Page 69

“I’ve been nice about it up until now, but that little stunt you pulled went way too far. Steph and I have a son. We’re moving forward. We have a future together, and you’re not a part of it. You understand? It’s time for you to go.”

Blakely lurched forward one stumbling step, and she half-raised her free hand like she wanted to slap me.

I wasn’t fazed. I glanced over to the front window.

Rome was glowering outside, watching us carefully.

All I needed to do was one little motion, and he’d come in here and drag Blakely outside to kick her to the curb.

“I know Steph told you not to lay a finger on me,” I said. “Not that I need him or the enforcers to defend me. I could kick your ass myself. But you’ve got to see it now, Blakely. There’s no one left on your side. It’s over.”

After a long moment of fuming, Blakely slammed her coffee cup onto the counter so hard the drink sloshed over the paper edges of the cup. “Whatever. I’m better off without that liar, anyway. You can have him.”

I said nothing, just took a sip of my coffee and smiled. If getting the last word in would make her feel better, I’d let her have that. As long as she finally left us the hell alone.

“And he’s not my damn problem anymore. So when he screws you over, don’t come running to me.”

“I won’t,” I said. “I can promise you that.”

Blakely stormed out of the café, leaving the mess of her coffee all over the counter. Outside, she threw a dark look at Rome, spat at his feet, and stormed away.

“She seems nice,” the barista said as she cleaned up the mess on the counter.

“Yeah. Sorry about that.” I stuffed a ten-dollar bill into the tip jar, finished my coffee, then stepped outside the cafe.

“She drove off,” Rome said before I could even ask where she went. “Hopefully into the sunset forever. Looks like you really pissed her off.”

“I just said my piece,” I said. “Hopefully she listens this time and stays out of my business.”

“I wouldn’t want to get on your bad side, Miss Harley.”

“What did I say about calling me Miss?”

The door of the bar slammed open. “I thought I heard you running your mouth,” an all-too familiar voice slurred. “Weren’t you supposed to go back to Georgia?”

My mother stepped out of the bar. She was dressed in jeans and a nice blouse, but her gray hair was a little disheveled and her cheeks were flushed.

I glanced at the bar’s dark windows. The place didn’t even open until eleven, which meant she probably arrived right when they unlocked the doors and started pounding drinks.

“Plans changed, Mom. I’m sticking around for a little while longer.”

“And hanging out with all these dragons, too, it looks like,” she said with a sneer. “What a waste of your p-potential,” she stuttered around a hiccup.

“Jesus, Mom, you’ve really been throwing them back this morning, huh?”

“I just had a few mimosas,” she said curtly. “What, a woman can’t have a few brunch drinks?”

“When are you going to get your life together?” I asked. Suddenly I felt exhausted. “You can’t keep living this way.”

“Who are you to tell me how to live?” Mom shot back. “My life’s perfectly fine the way it is. I’m a success, but apparently my daughter’s ashamed of me.”

“That’s not what I said?—”

“You’ve always been such a disappointment,” Mom said. “Moving so far away, ignoring my calls, keeping me away from my grandson. Now you’re here in Lakeview and won’t even visit. What kind of daughter are you?”

“Miss Founty,” Rome said as he stepped closer, “I think that’s enough.”

“Stay out of this, dragon scum,” Mom snapped. “This is between me and my daughter.”

I sighed. It hurt my heart to see my mother like this, but honestly, it didn’t surprise me.

I was used to her binges, and she always got this mean, catty, and demanding when she was shit-faced.

But now, she didn’t have the same power over me that she had when I was a teenager. I wasn’t afraid of her anymore.

But God, I was seriously done with today—and it was hardly noon.

“I just want you to get some help, Mom,” I said. “When you’re ready to do that, you give me a call.”

“I don’t need help!” Mom shouted at my back as I walked away. “You do!”

It was no use trying to reason with her when she was drunk.

There was no use in trying to get her to go to rehab, either.

I’d tried it once when I was younger. She’d gone into a rehab program, but she hadn’t wanted to be there.

All it had done was make her angrier, and she’d returned to the bottle with a vengeance.

I learned my lesson then. She wouldn’t be getting any help until she wanted to, and at this point in my life, I assumed that would be never.

I walked back toward my car, and my mother staggered back into the bar. As I approached the sedan, Rome quickened his stride to walk next to me. “Are you okay, Harley?”

At least he didn’t call me Miss Harley again. It would’ve been so much worse now that I’d heard him call my mother Miss Founty.

“I’m fine.”

“All right,” Rome said, but he didn’t sound completely convinced. “Where to, now?”

“Back home.” I smiled. “Thanks for being my backup.”

As I climbed into the sedan, I realized I really was fine.

I wasn’t just pretending to be okay while my heart broke.

It was annoying, and it sucked, but I couldn’t control Blakely, nor could I control my mother.

Their choices were their own. I didn’t need to waste any more of my precious time trying to fix my mother’s life.

It was time for me to focus on my own life with my son, and with Steph.

Steph, who was waiting for me at home.

Our home, a small voice at the back of my head said.

I made it back in record time and hurried into the house. Dylan, Cassidy, and Striker were still gone—flying, I assumed—and Steph was waiting for me in the kitchen. I rushed across the house and all but fell into his arms. He laughed and spun me in a slow circle before kissing me. “How’d it go?”

I tipped my forehead against his shoulder with a sigh. “As good as it could’ve, I guess. I think Blakely’s still pretty damn delusional, but at least she knows now that she can’t push me around.”

“Damn right,” Steph said with a grin. “That’s my girl.”

He gave me another searing kiss, and I wound my arms around his neck.

“It’s different now,” Steph said.

“Why’s that?” I asked against his lips.

“Because this time, I’m never letting you go.”

“Back at you,” I said with a smile.