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“Thankfully.” I hold out my hand and as she takes it, I pull her beside me and smile.
“We’re leaving.”
I don’t even look at my mom and she hisses, “Excuse me, where do you think you’re going?”
“None of your business.”
“Hunter, so help me God, you will learn some respect, because I am so done with your juvenile tantrums. You owe everything to me and I expect you to be grateful about that.”
Turning, I take one last look at a woman I never want to see again and say blankly, “Goodbye mother, it’s been fun but consider your shelf-life expired. I have no further use for you.”
Lexi gasps beside me and Bea starts to cry as Lexi hisses, “Hunter, she’s your mother.”
“Unfortunately, yes. The thing is, Lexi…”
I look at my mother with distaste, “Some people in life try to make others seem small to make themselves stand taller. Mom is that person. All my life she belittled me and expected me to be grateful for everything she gave me and as it turns out, she gave me nothing worth having, so mom…”
I take one last disparaging look at a woman who has made my life hell. “Karmas just arrived and now it’s your turn to play the victim for once. Sorry I won’t be around to watch but I’m making changes in my life and if you don’t hear from me, know you were one of them. Don’t blame me though, because you handed me the scissors to cut the ties that have been fraying fast all these years.”
I turn to Bea and Willard. “Do yourselves a favor and call time on this situation engineered by a spiteful woman. Set yourselves free to find your own way, trust me, you’ll be happier for it. Bea, if you ever need anything, you know where I am. As for the rest of you, have a nice life.”
As I turn and walk away from my past, my demons and my ball and chain, I have never felt so free. This has been a long time coming, and it’s because of the woman who is holding my hand so tightly. She has brought a rainbow into my life that sits on the darkest cloud and made me realize there is good in the world. I don’t need them, always pretending to be something I’m not just to tick a box and make them happy. I need nobody—I am invincible.
As we strap ourselves into the helicopter, Lexi says with concern, “Are you ok?”
“Never better. That felt so good. It appears to be a day for that.”
Turning, I grasp her face between my hands and stare deep into her eyes. “Thank you for showing me I don’t need to walk into my future with the restraints of the past holding me back. You’re my inspiration, Lexi, because that story you told, I believe every word and if you ever want to talk about that, I will always listen.”
The sudden emotion in her eyes tells me I’m right and as my lips crush against hers, there is now only one thing on my mind—owning Lexi.
