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As I change, I can hear Liam and Deja talking. When she asks him if he’s coming to the wedding, he doesn’t hesitate before saying yes. It’s hard to believe he’s doing that for me, but I’m glad he’ll be there as my plus one. It will make Jake’s wedding that much easier to bear. I’m not anticipating an easy day.
“How about we go home and watch a movie?” I ask, handing the discarded dresses to the dressing room attendant.
“Can I pick?” Deja asks, leading the way to the registers.
“I’m not watching anything with singing or dancing,” Liam says, making a face. “The last musical you made me watch was awful!”
“It was a classic!” Deja says, crossing her arms and pretending to glare at him. “Just for that, I’m picking another musical.”
I laugh, until I see Liam take out his card to pay for the dresses. I pin him with a stare, and he raises his hands in mock surrender. I’m glad he didn’t try to fight me on this. The thought of Liam buying anything remotely linked to Jake and the life I had with him rubs me the wrong way.
I pay for the dresses myself and follow the two of them as they bicker about musicals the entire way to the car.
When Liam and I started dating, I would have never imagined he would fit so seamlessly into our lives, yet here he is. The pieces have fallen into place as if he were meant to be with us.
Chapter Fourteen
Liam
“You know Mom is planning a birthday dinner for Dad this weekend, right?” Jason asks, grabbing another beer as halftime begins on the TV.
“I know. Dad called me this morning. He told me I should bring Tracey and Deja.”
Jason tosses a beer to me before sitting down on the other end of the couch. “Are you sure that’s a good idea? I mean, after the last time when Mom made such a terrible impression on her, Tracey didn’t talk to you for a week.”
“I’m not sure what’s a good idea at this point,” I say, cracking open the can and taking a long, satisfying sip. “I want Dad to meet them. I think he would really like Tracey. And I’m not going to stop being with her just because Mom acts like a monster… which is also not going to change.”
Tracey and I have told each other how we feel, but everything is still fresh and new. I don’t want to risk messing anything up between us. I don’t want to hurt her or Deja, so that meanstryingto keep Mom under control.
“I’m worried about Mom getting sick again, and I know I allow her to get away with shit and take things too far because of that. Drawing boundaries is hard for me when she could end up back in the hospital again in the blink of an eye.”
My brother chuckles. “I know. She isn’t focusing on my love life right now, but when she does, I’m going to be running for the hills and hiding.”
“I don’t know what I’m going to do about this entire mess. I don’t want to lose Tracey, but I don’t want to cut Mom off completely.”
Jason nods, staring at the TV. “You know, you’re going to have to go over there and talk to them about it. Mom won’t listen, but Dad will be able to keep her on a short leash so she doesn’t scare Tracey off.”
I consider it for a few minutes. As much as I don’t want to go see my mother, Jason is right. The only way to get her to behave—especially at a small family dinner—will be to get Dad on my side. He will hopefully keep my mother from acting like a complete animal.
“Well, I guess I know what I’m doing with the rest of my afternoon.”
****
It has been nearly five years since I’ve set foot on the family estate. Five years since I have walked through the door of a house that looks like it could double as a castle. Pulling up to the front door now brings back memories of how lonely I felt when I was growing up here.
“What are you doing here?” Dad asks as he stomps his cigarette beneath the toe of his shoe before picking it up and tossing it into a flowerpot.
“I need to talk to you and Mom about the birthday dinner this weekend.”
Dad looks at me for a moment, a frown crossing his face before he opens the door and leads the way inside. “I’m happy you’re here, even if it is to stir up more trouble with your mother.”
I follow him inside, walking through the winding hallways until we find my mother in her library. She puts her book to the side when we walk in, one leg crossing over the other at the knee.
“Yes?” she asks primly, folding her hands in her lap.
“I’m bringing Tracey and Deja to Dad’s birthday dinner. After the stunt you pulled a couple of weeks ago, I’m lucky she’s even still with me.”
“What stunt?” Dad asks, looking between me and Mom.
