47. Selena
Selena
Tension sits in my chest the entire drive to our parents’ house.
Eli told me that we were having dinner at their father’s home, since they were living there now.
Funny, I thought that was the house I grew up in.
At least, it’s what she always boasted to anyone who would listen.
No one talks much after we pull onto the long gravel driveway.
Memories of the last dinner I was at with my mother, the one where Sam pretended to be my boyfriend, jump to my mind.
The way she belittled me. It’s not that I’m not happy to share my pregnancy or my love of the three men in the truck with me.
It’s her vile words that I don't want to hear.
To let her poison what has become a happy life for me.
Eli reaches over the console and laces his fingers through mine before the truck even stops.
"Remember, you're not doing this alone anymore.” He gives my hand a reassuring squeeze.
"I know. It’s still drama I don’t want.”
Zeke’s arms wrap around the seat from behind as his voice hits my ear. “If she thinks she’s going to treat you like shit tonight, she’s wrong.”
“We’re going to do exactly as we planned.” I turn my head to look at Jay in the back seat. “Tell them we’re together and about the babies, then we can get the fuck out of there.” His jaw clenches. “No one is going to ruin our happiness, Cupcake.”
“I love the three of you. I’m so glad you refused to let me run and hide.” I lift my hand and wipe the tear that's sliding down my cheek. Fucking pregnancy hormones. Yep, that’s what I’m blaming all the crying on.
Zeke climbs out of the truck first and opens my door. He takes hold of my hand, helping me to get out. Once my feet are planted on the ground, he slips his arms around my waist and hugs me tightly. All I want to do is melt into his warm embrace.
Eli and Jay appear beside me as we break our hold.
“Ready or not, here we go.” Jay teases. He leans in to kiss me on the cheek, then kneels down and kisses my belly, twice. One for each baby.
I take a deep breath, steeling my nerves. Time to face the harbinger of death, AKA my mother.
Eli places his hand on the small of my back and guides me to the porch.
We’ve just made it to the door when their dad opens it wide, a huge smile on his face.
I don’t hate him. All my encounters with him have been okay; I just don’t get how he can sit back and justify how my mom treats me.
Would he approve of her speaking to his sons the way she does me?
"There you are!" His face breaks into a warm smile as he pulls each of his sons into a hug before wrapping me in one. "Your mother's going to be so happy you finally came."
I force a smile. Because I don’t believe it for a second. The only reason she’s happy to see me is so she can find some reason to tear me down.
"I'm glad to see you too, Sir."
“Selena, please, call me Abel.” He steps back so that we can enter.
“Julia is finishing getting dressed and she’ll be right down. Let’s go ahead and head to the dining room.”
I make my way to the oak table. It’s a rectangular shape with three chairs on either side of it.
I head to the side closest to me and take the seat in the middle. Eli pulls out the chair to the left of me while Zeke sits on my right. Jay moves around the table and goes to sit in the chair in front of me.
“Julia will be sitting there. My Pumpkin loves to sit beside me. Take one of the seats across from your brothers.” Abel clears his throat before stepping over to the table with a bottle of wine.
Pumpkin. I want to be sick.
"So," he says cheerfully, as he begins to pour wine in our glasses. I quickly place a hand over mine. “You don’t want any?”
“No, Sir. I’ll just have some water. I have an early morning.” I should’ve said it now while my mother wasn’t in the room, but I didn’t.
“I’ll take water as well, Dad. I’m the driver tonight,” Eli speaks up, taking some of the attention off of me.
Both Zeke and Jay speak up as well, requesting only water, stating they have to work tomorrow. Abel gives them a curious glance and fills his and my mother’s glasses with wine before getting the water pitcher.
"How are you doing, sweetheart? How did my children manage to get you here?"
"I'm... good.” I stumble over the words. The lie tastes bitter because I’d be good if I wasn’t here. “And they may have held me at gunpoint,” I say with a forced laugh.
Zeke’s hand finds my knee beneath the table. Just the warmth from his touch fills me with comfort. Eli does the same from the other side.
Before Abel can ask anything else, the sound of heels clicking against the hardwood floor echoes into the room. Every muscle in my body tightens. I blow out a slow breath, preparing myself for what's about to happen.
Mom walks into the room wearing an expensive blouse and enough jewelry to make herself sparkle.
"So nice of you to finally show up for one of our family dinners, Selena. I was beginning to think you’ve forgotten who I was." She doesn't even look at me first. Instead, she heads straight for Abel and kisses him on the cheek before taking the empty chair beside him and Jay.
The one directly across from me.
She smiles at the guys. "It's lovely to see you boys again. Your father mentioned when you confirmed dinner tonight that you had some news for us.”
“We do,” Eli speaks up. “Amazing news.”
