the gowns at Gloria. “Take some.”

“No way.” My mom pushed back. “I have a slipped disk. Where’s Calvin when you need him? Calvin! Cal—”

“Mom, quit shouting,” I whispered through clenched teeth. “Keep your voice down. Calvin is a driver, not your damn butler.”

Mom hiccupped. “Oh, right.”

“Why don’t we get you ladies a fitting room?” A man with dirty blond hair and lightly dyed pink ends came over. “You’ve got your hands full.”

“Thank you.” Gloria touched his shoulder.

He took the dresses out of Raven’s arms, and we followed the man dressed in pink. He brought us to the biggest fitting room that my mom had insisted on, and we all went in. I was hesitant because I wasn’t sure about the gowns my mom had mostly picked out. She had gone down the traditional route while I wanted something more non-traditional, but I wanted to appease her. Even though I wanted to truly rip my eye sockets out.

“Let me know if you need anything. I’ll be around.” The man closed the door behind him.

I tried on dress after dress. The same colorless hue on repeat, and I hated each one. They were beautiful but not meant for me. These gowns were intended for women who hadn’t seen their life flash before their eyes multiple times. Who hadn’t suffered an enormous amount of pain no woman should ever have to endure. These bridal dresses were for purity, and that wasn’t me. I had seen demons, breathed evil, and loved the darkness.

Mom left to find more dresses, and I clenched Raven’s shoulders. “She’s killing me. Literally suffocating me, and I don’t know what to do.”