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That was it.I couldn’t allow her to say anything more.Her words would only get more vile and cruel.She hated it when anyone went against what she wanted.She was used to getting her way.Sylvia had gotten that from her.
“NO!”I said, stepping between Cleo and Sarah.“You will not stand in this house that you do not own and speak to my niece like this, spouting lies.Wilder never abandoned her, and you know it.Sarah knows it.Wilder divorced Sylvia.But he never turned his back on either of them.She belongs with her father.HE is her parent.The law says he is her legal guardian, and he should be.HE should have been for years now, but he didn’t want to put Sarah through that.The battle.He did the best he could with the situation he had.He has always been there for his daughter.”
Cleo pointed her finger at me.“SHUT UP!You are pathetic!After all these years, you are still defending him!You make me sick!Sarah isn’t your niece.She’s not your blood.You never treated her mother like a sister.You hated her for being better than you.You hated my beautiful, precious girl for being the one that Wilder LOVED!”
“Not true.”I stopped her as my weak heart ached, just hearing her say the words.I didn’t need a reminder.“Sarah is my niece.This is not about the past and what was.It was nine years ago.I’m not that girl anymore.The only thing between Wilder and me is, we both love Sarah and want what is best for her.This is all about Sarah.Stop making it about yourself.”
Cleo’s furious glare held me, but I didn’t flinch.I wouldn’t move and let her get to Sarah.She wasn’t going to cause any more pain.Sarah had dealt with more than enough in her short life.
Belladonna moved toward Cleo, her body tense and her teeth bared.
“No, Bella,” I ordered.
She swung her head in my direction, then dropped it as she backed up to stand in front of Sarah again.
“I am going with my dad,” Sarah said loudly.“Stop talking to my aunt Oaky like that, or I will never come visit you again.”
Cleo’s face reddened like she had been slapped, and then she turned her murderous glare to me.“You did this.THIS is your fault.I won’t forgive you for this, and neither will your father.I will tell him how cruel and pathetic you acted today.How you completely defiled all my daughter had built.He’ll believe me.You are no longer welcome in our home,” she hissed at me, then spun around and stalked out of the house.
I didn’t move after the screen door slapped against the wooden doorframe and bounced once before latching.I watched as Cleo climbed into her Cadillac and spun out of the driveway.I wasn’t sure if my father was going to believe her and if she would hold this against me.Truly keeping me from going to my dad’s home.I also didn’t care.I had done the right thing.Sarah hadn’t needed to see her father fighting with her grandmother.
“Thank you.”Wilder’s deep voice still managed to affect me.Even if it wasn’t as powerful of an emotion as it had once been.The sound of it would probably always make me feel something.
I turned around and looked at Sarah, who was watching me.Her eyes red and cheeks wet from tears.Cleo had caused that.
Lifting my gaze to Wilder’s, I said, “Call me whenever you need me to help.I’ll be there.”
He looked unsure.As if he, too, was ready to bar me from his life and Sarah’s.I couldn’t go without seeing her.She was the only family I truly had.My dad had chosen Cleo years ago.I’d slowly lost him to her.When I thought of family now, it was only Sarah I considered as mine.
“I will,” he replied in a tone that didn’t sound very convincing.
Unable to look into his dark gaze longer than necessary, I dropped my eyes back to Sarah’s.“The worst is over.She’ll regret it eventually, I promise,” I told her.
Sarah wiped at her face as she sniffled.“Okay.”Her voice was soft.“But she didn’t even tell me goodbye.”
I wanted to go run down that stupid, overpriced car my dad had bought Cleo and grab her by the hair on her head and shake her.Why did it always have to be about her?Why couldn’t she see how her actions affected others?Especially the only grandchild she was ever going to have.My children would probably not even get the chance to know my dad, much less her.She’d make sure of it.That was, if I ever had any.Some days, I doubted I’d get the chance.
“She’ll regret that, and when she makes it up to you, it will be with some elaborate gift,” I told her.“You could ask for that iPad you’ve been wanting,” I suggested with a wink.
A small giggle came from her, and it was like a balm to my soul.
“I’ll go load your things.You can say your goodbyes to Oakley,” Wilder told Sarah, then turned and headed to the stairs.Not once looking back at me.No words or promises of when I could see Sarah again.He had reasons to hate me that I understood.There had been times over the years I had hated myself for the same reasons.
He couldn’t keep Sarah from me.I had come today to help.I had been here to face down the Wicked Witch for them.I had hoped that would win me some trust or a sliver of forgiveness.Not that I cared about how Wilder felt about me.I just wanted him to allow me to continue to be a part of Sarah’s life.
Three
Oakley
Eleven Years Ago
The energy from tonight’s win had everyone buzzing.Although I understood nothing about the plays they were talking about, it was fun to listen to their excitement.Tucked in close to Wells Jones, the Bulldogs quarterback, I felt lucky.I knew every girl in this restaurant wanted to be me.But I wasn’t with Wells because he was the number one quarterback pick in the nation.
The reasons I liked him had nothing to do with football.He was fun, we laughed a lot, and my stepmother didn’t approve of his family.They weren’t God-fearing church folks.Which I doubted was the real reason.
Wells’s family was powerful here in this small town.There were four families that owned most everything.Including the place we were currently in right now.The Jones family was one of those.My stepmother was just angry I was dating him and my stepsister wasn’t.Even if she was too old to be dating a high school boy.
“I can’t believe you signed with fucking Bama, man,” Storm Kingston groaned, reaching for his drink.“You’re a Georgia boy.They wanted you.We could be playing together next year.”
