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“Can I help you?” the man working behind the counter asked but I gestured after the women that just left the room.
“I’m with them,” I told him as I hurried after. Dean stayed behind like I asked and I was glad he trusted me enough to do this.
They entered a room down the hall just as I caught up. At least I knew which door to knock on and I slowed to a walk, breathing deep for a moment to regain my composure.
My hand shook but my knock was steady. There was a shuffle behind the door before my mother opened it.
She looked shocked to see me before her expression turned guarded. It was surprising to see her show any sort of real emotion these days.
“Eleanor, what are you doing here?” Of course, she couldn’t just call me Ellie, like I'd asked her to do many times .
“That’s what I actually came to find out from you,” I said, keeping my voice light and friendly. “This has gone on far enough. I’d like to know why you are still in Lockwood and what you hope to accomplish by staying.”
“I… uh,” she stuttered out, her eyes wide now.
“Tell me, what are you hoping to accomplish by staying here? It hasn’t fixed anything between us. Or Micah and Tori for that matter. You haven’t even come to speak to any of us in weeks, which is nuts considering your usual lack of boundaries.”
“But… I,” she continued to flounder with what to say.
“I just want you to leave. What do we need to do to make that happen?”
The fact that she almost looked hurt was comical.
Movement behind her caught my eye and I noticed my beta father and Morgan standing to the side, watching this entire thing unfold.
“Brent, why don’t you join us, too? I’m sure you have some say in this matter… oh, that’s right, you keep your mouth shut and stay out of things, right?”
Now the bitterness was clear in my voice and he looked downright sad. That was something I wasn’t expecting. He was almost as closed off as Mom was.
I also wasn’t expecting him to move past Morgan to stand next to my mother. He wasn’t the confrontational sort and my voice was borderline aggressive now.
“I’m sorry we failed you,” he said. “Things are hard sometimes, and I wish I could just…” He trailed off and I couldn’t figure out where he was going with it.
Was this actual remorse I was detecting?
Even my mother looked shaken now.
“What are you talking about?” I demanded. It was only adding fuel to my anger. I shouldn’t have to fight to get a straight answer.
“They’re talking about the fact that your alpha father abuses them,” Morgan said bluntly. I didn’t even bother to look her way, instead, I focused in on my parents’ faces.
Both of their gazes had dropped to the floor and was that shame on Mom’s face? What the hell?
“He hits you?” I questioned. I wasn’t really sure what to do with that information and I didn’t know if that changed anything, honestly.
“No,” my mother answered. “He’s far too controlling for that to happen. So far, at least. He’s been more unhinged lately.” She gave a bitter laugh before Brent took over.
“Instead, he ensures that we’re perfect all the time. From our home to our appearance, that everything in our life is perfect.”
“Except me,” I said. My voice sounded hollow and they both let out a sigh.
Mom shrugged. “You were the only thing I couldn’t control for him. Even Micah and Tori fell in line to some extent. I tried to shield you guys from him the best I could but it didn’t matter in the end. I fucked you up myself.” It wasn’t an apology, but a fact.
“You did,” I agreed. “You taught me to hate myself, that I was never worthy, never good enough. Do you know how it feels to learn that from your own mother? The one person in your life that is supposed to love you unconditionally?”
She shook her head as tears glistened in her eyes. “I was never a mother.” She said the words with enough regret in her tone that I was taken aback. Wherever I thought this conversation was going to go, it was nothing like this.
“She never got the chance to be,” Brent defended her. “But, I think it’s time for us to finally leave.”
