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Fifteen
Mia
“You’ve never told me what your favorite memory was.” I pull the blanket up over my legs and settle in to hear his story. He always has a story to tell me, something that’s bound to make me smile.
His eyes light up, “The day we got married. Your mom looked amazing. She shone with happiness. While we married alone, you and Hudson weren’t far from our thoughts. She was a true vision as she walked down the aisle toward me. I knew in that moment that I was going to spend the rest of my life with her.”
“I saw the pictures, she really looked amazing. I don’t think I ever saw her as happy as those few weeks I spent with the two of you.” Even when she felt as though she was losing me, she was still happy with Harrison.
“Your mom wanted the best for you and she knew you were happy with Hudson, that he was the man to make you happy and love you like no other. She also knew that being with him would put you in grave danger, and it has.” He reaches for his bottle of beer, he brings it to his lips and takes a long sip. “But what your mom soon realized once we got you back was it wasn’t Hudson that put you in that danger, it was me. Who I am, what I did. She understood that no matter what happened, Hudson would do anything in his power to ensure your safety. It was then she realized that she was only hurting herself by trying to separate the two of you.”
“By then it was too late.”
He nods. “Yes, she never got to talk to you properly, but you heard her words and I know that they meant a lot to you. That would have been her biggest regret not apologizing to you both.”
“I knew she loved me, I just couldn’t understand the hatred.”
His eyes fill with sadness “It wasn’t hatred, it was confusion and jealousy. She couldn’t understand why you wouldn’t listen to her. You had grown up so much and she was jealous that you no longer needed her. It hurt her that she had lost so much time with you.”
I blink back my tears, “We both messed up. I have so many regrets when it comes to her and our relationship.”
“We all do, Mia, it’s what happens when someone is taken from us too early. We look back on things and see what we should have done differently. We use those mistakes to ensure we never make them with another loved one.” I guess that’s why he’s so determined to make amends with Hudson.
“What do you think is happening with Marline?” I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it since Hudson’s left.
Harrison’s jaw clenches. “If it were up to me, I’d have her killed.” I suck in a sharp breath, he wouldn’t really kill his mom, would he? “But it’s not, it’s up to Hudson. There’s no way he’d do that to her. He’ll buy her stupid sob story.”
I knew that they hated each other, but his attitude is so cold toward her. “Don’t you believe that she was led on? Used to gain information?”
He laughs. “Marline led on? Used? No, Mia, I don’t believe it. Marline is the manipulator, she can turn every single situation around so that she looks like a victim. I laid my hands on her in anger twice. It was wrong and it was the reason why I left her, not your mom, but because together we were toxic.”
“That’s exactly how Hudson described your marriage.”
His smile is a sad one, he closes his eyes as if he’s in pain. “No child should ever see their parents as toxic. Marline turned my boy against me from a young age, I should have nipped that shit in the bud but I didn’t and that’s on me. She learned how to manipulate people from the get-go and hasn’t stopped.”
I’m shocked, Marline doesn’t come across that way.
“Mia, don’t be surprised if she’s been pulling his strings,” Harrison tells me, his eyes dark with rage.
I gasp, there’s absolutely no way that Hudson’s mom would ever hurt him like that. She knows everything that Hudson’s been through. “She wouldn’t do that to Hudson.”
“We’ll have to wait for Hudson to get back.”
“But, if she’s as manipulative as you say, he won’t see it.”
He shakes his head. “No, when Hudson left here this evening, he was determined to get the truth. He’s not going to let her manipulate him.”
I’m glad that Harrison’s so sure about it because I’m not. I have no idea what to think, I’m utterly confused as to what’s going on. I’m doubting everything I ever thought about Marline and I don’t even know if she’s guilty of passing on information to Martin.
The fine hairs on the back of my neck stand up as a shrill beeping fills the air. Harrison’s up on his feet with a gun in his hand within seconds. “Mia, Hudson told you what to do. Do it,” he instructs, his eyes on me, pleading with me to do as he says.
I’m frozen to the spot when gunshots ring out.
“Mia go. Now,” he yells at me.
My feet take me to Hudson’s office, as I place my hand on the door handle, I turn to see Harrison staring at me. I don’t want to leave him but I know that I need to. “Be safe,” I tell him and walk into the office.
As soon as I lock the door behind me, I run behind his desk. I fumble with the drawer, Hudson told me to get the gun. As soon as my hand grips the butt, I pull it from the drawer and crawl under the desk. My entire body is shaking, but I do as Hudson tells me and take the knife that’s taped under the desk and grip it in my hand.
