Harmony's Healing (Downtown Book 2) (15 page)

My fists are clenched and my jaw has tightened. Even though I heard the word bastard come out of my mother's mouth, all I can focus on right now is that one slip-up. “Go back,” my voice barely above a whisper.

“Go back where?”

“Go back to the part where you were going to say that Faith’s mom is your sister.”

She gasps, and brings her hands up to her mouth, shaking her head. “Oh, Daniel.”

I have never been so angry at my mother before, so disappointed, it fucking hurts. “Guess that’s my answer,” I quickly walk past her and go straight to my room to pack up my bag. I can’t stay here anymore.

She comes after me. “Where are you going!”

I can’t even look at her right now. I have nothing left inside me to argue, I just want to get out of here. “Home,” I answer in a tone meaning -
I’m done
. I’ve been lied to my entire life and I am simply done; tired.

My mom tried to get me to stay, but she knew she was in a losing battle. I love her so much, and would do anything for her, however I needed time to think, to understand why she thought it was in my best interest to lie to me. Why would she think it was okay for me not to have my father in my life, even if he
was
an asshole?

I waited outside until a cab came to pick me up. I sent Lucky a text to let him know I was on my way home and that I was coming straight over to the hotel after I landed. I think it was time to talk this out with Faith and Helene.

As I was sitting on the plane I had just realized I had forgotten the will and letter back at my moms house. It was on the coffee table, still untouched. Probably for the best anyways, I didn’t have the urge to open them anytime soon.

I don’t know why it’s so damn hard for me to think about what’s inside those envelopes. I know that deep down I want to see how my dad actually felt about me. What words did he choose to say, his dying words? Did he want me? Or would he explain things to me? His words may be the missing piece of the puzzle that I have always felt inside my heart. There is a void that I cannot fill unless I know exactly what I meant to him. When things have cooled down between myself and my mom I’ll have her send them to me.

I look around the hotel lobby, searching for Harmony as I go toward the elevator. She’s a constant image in my head, and I was hoping she would be here when I showed up, but I didn’t see any sign of her. With a feeling of disappointment I push the elevator button and wait for it to come to ground level.

Once I make it to the suite I hesitate before I knock. I have to remember that Faith wasn’t at fault for how my life turned out. For so long I have hated her, I couldn’t stand the sight of her, but now…..now I am going to see her in a whole different light. Not just as my sister, but cousin as well. Here I grew up with no siblings, cousins - nothing - and now I have both, yet all in one person. I really don’t know how to cope with this. It’s so fucked up.

I blow out a breath and keep my head down as I knock, then step back and stuff my hands inside my jacket until someone opens the door. I’m a little nervous, considering I was such a jackass the last time I stepped foot inside the suite. Come to think of it, I’ve always been a jackass.

Lucky opens the door and pulls me in for a half hug. “Glad to have you home, Danny-boy.”

Then we fist bump. “Good to be back.”

I step inside the suite and on my right is June and Phillip. “Danny, hi!” She invites herself in for a hug and squeezes me. She smells really good, like strawberries or something.

“Hey, June.” I hug her back, then pull away to stick out my hand. “Phillip.”

He takes my hand and shakes it. “Danny.”

June gathers Phillip’s hand into her own and they walk away into the kitchen, drinking the rest of their wine, from the looks of it.

Faith comes into my view and has a slight smile on her face. She has always been nice to me and tried everything to get along with me, but I never gave her the chance. Maybe now I can make things right. I hope. “Faith.” I give her a small chin lift and pierce my lips together, feeling a bit out of place.

“Hi.” She’s standing next to her dining table, holding onto the back of one of the dining chairs. “How was your Christmas?” She apprehensively asks me. I seem to make her nervous; she doesn’t know if I’m going to blow up at her or not. I pretty much hate myself for making her feel that way.

