Chapter 21 Making The World Disappear
Savannah
We sprang apart, limbs everywhere, scrambling for clothes like our lives depended on it. I yanked my top over my head, hands shaking, while Jaxon fumbled with his jeans, muttering curses under his breath. My heart was still racing for entirely different reasons than it had been moments ago.
Grandma.
I barely checked my reflection before rushing out of the room, Jaxon right behind me, tugging his shirt into place as we hurried downstairs.
And there she was.
Seated at my kitchen island like she owned the place.
Grandma—Vivianne to the government and Mama V to everyone who knew better—sat perched on the stool with perfect posture, the late afternoon sun catching the silver of her hair that shimmered like a halo of spun wire. Her skin was a shade darker than mine, a deep, rich mahogany that glowed.
And the handbag she refused to part with was perched on the counter beside her.
She looked up when she saw me and broke into a smile so wide, it felt like home.
“Well, there she is,” she said warmly. “My favorite grandbaby.”
“Grandma,” I breathed, still fixing the hem of my shirt as I crossed the kitchen. “What are you—”
Her gaze slid past me immediately.
“And who is this tall drink of champagne?” she asked, her eyes lighting up with interest and mischief. “Lord, you been hiding him on purpose?”
Jaxon chuckled behind me, clearly caught off-guard, and I didn't have to look at him to know he was donning his infamous smirk.
“I'd say if anyone's looking like champagne, it'd be you.”
“Sweet-talking me is the fastest way to my heart, honey. Don't play. I'm Vivianne, but you can call me Mama V. Everybody does.”
“Jaxon. It’s really nice to meet you, Mama V.”
Jaxon outstretched his hand from behind me and shook her hand.
“Oh, I know it is,” she said brightly, patting his hand twice before letting go. “Any man standing behind my granddaughter lookin’ that guilty must be very nice indeed.”
My cheeks immediately caught fire. “Grandma!”
She blinked at me innocently. “What? The walls were never thick in this house, Savannah. You know that.”
Nerissa, who had followed us down, burst out laughing. Mama V leaned back, clearly pleased with herself, and smiled knowingly at Nerissa.
“Back when Penny and I lived here, she used to knock on my door every other weekend tellin’ me to keep it down. I told her if the Lord wanted silence, He wouldn’t have made joy so loud.”
Jaxon laughed—actually threw his head and laughed—while I buried my face into my hands.
“Grandma,” I whined.
“They always say the louder the scream, the better the D,” Nerissa added, and they all fell into a laughing fit again.
“Oh, I like this one,” Mama V said immediately, wagging a finger at Nerissa. “She got spirit.”
Nerissa beamed. “I love you already.”
I groaned. “Can we please focus on why you’re here? Is something wrong? How'd you get here? Where—”
“Easy, child.” Mama V turned back to me, smile softening. “Now, don’t sound like that. I don’t need a reason to see my favorite grandchild.”
She paused, then waved a hand casually.
“Though the nice lady at my building did say I should let you know I’m being evicted.”
My head snapped up. “What?”
Mama V nodded calmly. “Mm-hmm. Said somethin’ about unpaid rent.”
“What?” My voice rose instantly. “That doesn’t make any sense. Everything’s prepaid for the year and Chase, he—”
The words died in my throat.
Chase.
My stomach dropped.
“Oh my God, oh my God,” I muttered, pacing suddenly. “That son of a… ugh, he insisted on paying it after you got sick, and he said it would be easier to just keep doing that. Oh God, it never even crossed my mind to… I should’ve checked—”
Mama V waved a dismissive hand. “I already figured it was that boy. Never liked the way he turned out.”
I exploded.
“How could he do this?” I snapped, hands flying through my hair. “This is vindictive. This is—this is low, even for him. Kicking you out of your own home? Completely barbaric. And he's marrying Lori—that should be reason enough for him to not be a freaking ass.”
Memories closed around me, thinking of years ago when she was sick and how Chase became the knight in shining armor. The apartment was way out of my price range, but he told me he would take care of everything.
How am I even going to afford that place?
“I'll talk to the building owner. Maybe I can work something out. Maybe—”
My voice cracked before I could stop it.
I turned back to my grandma, stepping closer and taking her hands where they rested on the counter.
“I’ll fix this,” I said fiercely. “I promise. I won’t let this happen.”
For a split second, I was eight years old again—sitting at a table while strangers in suits talked about leases and deadlines and leaving.
