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“Micah, this is my mom, Debbie, and her boyfriend of the month,” I sneer.
Mom dismisses the comment and I see her sniff and wipe at her nose. My guess, she’s back on coke again. A nice upgrade from the meth she was doing with her last boyfriend. “Stella, I was hoping you had a little extra money you give me. Me and Ron,” she says, pointing to the man I now know as Ron, “we got laid off of our jobs. A misunderstanding,” she trails off, shaking her head.
It’s always a misunderstanding with her. They probably got too high and didn’t show up or stole from whatever loser had hired two junkies.
“Mom, you can’t be serious right now. I haven’t heard from you in months. Lucas has been giving me a really hard time about the rent,” I stupidly try to reason with her, but I know she just can’t understand.
She won’t understand.
She never understands.
Waving her hand, she walks toward me from the hall, and I see her sway a little. She’s probably drunk. “Stella, don’t be ungrateful. I am your mom, you little shit,” she shouts.
Ron chuckles next to her and I want to reach out and punch him in his stupid face.
“Ungrateful? What in the hell would I have to be grateful for?” I scream out, throwing my hands wildly all around me. “You disappear for months, leave me to be the adult around here, and then show up high with another loser asking me for money.”
“Don’t be disrespectful,” mom chastises me. “How dare you talk to me like that. I let you live here!”
It’s hilarious that she’s trying to parent me. Wrong and hypocritical, but funny all the same.
Micah stiffens next to me, and his fists dig into his leg. Fury blazes in his features and I can tell that he is about to snap. Before I can comprehend what is truly going on, Micah opens his mouth and speaks. “Oh, I get it. You show up and expect your daughter, who has been paying rent and taking care of herself, to give you respect,” Micah growls out, causing all eyes in the room to land on him.
“Watch it, kid,” Ron says, stepping forward like he’s going to intimidate us.
“You better watch it,” Micah states, and I jerk back, unsure of what to do or say next.
The tension in the room is growing way too heavy. I hate that Micah is here and seeing the vile, disgraceful world that I come from. It’s one thing for him to hear my stories, but it’s a totally different story for him to see in the flesh, the woman that doesn’t give two shits about me.
“Fuck is that supposed to mean?” Ron raises a fist and stands straighter.
Micah smiles and I see danger radiating from his eyes. “You have no idea who you are fucking talk to,” Micah says, still having that sinister smile on his face. I am in awe, glued to the spot as I watch him unleash on Ron. “I own this fucking town. My father is part of the Antoni Mafia Family and if you ever so much as look at Stella, breathe in her direction, I will make sure they never find your body. Not even a piece of it,” Micah says, low and gravely.
Ron gulps, but doesn’t speak. My mom runs over and grabs his arm, looking between me and Micah.
“Stella, what kind of trouble have you gotten yourself into? Are you whoring around for the mafia now?” she asks.
Sad part is, she’s fucking serious. That’s how little my mom knows me. I’m not like her—nothing at all like the woman who birthed me.
“You’d love it if that were true, wouldn’t you?” I ask. “I mean, to know that I’m no better than you would just make you feel less like a piece of shit for abandoning your daughter.” Hot tears burn my eyes and I force them back. I can’t let her see me break down.
Shrugging, my mom sniffs again and I can see that she is starting the downward spiral of withdrawal. “Stella, just give me a little money and then you can go back to whatever it is you were doing,” she says, like she somehow has an idea of who I am.
Opening my mouth to speak, Micah turns to me, and I quickly close my lips. Micah reaches down and grabs my hand, squeezing and pulling me close to him. I find protection as I move to be closer to him. He’s making a statement; it’s us against them. Us against the world and I’ve never been so turned on and happy in my entire life.
“Nah, she Isn't like the trash that raised her. Now both of you listen to me right now. Don’t you ever worry about Stella anymore. She will be taken care of by me. Stella is part of my world now and you don’t need you,” Micah snaps loudly.
My mom’s glassy eyes raise, and she stares at me in disbelief. “Stella,” she begins, but I don’t allow her to finish.
Rolling my eyes, I allow Micah to lead me back to the door. I turn around and say, “Goodbye, mom.”
And, I truly mean it.
This is goodbye because I never want to see her again.
This is goodbye because I finally have someone to care for me and keep me protected from scum like my mom.
And, goodbye because I am done with a life of constant hustling and struggling. Finally, I can live.