I shrug. “It was fine...good.” It was fine until my mom dropped the bomb on my visit. I clear my throat and stuff my hands back inside my coat pockets. “Um...I need to talk to you and your mom.”

Her brows furrow with confusion, she blinks. “Uh...sure. I’ll go call her.” She reaches for her cell on the table.

Lucky pats my shoulder and crooks his head to the left; gesturing us to talk in a different area of the room. We walk near the window that leads out onto the balcony and overlooks apartment buildings and other hotels. “So, what’s up?” He asks, crossing his arms.

I blow out a breath and swipe a hand through my hair. “Fuck, man….a lot. Found out some stuff about my dad and my mom.” I look over my shoulder, making sure no one is nearby overhearing me. “I really don’t want to talk about it,” I crook my head to the right.

He nods his head and agrees. “Yeah, I hear ya.”

“So, uh...how you getting along with…” He knows who I’m talking about. Phillip. Lucky didn’t exactly like the guy. Before our tour, Phillip found out about Lucky getting together with Faith on the night of our big signing party at the studio. Phillip and Faith were dating at the time. When he discovered that Faith hadn’t been faithful to him, he went and slept with June and got her knocked up. Even though he messed up as well, he tried to pick a fight with Lucky, blaming him for ruining things for him and Faith. Long story short, Phillip and June fell in love. Now Lucky and Phillip are forced to be in each others presence no matter how much they didn’t enjoy being around one another.

“Still not my favorite guy, but what am I supposed to do?” He shrugs. “Our women are best friends. I have to tolerate the douche.” We both silently laugh. I have to agree, although Phillip isn’t all that bad. He’s not as uptight as he was when I had first met him. He’s a bit more relaxed, and now has a bit of ink on his skin. I guess June has made Phillip turn a one-eighty.

Both Lucky and I turn once Helene makes her entrance be known. She’s fixing her hair and seems out of breath. Faith goes up to her. “Mom, you okay? You look flushed and sounded winded on the phone.”

“I have never been better!” She exclaims with a smile.

June says hi to Helene then hugs Faith. “I think we’re going to leave,” she says quietly.

“Sorry,” Faith answers back. I see her nodding her head and whispering something else to June, but I can’t hear what it is. I’m sure it has to do with me and my sudden visit. After saying goodbye Faith asks, “So, what’s this about?” She has her arms crossed and sits with her mother on the couch. Lucky and I sit in opposite chairs across from them.

Well, here goes nothing.
I lean upon my knees and lace my fingers together. My right leg is bouncing; this is the last thing I want to discuss. “I visited with my mother and she told me some shocking information.” My eyes cut over to Helene and I can see she knows exactly what I’m going to say. “She said she was the one who had the affair with Gordon.”

Faith blinks a couple times and furrows her brows, trying to comprehend the news. She turns to Helene. “Mom, is this true?”

Helene doesn’t hide the truth any longer. Her back straightens as she gather her fingers together and turns to Faith. “Yes,” her voice cracks under pressure.

I hear Lucky whisper, “Fuck.” I glance at him; he’s just shaking his head out of bewilderment.

I continue, “That’s not all. She said - “ There is a knock at the door which leads to me being cut off.
I just want to get this over and done with!

“I’ll get it, babe,” Lucky insists.

I sit back against the chair and rest my leg onto my knee as it still bounces. Myself, Faith and Helene sit in silence until we overhear Lucky say my mother’s name.
My mother? She’s here? What the hell for?

She walks right past Lucky, who by the way is shaking his head again and closes the door behind him. Helene suddenly stands up. I do as well, along with Faith. “Lucy?” Helene asks in shock.

“Hello, Helene,” my mom answers back, shyly.

I walk around the chairs and over to my mom. “Mom, what are you doing here?” She ignores me and walks slowly over to Helene.

“Mom? What’s going on?” Faith touches Helene’s shoulder and glances at my mom.

I can see it’s hard for Helene to put her words together. She clears her throat and whispers. “Faith….this is my sister, Lucy.”

