Total pages in book: 104
Estimated words: 102929 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 515(@200wpm)___ 412(@250wpm)___ 343(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 102929 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 515(@200wpm)___ 412(@250wpm)___ 343(@300wpm)
Once she was gone, I repeated, “I really am sorry, Julius.”
“I don’t think you are,” he conceded. “Or else you wouldn’t have pushed for all this.”
I spoke more truths. “I didn’t mean to hurt you. I never want to hurt you, and you know that.”
“You’re standing up for a woman who abandoned her kids. Her own flesh and blood. How are you not understanding that?”
I bowed my head, whispering, “People make mistakes.”
“If she abandoned us, Isla, what do you think she’s going to do to you?”
I was taken aback, glancing up at him.
He shook his head, scoffing. “Don’t get attached to her. She’s toxic, and you’re blind. She doesn’t care about anyone other than herself, and you’re going to learn that the hard way. It might not be today, or tomorrow, or even a year from now, but eventually, a snake always sheds its skin. Remember that when she breaks your heart like she did ours.”
“Julius—”
“You weren’t there, Isla. You don’t know how she tore us into pieces. The damage she caused. She destroys the people who love her. It’s how she operates. It’s how she’s made. I’m begging you… Pleading with you… She doesn’t deserve your sympathy, just like she doesn’t deserve ours.”
“Julius—”
“You don’t even know her. You think she’s the illusion she’s painting in your head, which is the furthest from the truth of who she really is. I’ve seen firsthand how she takes and takes, and you have no idea how much she’s taking from you until you have nothing left.”
I frowned, hating this argument.
“I’ve taken care of you, and that’s what you do when you care about someone more than you care about yourself. You fill the void. You make whatever you can right for them. All she does is fuck shit up. That’s who you’re running to. That’s who you’re trying to let into our lives. A woman who destroys everything in her path, especially the road with her sons.”
“I don’t know what you want me to say,” I expressed, feeling the weight of his words. “Everything I want to explain, you won’t understand.”
“You think I want to say this to you? I hate being put in this position, but I’m warning you, stay away from her if you know what’s good for you.”
I swallowed hard, my chest rising and falling with each reckless thought.
Then he simply slammed the final nail in my coffin, speaking with execution, “She’s not your mom, Isla, and she’s never going to be. No matter how many times she claims to love you.”
* * *
And just like that, he buried me with the truth I’d been avoiding.
Chapter
Forty
Julius
I drank.
And I was never much of a drinker, but it was seriously the only way I was dealing with this fucking birthday party. She literally turned the downstairs into Jurassic Land. It was decked out from floor to ceiling. If I saw one more balloon, I was going to lose my shit more than I already craved to.
I couldn’t believe she was pulling this card. This was Kraven’s favorite birthday theme when he was eleven. It was her last one with him. He rode her ass for a Jurassic party for a whole year, and it was also the biggest party we ever had.
As much as I hated admitting it, it was a good memory.
One of the few.
Which was why I was gulping down another shot of tequila, needing to feel the burn down my chest as I watched Melody dance around the room full of guests. This was always her favorite role to play, and she was good at it. Catering to all the people, the house was packed with them. Everyone was happy now that Melody Knightly was back.
Home…
Praising her for her return, as if she was being held captive or something. As if it wasn’t a personal choice she made.
It was complete and utter bullshit. Everyone was betraying me. Kraven was even loosening up, not nearly as angry as he should be. Though it was probably the booze he was slamming down, too. He reeked of weed, so he was definitely partaking in that. I’d guess there were some drugs in his system by the way he was acting.
The life of the party.
Kraven was the baby, and she treated him as such. She knew how to manipulate everyone. It’d make sense that Kraven would be the one who’d have a soft spot for her. She was playing into his insecurities, buying all the things she knew he loved.
Melody was smart. Most addicts and alcoholics were. It came with having to get their next fix. They learned what buttons to push to get what they wanted. It was why I was steering clear of her. I wouldn’t get caught in her web of lies. I’d come too far.
If she didn’t leave, if she refused, where did that leave us?