AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“I’m sorry about your mom.”
Tory shakes her head dismissively. “Don’t be. In life, we must learn to live with the consequences of our choices. My Ma chased an empty dream and couldn’t live with the disappointment. It’s her fault.”
I realize then that she’s angry. She harbors a deep-rooted bitterness against her mom that she hasn’t been able to express or even process. Beneath all that aloofness is a deep hurt that she’s not ready to face.
“So, your mom could have been involved with Edward at some point in those fifteen years,” I say, maneuvering the conversation away from the more personal details and back to the matter at hand.
Tory shakes her head. “I don’t think so… Wait. Where exactly is your hometown?”
“Cornwall.”
“Cornwall,” Tory repeats as if testing the name on her tongue. She suddenly sits upright, her eyes lighting up with awareness. “Cornwall, England? I remember once my aunt complaining about my Ma running off to Europe when she was supposed to be in New Orleans resting. But I can’t remember where she went.”
“Can you remember when that was?” I ask with a slight frown.
Tory seems to think about the question for a few seconds, then shrugs. “I was twelve almost thirteen. So I guess it was about thirteen years ago. I’m not so sure.”
That’s about the same time I left home.
That seems like a big coincidence. I shake my head slightly to ward off the confusing thoughts blowing up in my mind.
“I’ll have Snake look into it. He should be able to find out what she did and who she was with. We’ll start from there and see how that goes.”
Tory nods solemnly. She raises her eyes to mine, and I feel my heart constrict painfully in response to the deep sadness in those huge brown eyes of hers.
“What if Mama did something really unforgivable in her quest for power?” she asks in a small voice. “What if she really…,” she trails off and looks away with a heavy sigh. “I don’t know what to think,” she mutters under her breath.
“All of this is overwhelming, but you shouldn’t let him get to you, you know?” I say in a quiet tone, looking into her deep brown eyes. I wish I could hold her hands in mine and take away all the confusing emotions she feels. “Edward enjoys toying with people. He plants fear and doubt in the hearts of people and uses fear as a weapon to control them. Don’t let him do that to you, Tory.”
“If you know that, why do you let him do it to you?” she asks me in a matter-of-fact tone.
I’m startled by the question. “What do you mean?”
Tory shrugs. “You let him control you. I think he has for a long time.”
“That’s not true. I….”
“You’ve grown up since it started, but the little boy who ran away from home is still in there,” she continues calmly. “You’re uncertain of yourself because you think your gift defines you, and now that he’s taken it away from you, you feel so small. You walk around with your chin tucked into your chest. You don’t think you’re worth your presence here, nor do you trust your brothers enough to accept you without your power. But this all comes from your fear of him. Why do you let him have so much power over you?”
All I can do is stare at her, shaking my head in disbelief. “So, you have me all figured out, huh? Do you think you can summarize my whole life just because you were privy to some of my memories? How presumptuous of you, don’t you think?”
“I… I just....”
“I think we’d better stop here,” I say. I snap the book in my hand shut and slide off my bed, grabbing my motorcycle keys from the bedside drawer. “I need to get some air.”
She nods wordlessly and turns her attention to the view outside the window.
I swallow down the frustration that swelled in my chest, and I head toward the door.
I wonder what hurt more, the truth of what she said or her cold dismissal.
* * *
Iwatch him laugh at something Buffy said while handing him a glass of some fuzzy green drink. I couldn’t get my mind off him the whole day. I’d hate to think that I unintentionally hurt him.
It’s been barely six hours since the argument we had in his room, but it feels like a decade has passed since then. I feel my chest constrict with guilt and sadness. I had felt so upset from speaking about my ma that I’d been too quick to turn things around on him. Maybe somewhere in there, I had some good intentions. I wanted him to see his insecurities and let go of them, but I’d been insensitive with my tone and choice of words. I want to apologize, but I can’t find the courage to close the distance between us.
“Hey, Tory?”
