Chapter 51
Cori
I don’t know how long Haddie holds me, but I find comfort in her embrace. She feels warm, and her concern for me seems genuine, but Daxton is still her son, so I need to remember that.
After a while, she pulls away, looks into my eyes, and wipes my tears with her thumbs.
“Do you feel better?” I nod my head.
“I do. I’m going to pack and call Selene.” I try to get up, but she holds me.
“You’re not about to leave me,” the most annoying voice says, but I’m done talking to him. “I can explain. I didn’t realize how your family treated you. I wanted—”
“Just shut up,” I hiss. I guess I’m not done talking. “I’m so sick of the sound of your voice. Zip it.”
“Welcome back, sweetheart,” Haddie says with a laugh. “That’s my girl. Get on my son’s neck because he deserves it.”
“Mom, please.” Dax stands and paces in front of us. “Cori, I married you for one reason and—”
“Son, leave Cori and me alone for a few minutes. I want to talk to her.” Haddie looks at her son, and they have a silent conversation with just their eyes.
“I need to talk to my wife. I have some things I need to say.”
“I don’t want to hear a word out of you,” I mutter. Haddie pulls me close, and I rest my head on her shoulder.
“Let me talk to her first,” Haddie says as if she’s talking to a child. “Go.” She points away from us. Dax raises both hands and starts to walk backward.
“I’ll only be a few feet away.” He leaves the room, but he stands just outside of it. He leans against the wall with his arms crossed. I lift my head from her shoulder and take her hands.
“We’ll still have a relationship, right? You’re not going to dump me the same way I’m about to dump your son.” I squeeze her hand. “I really love you, Haddie.”
“You’re not about to dump me,” Dax says from a few feet away. Deciding I’m done talking to him again, I ignore him.
“Boy, if you don’t keep your mouth shut. Didn’t you hear Cori tell you to zip it?” Haddie mimics zipping her lips. She squeezes my hands. “You’ll never lose me. I feel the same way about you as I feel about Josie, but we need to talk.”
“Okay.”
“First, I want to tell you that I acknowledge your pain and hurt. Everything you said is valid.”
“Thank you, Haddie.”
“I’m your momma, too. You don’t ever have to thank me, but I want to go back to a few days ago. Tell me exactly what you heard.” I look away, unwilling to talk about it anymore. “Word for word to the best of your memory.”
“Okay.” I let out a big sigh. “I don’t remember word for word, but I found out Dax is paying for Devin’s daughter’s daycare.
Before that day, Dad told me Mom believed we got married because we fell in love, but that was a lie.
He told her the truth, and she still let me marry a stranger.
Dad was taking rent money from me each month and giving it to Devin.
Dad and your son had some arrangement, and I was supposed to get the apartment for free.
Dax found out about it but never told me.
” I give him a glare after my last statement.
“Dax told Dad that if I didn’t marry him, he would press charges on Devin for stealing from him. ”
“What was the point of that conversation?”
“Basically, Dad wanted Dax to get me to not be so hard on Mom so she wouldn’t feel the need to confess.” Anger bubbles underneath the surface at all the lies my parents have told me.
“And what was your husband’s response?” I give Dax a good dose of side eye before answering.
“He said he wasn’t going to do that, and if I found out about the lies, I would have him.”
Haddie leans back and crosses her arms as if she just won an argument.
“So, he defended you and refused to lie to you. He had your back and told your father to go to hell.” Haddie points at her son. “Baby, that man is right over there.”
“But he did so much dirt.”
“To get you to marry him?”
“Yes. Creating a scenario for Devin to steal so he can use it to his advantage. That’s diabolical.”
“You knew he did dirt, and you chose to marry him to help your mother.” I open my mouth, but she raises her hands.
“Honey, I was a young girl once, too. You would not have agreed if you thought he was a troll.” I purse my lips shut and refuse to answer.
This is exactly what Eden said. “What is important is what he said about you when he had no idea you were listening.”
“But—” she holds up her hand and talks over me.
“Now, let’s go back to the second thing I want to talk about. Tell me why you were going to give my son a chance twice.”
“Haddie, that doesn’t matter. He still stripped me of my choice.
Then he starts financially abusing me. I have no access to money.
He somehow turned off the car and told me he destroyed my most prized possession: my grandmother’s sewing machine.
The one she got from her mother, and the one she used to teach me everything I know.
My great-grandmother had to clean houses to afford it.