Mama V squeezed my hands.
“Baby,” she said gently, “don’t you worry yourself sick. The lady said I got a month. Plenty of time to figure something out.”
Then she smiled—bright, unapologetic.
“As a matter of fact, my man Darrell already talkin’ about me movin’ in with him. That one don’t waste time.” She laughed, loud and full, like nothing in the world could touch her. “Trust me, I’m fine. You know Mama V always lands on her feet.”
I sighed. “I know, but—”
Jaxon’s phone rang, cutting through the kitchen like a sudden crack of thunder. He glanced down at the screen, then at me.
"Be right back,” he said quietly.
Then he slipped out toward the hallway, leaving the room to the women—and somehow, that felt more intimidating than being caught half-dressed.
Nerissa hopped up onto one of the stools, her feet dangling in the air.
“So,” she said brightly, “Mama V here was boasting about her future powerhouse attorney. Scholarship baby, huh?”
Mama V smiled at her like she’d already decided Nerissa was family. “Oh, that's my baby. She's always had a strong head on her shoulders; head buried in books since she could even walk.”
I laughed softly and leaned against the counter. “I mean, I'm not an attorney yet. I still have to finish the year and pass the bar. A few more hurdles and then—hopefully—everything changes.”
“I’m proud of you.” Mama V reached over and squeezed my arm. “So proud. And I know your daddy would’ve been, too.”
That did it.
Something in my chest softened, loosened, like a knot I’d been carrying without realizing it. My father’s face flickered through my mind—his quiet encouragement, the way he used to sit with me at the table while I studied, pretending to read the same page for an hour just so I wouldn’t feel alone.
I smiled at her, blinking quickly. “Thanks, Grandma.”
She held my gaze for a beat, then nodded, satisfied.
“Which brings me to another thing,” she added casually. “Your mama will be at the dinner tonight.”
I froze. “What?”
Mama V rolled her eyes. “Mm-hmm. That child stays lookin’ to stir somethin’ up.”
“She’s coming?” My voice came out tighter than I meant it to. “Why?”
“She called this morning and babbled on about not receiving an invite to the biggest party in the city. Said she’s flying in for the rehearsal dinner and the wedding.”
My stomach sank—heavy, hollow, like I’d swallowed a stone I hadn’t seen coming.
Of course she was.
I stared down at the counter, at a faint crack in the laminate I’d traced a hundred times before, while memories rose anyway, uninvited and relentless. My mother had always been like that—arriving without warning, taking up space, leaving messes I had to clean up long after she was gone.
Her love was conditional, rationed. Given when I impressed her, withdrawn when I disappointed her. Approval was a moving target, always just beyond reach, and I’d learned early that if I wanted her attention, I had to perform for it. Smile correctly. Succeed loudly. Make her look good.
Even then, it never lasted. Five minutes, maybe. Then something shinier would catch her eye—someone richer, better connected, more impressive to stand beside.
She loved wealth, status, and appearances—loved them more than most bitter necessities like family and humility.
That was why, when I was with Chase, things had been…
easier. He fit her vision—and even better, her portfolio—of what she wanted in life.
She’d bragged about him to strangers—about being a part of the Sinclair dynasty.
She posted pictures like trophies and spoke about us with a pride I’d always hoped would grow into motherly love and care.
For a while, I let myself believe it meant she was proud of me, too.
When that relationship collapsed, so did whatever fragile bridge that existed between us.
She didn’t call. Didn’t check in. Didn’t ask if I was okay, or how I was sleeping, or whether I was eating anything besides humiliation.
She vanished the way she always did when I stopped being useful to her narrative.
And now—now she was flying in to watch my cousin marry my ex, stepping neatly back into my life like she hadn’t abandoned it at the first sign of inconvenience. Like I was just another backdrop to her appearance, another event she deserved access to.
The worst part wasn’t the anger.
It was the small, humiliating ache beneath it—the part of me that still noticed she was coming at all. That still wanted her to see me.
To choose me.
To stay for me.
Mama V clicked her tongue.
“That woman always took after her no-good daddy.” She turned to me, her expression softening. “Don’t you fuss about her. You hear me? You’ve built somethin’ real all on your own.”
I nodded, though the familiar knot of tension had already settled back into my shoulders.
From down the hall, I heard Jaxon’s voice—low, serious. I didn’t catch the words, but just knowing he was there grounded me more than I expected.
