Page 35 of Edge of Heaven (Crimson Edge #2)

Taryn

I spend three days in Baton Rouge with Ryleigh.

I feel a little guilty that she’s paying for the room and stayed behind when Angus went home to Minnesota, but it’s been kind of nice.

Just us girls, hanging out, ordering takeout and watching movies.

It would have been better if I could move around more, but I haven’t had girl time like this since college.

And I didn’t realize how much I missed it until now.

“What are you doing?” I ask when I wake up on the fourth morning to find her packing.

“My man is waiting for me in our big, empty house. I need to go.” She seems happy and carefree, not at all concerned about abandoning me.

“I haven’t booked a flight yet or?—”

“Don’t worry. Hotel is paid for through Sunday, and your mom landed at the airport a little while ago, so you guys can fly back to L.A. together. Angus used his points to book both of you in first class. Consider it a gift from us.”

“Ryleigh!” I want to cry again, but instead I hurry over and hug her as tightly as I can manage with my sore ribs. “How did… I haven’t spoken to my mom.”

“I know.” She pulls away slightly. “But Mick did.”

“What?” I stare at her in confusion.

“She’ll explain. And stop being stubborn. There are people who love you. No one more than that guy you’ve been too proud to reach out to.”

I frown.

“But don’t worry—he’ll be waiting when you get your head out of your ass.”

“I don’t understand.”

“I know. But you will.” She finishes packing, calls for a cab, and then hugs me again. “Your mom is on her way and I have to go. I don’t know when I’m going to see you next, but let me know your plans once you figure them out.”

“Thank you,” I whisper. “For everything.”

“I know you don’t have a lot of experience with this, but this is what besties do. And don’t be too hard on Mick—he’s bent over backwards to be the man you need.”

“What does that mean?”

“Gotta run! Love you!” She grabs her suitcase and a moment later I’m alone.

I don’t even know what to do with this new development.

Why is my mother here? And what did Mick have to do with it?

I should reach out to him but I honestly don’t know what to say.

I’ve taken the last few days to just…be. I’ve checked in with Toby, of course, but beyond that, I needed to disconnect from almost everything. I stayed away from social media, the news, and even people like Stevie and Chey, though I did tell everyone I was taking a few days to recuperate.

Now it feels like I’ve missed a lot.

The knock on the door brings me back to the present and I open it slowly.

“Mom.”

“Hi, honey.” She comes in dragging a small carry-on suitcase with her. She hugs me for a moment, and we just stare at each other for a beat. Maybe longer.

“What are you doing here?”

“Well, your friend Mick and I had some very enlightening conversations, and he suggested I come here to get you since Ryleigh said you weren’t strong enough to travel on your own yet.”

“You…what?” I squint in confusion. “When did you talk to Mick? How did you talk to Mick?”

“He came to L.A.”

“He what?”

“Let’s sit down, sweetie.” She sinks into a chair and I ease myself into another.

“I need to know everything,” I say finally.

“First, I owe you an apology.” She seems tired and I feel a twinge of guilt about how much our relationship has devolved in the last few months.

“You don’t—” I begin.

“No, I do.” She hesitates. “I guess maybe I didn’t want to think about what was going on with you and Callum.”

“But I told you,” I say in frustration.

“I was stressed about Toby, burning the candle at both ends taking care of him, working, homeschooling…I convinced myself that even though you were breaking up with Callum before this all started, that he was your boyfriend and you’d simply been arguing or whatever.

Normal relationship stuff. I never really listened when you talked about how hard it was, how verbally and emotionally abusive he was.

I figured you were…exaggerating.” She shakes her head. “I’m sorry. I didn’t?—”

“We both had a lot on our plates,” I say magnanimously. It feels good to hear her acknowledge my sacrifice so there’s no need to make her feel any worse. She was under a lot of pressure too, just in a different way.

“I didn’t know he hit you!” She bursts out crying, sobbing into her hands and I reach for her arm.

“Mom, it hurts too much to hug you. Please don’t cry. I did it for Toby. And I’d do it all over again. You have to know that.”

“I didn’t know! I could have taken out a small loan, from my 401K—not for all of it, but you weren’t willing to get a regular job and I didn’t know what to do.

I didn’t even suggest it because at first I was stressed and panicking.

And by the time I realized, you were already back with Callum and the bills were being paid.

I thought…I am so sorry. I didn’t expect you to do— that . ”

“He’s my son. I’d do anything for him. Even though I haven’t been a good mom, I’m trying to be.”

“You were sixteen!” she says through her tears.

“Of course you weren’t a good mom. You were a kid.

Your dad and I were happy to take him, raise him, help you finish growing up without that burden.

If he hadn’t died things would have been different.

But I was grieving, totally unprepared to be a single mom in my forties. ”

“I’m sorry too.” Now I’m crying and the two of us sit there and sob for a while.

Finally, Mom gets up and grabs some tissues and we blow our noses.

Neither of us say anything for a while but then we start to talk.

About everything.

Going back to when I left college.

The struggles of trying to build a modeling career while flying back and forth to L.A. to spend time with my son.

How dating Callum had been nothing but a distraction at first and my eventual realization that he was a horrible person.

The resolution I made when he offered to pay for Toby’s new treatment, and the abuse I suffered because of it.

And finally, how through the worst of it, Mick was there. Patient, loving, understanding—ready and willing to do whatever it took for us to be together.

My stubborn refusal to let him help.

The details of what happened five days ago.

Then we cried some more.

“I’m sorry,” she whispers. “You should have told me what was happening. You should have made me listen.”

“I was ashamed,” I admit. “I became a prostitute, and I couldn’t bring myself to spell it out for you.”

“Don’t you ever say that!” she hisses. “Women have been relying on men to support them since the beginning of time. In this case, you did what you had to do for your child. No one will ever think less of you for that—certainly not me. And definitely not that boy waiting for you back in L.A.”

“Mick is still in L.A.?” I ask in confusion.

She gives me a strange look. “Well, I wasn’t going to leave Toby on his own without someone to look out for him. And they’re already best buds. Mick is great with him. You should see them together…”

“Mom!” I don’t know what to do with this crazy turn of events.

“If you’re up to it, we’ll fly home tomorrow. You and Mick need to talk.”

We do.

I didn’t realize how much.

“He paid the last two treatments, you know.”

“He what?” I stare at her. “How are you just telling me this now?”

“We’ve had a lot to discuss.”

“I borrowed the money from Ryleigh!”

“We know. She told him, but he asked her not to say anything until the two of you had a chance to talk.”

“Oh my god. I have to call him. I have to?—”

“No. Stop.” She gently takes my hand. “You’ll see him tomorrow. He knows we’re coming. It’ll be better to do it in person, okay?”

I know she’s right, but I can’t help myself.

We order dinner and then I slip into the bathroom and pull up WhatsApp.

It feels like we haven’t talked in a long time, and there’s so much to say.

But it’s only fair that I start.

TARYN: I love you .