Page 40 of Yours To Keep
“Yeah, I don’t think that’s gonna happen,” I interject, stepping in front of Magnolia to shield her from her mother’s view. Magnolia places her hand on my shoulder blade, leaning around to look at her mother.
“It’s ok, Dalton.” Magnolia says. I see fear in her eyes, but also fire. Maybe tonight will be the night she stands up to her mother once and for all before things really get out of hand.
“You think I would ever be a danger to my own daughter?” Her mother scoffs, and I level her with the coldest glare.
“No, not with all of us here. We just think you’re a nasty bitch who isn’t worth Magnolia’s time or energy,” Kelsea says, and I can’t help but snort out a laugh.
Magnolia looks around uncomfortably. I’m sure she’s never heard anyone speak to her mother in such a brash way. She moves to step past me towards her mother, but before she gets too far, I grab her wrist and pull her back against my front. I wrap a possessive arm across her collarbone and drop my lips to her ear where only she can hear me.
“Do not leave my sight, angel. She won’t lay a finger on you in front of all of these people, but she cannot be trusted. No matter what she says, you are an amazing woman.Mywoman. And you are so fucking strong.” I kiss her temple as she gives me a sharp nod. She steps out of my hold and I can’t help but instantly regret letting her entertain a conversation with this bitch.
twenty-two
As soon asI’m within arm’s length of my mother, she grabs my wrist tightly, dragging me several feet from my friends before I finally pull myself from her grasp.
“How dare you embarrass your father and I this way!” She whispers, only loud enough for me to hear, but the severity clear in her tone.
“Excuse me? Embarrass you how?” I ask.
“You useless cow! I cannot believe you would think bringing these…these…criminalsinto my home would ever be appropriate. Your father’s business associates are here, Magnolia! You brought these people here to spite me, and it’s unacceptable. You were born to better this family, not drag it through the mud with your deplorable choices. People have been told about your upcoming engagement with Aaron, Magnolia! You’re making an embarrassment out of me and out of this family!” Her words slash against me like barbed wire, every slice cutting deeper and deeper until my heart is raw and bleeding in her hands. My upcoming engagement? What version of delulu land is this woman living in?!
“If anyone is making an embarrassment of this family, it’s you, mother. Do you think I don’t know what you’ve done? What you’re trying to do to your own daughter? To your husband?!” My voice raises, and she steps in closer, trying to silence my outburst.
“You listen to me, you little bitch. I brought you in to this world to look pretty and do what you’re told, just like your sisters. You’ve already failed on that end for most of your life. You’ve been a worthless leech, never contributing to the betterment of this family’s name, and I won’t have it any longer. You will fall in line, Magnolia. You will fall in line and obey, or your disgusting little boyfriend will cease to exist. If you take this opportunity away from me, I will takeeverythingfrom you.” She snaps, and something inside me cracks. I’m used to her threats and insults against me, but to threaten the people I love? I could never live with myself if anything happened to them because of me. A smirk of satisfaction splits her lips when she sees the defeat in my eyes.
Useless cow. Worthless leech.Every single one of my hundred different insecurities come crashing down around me. I wish I could stand up to my mother when she attacks me this way, and I don’t really know why I can’t. I want to be the strong, fierce woman Dalton believes I am. Maybe I just have some twisted sense of responsibility to respect my mother?
I push my way through the crowds of people gawking at the fireworks show, not stopping even though I hear my friends calling for me. I know they want to comfort me and I love them for that, but I need to be alone with my thoughts right now. I can’t correlate the idea that the woman who spit such vicious lies about me is the same one who gave me life. Without her, I wouldn’t exist. And now I exist in spite of her.
How could she say things like that to me?Whywould she? What had I ever done to warrant such treatment from her? I raceup the stairs and into my room. Is it silly for me to still have a room at my parent’s vacation home even though I haven’t lived with them in years? Maybe, but right now I’m grateful to have a space that feels safe and familiar. I slam the door behind me and collapse onto the bed, wishing I could disappear into the soft sheets. I muffle the sound of my sobs in the plush bedding, wondering why I let her get to me after everything she’s done. I hate how weak I feel right now, but I can’t help it. The little girl in my soul longs for a mother who actually gives a fuck, and no matter how hard I try not to care, I do. A sharp knock on the door pulls me from my misery.
“Go away, Dalton. I’ll be down in a minute.” I shout, but I’m met with silence. After a few moments, the knocking begins again.
“Dalton, just go. I’m fine. Just give me a minute.” I call out again, but he doesn’t reply.
The knocking becomes harder, the door shaking slightly on the hinges. I know this man is possessive and refuses to take no for an answer, but damn. Pulling myself off the bed, I feel my attitude simmering under the surface. Can’t a girl just get a fucking second to decompress?! I yank the door open with a little more force than necessary, already ready for a fight.
“Dalton, I said-” staring back at me is Aaron, his face maniacal and unhinged. He pushes me back into the bedroom, shutting and locking the door behind him.
“Knock, knock, princess. Sorry, it’s not your boy toy.” He says, a dry laugh slipping from his lips.
“Aaron, what the fuck are you-” he cuts me off with a hard slap to my left cheek and I stumble backwards. He’s gone off the deep end for sure this time, and there’s no telling what will set him off.
“Shut up, Magnolia. It’s my turn now,” he says, scratching his temple with the barrel of a pistol. This scene is straight out of ahorror movie, and I don’t know what I did to deserve this karma from the universe.
“Ok, Aaron. Whatever you say.” I back up slowly, my hands up in front of me. My mind runs through a hundred different ways to diffuse this situation, but I can’t push through the panic long enough to grab onto one. My face stings where his palm made connection with my skin.
“This was supposed to be so fucking easy. We had a plan, your mother and I. If you had just done what you were fucking told, behaved like the perfect little bitch you’ve always been, none of this would’ve happened. And now your mother says I have to handle this problem, just like I have to handle everything else!” He’s nearly shouting at me by now, and I’m hopeful someone downstairs will hear him.
“I want to help you. Tell me what I can do, Aaron. I’ll do whatever you want me to, okay?” I reply, still backing away but running out of places to go.
“Oh, you’re gonna help me, Magnolia. Unfortunately, there’s only one thing you can do that’s good enough to satisfy your mother.” His smile is creepy and unsettling, and I don’t want to know what he’ll say next. He gesture with the hand holding the gun towards the balcony doors behind me.
“Out, now.” He snaps, knowing there are stairs from my balcony leading down the side of the house.
If I leave with him now, I might never see tomorrow. But what other option do I have? Fight him, here in this house full of people, and hope he doesn’t hurt someone else? Nodding, I back out the door and he follows. Of course my bedroom is on the side of the house opposite of the party. This is a perfect storm of bullshit, just setting me up from whatever Aaron has planned for me tonight.
twenty-three
