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“I know you didn’t. But I’d stop at nothing to make sure your future looked bright. I was able to buy your first car and afford to send you to college. I never stopped thinking about your future. This is what parents do. They look out for their children.”
Guilt stabs me in the chest.
“But again, it was so lonely. I don’t want that for you. I’veneverwanted that for you.”
Movement from Peyton catches my attention and I watch as she wipes a tear from her eye as my eyes land back on my mom.
“You need to know that you can be independent and strong,andopen your heart to someone at the same time. What your dad did to us by walking out, not every man out there will do that. I forgave him a long time ago.”
“How can you just forgive him like that? After what he did to you?”
“Oh honey.” Her tone is much more sympathetic. “It’s taken years of therapy.”
“Maybe that’s what I’ve needed all this time too.”
She shakes her head. “I’m so sorry, Ave. I wish I knew back then this was going to affect you the way that it has, because I would’ve sent you as a child. You were so young when he left. I just assumed you weren’t going to be affected by it.”
“I wasn’t. It’s just, I only had you to watch growing up. I saw how amazing you were and I wanted to be just like you. I never want to give someone the chance to do what dad did to you.”
“I wouldn’t change anything. I’ve always had you.”
“I love you, Mom.” I lean over to wrap my arms around her.
“I love you too, honey.” She returns my embrace. “I want you to be happy. I know you’re happy with the way your life is. But you need to know that for so many people, having apersonto confide in and be there through good and bad times, just adds to the happiness of life.”
“I can attest to that,” Peyton pipes up, wiping another tear from her eye. “Ave, you know I swore off relationships. I was cheated on and treated so poorly in my past and just had a bad taste in my mouth for men. I swore up and down that I would never do it again.”
“And look at her now, Ave,” Kali says.
“I have never been happier. Not every guy out there is Richard.”
Richard. The bastard from Peyton’s past who cheated on her and basically ruined her for all future men until Thomas came along. She was dead set on never doing a relationship thing after she walked in on him eating his secretary out on his desk.
“You mean Dick,” I snicker.
“Po-tay-to, Po-tah-to,” she repeats words I’ve said to her in the past.
“I mean it, Avery.” My mom laughs at our banter. “If you feel any ounce of happiness with Marc, despite whatever this situation you two are in, you should go after it. Everyone is deserving of good in their life. Especially you.”
My heart beats wildly in my chest at the thought of a future with Marc.
But for the first time, I don’t feel uneasy about it.
This is the Mondayest Tuesday that ever existed.
From someone who usually works seven days a week, taking three days off for the holiday weekend to spend at my brother's house outside the city was a lot for me. That means I woke up today with dread in my gut for all the work that I didn’t accomplish over the weekend. Combined with anxious energy to see Avery again.
After our little…what are we calling that thing that happened in the kitchen at six in the fucking morning?I don’t know, but afterthat, I didn’t see her again.
She went to spend the day with her mom and the girls, and by the time they returned, I had already left to head back to the city to get ready for the week. I was exhausted to say the least.
I was up that morning before the sun because I couldn’t get thoughts of my fake fucking fiancé out of my head. I tossed and turned until I saw four A.M. on the clock, and I finally gave up trying to sleep, and hit the pavement.
It worked. I felt more relieved until she walked into the kitchen wearing her little silk pajama set that sent all the blood in my body straight to my dick.
I almost kissed her.
I almost broke the very rule that she set for me.
