Off Sides (Off #1)(32)

"Mother," I say as I walk up to her and bend over to give her a peck on the cheek. "What are you doing here?"

My mother appraises me closely and then practically sneers. "If you'd bother answering your phone or returning my calls, you'd know."

"Sorry. I've been busy with school and hockey."

She doesn't pull any punches when she says, "That's not all you've been busy with so I hear."

I glare over at Angeline who is smiling at me blandly. There’s no doubt she’s been filling my mother’s head with all kinds of nonsense.

"I'm an adult, mother. What I do is none of your business."

She looks like she's going to lay into me for a minute but then changes her mind. Instead, she fixes a smile to her face and says breezily, "I don't want to fight with you, darling. I've come to take you to lunch and I invited Angeline along, too. Won't that be nice?"

My rage peaks again and is threatening to boil over. What do I have to do to get these two to see that I want nothing to do with Angeline?

"May I speak with you in private, Mother?" I say this through gritted teeth in an effort not to yell at her.

She inclines her head toward me to indicate she agrees, and I turn to walk back up the stairs. She follows without question.

I open the door to my room and Mike's head pops up. He's playing his PSP.

"Can you give us a minute, Mike?"

He jumps up from the bed and leaves the room, mumbling a goodbye to my mother. I look at Danny and she looks like a deer caught in the headlights. She starts to get up from the bed but I hold my hand up to stop her. "Please stay."

I turn and step aside so my mother can walk in. She does so and inhales her breath sharply when she sees Danny sitting on my bed. Danny stands up, nervously wiping her hands on her jeans. I hate putting her in this position but I need my mother to understand what Danny means to me.

I walk over to where Danny is standing and put my arm around her waist. Leaning over, I give a small kiss to her temple and I feel her relax.

"Mother. This is Daniella Cross but she goes by Danny. Danny, this is my mother, Celia Burnham."

Danny reaches her hand out to my mother to shake it and good manners dictate that my mother has to reciprocate. "It's a pleasure, Mrs. Burnham."

My mother doesn't reply to Danny and releases her hand. Instead she looks at me. "I thought you said we were going to talk in private, Ryan?"

"I'm sorry, but what I want to say needs to be said in front of Danny and I want you to hear me so there is no misunderstanding. I am with Danny. She is with me. We love each other...deeply, and there isn't anything you can say or do that is going to change that. I'm asking you..." Ryan pauses and takes a deep breath, "no...I'm begging you to please accept this and for once, let me be happy with something of my own choosing."

For just a split second, I think I see something like understanding cross her face, but then it shuts down. Her veneer is back in place.

And then she actually laughs. "Ryan...don't be silly. You can't possibly think you have something to justify a long term relationship with this girl."

I feel Danny tense up next to me but I give her waist a small squeeze of reassurance. "Mother, I not only think it, I know it. Now, either you can be happy for me, or not, but I am with Danny and nothing is going to change that."

My mother's lips peel back in a snarl and her next words are like ice in my veins. "Ryan Burnham...you have obligations to this family and I am not going to stand by while you throw away what could be a very promising future on some two-bit waitress. Now tell me you understand what I'm saying so we can be done with this foolishness."

I take a deep breath and offer up a prayer requesting patience. I look at my mother. Her beautiful visage is curled into an ugly scowl and her attitude makes it that much worse. I exhale and choose my next words very carefully.

"I understand what you are saying." I watch her visibly relax. "But I don't accept what you are saying. We are clearly at an impasse and until such time as you can accept Danny being with me, we have nothing more to talk about. I'd like you to leave now."

Danny lets out a small gasp beside me and I squeeze her again.

My mom turns to leave but not before landing her cold eyes on Danny. "I hope you're pleased with yourself, you little gold digging tramp. You've managed to alienate Ryan from his entire family."

Danny almost sags against me but I hold onto her tight.

"Leave, Mother." I grit out.

She flips me one last glare and leaves, slamming the door behind her.

Immediately I turn to Danny and pull her too me. She's shaking and I stroke her back to soothe her. I hear the door to my room open up and assume its Mike. I turn to ask him to give me a few more minutes but I'm incensed to see Angeline standing there.

"What the f*ck do you want?" I snarl and Danny's head pops up to see Angeline standing in the doorway. She pulls out of my arms and walks over to the window, turning her back on us. I think she’s seen all she wants to.

Turning back to Angeline I just point to the door for her to leave but she just glares at me. "How could you do that to your mother, Ryan? Choosing that—"

I don't let her get the word out. I lunge at her and grab her arm, probably a little more roughly than I intended, but I want to stop those vicious words from coming out. I push her out the door and slam it in her face. Leaning back against the frame, I can hear Angeline stomping down the stairs. I rub the spot between my eyes feeling a tremendous tension headache coming on.