Page 95 of Unbidden

“Why would I believe anything you have to say about my mother?”

He shrugs. “You don’t have to.”

“Then why are you telling me this?”

“I just want you to know that I know who you came from. I know how vile and manipulative that woman could be, and I know she taught you everything she knew. Don’t think for one second that I’ll let you continue to weasel your way into my family. I don’t know why she sent you after my children, but it stops now.”

I roll my eyes before turning back to the door. “If you took ten seconds to get to know your children, you would realize you have nothing to worry about. Their virtues are all safe and sound. Well, maybe not Keaton, but that had nothing to do with me.”

I open the kitchen door, taking a step outside the dining room.

“One million dollars. I want you gone.”

I turn back to face him fully. “You’re disgusting. Throwing your money around as if it makes everything better. You have three amazing children, but you don’t even give them the time of day. That is, until you want them to fall into line and look perfect for society. Well, I hate to break it to you, but money doesn’t solve every issue. It doesn’t solve the abandonment your children feel every day. It doesn’t change the fact that your daughter has deep-rooted insecurities stemming from the fact that she’s never really had a parent around. The fact that Keaton can’t connect with anyone on a real level because he has trust issues thanks to you. And let’s not get started on Reed. He had to grow up faster than any child should have to because someone had to take care of Keaton and Tinsley. You want to sit here and judge my mother? You want to make her out to be some bad person? Let me tell you about my mother. She was there for every moment of my life up until the day she died. She was there for every skinned knee, doctor’s appointment, accomplishment, and every school event. She was on the PTA and coached my fifth-grade cheerleading team when I thought I wanted to give it a shot. She was always there for me every second of every day, letting me know she loved me and supported me. So you can say what you want, but you didn’t know my mother, and you obviously don’t know me. Keep your dirty fucking money. I want nothing to do with it.”

I turn and push through the kitchen door. I hear Mr. Yates yell behind me, but I ignore him.

Fuck him.

But… could it be true?

I try to shake off my doubt. Yes, I knew my mother, but I know she was someone else before she left. I’ve seen the pictures. She was one of them. I didn’t need Alice or Elijah telling me about her life before me to know that.

Whatever my mom did in the past is just that—the past. I’ll always love her no matter what she did.

I lean against the freezer door and try and catch my breath, then take my phone out of my back pocket and pull up my contacts. My finger hovers over one I never thought I would use.

I bring the phone up to my ear after hitting Call.

One ring.

Two rings.

Three rings.

“Sage?” the voice on the other end says.

“Hey. I need your help.”

“Anything. Where are you?”

∞∞∞

I flash the keycard in front of the reader, waiting for the beep.

I take a deep breath before walking in. “You didn’t have to get me such a nice room.”

“Nonsense,” Elijah says behind me before shutting the door.

I drop my bag onto the couch before walking over to the window.

“I set it up so you can stay here as long as you want. I would have brought you to my house, but I thought you would be more comfortable here,” he tells me while taking a seat.

“I appreciate that,” I reply honestly.

“Want to tell me what happened?” he asks after a few beats.

I take a deep breath. “Everything just caught up to me. I’ve always hated change, but lately it feels like one thing after another.”

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