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I'm not even here for five minutes before Dagger walks in with Melanie, and I grin while walking over to her. I can't believe he managed to convince her to fucking come. When he told me at the beginning of the week, I thought she'd back out. I mean, he did let someone else blow him off; he cheated, and yet here she is for the man she loves, knowing how hard he finds it being around our parents for reasons I still don't understand.
I grab her in a hug, and she hugs me back as I rasp "Hey sweets" in her ear, fucking happy she showed for my brother.
She pulls back and smiles when Dagger growls like a fucking dog, putting his arm around her waist and showing off her flat stomach in her black dress while I shake my head. The man's fucking possessive of her, and I know the feeling that's for sure with my girl. Mom comes into view and goes to hug Dagger after dismissing Mel, who tries to step forward with anger in her eyes. I furrow my brows in confusion before I realize—she knows Dagger's issues.
Mel steps in Mom's way so she can't touch Dag, which is weird that Mom tried to begin with, considering that for as long as I can remember, he has hated contact unless it's with his girl. For years, Dagger has been disconnected from our family, and things will come out tonight based on the look on Mel's face.
What did my brother go through that I'm unaware of?
What did my parents do?
I clear my throat, hoping to ease the tension. "Mom, I don't think you've met, but this is Daggers woman Melanie. Mel, this is my mother, Leslie."
Mel smiles at me, refusing to look at my mother before mom clears her throat. Her voice tightens as she speaks, and my defense goes up higher.
"Come on in and sit; the food has all been served."
We all listen and sit before Dad sits at the head of the table while Mom sits to his right. I sigh as she pats the seat next to her, but I just shake my head and sit to Dad's left, reaching over to grab my plate and making Mom scowl while Dagger and Mel sit near me. The food is already dished, and I go to grab my fork before I see Mel switch hers and Dagger's plates, making me sit back in my seat in confusion while Mom sucks in a breath and things start to click into place. My nativity hits me full force with what my mother had been up to growing up.
There's only one reason why Mel would take Dag's plate: the food isn't fucking cooked!
My mother clears her throat before Dad speaks, tilting his head, "Mel darling, what are you doing?" Dagger tenses while Mel becomes sweet and innocent right before my eyes as she plays mom's game, making me want to snort while she shrugs, "It's our thing, right Trav?" She looks at him with the sweetest smile, but we all see the anger. Dagger tries to divert it by kissing her, making me bite my lip at the danger he's putting himself in as he rasps, "Yeah, Precious, we do."
Brave man.
She smiles at him, but her anger hasn't disappeared, and mine intensifies when I see she's willing to eat the food before she picks up her fork, stabbing it into the raw fucking chicken. I know Dag won't let her eat it, but I can't sit back any longer.
What the fuck has my mother been doing to him all these years?
As I grab her fork, each memory of her snide comments and dirty looks towards him comes back in full force. Every time she denies him eating with us, was she fucking starving him?
My anger grows as I bark out,
"What the fuck? Mom, why is this chicken still pink? It looks fucking raw!"
Her eyes widen like she's in shock, but I see the cruelty in her eyes; her shit still stinks.
"Oh my, I'm so sorry, Mel; I had no idea."
Mel snorts, shaking her head.
Mom's game is well and truly fucking over: "You are aware that my chicken on MY plate is cooked perfectly."
I swallow hard, remembering a time he ended up in the ER with food poisoning.
I look at my father, expecting him to be angry, but nope, instead, he shrugs and starts to fucking eat. Are you fucking kidding me? I go to say something, but Mel beats me to it. Anger laces her voice, making Dagger grab her leg to keep her in her seat.
"Are you seriously just eating like your wife didn't try to poison your son?"
Everyone at the table shoots their heads in her direction. Still, she doesn't back down and stares at the man I call dad, a man I'm starting to understand why Dagger doesn't: "You are literally just sitting there, ignoring what she tried to do to your child? Have you any idea what that meat could have done to him? How sick would he have gotten? She literally just seared it to make it look cooked."
Her voice gets louder while Dad's face goes red.
"Now listen here, little miss. I understand you have a crush on my son, and I know he thinks he's in love with you when, in reality, he'll move on next week, but this has nothing to do with you. Leslie didn't do it intentionally; it's an honest mistake."
I look towards my mother to see her smirk widen, and I see her with new eyes, everything over the years flashing back quicker.
Dagger snorts, but I keep my eyes on Mom, watching her every fucking move.
