4. #2
“Why don’t we go to our separate corners for a bit?” Jonas asked. “Little man can ride with me to pick up some Whataburger, and we’ll meet y’all at your place in twenty minutes.”
“Sounds good,” I answered before Courtney had a chance to argue. “I need to take her back to her car anyway.”
“Where is my car, Dayton?” Courtney asked menacingly.
“Mom’s friend took it,” Dayton muttered before he burst into tears. “I didn’t know that’s why she wanted it. I swear, Court! I just thought she wanted me to pick her up so I could take her to the grocery store.”
“I’ll see who is on duty and have them meet us so you can file a report,” Jonas said as he got out of the truck.
I helped Courtney out and watched Cooper and Lawson give her a wide berth as they walked back to remove the car from the rigging. Once Jonas and Dayton were gone, Courtney quietly asked, “Is there a restroom here I can use?”
“Yes,” I said as I pointed toward the office area and the sign that said “No Public Restrooms.” “It’s right beneath the sign.”
“Thank you.”
All three of us watched her walk away, and once the door was shut behind her, Cooper asked, “What the hell did we just get ourselves into?”
“A live and in-person episode of Jerry Fucking Springer,” Lawson answered. “Holy shit. That woman’s got some power in her punch. Did you see that bitch’s face?”
“That bitch was her mother.” Cooper and Lawson stared at me in shock before I added, “And my guess is that she’s the one who’s been giving Zoey so many problems at The Flower Patch.”
“Shit,” they muttered in unison.
“What kind of . . .”
Suddenly, an agonized scream came from the bathroom, followed by another and then another.
“Poor girl,” Cooper whispered. “Her heart must be broken.”
“I don’t think that’s heartbreak, brother,” Lawson argued.
“No. That’s pure rage. She’s probably never going to forgive me for pulling her off that bitch.”
“Well, at least you won’t have to see her once you get her home and deal with the cops, right?”
“We’re going on a date.”
“You were,” Cooper said as he raised his eyebrows. “My guess is that’s off the table now.”
“No, it’s not. I’ll make sure of it.”
◆◆◆
COURTNEY
I sprinted toward the bathroom as if I were seconds from having an accident when, in reality, I just needed a safe place to let go before I exploded into a million tiny pieces.
Once I had my hands clean, I splashed water on my face and then stared at my reflection while I did my breathing exercises.
I leaned closer to the mirror and focused on my pulse that I could see racing beneath my skin.
I inhaled deeply and held it for a count of ten before I let it and repeated the process.
I was on my fifth calming breath when the urge to rip the sink off the wall became almost overwhelming, so instead of releasing my rage through destruction, I let it go with my voice.
I put all of my rage, anger, heartbreak, and fear into my scream.
When my breath ran out, I did it again. And again.
By the time I felt better, I was hoarse and the front of my shirt was wet with tears, but I felt like I could finally breathe again and no longer wanted to destroy everything around me.
I had just splashed my face again when there was a light knock on the door. I knew that I had to answer it even though the last thing I wanted to do was face the man who didn’t sign up for this bullshit drama.
So much for a night out with the sinfully hot biker. He probably regretted wasting his time with me this morning and would rather do anything than go on a date with me after what happened tonight.
I thought about how angry I’d been when I’d tracked Dayton to that house.
The second I saw it, I was taken back to the dozens I’d seen just like it growing up.
All I could think about was how careful I’d been to make sure that the kids never experienced what life was like within walls like those, yet here I was, ready to fight my way out with my little brother under my arm.
When he opened the door, all I could think about was how glad I was to see him in one piece, but when I spotted my mother behind him, I saw red. Years of pent-up rage bubbled to the surface. I vaguely recall grabbing her, but I definitely remember watching her fly out into the yard.
And the feel of my fists on her face was something I’d never forget.
I was almost eleven the first time I daydreamed about beating the shit out of my mother, and for a long time, there wasn’t a day that went by when I didn’t think about it.
When Dawson and Dayton were placed in a great foster-to-adopt home with a loving family who did everything in their power to make sure we kept in touch, I took my shot and left for college.
Since they were safe and happy and Liam and Ben had been emancipated and chosen to live with Grandma, I felt like I could finally live a life that was free from the responsibility of raising them.
It was a glorious few months.
But then Jill managed to convince the powers that be that she’d turned over a new leaf and came home from prison with a newborn little girl she named Alana. She followed all the rules, took all the classes, and was a perfect angel . . .
An angel who ripped the boys from the only stable home they’d ever really had and moved in with our grandma, where she quickly reverted back to her old ways, leaving her mother to care for the children that she was never around to care for.
And then Leo was born. My sweet little Leo.
And then Grandma had her first heart attack.
And then I got divorced and became a single mom to not just one child, but five.
There was another tap on the door, this one a little louder, and I heard Zane ask, “Courtney? Are you okay?”
I pulled out a towel to wipe the fresh tears off my face and then plastered on a smile before I opened the door. “I’m fine. Sorry I took so long. Are you ready to go?”
Zane frowned at me and said, “Let’s try this again. Are you okay?”
I laughed, and it sounded unhinged even to my own ears. I composed myself and said, “I’m fine.”
“Let’s make a deal, Slugger.” He pointed at himself and then at me before he pointed back to himself again. “I won’t bullshit you if you don’t bullshit me, okay?”
“Perfect.”
“Are. You. Okay?”
I cleared my throat before I said, “I’m sure you heard me screaming, but it wasn’t from pain. It was from frustration, and now that I’ve let it all out, I feel much better.”
“Shush!” he said loudly before he pulled me toward him. I thumped against his chest right before his arms wrapped around me. I was about to protest when he kissed me on the temple and whispered, “It’s gonna be alright, baby.”
That’s when the floodgates opened.