Page 18 of Pieces into Place
“Hey!” Mason’s voice sliced through the tension in the room. “Either take it outside or upstairs because we canallhear you.”
“Don’t tell me what to do inmyhouse!”
“Isla,” Vera all but hissed at her as she shot her a glare that could cut her in two. “This isourhouse and I will not allow you to talk to me or Mason or anyone like that.”
Vera turned to Mason, silently checking in with her in a way only Vera knew how to communicate with her. Under normal circumstances, Isla would have apologized to both of them. But her anger was clouding her brain so densely that she shook her head as she slammed the soda can onto the counter. Taking a step to stand between Isla and Mason, Vera pointed to the back door.
“Go take a walk.” There was no room for negotiation in Vera’s command. “I know you’re hurting about Blake not being here, and I’m so sorry about that. But you do not talk to me or Mason like that. We haven’t done anything to deserve that. Go clear your head and calm down.”
Snatching her coat off the hook by the back door, Isla yanked open the door.
And came face to face with Blake.
She had her hands stuffed into the pockets of her jacket as she smiled sheepishly at Isla. But Isla wasn’t in the mood for her apologies.
“The party started two hours ago.”
“I know,” Blake grimaced. “I’m sor—”
“Don’t.” Isla held up her hand to stop her. “I’m sonotin the mood for whatever half-ass apology you have been working on.”
Walking past Blake, Isla made a beeline for the woods. There was a trail that ran along a small creek in their backyard that normally calmed Isla down. She doubted it would even come close to getting her off the ledge she felt like she was standing on. Hot tears flowed from her eyes as Isla found a fallen tree and sat down. Burying her face in her hands, Isla let herself fall apart. She’d worry about picking up the pieces later.
Because right now, her heart was well past being broken. It was destroyed. She hated herself for yelling at Vera and Mason. Isla hated that her anger toward Blake had overflowed into every aspect of her life.
“It’s not fair!” Isla yelled into the trees, knowing they wouldn’t yell back. “I’m her mother,” she quietly sobbed as she wished Vera was there.
Why did I push her away? She’s always been there for me. This isn’t us. What am I doing?
“Hey,” Melanie’s voice startled Isla as she quickly dried her tears on the sleeve of her jacket. “Don’t worry about looking presentable for me.”
“Did they nominate you as the one to come after me?”
“I volunteered.” Melanie wore a red plaid button-up with a black vest over it and a jacket on top of it. She had her hair up in a ponytail and crossed her arms as she looked down at Isla. “Because when not one, not two, butthreepeople come back to the party crying, I know something happened.”
“I’m sorry.”
“I’m sonotthe one you should apologize to. Your wife, for starters, needs your apology. And Mason. And, as bad as you don’t want to hear it, so does Blake.”
“Not after she was two hours late to my party.”
“Isla, come on,” Melanie sighed as she sat down beside her. “You’re acting childish. This isn’t you. You don’t treat Vera and Mason this way. I’ve known you two for forever and haveneverseen you make Vera cry until today. You just better be glad I stopped Cameron from coming out here after you.”
“Why?”
“Because she probably would have slugged you before talking to you. You hurt her best friend and her nieces. She’s not thrilled with you right now.”
“Tell her to join the club.”
“Isla,” Melanie scolded, “stop acting like the victim here. I know a lot of this isn’t your fault. Blake hurt you, yes, and I’m not trying to take away from that. Butyoucontrol how to respond to that pain. And lashing out at VeraandMason isn’t you. This,” she gestured toward Isla, “isn’t the friend I know and love. You’ve let your anger toward Blake cloud every other relationship and if you’re not careful, you’re going to cause irreversible damage to those relationships.”
She thought about what Melanie said for a moment as she wiped the tears from her face. Isla knew if she kept going down the road she was that she’d destroy everything and everyone in her path. And they didn’t deserve that. Vera and Mason didn’t deserve that. Brayden, Ellie, and Everleigh didn’t deserve that. Her grandkids, daughters-in-law, and friends didn’t deserve that.
And most importantly, she didn’t deserve to self-destruct.
“I hate when you’re right.”
“Oh, yeah,” Melanie laughed. “Me, too.”
