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She sat down, tucked her hands under her thighs, and swung her legs, staring at his bike. That five minutes was coming to a close, but he wouldn’t push her. Hades reached into his chest pocket, pulled out a cigarette, and lit it. Then, he continued to change the oil on his motorcycle.
Trista had called him earlier and given him the details of the call with her mom. She’d insisted he keep it between them, and he’d agreed. Vada would open up when she was ready. He glanced over, watching her sigh and look up. She’s ready.
“I don’t want to spend the rest of my life trying to prove myself to someone who can’t accept me for who I really am.”
Hades took a deep drag of his cigarette. “You shouldn’t.”
Vada bit her lip and nodded. She may have found some resolution, but she still had lingering doubts.
“I uninvited her to the wedding.”
Or maybe she didn’t.
His hand stilled at his mouth as the smoke billowed in front of his face. Did he hear her right?
“You what?”
Her shoulders propped up to her ears, and she scrunched her nose. All of that aside, the bright pink shade of her face was a telltale sign he’d heard her right. Holy fuck.
Hades took a deep drag from his cigarette, waiting for her to elaborate. But it seemed Vada needed some coaxing.
“Break it down for me.”
“I really thought I was over it or, at the very least, moved past it.” Vada shook her head and glanced up. “Then everyone started talking about their family coming in for the wedding. People I barely know had marked their calendars and made travel arrangements just to come to our wedding. And my family couldn’t be bothered.” Vada drew in a breath, scanning the yard. “I just wanted to know why. I mean, there’s got to be a reason, right?”
Hades scoffed. “Yeah, they’re assholes.”
It was the first time he’d seen her smile since she got home.
“Last night, I completely lost my—”
“Shit?”
Vada chuckled. “I was going to say mind, but yes. I lost my shit. I’ve never even raised my voice to either of my parents.” She shook her head. “It was as if something snapped inside me. I couldn’t stop myself. And the strangest part about it? I don’t regret anything I said because it was the truth. Even now, being completely sober, it was all true and how I feel.”
“Is that when you told her she wasn’t invited?”
Vada grazed her teeth over her bottom lip, shaking her head. “I called her this morning. I didn’t want her to dismiss everything I said last night as a drunken rant. I wanted her to know I stand by everything I said. That it was truly how I feel.”
Hades remained silent, knowing Vada wasn’t done.
“I’m okay with them not coming. I came to terms with it after that whole incident with Allie. My family aren’t the kind of people I want around her. It’s strange because I spent my whole life feeling less than because I wasn’t like them. And now I take a good hard look, and I’m glad I’m not. Seeing how my mother’s words cut so deep with Allie, it just changed everything for me, I think. I don’t want Allie growing up thinking she ever has to prove anything to me, you, or anyone.”
This. This right here was the reason he’d fallen so hard, so quickly, for Vada Zink. Her beauty was undeniable; very few matched her intellect, and her quirkiness was his undoing. But this? Her heart. That’s what he fell for above all the rest. Fuck, I love this woman.
“Can I tell you something?”
“Yeah.”
Her eyes welled. “I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t disappointed. I really thought my mom and I were building something this last year. I thought she’d changed. I kind of got a little lost in my head, thinking maybe there’d be something in the future. Nothing crazy, but coming to the wedding, meeting you and Allie, and seeing how wonderful you are and how much you mean to me.” Vada shrugged, sniffling. “I thought she’d see what I see and want to be a part of our lives. That’s the hardest part to let go of. What could’ve been.”
This was fucking beautifully tragic and heartbreaking. Hades was getting a real glimpse of their life together through Vada’s eyes. How much she truly loved him and Allie. And how she wanted her mother to be a part of that.
He tossed his cigarette into the empty beer bottle near his bike and moved to the bench. Vada stood, and he grasped her hips, pulling her against his chest.
“What do you need from me?”
Vada tightened her hold over him. “This.”
