Chapter 31 – Violet“mad woman” – Taylor Swift #2
He offers me a half smile. “It’s easier this way. She’s been through a lot.”
“So have you.” I sigh, dropping his hand. “And that doesn’t seem to concern them.”
“My love!” Sadie chimes from across the room. “Can you order me a hot green tea, please? Organic honey and a squeeze of lemon.”
His eyes flutter with annoyance. “You do not need to make her tea.”
“I can ask Dahlia to make it,” Darby offers as she walks behind the counter.
“She’s in the back office, I assume? I had a question for her anyway, but I can ask her to take over for you.
” She bites her lip, murmuring, “You don’t need to be dealing with any of this” before glancing at August, ensuring he understands the message was meant for him too.
“Don’t worry about it.” I force a smile. “I’ll take care of it.”
I walk away from the cash register, not allowing either of them to get another word in as I sort through our tea shelf and begin making Sadie’s cup.
I hear two resigned sighs before the door that leads through the kitchen and to Dahlia’s office opens and closes, and August’s clipped footsteps echo toward the back of the coffee shop.
I take my sweet-ass time making her cup of tea. I think through every drop of venom I want to spit upon her, all of my diluted rage bellowing through my bones and settling upon my skin, forming spears I want to throw in her direction.
I’ve never liked her. I’ve never thought she was a good mother, but the way she’s treated August since Zach’s death is unforgivable. Watching her show up here unannounced and uninvited, demanding August’s attention without care for his well-being—it’s repulsive.
He may get angry with me for my next actions, but I fucking refuse to be complacent.
I didn’t have time to get a word in when she walked in earlier.
She caught me off guard. I wasn’t paying attention when I heard someone enter the building, too wrapped up in a poem I was writing.
I glanced up to find her seething stare gazing down at me like I was a piece of gum she stepped in, followed by a snappy, “What are you doing here?”
Before I could answer, Sadie launched into a tirade.
She said she’d recently been told I was living with August, and that she wasn’t surprised to find I’d moved back to Pacific Shores and latched onto him the same way I had when I was young.
That I was a manipulator, and that I’d always taken advantage of him.
She told me I had a lot of nerve moving into Zach’s house after what I’d done.
That she couldn’t believe I’d forced August back into my entrapment, and was working in the coffee shop right next to his business.
Which, honestly, was the strangest take of all, considering it’s my brother who owns the entire boardwalk, and my sister-in-law who owns the bakery itself.
I was ready to laugh it off, tell her it was nice to see her, and advise her to get the fuck out of my face, but after seeing August walk in, his immediate complacency and her treatment of him—I’m livid.
I finish making her cup of tea, ensuring it’s made to perfection, before hanging my apron on the hook outside the kitchen door and nudging it open. “Dahlia!” I call. “I’m going to take my break if you could cover the register.”
“Sure!”
Her office door swings open a moment later, and Dahlia steps out, followed by a waddling Darby. There’s a forced smile on Dahlia’s face as she passes me and sidles up behind the counter. “I’m totally okay if you also want to head home a little early.”
“Or I can call Leo?” Darby asks. “Everett or your mom?”
I shake my head. “I’ll be fine.”
She sighs, hazel eyes etched with concern as she studies me. “Okay. Well, just know, I’m always here if you need me too.”
The look on her face is apprehensive, like she’s still trying to convince herself I don’t hate her, and for some reason, it makes this moment feel significant.
I step around the counter, reaching out to grab Darby’s shoulder and tug her into me.
She sighs softly, returning the hug, and I could swear I feel the baby kick between us, though maybe I’m just imagining it.
“Thank you,” I whisper.
When I pull away, she looks at me like she might cry, but neither of us mention it before she turns and walks out the front door in the direction of her flower shop.
“She really missed you,” Dahlia says from behind me.
“I missed her too,” I say, turning around. Dahlia watches me curiously as I swipe the green tea from the counter and make my way to where August and his mother sit.
His eyes go wide as I drag a chair from a nearby table and plop down beside them.
Sliding the drink across to her, I smile as Sadie glares. “We didn’t get to finish our conversation earlier.”
August’s hand finds my thigh beneath the table, drawing soothing circles, and it saddens me that he clearly feels stuck in the middle.
