Page 109 of For Your Heart
“What could you possibly do with a man, Sage? You can’t have a child with a man! What kind of family do you think you can have? What will your neighbors think?”
On and on until I can barely breathe, and can’t even see her through the darkness in my vision. I’m never good enough for her. I’m never going to be someone she loves. Someone she’s proud of. Tears sting my eyes and I spend the next several breaths trying to drown out her voice and the way it grates on every last bit of strength I have in me.
Digging her claws in and pulling away strands, one at a time. Weakening me. Making me into the nothing she says I am.
But I won’t cry. I refuse to cry. That’s why I focus on breathing through my mouth and forcing my tears away. Even through her hurtful words. Through the way her voice turns colder and nastier.
I don’t hear the door open, but suddenly Damon’s there, his hands on either side of my face. “Look at me, Najee. Take a breath. There you go. Just breathe.”
My mother is still there. Now her voice is a shriek as she’s demanding Damon to stop touching her perfect son. He’s contaminating me. I’m easily impressionable, confused, and he’s only further instilling that being with a man is okay. Men shouldn’t touch.
“Just you and me here,” Damon says, his soft voice overriding all the gross words my mother doesn’t stop saying. His hands go to my hips and he picks me up, placing my ass on the counter. Stepping aside, he opens my fridge and takes out a sports drink. Uncapping it, he hands it to me.
“Drink, Sage,” he whispers, moving between my legs and pulling me close, something my mother doesn’t miss and her voice turns shrill. When my eyes dart over his shoulder, he pulls my face back around. “Just look at me. Only you and me right now. You’re okay. I’m right here.”
A tear slips past my resolve and travels down my cheek. He catches it, wiping it away. I drink until it’s gone, wishing it was stronger. Do I even have alcohol in the house?
Taking a shuddering breath, the room comes into focus again.
“There you are,” he says, smiling. He brushes my lips with his finger. “You okay?”
My mother hasn’t stopped yet, but I nod. In the corner of my eye, I see movement and turn my head to find Jordan getting closer. River remains by the entrance with Sparrow in their arms. I smile a little at Jordan.
Damon doesn’t say anything to Jordan, though he gives him a once over. I don’t have time to introduce them and explain that Jordan is my friend before Damon turns his back on me and stares down my mother.
I’ve never seen my mother rendered speechless, but her mouth snaps shut as her eyes turn wide. I’m so startled that I look at Jordan with my own wide eyes. He smirks, leans against the counter until his hip touches my knee so I know he’s there and can feel his support, and watches with his arms folded over his chest.
Heavy silence hangs around us. Not even Sparrow makes a sound as he watches us all.
“Get out,” Damon says. Growls. I can feel that tone reverberate throughout the entire room.
My mother sputters. “You cannot kick me out of my own son’s home.Youshould leave. You’re dirty and—”
“Get out!” Damon barks, making my mother jump and Sammy stumble several steps back. “Get the fuck out right now. Don’t pretend you give a shit about your son and how he feels. You’ve done nothing,nothing,his entire life but make him feel like shit. And you continue to do that, despite him being a grown ass adult. Get the fuck out of his house. Now. Or I will have you arrested and charged for harassment, you sorry, pathetic, bigoted ass.”
“You can’t—”
“OUT!” Damon shouts, taking several steps toward her. I can feel the storm he is, and I shiver.
My mother backs up without realizing she does so. Her eyes move between him and me. With my breath held, I wait for her next words.
“You will run back to Sammy when you realize he can’t satisfy you,” my mother says and I flinch. Ew. Parents should not say that kind of thing.
“I already do satisfy him,” Damon says. “Far more than a woman is capable of. You have thirty seconds to leave before I call the cops.” He takes out his phone and pulls up the number.
My mother looks like he hit her. Like she swallowed a lemon and is going to be sick. But over all that, I see her fury.
She leaves without another word, her head high as if she won whatever battle just happened. I watch her freeze in front of River and stare. They’re wearing a snug dress that clings to their small, thin frame and outlines every line of their body. It’s tight enough around their ass that you can even see the elastic around their waist and ass cheek of their jock. I’m not even going to comment on how that looks in the front.
“Careful,” Jordan says, his voice low and threatening. “Don’t think I’m above smacking you. I have a room full of witnesses that will corroborate any story I come up with to justify punching a bitch for any nasty little thing that comes out of your mouth concerning my spouse or child.”
My mother visibly shudders as she hurries for the door. River follows and I hear the lock snap in place. They come back into the room and then silence follows. The seconds tick by. One. Two. Three. We wait to see what my mother will do next.
But she drives away.
Damon turns to me and wraps his arms around me. The noise I make is a sob, but I still refuse to let those tears fall. My mother was full steam today. In the short time she was here, she never stopped stabbing me with anything she could think of. Years of unloading. I feel raw and open as he pulls me into his chest.
I slip off the counter, my body wrapped around his. Somehow, he manages to hold my heavy ass without shaking while I cling to him. “It’s alright. Everything’s all right. I have you. You’re all right,” he murmurs until I stop trembling.
