What You Do To Me (Unexpected Love) (23 page)

             
“
Hello,
beautiful, I’m glad
you’re
calling.” I
couldn’t
even respond because sobs we
re coming out of my mouth. “
Abby,
what is it, are you
okay
? Did something happen to the girls?”

             
“No,” was all I
managed
to choke out. I tried
to
take in deep breaths, but I felt
as if
my lungs we
re exploding.

             
“No what? No you aren’t
okay
or no the girls aren’t hurt.” I hear
d panic in Alex’s voice and I kne
w I
needed
to say something.

             
“The girls are fine,” I manage
d
to get out.

             
“What
happened?
Do
you need me to
come?
I can get a flight and cancel the next few days?” I hear
d him call Sam over
to him
. I couldn
’t let him cancel everything because my mother got under my skin again.

             
“No, I’m
fine.
It’s
my mother. We had a fight at dinner in front of the girls and I walked out.” I manage
d
to get this out
in between
my breathing
spasms.
God, I must sound like a wreck.

             
“Hey, take a deep breath,
and
try
to
calm down. I’ll stay on the line and talk to you until
you’re
calm enough to talk.” Alex did exactly
as
he said
. He told me about the radio station interviews they went on during the day. I heard about Steve’s wife and kids and how they are there on tour with them for the next two to three weeks and how him and Steve’s son went miniature golfing and how Alex lost to the ten year old. When my breathing finally
settled,
I remembered that Alex had the benefit to get too. Crap
,
now I had caused him to either
miss or
be
late
for
another event.

             
“I’m
sorry.
I should let you go,
because
I know
you h
ave that dinner thing tonight?”

             
“Yes, I’m
here.
Well
I was,
but
I le
f
t so I could talk to you.” I start
ed
feeling like an idiot. I pulled him out of the benefit so he could hear me cry about my mother.

             
“I’m so
sorry.
I called Lexi and Derek, but they didn’t
answer.
I shouldn’t have called you.” I
couldn’t
believe I called him, why would
I call him? We just met and we we
ren’t re
ally friends, even though I felt a
connection,
it didn’t mean he felt
anything.

             
“I’m glad you
called.
I just wish I
were
the first person you would think of calling when you feel like this. So, what happened with your mom?”

             
I pause
d
for a
moment,
thinking abou
t the first part of what he had
said,
and
then realize
d
there was a question attached. I finally answer
ed and told
him about the day with the girls and the r
ush to get to my parents. I told
him about he
r comments and how I always felt like I wasn’
t good enough for her and how she
made
me feel like I
didn’t
deserve the girls. Alex didn’t defend her, but he didn’t exactly tell me my behavior was acceptable
. H
e l
istened and I never felt judged
. It wasn’t until my phone beeped with Lexi calling, which I ignore
d, that I
look
ed
at the time.

             
“Shit,” I’m late getting the girls,
so
I’m sure I’
ll hear about this too. I stoo
d and start
ed
walking towards the car.

             
“
What?
” Alex responded
.

             
“I
told my parents I’d be back for the girls and
now
I’m late. Another selfish act made by Abr
ianna Porter.”
I was
sure Alex could
hear the irritation in my voice.

             
“I haven’t said much, because I felt like you just needed me to listen, but Abb
y
maybe you and your mom should sit down and talk about all this. Maybe
she’s
saying
the things she says, not to judge or
make you feel like
crap, but out of love in her
own
twisted way.” His voice was quieter when he was saying
that, as if
he was worried I’d
yell at him for saying anything that remotely
sounded
like
he was
defending her actions.

             
“No, I
can’t sit down with her to talk about any of this
. I’m done taking her abuse. She can have a relationship with the girls, but I
’m done dealing with
her,
” I said and I truly meant
it.
I was
sick of being that weak person who
allowed
everyone and anyone to treat her like a worthless nobody. I allowed David to treat me that way for years and I
wouldn’t
allow my mother or anybody else to treat me that way again. I should ha
ve stopped David years ago. I go
t in the car and start
ed
driving back to my parents.

