AllFreeNovel
Share Us
She shook him off. “He’s good,” she said, her eyes watering as she looked down at his stunned mother. “He’s the best.”
Helena Compton’s mouth opened and closed several times, her eyes darting to her son before she stared stubbornly at the blank television.
“Tell him,” Riley said, her voice breaking.
“Riley,” Sam said, his fingers wrapping around her biceps.
Helena lit up another cigarette.
“Tell him!”
“That’s enough, Riley!”
Both women blinked in surprise at Sam’s shout, and although Riley thought for sure his anger would be directed at his mother, she was the one he was glaring at. It was Riley he was hauling toward the front door as if she were an irresponsible child.
“I’ll call you later, Mom,” he said gruffly. He didn’t wait for a response before he let the door slam behind them. Sam released her then, pulling his hand back from her arm as though he couldn’t stand to touch her, and made his way toward his truck without looking back.
“We’re leaving?” Riley asked, slowly following him. “But—”
“But what, Riley?”
“We just got here …”
He spun around then, and if his eyes had been mad before, they were furious now. She took a step back. “What the hell did you think would happen when you screamed at my mother, Riley? Did you think she’d hug both of us and make a pot of tea? Did you think she’d show you my baby pictures? Maybe haul out the box of trophies from my childhood? Do you really think she has either of those things!”
“Sam—I just wanted—”
“Right, you just wanted. This was about you.”
“I said that I loved you!” she shot back. “Did you miss that part? Because that was about us.”
His jaw clenched, but he said nothing. Riley’s stomach twisted.
He glanced at the ground before meeting her eyes again. “You overstepped, Riley.”
Her eyes filled. “I just hate that she talks to you like that. She’s your mother, and—”
“Right! She’s my mother, Riley. My only relative. She didn’t need any ammunition to resent me further, but you gave it to her, so thanks for that.”
“Then maybe you don’t need her—”
“She’s all I have!” he exploded. “I don’t have two loving parents and a bunch of loving siblings, and a cushy job and a whole tribe of friends, Riley. I have my mom. That’s it.”
“You have me!” she shouted right back.
“Which I didn’t ask for, Ri! You said just one night, but here we are fighting outside my mother’s house like a goddamned old married couple! I don’t want that. I never wanted that.”
“You’re just saying that because you’re scared,” she said, her voice a little desperate.
He merely folded his arms across his chest. “Look, I’m not trying to be a dick.”
Riley swallowed around the lump in her throat. “You have my family.”
“They’re your family. They care about me, sure, but when forced to choose—”
“Then let’s not make them choose. This can be something, Sam. It is something.”
His eyes flicked away again.