"Oh?" Her gaze finally lands on me. "I can’t wait to hear it. I must say how happy I am that you were able to bring my daughter tonight. I do hope that some of your manners are rubbing off on her."
I bite my tongue so hard it almost bleeds. It’s taking everything in me not to lash out at her. But I need to remain calm for the babies. I close my eyes for a brief moment, centering myself. Just get through this dinner and tell her the news.
"I don't think she needs to be taught manners." Zeke all but growls.
Mom barely acknowledges what he says. "Oh, I think she does." She crosses her arms. "She doesn't even have the common courtesy to check on her own mother. To see what's new in my life."
I stare at her blankly. Is she fucking serious?
"It's like she doesn't even care how hard it was for me to sell my home that I shared with her father."
Everything inside me freezes.
"What?!" I shout.
"Do not raise your voice at me, young lady. I told you I was selling it. Just as Abel is selling this home so we can buy one that’s perfect for us that we can fill with our memories.”
"You sold it?" I ask again, hoping that her response will be different.
"Of course I did." She waves a dismissive hand. "You act as if you knew nothing about my plans. Really, Selena. Do you even listen to a word I say? Maybe if you talked to me more, this wouldn’t be a shock."
The words slam into me harder than anything else she's said.
"You..." My voice cracks. "You could have given me the chance to buy it."
Her hand goes to her chest as she laughs, her head shaking as she glances over at Abel.
"Really, Selena? You live in a dumpy apartment building. You couldn't afford it."
Tears burn behind my eyes. She doesn’t even have a clue where I live. What happened?
"I never even got a chance..." My voice shakes. "I never got to get my things. I never got to walk through it one last time. I could’ve bought it if you’d given me the chance. That was my home too, just as much as it was yours."
Images flash through my head. Dad teaching me how to ride a bike in the driveway. Christmas mornings. Movie nights. The kitchen where we baked cookies. The hallway where he'd measured my height every birthday. And the swing on the porch.
“Selena, this is a perfect example of how you don’t listen. I told you to move your things out, if you wanted them. When you didn’t. I assumed there was nothing you wanted.”
Everything is gone. Sold to strangers who don’t know the history and love the house holds.
"How could you think that? Just sell it without even saying anything?" I whisper, taking a deep breath in a poor attempt to calm my racing hear and to push down the bile I feel rising from my stomach.
"You didn't even live there anymore," she says with a shrug. "So why do you care?"
"What do I care?" My chair scrapes loudly across the floor as I stand, my hands slamming down on the table, causing the glasses to shake and spill liquid onto the wood. "Because that's the house I grew up in!" I shout.
“I told you she would overreact, Abel. She’s so dramatic. Only caring about herself.”
"Overreact. That house was full of memories of Dad! Yet you sold it as if it were nothing. I would've found a way to buy it. I would've worked three jobs if I had to."
She rolls her eyes.
"Oh, don't be dramatic."
Something inside me snaps.
"And you're one to lecture me about checking in. Did you even bother to check on me?"
"I—" she starts to say, but nope, not happening. She’s invoked the anger in me and she’s going to hear everything I have to say.
"No. You do not get to play the innocent victim. If you had called me even once, you'd know my apartment building caught on fire."
Mom's eyes widen.
“Selena,” she begins.
"No, you’re going to listen for once. I almost died. Thankfully, Eli, Zeke and Jay were working that night and saved me. They saved my elderly neighbor. If it wasn’t for them, we’d both be dead. But do you even care?"
She doesn’t say a word, just sits there with pursed lips as Abel places his arm around her, comforting her. Are you fucking serious?!
"You'd know I live with them now. They offered their home to me.”
"And how was I supposed to know any of that?" My mom belts out.
"By fucking calling me!" I laugh bitterly. “But that would mean thinking about someone else other than yourself.”
"It's okay," Zeke stands and whispers into my ear. “You need to calm down, Princess.” He gently guides me back into my chair.
He keeps one hand on my shoulder while Eli reaches beneath the table to lace our fingers together. Jay gives me a smile from across the table as he mouths ‘I’m proud of you.’ Each of them keeping me from completely falling apart.
Mom stares at me for another long moment. For a second I almost think my words are sinking in and making a difference until she wrinkles her nose in disgust.
"Oh my God, Selena.” She turns her attention to the guys. "Is she being a burdon? How could you impose like that?"
They look at her, confused.
“How much weight have you gained? You're even bigger than you were at the wedding."
For a single heartbeat no one says a word. Then I laugh. Not because I find what she said humorous. But because that’s the only thing she’s concerned about. Appearances.
"I'm not fat, Mother." I wipe the tears from my face.
“I beg to differ,” her voice condescending.
I meet her eyes and let the words land with all the weight they've been carrying inside me.
"I'm pregnant."
Confusion flickers across her face.
I smile—a cold, humorless smile.
"With twins."