Page 69 of The Impact (Parachutes #3)

Chapter Seventeen

Tahli

Tahli’s scalp throbbed. Vin had hurt her. In turn, she had gifted that pain to Drew. Somehow, she and Vin passed it on to their children. Maybe that was how pain worked. Circling around until it found each person. Like energy. Like hate. Like love.

She felt awful about what she had done to Drew.

But Tahli battled with so many other emotions, it was hard to dwell in that guilt.

The more she considered it, she and Drew housed similar demons.

Both desperate for the security of partnership again.

Afraid what they would find if they sat with themselves for too long.

No one there to make up for where you fall short. What if you weren’t enough?

Drew was the good guy that Tahli she should want.

Because what the fuck did that mean if she didn’t?

It would mean she was Cree Autumn not wanting her good guy, Tahli’s father.

Perhaps, Robert’s resentment of Drew lingered somewhere in there.

Like watching himself try to become enough for someone.

But they were all a pile of demons. Because Tahli had loved a man for a lifetime who could make a paper doll out of the Nefertiti.

And she liked it. Because everything else was boring.

Love was boring. Men were boring. Before the parachute…

“Go ahead. You can tell me I told you so . I can handle it.” Tahli picked at a muffin Dali had brought her up.

A noticeable change in Dali since Drew’s departure, and Tahli cursed herself for not seeing it.

She had moved on too soon, selfishly. She could argue that Vin had as well, but deep down, Tahli knew it was a ripple effect. She had opened the door.

“I would never do that. Because I really didn’t tell you anything,” Vanessa argued. “Maybe I should’ve . But I wanted you to be happy. Did I think it was a bit too soon? Especially for engagements and such? Yes. But I knew I was the last person you wanted to take advice from.”

Tahli frowned. “What do you mean?”

“I just mean…I always felt whatever type of woman you viewed me as, you wanted to be complete opposite of it. I understand. You have always idolized your mother, and we are very different women. Tiffany was quite arcane. She believed in abandoning rules, doing whatever makes one fulfilled, and letting the world adjust. I always knew you admired that mystic aspect of her.”

“Yeah…well… she believed in abandoning more than rules.” Tahli sipped her coffee. “And yeah, I took some of her advice. I always wanted to move to the beat of my own drum. But I admired you, too. I’ve always dealt with way more logic than she has…I think,” Tahli mentally questioned herself.

“You have. I guess I just felt certain decisions made you look down on me. Like when it came to your father.”

“Vanessa, if you didn’t take my father back, I don’t know where I would be. Where Leah would be. Where he would be. Forgiving him was one of the most selfless things you’ve ever done.”

“Yet, you never respected me for it. Which was how I knew you would never forgive Dalvin. You wouldn’t respect yourself.”

Tahli pursed her lips to the truth. “I was very na?ve about the situation. I guess you don’t realize how difficult either decision is until you have to make it. It’s easy to judge from the outside. But neither feels right, so you never which is. How is that possible?”

“Maybe because there is no right, my love. Only what you can live with. Or can’t live without.”

Vanessa reached through the phone and smacked the shit out of her with that one.

“Mom!” Thank God for the distraction.

“I’m gonna go. Dali’s calling me.”

“Okay, baby.”

“Vanessa,” Tahli called without thinking much.

“Yes?”

“I respect you. Thank you for being the mother that we needed.”

“Mom!” Dali shouted louder as Tahli ended the call, feeling lighter.

“Yeah!”

“Someone’s at the door for you!”

Tahli left her bedroom and shuffled down the stairs, passing Dali on her way back to her bedroom.

“Who is it?”

“I’ono,” she shrugged.

Tahli rolled her eyes, approached the door, and found her visitor with his back to her.

“Yes?” He turned. Her eyes sprang from her face.

“Mr. Thomas?” He had more gray hair than black, face almost covered in small moles and wrinkles, and he wore thicker glasses. But it was him.

“Oh, don’t cry,” he pled. “I’m so sorry for popping up like this, Tahli.”

Tahli slammed her eyes shut, hand shrouding her mouth. The sight of Lexie’s father randomly popping up at her door after not seeing him in over a decade jolted her. Because Lexie was supposed to be with him.

“Oh my God,” Tahli fanned her face.

“I’m so sorry. Goodness!” She opened her arms wide, and he walked into her hug. “Look at you, Mr. Thomas!”

“Look at me? Look at you, Tahli! You’re ravishing. And why do you still look twenty-one?”

She giggled, shaking her head in stun. “I haven’t seen you since…”

“Three months after the funeral,” he finished.

