Page 2 of Fighting for the Forbidden
Chapter One
Ben
“Ben?”Mum calls, following my footsteps from only seconds ago. “Ben, what the hell are you…” She trails off when she takes in the scene in front of her. “No. No, you’re not going.” Reaching out, she snatches my bag from the bed and frantically turns it over so she can shake out everything I’d just shoved inside. She doesn’t stop until the bag’s completely empty.
Her face twists with emotion and panic. “You’re not doing this. You’re not leaving.”
“It’s over.”
“No, it’s not. It’s just the beginning. Please, Ben. Please.” Her voice cracks, and the sound is like another knife to my heart.
All my life, I’ve only ever wanted to protect the two women I love, but at every turn, the only thing I seem to do is hurt them.
“It’s best for everyone if I just leave. I’m causing too much pain.”
She watches as I throw all the clothes I have back into my small holdall. She’s deep in thought, presumably trying to come up with a way to make me stay, but I think we both know she’s not going to win this fight.
“You’re not. I love having you back. It’s been an emotional week. We all just need a little time to find a new rhythm and get back to some kind of normal. Everything will be fine.”
“I’m so fed up of everyone saying that. How is everything going to be okay, Mum? Huh? The business is one bad job away from going under. This place…well,” I throw my arms out in defeat. “And Lauren. She’s moved on. She doesn’t want me.”
“She’s scared, Ben.”
“She didn’t look that scared inhisarms.”
Mum opens her mouth to say something but changes her mind at the last minute. “Put yourself in her shoes. Just give her time.”
“Fuck time,” I spit. “It’s beensix years. It’s now or never.”
“You don’t mean that.”
“Don’t I?”
“This is my fault,” she mutters, spinning on the spot and pulling her hair back from her face. Stopping what I’m doing, I stare at her, waiting for her to say more. When her eyes find mine again, guilt oozes from them.
“What did you do?”
“I…” She hesitates and my pulse picks up speed. “You need to remember that I’m trying to support both of you here.”
“What. Did. You. Do?” I spit, my frustration building with her bullshit stalling tactics.
“I warned Lauren that you were on your way.”
The fear on Lauren’s face when she first opened the door earlier fills my mind; her hesitance to say or do anything as I stared back at her.
“Youset that up?Youput me through that?” I roar, not really believing what I’m hearing. “I had to stand there and watch him with his hands all over her because ofyou? Whose side exactly are you on here?”
“I’m not on anyone’s side, Ben.”
“Bullshit. I’m your son. You’re meant to be helpingme.” I know I’m being irrational, but the image of them barely dressed at their front door is burned into my eyes.
“I am, I am. But Lauren’s—”
“Lauren’s what? More important?”
“No, no. She’s like a daughter to me, Ben. Over the past six years we’ve become close. I don’t want to see her hurt either.”
“So it’s okay formeto be the one hurt? This is fucking bullshit. I knew coming back here was a bad idea. I’m done.” Storming past Mum, I knock into her shoulder and she stumbles back into the door.