I think he’s always felt this way, because while August never shared the information, Zach would often tell me the terrible things their mother said about me when I wasn’t around.
“Normally, I’d understand your feelings about me living in the home that Zach bought.
It was hard for me to move in too. It was an adjustment for both of us.
” I nod toward August. “I wouldn’t blame you for having feelings about that decision.
Honestly, I don’t blame you for hating me, either.
I’m not a terribly likable person. I get it.
” I lean across the table, invading her personal space, and preen at the kernel of fear that sparks to life in her eyes.
“But the guilt and blame you have placed on your son’s shoulders, and the absurd treatment from your worthless husband is inconceivable.
You are both shameful people, and August deserves so much better than you,” I seethe, hot tears burning behind my eyes.
“Zach deserved better than you, too, and he would be fucking ashamed to know what you’ve put his brother through.
” I rise from my chair so sharply, the legs of it scrape across the floor behind me. “Ashamed.”
Sadie’s lips tremble, her eyes misting with anger. With a shaking voice, she murmurs, “I don’t know how you can be so opinionated about what our family has been through when you ran away the way you did. You left him long before I did, Elena.”
“Mom, stop.” August sighs, dropping his face into his hands from my periphery. “This is ridiculous. Honestly, Zach would probably fucking hate us all. We’ve all handled things terribly.”
“The difference is that you and I”—I wave a finger between us—“understand where we’ve fallen short. Your parents don’t seem to think they’ve hurt you, or that the hurt they’ve caused is unwarranted, and if nobody else will fucking set them straight, I’m more than happy to.”
He lifts his head, and there’s a bright conviction in his green eyes—something that looks a lot like salvation. A lot like gratitude. Like love.
“I know my husband has been less than supportive, and it’s something I try to work on, but honestly, what would you have me do?” Sadie takes a sip of her tea. “As for me, I’ve never blamed Augustus for the loss of my son.” Her eyes lift to mine. “I’ve only ever blamed you.”
Like the blow she hoped her words would be, they land. Sucker punching me straight in the center of my soul, and causing me to nearly stumble over the chair behind me.
“Don’t fucking say that,” August snaps.
“You’re like an illness to this family, Elena,” Sadie continues.
“Do you know how many times I watched my boys argue about you growing up? I know you all think I wasn’t paying attention”—she glances at August—“but I was. And you…” She sets her sights on me again.
“You were the common denominator in every fracture of their relationship. You were the last person he saw that day, and whatever you said or did to him upset him enough that he went into that water despite knowing he shouldn’t have.
He went into that water because of you, and he never returned. ”
The fight leaves my body, all that venom and all those spears fall uselessly to the floor, and I become hollow. The tears I tried to blink away win, cascading down my cheeks like liquid heartbreak.
I agree with every word she says, but I’ve never heard them voiced aloud before.
I’ve never had someone lay confirmation to the darkest thoughts that plague my mind.
“So, you’ll forgive me, Elena, if I’d like to protect the one child I have left…” Her voice breaks. “From the irreparable damage of the messes you cause.”
“Okay, fuck this. That is enough—” August starts.
“Yeah, so, I’m going to have to ask you to leave.” August and Sadie whip around, and for the first time, I notice Dahlia hovering beside our table with her eyes pinned on Sadie.
“Me?” she asks.
“I have very little patience for my employees being harassed by customers, but I’m especially intolerant of anyone making my sisters cry.” She crosses her arms and nods toward the door. “So, you can get the fuck out, and please know you will not be welcomed back.”
“Ridiculous,” Sadie scoffs, rolling her eyes. “August, my love, walk me out so we can continue this conversation privately.” She gathers her bag, standing from her chair before tossing a final once-over at me. “I don’t know what either of them saw in you, anyway.”
“Me either,” I whisper, too numb to feel the penetration of her judgmental stare, still bleeding from the slice of her words.
I don’t look at Dahlia or August, unable to address the fact that they heard everything she’d said too. That the depths of my regret, and the secrets I’ve clutched against my chest for years, were ripped away and spewed out in front of us for all to witness.
I simply turn and walk out, unsure of where I’m going, because I don’t think I can go home.
It was never really mine, anyway.