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Meadow
I WALKED UP THEsidewalk with Sunny and Shade on either side of me. A part of me wanted to hold their hands but I also didn’t want my dad to pitch a fit. I had to ease him into this situation, especially when I was about to confront my mom over…hell, I didn’t even know what I was going to ask her.
Hey, mom, do you know a Tanner Horsch? No? Well he sure knows you.
My father was protective when it came to us. But he was almost overbearing where my mom was concerned. I wasn’t sure why, but I had a feeling that it had to do with something that happened long before my siblings and I were born.
While the guys remained silent, I took the steps leading up to the front door of my parents’ house and knocked. It had felt like years since I had been home, even though it had only been weeks. If that. Truth was, I didn’t go home much or as often as I would have liked. There was no reason for it, but I wasn’t like my brother or sister. They had their career paths laid out for them. Even though Gigi’s took a different turn than she would have liked, she still had her own business.
And me? I baked for a local business when I could but that was it. It wasn’t enough to support myself. I realized then that I was in a rut and I had no idea how to get out of it.
“Meadow.” Sunny’s deep voice graced my ears. “You got this, baby girl. And once we’re done here, we’ll go home and take care of you.”
“What about giving Tanner what he wants?” I asked him, staring up into his dark eyes that held me captive every damn time I looked into them.
“We can meet up with him tomorrow.” Sunny’s voice was final, leaving no room for question.
Not that I would anyway. Tanner creeped me out and I would be happy if I never had to see him ever again.
Before I could respond, the door opened.
“Meadow.” My mom smiled down at me. “How are you?”
Instead of answering, I threw my arms around her middle.
“Meadow.” Mom wrapped herself around me, returning the embrace. “Not that I’m not happy to see you but what’s wrong?”
“How do you know something’s wrong?” I asked, even though I already knew the answer. She was a mom. Mom’s always knew when something was wrong with their kids. It was in the mom handbook.
“Because you haven’t been by in a while and the last time you were here…”
I leaned back when her voice trailed off, remembering that I had stopped by when Ashton and I had started sleeping together. I was confused and wanted to ask my mom her thoughts on the matter. But it never got very far when my dad overheard and threatened to kill the boy who broke his baby girl’s heart. But Ashton never broke my heart. No, I broke his instead because he wasn’t enough for me. It wasn’t his fault. It wasn’t mine. We were just never meant to be.
“I’m fine.” I pulled from her grip and stepped back between Sunny and Shade.
Mom’s eyes flicked between them. “Friends of yours?”
I choked back a laugh. “Something like that.”
“Well, please come in.” Mom turned and went back down the hall she had come from.
“What was that about?” Sunny asked.
“I broke a boy’s heart,” I muttered, entering the home I grew up in.
“Really?” Shade followed me.
“No.” I turned toward them. “But he wanted more, and I couldn’t give that to him. Also, I was looking for something else.”
“What were you looking for?” Sunny reached out and brushed the back of his fingers down my cheek.
“I was looking for both of you,” I told him, my heart stuttering at the soft touch.
He grinned.
Shade stood up taller. “I am pretty awesome.”
I laughed, shaking my head. “Yeah, you are.”