And do you know they wouldn’t sell it to her?
She asked one of the rich ladies she worked for to buy it on her behalf, and she did.
That’s how she ended up with it, and now your son destroyed it.
I’ll never forgive him for that. He’s so cruel. ”
“I never—”
“Daxton, hush!” Haddie admonishes. “Sweetheart, I will bet everything I own that he didn’t do a thing to that sewing machine.”
“Then I lost out on the shop because he cut off all my access to money. He never intended to help me. It was his way of manipulating me. I’m done with it all.” I wave my hand around. “I’m exhausted, and I don’t want to fight anymore.” I stand abruptly. “I’m going to call Selene.”
“You’re not going any damn where,” Dax says.
“Young lady, get your ass back here and sit down.” I freeze at Haddie’s tone. “Right now. Don’t make me drag you by your ear like I did my son.”
Not wanting a confrontation, I return to my seat.
“Now, tell me why you decided to give my son a chance, not once but twice.” Her voice sounds stern now. “Talk.”
I purse my lips, unwilling to talk about this in front of Dax, but I realize I don’t care anymore. Let him hear everything he’s going to miss out on.
“He’s handsome. I’m very attracted to him, too.
You’re right. I would not have agreed if I wasn’t attracted to him.
” I exhale at that admission. “There are parts of him that are amazing.” Haddie smiles and nods her head for me to continue.
“He’s very generous, smart, and can be sweet when he wants.
I was happy in the marriage, Haddie. I told him things, and he listened.
He went out of his way to do things to make me happy.
I thought he understood and cared. I found myself missing him when he wasn’t around.
You know how good I felt when he urged me to go back to school?
I felt like he understood me. Understood my dreams, but he has another side.
The side that’s manipulative, calculating, and selfish.
He threatened my cousin, so he’s dangerous. ”
Even from across the room, I notice Dax’s eye roll at my last statement.
“Honey, everyone has multiple sides to them. Good and bad, and all the good things you said about him are still true. He’s still the man you thought was worthy of a chance.
He’s still the man you missed when he was away, he’s still the man who made you happy in this marriage, and he’s still the man who will defend you to any and everyone. ”
“Yeah, but—” Haddie holds up a hand, and I shut up.
“I’ll be honest. I don’t care who did what to whom. I’m not equating them, but he did stuff, and so did you. We both know he’s not going to hurt your cousin. If he wanted to hurt her, he wouldn’t have let her kick his ass that day.”
“She didn’t kick my ass,” Dax yells from outside the room.
“Son, if you don’t shut up.” Haddie takes a deep breath before continuing.
“All this one-upmanship is childish, and it stops today. This thing where you both hurt each other to get even will get you nowhere. If you two are old enough to be married, you’re old enough to work this shit out.
” I gasp at her language. “Yeah, I cuss, too.” She takes my hands, and her warmth spreads over me.
“I love my son, and I love my daughter-in-law. That means I want you two together, and Cori, I promise that my son will be the best husband you can dream of.”
“He’s the husband of my worst nightmare,” I mutter, and Haddie chuckles.
“Honey, you just told me you were happy in the marriage.” I try to look away, but she grasps my chin. “What you have to ask yourself is, do you want to be happy, or do you want to be right?”
“Both.” I give her a sheepish smile. She lets my chin go and pulls me into her arms.
“Sometimes, sweetheart, we have to compromise in life. I get it. My son is not perfect. He did things. He acted like a spoiled child. But you admitted you chose to marry him and that you’ve done things too.
What I suggest is that you both stop trying to outdo each other with petty behavior and talk.
The man who listened to you, made you happy, and wants you to succeed is a few feet away.
I know that he will do everything in his power to give you everything you want.
” She looks past me and yells, “Daxton, get your nosy ass in here right now.”
Like a petulant child, he enters the room, and I look away. He drops himself into a chair.
“Talk to your wife. Apologize and fix this.” Dax opens his mouth.
“I don’t care who did what. This is a marriage, not kindergarten.
” He shuts up. “I raised you, and I know you’re no saint, and you’ve finally met your match.
If you two would stop fighting each other, you’ll see how good you can be together.
Both of you need to grow the hell up and fix this now.
” She taps the table. “Today, before I get mad.” She stands.
“I’ll be in the other room watching my shows until you both fix this mess.
If you don’t figure this shit out, I’m never leaving. ”
She leaves the living room without another word.