             
“
Abby,
you may want to think about
this.
I don’t know your mother or the history, but talk before you c
ut her out.” Alex’s voice wa
s almost pleading
, but he didn
’t say anymore.

             
“
You’re
right, you don’t know the history. I have to do
this.
I’m not going to be that doormat
anymore,
I can’t. Alex, I’m almost to my parents, I have to go. Thank you for listening and I’ll talk to you later.”

             
“
Abby,
I’m heading back to the
hotel.
If
you need
me,
please call, I mean it. I like hearing your voice
even through the tears.” I told Alex bye and we hung up. I wasn’t sure if I was
ready to see my mother.

             
When I go
t to my
parents,
I walk
ed in and my dad was in the kitchen. He wa
s finishing
the dishes.
He
wiped his hands on a towel and wrapped his arms around me. I felt
the tears building in my eyes, but I refuse
d
to cry anymore.

             
“Where are the girls?” I ask
ed
trying to keep my voice from sounding shaky.

             
“Your mother has them in the bath.”

             
“What, are you
fucking kidding me?” The anger wa
s there again and I want
ed
to scream.

             
“Abriann
a
Sullivan
O’Hare,
we do not talk like that
in this house.” My father
pushed
me at
arm’s
length,
looking me in the eyes.

             
“My last name is no longer
O’Hare,
it’s
Porter,
and if I could get rid of the second last name
,
I would, but that wretched woman had to make sure I was cursed with her last name foreve
r.” I spat this at him and I could
se
e the hurt in his eyes. My dad wa
sn’t the one I want
ed
to hurt.

             
“You will always be an
O’Hare,
my
girl,
and I’m not the one
you’re
mad
at,
remember.”

             
“
Yes,
I
know.
You
don’t need to remind me.”

             
“Well, I thought we would keep the girls here for the night. We haven’t spent any real time with them in a while. So, Bri what do you say, can you let us keep the
m for the night?” He already knew
the answer, b
ut unlike my
mother,
he at least acted
as if
he wa
s giving me
a
say in this matter.

             
“Sure, but I want them home by eleven so we can go to the beach so I can expose them to UV rays and skin cancer.”

             
“Bri, let it go, she doesn’t mean it. I think you two should sit do
wn and talk.” What the
hell? Had
he
and Alex talked before I got here?

             
“
No, Dad
, I’m done talking to
her.
I’m done with her. I won’t keep the girls from her, but I
won’t
take this crap from her
anymore
. So, I’ll see you Thursday for my shift. Tell your wife I’ll drop the girls off at four for the night.” I reach
ed
up, kissed my dad on the cheek, turned,
and walk
ed
out the door.

             
I climb
ed in my car and du
g out my phone. “Get your ass ready, I’ll be there in five
minutes.
We
are getting drunk tonight.” I hu
ng up and head
ed
to Lexi’s.

             
I
woke
up and
couldn’t
open my
eyes.
The
sun
was
way too bright. I
could
smell the coffee, but I
didn’t
seem to be in any state to get to the coffee.

             
“
Good,
you are alive.”
It was
Lexi’s voice.

             
Not opening my eyes,
I asked,
“What time is it?” I
realized
the couch I
was
on
was
Lexi’s and not my own.

             
“It’s quarter to nine. I have to get to work. Sober your ass up and get home before dragon lady drops off your girls.”

             
“Dragon lady? What?” I’m confused.

             
“Your mother, that’s what you called her all night, dragon lady, but instead of fire, she
breathes
meanness and cruel words.”
Oh,
my
god,
did I really refer to her as that all night
?
I was
trying to think back to the night before.

             
Lexi
was
now grabbing my hand and placing a coffee mug in it.
Remember, Abby,
what the hell did you do last night. Christ there was dancing and the guy, crap who was the guy? “Lexi, who was I dancing with?”