AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Why do you seem surprised?”
She shrugged, and her lips turned down. “Mom would have been pissed.”
“I’m not your mother.”
“Trust me, I know. But also…” Her words drifted off, and she picked at invisible lint on her shirt.
“Also, what?”
“Never mind.”
There was nothing I hated more than someone insinuating they were going to tell you something, only for them to play coy. It was rude. “No, tell me. Also, what?”
“I just… I’ve always gotten the impression you don’t like me.”
Okay, so we were doing this. I uncrossed my legs and slid to the edge of the chair, locking my gaze on Parker. “The relationship with Dad and your mom is complicated. You’re the product of Dad cheating on my mom.”
“I know that, but that’s not my fault. I didn’t ask to be born, and I sure as hell didn’t ask to be born into this situation. And I’m sure it’s hard, but I feel like I’m always being punished because of it.”
Was she seriously about to play the martyr? When she was the one who showed up on my doorstep, needing a place to stay and wanting to spend time with me. Now she was pulling this shit. Maybe Laurent was wrong. Maybe she was exactly like her mother. This had Marion all over it.
“But you have to understand the situation.”
“It’s been twenty-three years, though. Don’t you think it’s time to let it go?”
“Let it go?” I pushed from the chair and wanted to pounce on her, but managed to find some shred of restraint.
“People get divorced all the time. Dad and your mom weren’t the first.”
My mouth parted, but I didn’t even have words. “You have one thing right. You weren’t born yet, so you have no idea what hell my mother and I went through. And yeah, maybe it has been twenty-three years, and I should get over it, but for me it doesn’t feel like twenty-three years.”
Some days it felt like only yesterday when Dad walked out the door, never to return. Some days it felt like yesterday when Mom and I held each other, each trying not to cry in order to be strong for one another.
I grabbed my bag and yanked the strap on my shoulder.
“Where are you going?”
“To Laurent’s.”
“Phoebe, I’m sorry.”
I wanted to ignore her apology, run out the door, and not look back, but the tone in her voice was genuine. I turned around and held my hand up, so she didn’t come closer. “It’s late. I’m tired. Probably not the best time for this conversation.”
“I don’t want to kick you out of your own place, but then again, I’m sure you’d rather be with Laurent than me.”
“I want to get some sleep. So make yourself comfortable. We’ll talk later.” I shut the door, got in the elevator, and headed to the one place I should stay away from, but the only place I wanted to be.
Fifteen minutes later, I pulled into Laurent’s driveway. The house looked even larger at night beneath the stars and full moon. An intimidating structure of stucco with natural stones lining the bottom half, one pillar and the turret. Four eaves emphasized the grandiose façade, and while it should look out of place in the small town, it didn’t. The muted earth tones and dark wood accents nestled perfectly into the trees that lined the property and the mountain that rose behind it.
Most of the lights were off, but a few were still on. His car was in the driveway, and I was happy to see it was just his car and no one else's. I wouldn’t want to walk in on him and someone. I don’t think I could handle it, even if that made me unreasonable and selfish.
Of course he’d want kids. No one would buy a house this large, no matter how much money they had, and not want to fill it with children.
For a split second, I imagined kids with Laurent’s eyes and my blonde hair, running up and down the stone path. Jumping off the porch steps and barging through the door. Sadness settled in my heart, and as much as I wanted to ignore it, I couldn’t.
Each step forward I wanted to take back, but before I could stop myself, I rapped my knuckles against the dark wood door.
“What’d you forget?” Laurent asked as he opened the door, but when his eyes landed on me, his eyebrows pulled together. Dark stubble dotted his jaw, and he looked sexier than ever.
