Page 73 of Pour Decisions
“I told you I didn’t know about all that,” she says. Her tone is more serious, all the sugar sweetness gone.
“Then why did JD’s father tell us that? Why would he bring you into it at all?” I ask, forcing myself to speak slowly so I don’t flip out already. “I didn’t even know he knew you.”
She sighs heavily and I get out of the car. I can’t sit still any longer.
“Listen, I didn’t want to tell you because I knew you’d react like this,” she says with a huff. “But you don’t understand what I was going through.”
“Whatyouwere going through?”
“Of course! Raymond was awful to me too.”
For a second, a pang of guilt stops me from throwing my phone into the backyard. Hewastruly awful. And if my hunch that she’s a little jealous of me is right, Raymond being awful would make her actions make even more sense.
I had JD, a man who loved me, come to my rescue, while the man she “loved” was the one causing all the problems. And for whatever sick reason, she wanted me to lose that.
Mom has never been the most mature, but this is so unbelievably awful that I can hardly believe she gave birth to me at all.
“So you did do it,” I say, pacing. Saying it clears my head, finally. No more wondering—hoping—JD’s dad randomly lied about my mom having anything to do with this.
My heart was already broken, so the ache the final revelation leaves is dull.
“It’s just that I had loaned Raymond a ton of money for one of his businesses, and things were so tight. I needed an influx of cash and Raymond could pay me back with that,” she says, her voice sounding distant even though I didn’t move the phone. “It wasn’t right. Can you forgive me, honey? I made a mistake.”
I laugh. I can’t help it.
Her actions were so deliberate and selfish that they couldn’t qualify as a mistake in any way, shape, or form.
Sure, she does sound somewhat sorry. But being forgiven doesn’t mean the person extending the forgiveness forgets and moves on completely. They have to change too.
JD did, but Mom didn’t. And I don’t think Mom ever will.
“I’m done, Mom,” I say. “Please don’t try to contact me again.”
“That’s it? You’re just done with me?” she asks. “After all this, you’re not going to let me explain?—“
I end the call, then block her number, sinking down into a squat. I’m all cried out, so I wait until JD gets back. He seems to understand what happened and pulls me to my feet, wrapping me in a hug without saying a word.
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
JD
Dad: I need to speak with you, John David. I’m retiring and need to discuss the company with you
.
Dad texted me this at five in the morning, and needless to say, it woke me up completely.
Dad is full-on retiring? What could he possibly have to say to me?
I’ve been working with June for the past month, diving deep into the gin business and loving it. Christmas passed, and so did New Year’s, which I spent with Katrina at my place. I missed my family, besides Dad, but the lowkey holidays weren’t as touch as I thought they’d be. Dad wasn’t really on my mind.
But I still want to hear what he has to say.
I getout of bed and make coffee, then put together Katrina’s lunch on autopilot. She notices the moment she sees me.
“What happened?”she asks. I show her the text and her eyes widen. “Are you going to go meet with him?”
“Yeah.I need to know what he’s going to say.” I hand her coffee mug and lunch bag to her. “Today.”
