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I scrabble to grab my phone. “It’s not important.”
“Is that who you were with last night? How the hell could you even say hello to that boy after what he did to your sister?”
I sit up in bed, grabbing my phone from her wildly-waving hands. “It’s none of your damn business, mom!”
“It sure as fuck is! Who the hell do you think you are, little girl? I’m your mother! Your sister is family and if someone treats her bad…you don’t talk to that person again! That’s the way family works!”
“Oh really! Is that how it works? Because nobody in this family has ever stood up for me! And as to Jackson…he didn’t break her heart! She broke his! She barely let him get on the damn plane before she replaced him with someone else! Someone with money!”
“Don’t get all hoity-toity with me, missy! She has her head on straight and she knows what’s important! And she’d never stab you in the back like this!”
“Oh really?” I stand up and start pulling my things out, packing a bag.
“Where do you think you’re going? We’re not done talking.” She stands in the middle of the doorway but I push past her.
“We are done. I thought there’s no way you could blame Jackson for what Jessie did! But I should have known.”
“He should have gone to college on that scholarship. He could have been picked up by the pros and had a great life. More money than he knows what to do with! Instead he’s a mess who threw a good life away to fool around with a bunch of other men and kill people. I didn’t do it. Your sister didn’t do it. He did it. He chose that life.”
I whirl around and scream from the doorway. “He fought for his country. He’s a fucking hero!And as to Jessie…well, she’s just like you. Always looking for that quick buck to make. Not wanting to work for it. You just want the good life handed to you. A black credit card for all your damn wishes! I don’t need that!I just need a man who loves me and is willing to overlook my unfortunate family!”
And with that, I slam the door and storm out into the night, dragging a suitcase behind me.
I make it to the end of the drive before the phone starts ringing again.
“Hello?” I sniffle and stop under a tree, trying to hide from the cold wind blowing snow back in my face.
“Joy? What’s wrong, baby girl? Are you okay?”
“I-I don’t think I am. I just had a fight with my mom.” Tears spring to my eyes and I lean into the cold, hard bark of the tree.
“I’m on my way. Don’t you dare move! Don’t worry, baby. I’ve got this.”
“Thank you, Jackson.” I pause and I know I should wait to say it in person. I shouldn’t do this now. But I can’t stop myself. “I love you.”
“I love you too, baby. I’m on my way. Where exactly are you?”
“At the end of the drive. It’s really cold.” I sniffle and huddle into the trees, trying to find the wind break that I need. It’s damn cold out here. And it feels like my heart is breaking.
I know I shouldn’t care but she’s still my family. There’s just no way I’m going to throw Jackson aside for whatever man she finds for me. A man with money and prospects. A man who can take care of her.
It’s barely been ten minutes but my hands are frozen. My body feels so cold. All the way down to my bones. Like I’ll never get warm.
His truck pulls up and he runs around the front, leaving it running. “Hey, baby!” His hands reach out for me and he groans. “You’re frozen! Come on! Let’s get you warm.”
He leads me to his truck and opens the door, helping me inside. He leans over and kisses me lightly, his warm lips caressing my frozen ones.
“Jesus! You’re like an ice cube. Let’s get you to my mom’s. We’ll get you warmed up in no time.”
I shake my head jerkily. “No! I don’t want anyone else to see me like this.”
He shoots me a sharp look. “You know my mom won’t care. You think she’s a fan of your mom or your sister?”
Tears trickle down my cheeks. “No. I know she isn’t. But I don’t want anyone to see me like this.” I laugh and there’s a hysterical edge to it that makes his eyebrows lift. “Hell, I didn’t want you to see me like this! But here we are!”
He reaches over and his blue eyes are dark with worry. His hand lifts my chin and he runs his thumb lightly across my bottom lip, groaning. “You don’t ever need to worry about how you look to me. You look beautiful. No matter what.”
I laugh again. “You don’t mean that.”
