Chapter 20
Chapter Twenty
Class had just ended, and I was shoving my notebook into my bag when I noticed the flashing screen of my phone. Ten missed calls. Five voicemails. They were all from my mother. Every. Single. One.
My stomach flopped. My hands shook so badly I nearly dropped the damn thing. Anxiety clawed up my throat before I even pressed play.
Every voicemail was the same—my mother’s broken voice crying, accusing, begging. “Why would you do this to me, Sera? You’re ruining everything. Why are you punishing me? Please… please call me back.”
It was like glass shattering in my chest. The walls pressed in.
My vision blurred. I couldn’t breathe. Before I even thought about it, I stumbled back into the empty classroom where Master E was wiping down the board.
My chest was heaving. I shoved the phone into his hand, the screen still lit up with her name flashing across it again.
“Red,” I choked out. And then I collapsed to the floor.
I couldn’t stop crying. My lungs seized with each hysterical breath, the sound of my mother’s voice tearing through my head like claws.
“Vasiah,” Master E barked into his phone, his voice tight. “Get to the 101 room, now!” He said more to her, but I stopped focusing on it and more on trying to get air.
By the time Daddy burst into the room, I was rocking on the floor, my body shaking.
The phone kept buzzing in Master E’s hand like a weapon that wouldn’t stop firing.
Daddy didn’t even hesitate. She grabbed the phone, switched it off completely, and dropped to her knees in front of me.
Her hands cupped my face, grounding me, her eyes sharp and steady.
“Breathe, little one. Right here. Look at me. Just me.”
“I can’t—I can’t do this,” I sobbed. “I can’t be with you. It’s hurting her, it’s—” My words broke into gasps. “She’s breaking because of me. I’m killing her—”
“No.” Daddy’s voice cut clean and fierce, her thumbs brushing away tears I hadn’t even realized were still falling. “You are not responsible for her choices. You are not killing anyone.”
I couldn’t hear her at first. The noise in my head was too loud. But her steady presence pulled me in inch by inch until my breathing started to hitch less violently.
When she saw I was finally able to hear her, she pressed the phone back into my hands. “Call your sister,” she said softly. “Let her anchor you. You need more than me right now.”
I shook my head, not wanting her to think that she wasn’t enough. It wasn’t that at all. I just…
“It’s not up for debate. Call your sister, babygirl.”
My hands trembled as I dialed. Master E and Vasiah quietly slipped out of the room, leaving me with the ringing tone in my ear.
“Hello?” My sister’s voice came through, brisk and alert.
I broke. Words tumbled out, sobs cutting through as I explained everything, how Mom was unraveling, how I felt like the worst daughter alive.
She was quiet for a long moment before her voice softened. “I’m pissed at her, Sera. You don’t deserve this. She doesn’t get to use her pain as a weapon against you.”
I sucked in a shaky breath.
“You’re not hurting her,” my sister continued firmly.
“She’s doing this to herself. Block her calls.
I’ll deal with her. You focus on you. Don’t let her stop you.
Don’t let her take this away from you. Every time that I’ve spoken to you over the past few weeks, it’s given me motivation to stop being the golden child and do the things that I want to do.
Hear me loud and clear when I say this…. Fuck Mom.”
I gasped.
“No, really. Fuck her. This is bullshit. You’re happy and she can tell and she’s destroying that for you.
Anybody that speaks against you, speaks it against me.
There’s no way I’m okay with her treating you like this.
You deserve the entire world and for hurting you like this, she’s gotta deal with me, too.
Wipe your eyes, pick up your joy, and go live for you. No more worrying about them.”
Her words wrapped around me like a shield, and I exhaled without shaking.
“That’s right, baby sis. Exhale all of her nasty energy. Go love on that bad ass woman of yours, she’s handsome as fuck, by the way.” She chuckled.
I smiled for the first time since this all started. “I called her handsome, too.”
“She is. It’s obvious that she’s a woman, but she’s got so much masculine presence that it’s hard to say anything but handsome. Anyway, go hug her and tell her that you love her and I’ll talk to you soon.”
“Wait. How did you know?” I asked her.
“Know what? That you love her?” She giggled.
“You talk about her nonstop. I’ve never heard you so happy with anybody.
And you were giddy about your first female.
That doesn’t even compare. It’s you. You’re different.
The kind that blossoms because you’ve found the one person that gives you peace.
Well, the one person outside of your favorite twin. ”
We both laughed at that.
“Have you told her?” she asked.
“No. I… I keep waiting for her to run or disappear.”