Tahli swallowed that down. Very few pains she couldn’t bear to endure again. Lexie and Jay’s death was one. Finding out Dalvin’s secret, another. Both nearly broke her.

“I know. When you girls would check in, we really did appreciate it. But after a while…it just got too hard to see you. I couldn’t bear looking at the three of you and not seeing my baby girl as the fourth corner of the square.”

Tahli inhaled a shaky breath, understanding even more as a parent.

“Come in. Please.” Tahli stepped her slipper-donned feet back inside, opening the door wider. Led the way into the living room still dressed in her plaid pajama pants.

“How’s Mrs. Thomas?”

“No longer Mrs. Thomas,” Lexie’s dad let her know, taking a seat on the sofa.

“We, um…divorced some years back. It was just easier to move on that way.” Tahli sat with his words.

She recalled their dynamic, Lexie’s mother’s very public affairs.

Her father was always working or hanging out at the country club; no real connection between the two of them.

Maybe for them, it was easier to part. There was no muscle to cut through.

It wasn’t like they’d been so joined that they formed into one.

And releasing the other person felt like killing a piece of yourself.

“What about you? Is it true that after all of this time, you’re still with that guy you girls used to sit up in the room and talk about? You brought him to Alexis’ birthday dinner one time. What was his name…Devin?”

Tahli giggled nervously. “Dalvin.” She wet her lips. “We were together, and we had three children. But we’re also recently divorced.”

“I’m sorry. I’m guessing the girl that answered the door, who looks just like him, is one of those children?”

Tahli nodded.

“She’s gorgeous.”

Tahli smiled close-lipped, repelling melancholy.

“Can I get you anything? Water? Coffee?”

“No,” he shook his head. “I can’t stay long. But I ran into your stepmother, Vanessa. I asked her for your address to send you something. But then I figured it’d be best I come in person.”

Shout out to Vanessa for giving out her address without a heads up. Christian Vanessa. Trusting Vanessa. Intentions were pure.

“Okay,” Tahli braced.

“Did you know Alexis used to write?”

Immediately, Tahli’s eyes welled with water.

It seemed like a lifetime ago, the foursome breezing through life in her purple Acura. Who knew the story that was being written?

“What the fuck are you writing? Roses are red. Violets are blue?”

“Gimme back my book, Paige!” But Paige didn’t. Only recited what Lexie has scribed:

“Tahli’s the rose and Abby’s the thorn. Lex has the halo and Paige has the horns. Fuck you, hoe!”

They had laughed about it for hours.

“I was cleaning out the house…finally selling it.”

“Paige can help you with that,” Tahli chuckled.

“That Paige!” He exclaimed. “Yeah? She’s in real estate?”

Tahli nodded.

“What about Abby? That was one crazy white chick.”

Tahli giggled. “She’s good. Regional Director of Auntie Anne’s now.”

Mr. Thomas shook his head. “Man…talk about dedication. Vanessa tells me you’re a professor.” His eyes immediately watered. “I wonder how she would’ve fit in.” His voice splintered. “You would have been a real powerful foursome.”

Lips quaking, Tahli rolled her burning lenses up to the ceiling. She opened her mouth only to clench her teeth, holding it back. He sniveled.

“Anyway, Tahli. I found this and thought it was best you have it.”

He held out a small journal. That one. That little sky blue one with white clouds that Paige had playfully snatched.

“Oh,” Tahli breathed out, taking it delicately. She pressed it to her lips, clamping her eyes shut and inhaling deeply. Damned if it was her imagination, but she could still smell Chanel perfume in the pages. It made her whimper.

“Take care, Tahli.” She heard the sniff. Felt the kiss on her forehead. Caught the footsteps and the door opening before shutting. When she was alone, she cracked her lids and Lexie’s little blue book open, searching for pieces of her girl.

Vin

Vin drew her pearl between his lips before flipping his tongue over it briskly. The trick caused Bianca to let his dick drop from her mouth onto his stomach, and shrill out in pleasure, briefly relinquishing her end of the deal in their 69-position.

He’d been staying at the Sea Girt beach house since the fire.

A bit of a hike back and forth to the kids, but it worked temporarily.

Bianca enjoyed it. Couldn’t wait to come over after work and kick off her shoes on the nights Vin didn’t have his kids.

Sit out on the deck and watch the sunset on the bay with a glass of pinot. Get fucked to the sounds of waves.

“Oh, shit, Daddy,” she moaned, as Vin slurped on her sweet pussy, pulling her against his face by the hips, only pausing enough to demand,

“Keep sucking.”

She obeyed.