9. Hallie
HALLIE
My pulse hammers in my throat, the room spinning as I blink against the harsh light flooding in from the hallway.
Heath's weight presses me into the mattress, his cock still buried inside me, his breath hot against my neck.
The sheets are tangled around my legs, my skin slick with sweat, my nipples aching from his mouth.
He pulls out with a slow, deliberate drag. I gasp at the loss, at the wet sound of him leaving me, at the way my body clenches around nothing.
"I said get off her!"
The scream slices through the haze of sleep, sharp and jagged. My mother's voice. My stomach drops, ice flooding my veins.
"Mom?" My voice cracks, my fingers scrambling for the sheet, pulling it up to cover my chest. My skin burns with shame, with confusion, with the sickening realization that she just saw everything.
My mother's face twists, her eyes wild with fury. "Why the hell are you fucking my daughter while she's asleep?"
"It's not what you think," I say. My throat tightens, my pulse roaring in my ears. I can still feel him inside me, the ghost of his touch lingering on my skin.
She's shaking, her face pale, her eyes wild as she turns to Heath. "How could you?" she spits, her voice breaking. "You're allowed to date other people," she snaps, her hands clenching into fists. "But why her? She's half your age!"
My breath catches. Date other people?
Heath's jaw tightens. "Yeah. And she's an adult who can make her own decisions."
"This is wrong," she screams, her voice breaking.
The room tilts. My fingers dig into the sheets, my heart pounding so hard I can taste it.
"Wait." My voice is barely a whisper, but it cuts through the tension like a blade. "What is she talking about? Date other people?"
My mother turns to me, her eyes wet, her lips trembling. "I guess it's time I told you. We're married, but it's a transactional relationship."
"Transactional?" I ask.
She wipes at her cheeks, her breath hitching.
"I needed to get my parents off my back.
They were threatening to cut me off, to take away everything if I didn't get married again since I was just dating around.
So I asked Heath…" She glares at him. "If he would help me get them off my case in exchange for our family's connections. "
The words hit me like a punch to the gut. My vision blurs, my chest aching like I've been hollowed out.
"Think of it as a business arrangement," she says, her voice trembling. "We both got what we wanted. No strings. No expectations." She swallows hard. "But this?" She gestures between us, her hand shaking. "This was never part of the deal."
I can't breathe. I can't think.
She glares at Heath again. "Of all the people, my daughter?"
Heath turns to her. "It's not what you think."
"Not what I think?" She laughs, sharp and bitter. "I just walked in on you fucking her, Heath. And she was asleep."
Heath doesn't answer.
"I'm going to call the police?—"
"Don't." My voice cuts through the room, raw and shaking. I sit up, the sheet clutched to my chest, my fingers trembling. "Don't call anyone."
She freezes, her eyes snapping to mine. "Don't?" Her voice cracks. "You're defending him?"
I swallow hard, my fingers trembling against the sheet. "I'm not defending anyone. I'm just…" My throat tightens. "I'm saying I wanted this. I mean, I want this."
Her face pales. "You don't know what you're saying."
"Yes, I do." My voice is steadier than I feel. "I'm not a child, Mom. I know exactly what I'm doing." I swallow hard, my nails digging into the sheet. "I'm not a child."
She shakes her head, her hands flying up. "You're delusional. He's using you. Just like he used me."
The words sting, but I don't flinch. "You used each other." My nails dig into my palms. "But this? This isn't about money or connections or whatever the hell you two had. This is real."
Her breath hitches, her eyes glistening. "You don't know him like I do."
"And you don't know me at all." My voice rises, sharp and bitter. "If you did, you'd know I wouldn't let anyone walk all over me. Not even him."
She flinches like I've slapped her. "I'm calling the police."
My stomach drops. "Mom?—"
"No." She spins on her heel, storming toward the door. "I'm not letting this happen. Not to my daughter."
I scramble out of bed, the sheet tangling around my legs. "Stop!" My voice cracks, but she doesn't turn. I lunge forward, grabbing her arm. "You don't get to decide this for me."
She whirls around, her eyes wild. "He's manipulating you! Can't you see that?"
"And what about you?" The words burst out of me, raw and angry. "All those nights you disappeared, all those ‘dates' you went on. Do you have any idea what that did to me?" My voice breaks. "I was so stressed."
She freezes, her face crumpling. "Hallie?—"
"No." I shake my head, my vision blurring. "You don't get to play the concerned mother now. Not after everything."
She opens her mouth, then closes it, her shoulders slumping. For a second, I think she might actually listen. But then she pulls her arm free, her voice trembling. "I'm leaving."
She turns, her footsteps heavy as she storms down the hall.
The silence that follows is deafening. My chest aches, my breath coming in short, sharp gasps. The sheet slips from my fingers, pooling at my feet, but I don't care. I'm too numb to care.
