Page 129 of The Defender
“I don’t think so.”
Sienna’s smile slipped. “Excuse me?”
“He’s not going anywhere.” Brooklyn had recovered from her shock. She crossed her arms and stared down her mother, though her eyes remained glossy with emotion. “Unlike you, Vincentactuallyhas my best interests at heart. He flew all the way from London to be with me because he knew how much I was dreading this trip. He’s comforted me, and supported me, and made me happier than you’ll ever know. So don’t you dare try to make him out to be the bad guy here.”
My throat thickened, and something warm and fierce swelled in my chest. This wasn’t about me, but her unflinching defense of me knocked the air out of my lungs.
I didn’t know what I did to deserve this girl, but I knew that I was never letting her go.
Sienna’s nostrils flared. “Maybe so, but people have multiple faces. Now sit down so we can continue this conversation at the table, sweetie,” she said through a tight smile. “People are starting to stare.”
She was right. Several nearby diners kept glancing at us in between bites. One of them looked at Sienna and whispered to their partner, who shook his head.
“I don’t care.” A flush spread across Brooklyn’s face. “I heard what you said about how I ruined your life and how I’ll do anything for your approval. I knew you resented me, but I hadn’t known how much until I heard it straight from your mouth.” She shook her head, her voice cracking. “God, I’m sostupid. This whole time, I kept thinking you’d somehow change and become a better mother to me because you’re so good to Charlie, but you’ll never change. You’ll always hate me because you never wanted me to begin with, and you’ll always exploit my hope foryour own purposes. You may be my only mom, but that’s just a matter of blood. If you don’t act like a mother, then you aren’t one. Not really.”
“Don’t act like a mother?” Sienna abandoned all pretenses of keeping a civil face for the public. She raised her voice, her eyes flashing. “Howdareyou say that to me? Do you know how much I’ve given up for you? I could’ve put you on the streets, but I didn’t. You’re here because ofme. You got to go to college and move to London because ofme. So don’t you dare stand there and try to make me sound like I’m sort of…sort of witch!”
“You did the bare minimum,” Brooklyn snapped back. “Yes, you fed me and clothed me and kept a roof over our heads. But I paid my own way through school, and I earned the London internship on my own merit. Being a parent is about more than the necessities. You wereneverthere for me growing up, and you just said yourself that I ruined your life. I didn’t ask to be born, so to put all your regrets and resentment on me is…it’s not…” Her voice broke again. A tear slipped down her cheek, and she angrily wiped it away with the back of her hand.
“You did ruin my life. That’s a fact.” Sienna’s words turned cold, crisp, and unbelievably cruel. My fists tightened. “I could’ve been a supermodel or a movie star. I could’ve married a billionaire. Do you think I wanted to spend my life in suburban San Diego, working in marketing and being a single mom? I don’t think so. Obviously, the situation has improved now that I have Harry and the kids…” She placed a hand on her stomach. “But this was Plan B. I’ll never forget the life I lost because of you and your father.”
Brooklyn’s face hardened. She straightened her shoulders, her voice taking on a quiet but steely firmness. “I’m glad you have Harry and the kids. Truly. Because I’m done here.”
Sienna sputtered. “Where are you going?”
“Home.” Brooklyn walked over and grabbed her bag from her chair. I tossed my napkin on the table and silently stood. “Send my well wishes to Harry, Charlie, and my new sister. I expect I won’t be seeing them for a while.”
“You can’t leave! My operation is tomorrow!”
I shook my head in disbelief. She was truly delusional if she thought Brooklyn would show up and pretend like nothing happened after today.
“And you’ll have plenty of support there. You don’t need me, and I’m done playing your games. Goodbye, Mom.”
I followed Brooklyn out of the restaurant, ignoring Sienna’s apoplectic expression and the other diners’ slack jaws.
Neither of us spoke until we got into my rental car. Then, and only then, did Brooklyn’s tears fall. A sob ripped from her throat and tore my heart clean in half.
I held her, letting her cry it all out in the restaurant parking lot. Despite my agony at seeing her sad, I was so fucking proud of her for standing up for herself.
“I’m sorry if I overstepped back there,” I said quietly, rubbing small circles on her back. “I saw the way she was talking to you, and I just…snapped.”
“No, it’s okay.” Brooklyn hiccupped. “I needed to hear that. If you hadn’t confronted her, and she hadn’t responded by saying those ugly things, I would’ve never believed it. Not really. I had to hear it for myself. I…” She hiccupped again. “I just feel so dumb. Iknewwhat kind of person she was, but I—I?—”
“You’re not dumb,” I said firmly. “That’s your family. We’re programmed to think the best of our family, no matter how shitty they might be.”
“Yeah.” She pulled back and wiped at her face again. “I’m going to miss Charlie the most, you know? He’s just a kid. He doesn’t deserve such a dysfunctional family, but she actuallywants him, so she’ll probably treat him better. I hope.” Her voice cracked again.
“He won’t be a kid forever. Whatever happens, you’re his sister, and you’ll have a chance to reconnect, even if it’s farther in the future.” I grasped her chin and tilted it up, forcing her to look at me. “Donotlet her make you feel bad about yourself. She’s the villain here, not you.”
Brooklyn nodded before giving me a watery smile. “This must be the quickest trip to California ever. Less than twenty-four hours, and we already have to head back.”
“I’m not complaining. It’s too hot here for January anyway. It’s weird.”
She laughed and blew her nose while I drove us to the hotel. Once we got there, I was buying the first ticket back to London.
It was time to go home.
CHAPTER 35
