The thought of living without him was more than I could begin to bear. The fact this woman had set the events into motion years ago, held partial responsibility for Sebastian’s downfall, made it that much worse.
My mouth quivered, and I fought a futile battle against the pain welling high and fast, a flash flood of hurt and rejection and devastation rising over my head. I pulled in a choked breath as realization crashed over me.
“That’s what you’ve always done, isn’t it?” I blinked as I tried to see her. “Had that always been your goal? To take whatever was good and pure and spoil it?”
She sneered at the insinuation, and I took another step propelled by years of simmering rage.
“Was it?” I demanded. I touched my chest as the words broke on my tongue. “I wanted to sing, and you took the gift I was given, something beautiful that brought me joy, and turned it into something ugly. I wanted to grow up and fall in love, and you manipulated that into something nasty and obscene.”
She went hard in her expression, posture, and tone. “I took what was mine and turned it into what I wanted it to be.”
I grabbed the cheap vase boasting a bouquet of dead flowers sitting on the table next to me and hurled it across the room.
Attention.
That’s what I wanted.
For once, I wanted this woman to look at me. To see me as a person and not the ticket to her fucked-up dreams.
It busted on the wall behind her, shards of glass and water spilling to the couch and floor.
Tears blurred my vision as everything I’d kept bottled for all these years wept free. “You let them beat me, didn’t you? You knew, and you let them hurt me. Your own daughter. Didn’t you?”
Beneath all her roughened exterior, I saw her flinch.
“Those contracts you made me sign? I know you exploited me. Had them written up so you and Martin would be the ones to financially gain while I was forced to remain under your control.”
“And look where it got me. After all I did for you,” she spat, pure contempt.
Anguished, I swallowed and took a step back, the oldest pain clawing at my chest.
Momma.
Momma.
Momma.
My soul cried out for her, those little girl dreams confused with this sick reality. I’d tried so hard. I’d given her everything I had while she just took and took and took. I’d loved her so purely, trusted until that trust proved just how blind love can be.
“And you know what? When I look back, that’s not even what hurts. What hurts was how you turned your back on me when I needed you most. I loved you.” I shook my head, laying myself bare, the words a jumble of humorless laughter and sorrow, my feelings once again freely given. Again completely at my expense. “I guess it makes me a fool I still do.”
She sucked in a breath.
With my fingertips, I wiped the tears from my face. More just fell in their place. “I know you know Martin’s back and trying to destroy my life.” My face twisted with the thought. “And I’m pretty sure he was coming for me before…that he was going to hurt me when I least expected it, and somehow…somehow this guy I didn’t even know…”
Mark.
My spirit bled for him, praying he was finally at peace.
“…somehow he stopped whatever Martin was going to do.”
The words came harsh with the implication. “And I know you know Sebastian, the man I love with everything I have…with all of me…is sitting behind bars right now because he was trying to protect me. Because he was trying to protect his family.”
She’d proven before she cared about none of that.
Family.
Loyalty.
Sacrifice.
But my grandma, she’d taught me to see the best in people. To believe when nothing seemed worth believing in.
I lifted my quivering chin. “And I know you know enough to make this go away. If you’ve ever loved me…if you’ve ever cared at all…if you have one shred of decency left in you, you will fix this.”
Kallie threw her head back as she propelled herself down the slide. Giggles floated on the gentle breeze, the trees surrounding us rustling in the cool air as my daughter played on the small playground down the hill from Sebastian’s house.