Chapter 34 #2
“You have some nerve.” Sienna looked like she wanted to slap me, but she probably didn’t want to make a scene in public.
However, her eyes blazed with fury as she gave me the fakest smile I’d ever seen.
“You think you can say whatever you want because you’re a hotshot athlete, but I’ll tell you this.
Brooklyn is my daughter. I raised her. I birthed her from my fucking womb even though I didn’t want to, and I kept her fed and clothed even when she ruined my chances of having a real life and career in my twenties.
No matter what you think of our relationship, we’re family, and she’ll always choose family over anything else.
I’m her only mom. You are replaceable. If I tell her to dump you, she will. ”
“Because she’ll do anything you tell her to?”
“Because she’s that desperate for my approval.” Sienna shrugged. “Mommy issues. Everyone has them. Sometimes it works to my advantage.”
“Does it?”
Sienna’s face froze for a split second before it relaxed into another fake smile. She turned to where Brooklyn stood behind her. Judging by her devastated expression, I didn’t have to guess how much she’d overheard.
My chest cracked in half. I wanted her to see her mother for who she was, but I didn’t want her to find out this way. Sienna’s comments had been cruel and callous, and it fucking killed me to see Brooklyn standing there, her eyes wide and clouded with hurt.
A sharp pain twisted in my gut. My hands clenched into fists beneath the table, and I had to breathe through the desire to sweep Brooklyn up in my arms and whisk her far, far away from here.
Whatever happened next needed to happen. I couldn’t interfere.
“Darling, you’re back. Good.” Sienna gestured toward me, her gaze cutting.
“Vincent was telling me what an apparently horrible mother I am. You won’t believe the things he said after knowing me for, what?
An hour? He waited until you went to the restroom and just attacked me.
” She shook her head. “I hate to say it because you so rarely bring a boy home, but he’s not the sort of man you want to be dating.
Imagine how much bolder he’ll get if he’s comfortable being this rude this early in your relationship?
Take it from someone who has your best interests at heart. You need to dump him immediately.”
“I don’t think so.”
Sienna’s smile slipped. “Excuse me?”
“He’s not going anywhere.” Brooklyn had recovered from her shock.
She crossed her arms and stared down her mother, though her eyes remained glossy with emotion.
“Unlike you, Vincent actually has my best interests at heart. He flew all the way from London to be with me because he knew how much I was dreading this trip. He’s comforted me, and supported me, and made me happier than you’ll ever know.
So don’t you dare try to make him out to be the bad guy here. ”
My throat thickened, and something warm and fierce swelled in my chest. This wasn’t about me, but her unflinching defense of me knocked the air out of my lungs.
I didn’t know what I did to deserve this girl, but I knew that I was never letting her go.
Sienna’s nostrils flared. “Maybe so, but people have multiple faces. Now sit down so we can continue this conversation at the table, sweetie,” she said through a tight smile. “People are starting to stare.”
She was right. Several nearby diners kept glancing at us in between bites. One of them looked at Sienna and whispered to their partner, who shook his head.
“I don’t care.” A flush spread across Brooklyn’s face.
“I heard what you said about how I ruined your life and how I’ll do anything for your approval.
I knew you resented me, but I hadn’t known how much until I heard it straight from your mouth.
” She shook her head, her voice cracking.
“God, I’m so stupid. This whole time, I kept thinking you’d somehow change and become a better mother to me because you’re so good to Charlie, but you’ll never change.
You’ll always hate me because you never wanted me to begin with, and you’ll always exploit my hope for your own purposes.
You may be my only mom, but that’s just a matter of blood.
If you don’t act like a mother, then you aren’t one. Not really.”
“Don’t act like a mother?” Sienna abandoned all pretenses of keeping a civil face for the public.
She raised her voice, her eyes flashing.
“How dare you say that to me? Do you know how much I’ve given up for you?
I could’ve put you on the streets, but I didn’t.
You’re here because of me. You got to go to college and move to London because of me.
So don’t you dare stand there and try to make me sound like I’m sort of… sort of witch!”
“You did the bare minimum,” Brooklyn snapped back.
“Yes, you fed me and clothed me and kept a roof over our heads. But I paid my own way through school, and I earned the London internship on my own merit. Being a parent is about more than the necessities. You were never there for me growing up, and you just said yourself that I ruined your life. I didn’t ask to be born, so to put all your regrets and resentment on me is…
it’s not…” Her voice broke again. A tear slipped down her cheek, and she angrily wiped it away with the back of her hand.
“You did ruin my life. That’s a fact.” Sienna’s words turned cold, crisp, and unbelievably cruel.
My fists tightened. “I could’ve been a supermodel or a movie star.
I could’ve married a billionaire. Do you think I wanted to spend my life in suburban San Diego, working in marketing and being a single mom?
I don’t think so. Obviously, the situation has improved now that I have Harry and the kids…
” She placed a hand on her stomach. “But this was Plan B. I’ll never forget the life I lost because of you and your father. ”
Brooklyn’s face hardened. She straightened her shoulders, her voice taking on a quiet but steely firmness. “I’m glad you have Harry and the kids. Truly. Because I’m done here.”
Sienna sputtered. “Where are you going?”
“Home.” Brooklyn walked over and grabbed her bag from her chair. I tossed my napkin on the table and silently stood. “Send my well wishes to Harry, Charlie, and my new sister. I expect I won’t be seeing them for a while.”
“You can’t leave! My operation is tomorrow!”
I shook my head in disbelief. She was truly delusional if she thought Brooklyn would show up and pretend like nothing happened after today.
“And you’ll have plenty of support there. You don’t need me, and I’m done playing your games. Goodbye, Mom.”
I followed Brooklyn out of the restaurant, ignoring Sienna’s apoplectic expression and the other diners’ slack jaws.
Neither of us spoke until we got into my rental car. Then, and only then, did Brooklyn’s tears fall. A sob ripped from her throat and tore my heart clean in half.
I held her, letting her cry it all out in the restaurant parking lot. Despite my agony at seeing her sad, I was so fucking proud of her for standing up for herself.
“I’m sorry if I overstepped back there,” I said quietly, rubbing small circles on her back. “I saw the way she was talking to you, and I just…snapped.”
“No, it’s okay.” Brooklyn hiccupped. “I needed to hear that. If you hadn’t confronted her, and she hadn’t responded by saying those ugly things, I would’ve never believed it.
Not really. I had to hear it for myself.
I…” She hiccupped again. “I just feel so dumb. I knew what kind of person she was, but I—I—”
“You’re not dumb,” I said firmly. “That’s your family. We’re programmed to think the best of our family, no matter how shitty they might be.”
“Yeah.” She pulled back and wiped at her face again. “I’m going to miss Charlie the most, you know? He’s just a kid. He doesn’t deserve such a dysfunctional family, but she actually wants him, so she’ll probably treat him better. I hope.” Her voice cracked again.
“He won’t be a kid forever. Whatever happens, you’re his sister, and you’ll have a chance to reconnect, even if it’s farther in the future.” I grasped her chin and tilted it up, forcing her to look at me. “Do not let her make you feel bad about yourself. She’s the villain here, not you.”
Brooklyn nodded before giving me a watery smile. “This must be the quickest trip to California ever. Less than twenty-four hours, and we already have to head back.”
“I’m not complaining. It’s too hot here for January anyway. It’s weird.”
She laughed and blew her nose while I drove us to the hotel. Once we got there, I was buying the first ticket back to London.
It was time to go home.