A warm hand brushes my shoulder. I flinch, my skin prickling with heat.
"Hallie."
Heath's voice is low, rough. I don't turn around.
"Look at me."
I shake my head, my throat tight. "Why didn't you tell me?"
His fingers curl around my chin, forcing me to face him. His eyes are dark, intense, searching mine. "Your mother didn't want you to know. But I should've told you."
"Yeah." My voice is hollow. "You should have."
He exhales sharply, his thumb brushing my cheek. "I didn't want to bring it up."
"I know." My voice cracks. "I felt—" I swallow hard. "I felt the same."
His grip tightens. "I was scared." The admission is quiet, raw. "Scared you'd look at me the way you're looking at me now."
I want to push him away. I want to scream. But his touch is warm, grounding, and I'm so tired of fighting.
"I'm sorry," he murmurs, his forehead pressing against mine. "For all of it."
I close my eyes, my breath hitching. "I don't know if I can trust you."
His arms wrap around me, pulling me against his chest. "Then let me earn it back."
I don't answer. I just stand there, my fingers curling into his skin, my heart pounding in my ears.
Because the truth is, I want to believe him.
Even if it's the stupidest thing I've ever done.
The kitchen smells like burnt coffee. I stand in the doorway, my fingers curled around the edge of the counter, watching as my mother pours herself a cup with stiff, jerky movements. The mug clinks against the granite, too loud in the silence.
She doesn't look at me.
My throat burns. "Mom."
Her shoulders tense, but she doesn't turn. "I'm not doing this, Hallie."
"Doing what?" My voice cracks. "Talking? Like normal people?"
She finally glances over her shoulder, her eyes red-rimmed, her mouth pressed into a thin line. "There's nothing normal about this."
The words hit like a slap. I flinch, my nails digging into the counter. "So that's it? You're just going to pretend I don't exist?"
She exhales sharply, turning back to her coffee. "I'm not pretending anything. I just…" Her voice wavers. "I need time."
"Time for what?" My hands shake. "To decide if I'm still your daughter?"
She whirls around, her coffee sloshing over the rim of her mug. "Don't you dare put this on me. You knew exactly what you were doing."
"Don't blame me as well." My chest tightens, my breath coming too fast. "Because last I checked, you were a cheating wife to your husband."
Her face pales. "That's not?—"
"Not what?" My voice breaks. "Not true because you weren't really a couple?"
She presses her lips together, her eyes glistening. For a second, I think she might actually say something real. But then she shakes her head, turning away. "I can't do this right now."
"Mom."
"I said no." Her voice is sharp, final. She grabs her purse from the counter, her movements quick, jerky. "I have to go."
The front door clicks shut behind her, the sound echoing through the empty house. My legs give out, my knees hitting the tile with a dull thud. The tears come before I can stop them, hot and messy, my shoulders shaking as I press my fists against my mouth to muffle the sound.
One second, I'm alone. The next, strong arms wrap around me, pulling me against a solid chest. Heath's scent fills my lungs, and I break.
"Shh." His voice is rough, his lips brushing my temple. "I've got you."
I cling to him, my fingers twisting in his shirt, my tears soaking the fabric. "She hates me."
"No." His hand cradles the back of my head, his thumb brushing my cheek. "She's just scared."
"Of what?" My voice is muffled against his chest.
"Of losing you." His grip tightens.
I pull back just enough to look at him, my vision blurry. "That's not?—"
"It is." His thumb brushes away a tear. "It's hard for her to see you choose someone else."
The words twist something inside me, sharp and aching.
He studies me, his steel blue eyes searching mine. "Do you want to talk about it?"
I swallow hard, my throat raw. "I mean I came on to you. Even when I shouldn't have. Even when I thought you were still a real couple."
His jaw tightens, his fingers flexing against my skin. "Hallie. You wanted me to be appreciated,"
"I know. It's probably not that. Maybe, I miss her." The admission burns. "I miss her so much it hurts."
He exhales sharply, his forehead pressing against mine. "I know."
I close my eyes, my breath hitching. "What if she never forgives me?"
"Then she's a fool." His voice is low, fierce. "But she will forgive you. Because she loves you. Even when she's too stubborn to admit it."
I want to believe him. I need to believe him.
But the doubt lingers, cold and heavy in my chest.
Heath's thumb brushes my cheek again, his touch gentle. "Let me handle this."
I frown. "Handle what?"
His mouth curves, just slightly. "Your mother."
"How?" My voice is skeptical.
He doesn't answer. Instead, he presses a kiss to my forehead, his lips warm against my skin. "Trust me."
I nod, my fingers tightening in his shirt. "Okay."
He pulls me closer, his arms wrapping around me like a shield.
And for now, this is enough.