Mama V patted my hand. “You’re strong, Savannah. Always have been.”
I inhaled slowly, bracing myself.
Tonight was going to be a lot.
By the time Jaxon came back into the kitchen, his expression had shifted and his eyes found mine first before shifting to Nerissa and Grandma.
“As fun as this has been, ladies, I gotta head out. Duty calls.”
“Oh no, you don’t,” she said, already reaching for his hand. “You can’t just breeze in here, shake my granddaughter’s world, and leave without proper goodbyes. At the very least, give an old woman a hug.”
Jaxon laughed, genuine and warm, and bent slightly so she didn’t have to crane her neck. “It was an honor meeting you, Mama V. Truly.”
She eyed him like she was sizing up a diamond. “Mm-hmm. I like you. You got manners. And broad shoulders.”
“Grandma!”
“Don't mind me, baby.”
Nerissa snorted.
Jaxon grinned.
He hugged Nerissa quickly. “Later, Rissa.”
“Later, pretty boy,” she shot back.
Then his attention turned fully to me. “I’ll see you later, trouble.”
“I’ll walk you out,” I said, already moving.
Nerissa’s smirk followed us all the way to the door.
“I’ll just be here,” she called sweetly, “not listening.”
I rolled my eyes. “Shush.”
Outside the kitchen, the air felt different—quieter, more intimate. We walked in silence towards the front door, though I suppose my mind was drifting toward the few memories I had of my mother. Few being the operative word.
Jaxon bent to pick his leather jacket off the floor and shrugged it on. Then he leaned back against the doorframe and looked down at me.
“Jesse double-booked himself. Asked me to tattoo one of his guys last minute,” he explained.
“Oh,” I murmured.
“Believe me, I tried to back out of it, but Ariyo's already there finishing up the tattoo for Skai, and it's Rissa's day off. I'm surprised she's back already. She told me she had a dance thing today.”
“She told me that, too.”
He nodded, then tilted his head, studying me. “You’re not here.”
I blinked. “Huh?”
“What’s wrong?”
I shook my head too quickly. “Nothing. I’m fine.”
“I really wouldn't leave after what just happened between us.”
“No, I know you wouldn't.”
“Then what's wrong? Is it your grandmother being here?”
“No, nothing like that. I love seeing her.” I breathed out a laugh. “The visit just caught me off-guard, especially considering what we were doing. Honestly, I'm fine.”
His fingers lifted my chin anyway, forcing me to meet his eyes. The concern there unraveled me faster than I wanted it to.
“Sure?” he asked softly.
I exhaled, my resistance dissolving.
“Yeah,” I said, managing a real smile this time. “I’ll see you later. Dinner’s at six.”
His mouth curved. “Good thing I’ve got a watch now.”
I laughed quietly.
He dipped down and kissed me in what should have been quick and simple, but it softened, lingered.
Butterflies, all-too familiar, fluttered happily in my stomach.
His arm slid around my waist, steady and warm, like he wasn’t in a rush at all.
I sighed into his touch, that feeling, the unwarranted images of my mother fading into dust.
He was so good at making the world disappear.
My fingers found their way into his hair and tugged. He groaned softly against my lips before he pulled back, his forehead pressed to mine.
“You’re lucky we got interrupted,” he murmured against my lips. “Otherwise, we’d be on round four by now.”
I laughed, pushing lightly at his chest. “Go away.”
He winked. “Later, trouble.”
And then he opened the door, letting in a sliver of cold breeze for a second before he was gone. I couldn't help but watch as he walked to his bike and pulled the helmet on, straddling it and leaving me buzzing long after he turned down the street.
What the hell am I doing?
Stringing out a sigh, I ran my fingers through my hair and turned around. Then I gaped at the two women staring back at me with wide smiles on their faces.
“Seriously?!”
“I'm only going to say one thing,” Nerissa started, her eyes glinting. “Sex looks good on you, hun.”
Groaning loudly, I walked toward the couch and threw a pillow at her. I narrowed my eyes when she caught it and grinned at me. “Could you not? My grandma is right there.”
“This grandma done seen everything there is to see in this world.” She waved a dismissive hand my way, then looked at the door with a hand to her chest. “If only I was fifty years younger.”
“Grandma!”
“What? An old woman can dream.”
Nerissa cackled and I just rolled my eyes.