Page 78 of Sexting My Ex's Dad

“Why? So you can sleep with him?” I ask, shocking her. “I mean that’s what you did to Aunt Vicky’s husband right? And your best friend, Sasha’s fiance? You’re good at that.”

“Stella…” Elio puts a hand on my shoulder.

But I can’t stop now. “You know what, Mom? You’re right. You are all alone. And you deserve to be, because you’re a horrible person. You’ll probably end up in a ditch somewhere, and do you know why? Because you’re too stupid to realize that you’ve wasted your entire life away.”

Immediately after I stop talking, my mother’s hand connects with my cheek, a stinging sensation that echoes off the walls. Shocked, I instinctively reach up to touch the already reddening mark she’s left on my skin.

She’s done a lot of things before, but hitting me…? That’s new. I guess that’s what happens when her usual tricks stop working.

“You don’t speak to your mother that way!” she yells.

I turn to look at her before I feel Elio’s hand yank me back, his glare pointed at my mother. “Don’t you ever lay a hand on Stella like that again.”

“Stay out of this!” Kendall snarls at him, her eyes wild and unfocused. Alcohol and drugs will do that to a person.

“Or what, Mom?” I shoot back. “You’ll hit me again? Go ahead. It doesn’t matter what you do. You’ve lost me forever. You may as well not have children anymore.”

“Get out of my house,” She seethes, her face contorted with rage. “Both of you!”

“Fine by me,” I retort. “I never want to see you again.”

“Stella,” Elio says softly, turning to look at me with concern etched into his handsome features. “Let’s go.”

“Good riddance!” Kendall spits after us, hatred dripping from every word.

As we walk away, I’m filled with a strange, hollow feeling. While part of me is relieved to be leaving this toxic environment behind, another part can’t help but wish my mom were different.

“She doesn’t mean it,” Elio says once we settle back in the car.

“I know she doesn’t.” Tears threaten to spill from my eyes and rage boils beneath my skin. “She’ll sober up, apologize, and then act like nothing happened. It’s a cycle. I don’t want to be a part of that woman’s cycle anymore.”

“Are you okay?” Elio asks.

“Fine,” I mutter, even though I’m anything but. “Or at least, I will be.”

“Stella.” Elio pulls my hands into his lap. “You don’t need to pretend with me. It’s okay to feel angry, hurt... or whatever you’re feeling right now.”

“Thank you,” I whisper, allowing myself to lean into him for a brief moment. As his arms envelop me in a warm embrace, I let the unspoken understanding between us soothe my frayed nerves.

“I’m sorry you had to go through that,” he apologizes.

I laugh mockingly, shaking my head. “No, I should be apologizing to you,” I tell him. “You shouldn’t have seen that.”

“None of this is your fault. You don’t need to apologize for anything.”

I swallow hard, trying to push down the lump in my throat. “It’s just... that’s my mom, you know? And she’s so…” I let out a breath. “I don’t want you to think less of me because of her.”

“Trust me, Stella. I don’t. You’re nothing like her.”

I offer him a small smile, and he bends down to kiss me on the forehead. “Where now?”

“I was going to visit my brother. You don’t have to come if you…”

He cuts me off. “Then, let’s go.”

As I watch him crank up the car, I realize that I’m falling for this man.

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