Page 13 of Creed (Satan’s Fury MC- Little Rock #6)
“They could’ve had a break with me. I was going to take them to a movie and stop by that new taco food truck Austin’s been wanting to try, but neither of them was interested. They were determined to go to their father’s, and that was that.”
“Well, that’s silly. They would’ve enjoyed the movie and food truck.” There was no missing the disappointment in her voice when she added, “They need to start spending more time with you. This whole shunning you thing and making you out to be the bad guy is growing a little old.”
“A little,” I scoffed. “It’s been months, and they’re just now starting to come around.”
“Well, this new girlfriend might change some things.” She let out a breath before adding, “Sounds like she’s a real winner. Chrissy said she was a Barbie with a bad attitude. Whatever that means. I swear. The man’s got some nerve.”
“It’s been a year, Mom,” I replied flatly. “He has every right to move on.”
“Hmm. I guess.” She didn’t sound convinced. “Still seems fast. I figured he’d be too busy pining over you to chase some twenty-something in a string bikini.”
“He was done pining a long time ago.”
“Maybe so, but that doesn’t change the fact that Chrissy doesn’t care for this girl. That’s all I need to know.”
“That’s hardly a fair assessment.”
“Oh, I think it’s plenty fair. Chrissy is a wonderful girl, and she’s a great judge of character. If she doesn’t like this woman, there’s probably a good reason.”
“You’re right.”
“I usually am.”
I didn’t have the energy to argue with her. Not when my mind was still replaying every look Jameson and I had exchanged earlier. It was still so fresh on my mind, and it was hard not to be pulled back into the moment. Mom must’ve sensed that something was up because she asked, “Hey, are you okay?”
God, I hated that she could pick up on my mood from two counties away. I dropped my head into my hands as I grumbled, “I’m fine.”
“You know I’ve always been able to tell when you’re lying.”
“I’ve just had a long day. That’s all.”
“Well, the days might not feel so long if you had someone to come home to… You should start dating again.”
“What?”
“I mean it. Brian’s seeing someone, and like you said, it’s been a year.”
“I don’t think I have it in me to do the whole dating thing again.”
“Of course you do. You’re smart, you’re beautiful, and you’ve got a good job. You just need to put yourself out there and…”
“I went out Saturday night.”
“What? With whom?”
“Laura. We went to the new casino. Played a few games and had a few drinks.”
“Oh, well,” she said, completely unimpressed. “That’s not exactly what I meant by dating.”
“We had fun. I drank too much, and I stayed out too late. But it was nice to get out, and I enjoyed spending some time with Laura. Oh, and umm… I saw Jameson today.”
I don’t know what I was thinking. It just came out.
The line went silent. I wasn’t sure if the call had dropped, so I asked, “Mom?”
“I do not like that boy.”
“Oh, good grief. He’s not a boy,” I countered. “He’s a grown man. And you loved him when we were dating.”
“Well, that was before he hurt you. Now, I don’t like him, and I’m not sure I ever will.”
“We were kids. We hurt each other .”
“You forgive too easily. You always have. That boy broke your heart. You were a mess for months. Years, if we’re being honest, and that’s not the kind of thing you just get over.”
“I never said I was over it, but we’re different people now. We’ve both grown and learned things, and from what I could tell, he seemed good. Even better than he was back then, and that’s saying something. He was really good to me.”
“Until he wasn’t.”
“He was never bad to me, Mom. He just couldn’t… It doesn’t matter. We both made our mistakes.”
“I still don’t understand why he had to keep you two a secret. It made no sense. It still doesn’t.”
“It was complicated, Mother.”
“Oh, you called me Mother. That means I’ve hit a nerve. I’ll stop while I’m ahead. Just know I’m not a fan of him or his motorcycle. The very idea of you riding on that awful thing.”
“And to think, I rode it and lived to tell about it.”
“Yes, I definitely hit a nerve. Might ask yourself why.”
“I’ve gotta go. I have a ton of papers to grade, and I have class in an hour.”
“Okay. Okay.” She sighed, long and heavy.
“I’ll just say one more thing... I’ve always been one of those who believe there are far better things ahead of us than anything or anyone we leave behind, but if you think there’s something unresolved between you two, then you should go figure out what it is.
Otherwise, you will spend God knows how long wondering if he’s your one. ”
“Okay. I’ll think about it.”
Her words dripped with sarcasm when she added, “Who knows? He really could be the one. I don’t think so, but stranger things have happened.”
“Um-hmm… Goodbye, Mother.”
“Goodbye, dear. Call me tomorrow!”
I ended the call and tried not to let what she’d said get to me, but it did. Mainly because I knew she was right. About Brain, the new girlfriend, Chrissy, and Jameson. Especially Jameson.
I knew when I walked out all those years ago things were left unfinished between us, and I’d known it ever since.
It was time I got out of my damn head and did something about it.