“What?” Faith breathes out.

“Nice to meet you, Faith,” my mother says with a small grin.

Faith doesn’t get the chance to say anything because Helene interjects. “It’s been such a long time.”

My mom holds onto the strap of her purse for dear life and nods her head. “Yes, it has.”

We all stand and watch these two women reunite; the room becomes silent and quite stuffy with the feelings of hurt, sadness, and grief. I don’t understand why she picked this time to come face to face with her sister - the one who she betrayed - after all these years. “Mom,” I mutter.

She whips her head to look at me. The disappointment in her eyes throws me off. “It’s time to let things go, Daniel,” she snaps back at me. “I have to make amends, to ask for my sister’s forgiveness.” I keep my mouth shut and back away.

“Lucy -” Helene begins, but Faith cuts in.

“Would you both like to go some place more private?”

“No,” my mom quickly says.

“Then, please, have a seat.” She gestures the two women to sit down. Faith and I look at one another for a brief second before she sits down with them. I stay standing near the chairs and cross my arms. I’m not so sure how long I can last being here. I want to be angry at my mother right now, yet the look in Helene’s eyes shows me how happy she is that her sister is here; she’s smiling. I am so fucking confused right now.

Helene and my mom sit side by side, examining each other after so many years. “You look wonderful. Always so lovely,” Helene mentions, softly.

“You do too.” Her voice cracks, “Helene, I -”

Helene places her hand on top of my moms hand, squeezing it lightly. “What happened all those years ago...it’s in the past.”

She shakes her head. “You shouldn’t be so easy on me. What I did was a horrible, horrible thing,” her voice fades.

Helene takes a deep breath. “I...I was not in a good place back then, you know that. You know my history.”

What history? What is she talking about?

“Doesn’t make what I did to you any better.”

“No, but look what you got out of it,” Helene looks up at me and smiles. It makes me feel very uncomfortable. “….Daniel.” She lifts my mother’s chin up and sternly states, “You have suffered enough and so has he.”

“I’ve missed you terribly,” my mother breaks down, crying.

Helene pulls her in and lets my mom rest her head on her shoulder. She too, starts to cry as she smooths down my moms hair, soothing her. “And I have missed you. We have wasted too many years not being a family.”

This is all too much for me. How Helene can be so forgiving for her sisters mishaps, is beyond me. Without a word I walk out the door and into the hallway.

Lucky follows me. “Hey, where you going?”

I shrug. “I don’t know, man but it isn’t here. I’m not ready for a family reunion. I’m just not.”

Suddenly the door opens with Faith rushing out. “Danny, please don’t go,” she pleads with me.

I almost consider staying for her sake, but I just need more time. “We’ll talk later, Faith.”

Lucky wraps an arm around her shoulders, allowing her to lean into him. “Okay,” she says with a nod.

“Look,” I blow out a breath. “...I haven’t been the most forgiving or accepting person to be around, but uh….I’m really sorry about what I put you through. You didn’t deserve it.” Shit, I thought hell would freeze over. I never thought I’d ever apologize. And from the look in Faith’s eyes, tells me she was thinking the exact same thing.

A small tear escapes from the corner of her eyes when she whispers, “Thank you.”

I don’t have anything left to say, so I turn on my heal and hit the down button on the elevator. “Later, bro,” Lucky calls out.

“Later,” I reply back and step inside the elevator. As soon as the doors close I get out my phone and immediately text Harmony.

“I need to see u. What is ur address?”

I wait a few moments hoping she’ll respond. She doesn’t answer back until I reach the bottom of the hotel.

“Maybe we should meet up for coffee in the morning instead.”

No. Fuck no.
I scowl at her response. She’s only doing this because she knows I need her more than just talking.
“Harmony, please. I need to see u. Tonight.”
I am almost outside the hotel when she finally gives me her address. I grin, turn back around and have the front desk call me a cab.