“And?”
“And she hasn’t. She handles her son every day. They talk and laugh over the phone and then she spends time with me, too. She manages it all effortlessly. We got off to a rocky start, but since we talked, it’s been a dream a million times over.”
“Then we’re not letting that go. Not unless it becomes bad. You decide when or if it ends, not Mom. Got it?”
I nodded though she couldn’t see me. “I do.” I exhaled again. “I love you, Jo.”
“Same. I love you, too.”
When I left the room, Daddy was waiting. She didn’t say anything at first, just pulled me into her arms. My safe place.
Oh god, this feels good.
“I talked to her,” I whispered into her chest. “She said I should block Mom’s calls. She’s on my side.”
Daddy kissed my temple. “Good. You don’t have to fight this alone, little one.”
And then my phone buzzed again. Daddy slipped the phone from my hand to check the screen before I could see.
“Trust me?” she asked me.
“I do.” I confirmed.
She nodded, then she answered it.
My father’s voice was on the line, calm but heavy. “Can I talk to Sera?”
Daddy’s voice sharpened. “If you’re calling to upset her more, then you can’t.”
“No,” he said quickly. “No, I’m not.”
“One second,” Daddy said to him. She handed me the phone and kissed my forehead.
“Hello,” I greeted him wearily.
“I just… I want to apologize. For your mother. She’s out of control. I’ve taken her phone. I won’t hold you for long. I’ll call tomorrow when everybody is calmer. We’ll talk then, okay. Just you and me.”
I believed him.
“Okay. You and I can talk tomorrow.”
“Good. Everything will work out. Don’t worry. Goodbye.” He hung up the phone and I held it to my chest. Hope flared and I nipped it before it blossomed into false expectations.
We’ll take it as it comes. If he’s on my side, then we’ll go from there. If he isn’t, then I’ll deal with that, too.
“Are you okay?” Daddy asked.
I nodded. “I am. He wants to talk tomorrow and I’m fine with that.”
“Good. Just say the word and we’ll block him too.” Daddy pulled me back into her arms and I wrapped mine around her as well.
“Daddy?” I looked up at her.
“Yeah, baby?” She looked down at me.
“I love you.”
“Don’t I know the feeling?” She leaned down and kissed me, taking, claiming my lips as hers. “Mmm…” She nibbled my lips and went in for another. “Don’t I know it.” She shook her head. “Emerson said that he’s ready for you to date him, too.”
I let out a fit of giggles. “Oh yeah? He wants to be courted?”
“Yeah, he says that he needs to approve the relationship. I told him that since he’s the man, he’s gotta pay for it. That shut him up quickly.”
I smiled big. “I’d love for the three of us to spend some time together,” I admitted.
“Good.” She kissed me again and just stared down at me. “I love you, too, babygirl.”
Finally hearing the words, I couldn’t handle the tears that pooled. I’d known what she meant by saying that she knew the feelings, but the words… they hit different.
“Baby…” Daddy wiped them away as they fell.
“Yes, Daddy?” I sniffed, trying to pull myself together.
“Why the tears?”
“Happy, happy tears.” I beamed. “Grateful. Love is a gift and I now have it.”
Daddy smiled, picked me up around my waist and twirled me around.
“Eeek!”
“You’re so it,” she said before claiming my lips again. This time slowly.
I forgot where we were as I got lost in our kiss.
Until Daddy had me penned against the wall, my leg curled around her waist, and her fingers inside me drawing out the sweetest orgasms. I moaned into her chest, held on as she rocked against me, and I pleaded with her not to stop.
That's when she lifted me higher and both legs were wrapped around her.
It gave her the kind of access to deepen each stroke, to stroke my clit and inside me at the same time, to shatter everything inside me as I came for her.
“Daddy!”
Daddy kissed me again, slowly withdrawing her fingers.
My panties were ripped somewhere on the floor, and my skirt fell back into place when she placed me back on my unsteady legs.
I held on to her, arms around her neck, but our lips never separated.
Daddy slowed the kiss and I realized that I needed air.
I was breathing heavily and still my eyes never left hers.
“Think we’ll get in trouble for having sex in the hall?” I asked her, biting my bottom lip.
“Maybe. If we do, I’ll blame you, and then punish you for getting us in trouble.”
I gasped and it made her chuckle. She made sure I was steady before she reached down and picked up my panties.
She slipped them into her pocket and reached for my hand.
I slipped it into hers and let her lead me to the cafe where she bought me food and fed me ice cream.
I smiled at her the entire time, grateful for my happily ever after.