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“I-I-I…”
I close my eyes, hearing all the confirmation I needed. Even though I suspected they had slept together, I didn’t have proof. But in my heart, I knew.I knew she had slept with him.Camden had told one of our mutual friends he was seeing an older woman on the side. There was only one older woman who fitthe equation. It was in the way he always wanted to invite my mother to dinner and then found some excuse to step out of the room when she was also out. I didn’t want to believe it then, and I hate hearing the confirmation now.
“I can’t believe you,” I whisper, closing my eyes and fighting off the tears.
“It’s not what you think, Joey.”
“No? It’s not my mother sleeping with my boyfriend while we were together? Or my mother flying out to Seattle to try to seduce my current boyfriend when she knew I was out of town? It’s not like that?”
She just stares at me, refusing to reply.
“I’m tired of letting you hurt me.” Standing up straight, I face her head-on. “I want nothing to do with you. A real mother doesn’t try to hurt her own child intentionally, which is what you’ve done my entire life. I’m no longer your pawn, a toy you can play with when you’re bored. Stay away from me, Lucinda. I mean it. Stay away from those I love. If you don’t, I know there are plenty of skeletons in your closet you’d hate to have exposed.”
She gasps as I turn to head toward the door. “You’re blackmailing me?”
I turn and meet her wild gaze. “I am. You should know how it works. It’s a play I took from your playbook.”
“Josephine!” my mom hollers as I open the front door. “Why on—”
“No,” I reply, cutting her off. “As of today, you no longer have the power to hurt me. Stay away from us, or all of your secrets will be shared with the world.”
“You wouldn’t,” she cries, her eyes welling with tears.
“Try me.” I hold her eye for several long seconds before she looks down, finally breaking eye contact.
Without another word, I walk out the door, leaving it standing open, and head for my car. Once inside, I set my shaking hands on the steering wheel and take several deep breaths.
I did it.
I can’t believe I told my mom off.
With a smile on my lips, I start my car and pull out of the driveway. With each second that passes, I feel lighter, freer than ever before. A huge weight has been lifted off my shoulders, and I, for one, can’t believe how amazing I feel.
Like my whole life is before me.
A path I get to forge.
Freedom has never tasted so sweet.
“Hey, where’s Brock?” I ask the moment I step into the kitchen and find only Caleb.
He diverts his gaze, a sign that he’s keeping something from me. “He ran a few errands after practice.”
Brock received the all-clear yesterday to begin practicing with the team again. It’s been just over a week since his mild concussion during the Seattle game and the media shitstorm that followed. He put in his time, did what the team of trainers and physicians said, and is finally back out on the field where he wants to be. He had to miss the San Francisco game on Sunday, but only because the lead physician felt it was better to be safe than sorry.
During his time off, his agent and he met with the general manager and head coach. Both assured him they had no knowledge of any trade and said any talk of it was clearly a rumor. They even insinuated it was started on social mediaand had nothing to do with the comment my dad said during the post-game interview. I think they’re covering for him—hell, everyone thinks they’re covering for him—but Brock says there’s not a lot we can do about it. We just have to see what the negotiations bring in a few weeks.
“Errands? What kind of errands? I thought you went to practice together,” I press, staring at my brother and watching him squirm.
Caleb shrugs and gets up to grab a bottle of water. “He said he had a stop to make and dropped me off. That’s all I know.”
I’m pretty sure he’s lying. I can tell by the way he refuses to look at me, and how the tips of his ears are turning red. “You sure?” I hedge, pressing the envelope.
He turns around, ready to argue, but it falls flat on his lips. I start to get a little worried, that maybe Brock is in trouble and my brother doesn’t know how to tell me.
“What’s going on?”
He growls and starts to pace. “He went into a meeting after practice today.”
