Crushed (Torn #7)(31)

Point taken. However, he wasn’t going to get anything from me. I wasn’t going to melt and thaw from his intense look. I had made up my mind where he was concerned. And even though I was glad he was trying to reach out at my weakest point, nothing had really changed. He was still in love with Lindsey. Nothing could ever change that.

“Just drop the subject, Brody—”

“I will if you go out with me tonight.”

Letting out a deep, guttural growl, I pleaded with him. “I can’t. I’m just not … I’m not ready. Everything’s too complicated.”

He immediately became silent, eyeing me as though he was seeing me for the first time. “Okay,” he finally whispered.

Uh, how could he change his tune that quickly? He was confusing me.

“I’m going to let this subject go, for now.” He made sure to emphasize his point. “But rest assured, I’m not giving up on you. Think whatever you like, Amber, but you and I have history, and I’m going nowhere until we settle this unfinished business.” With those parting words, he left me with my mouth semi-hanging ajar.

For the first time, Brody had left me speechless, and I wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or not.





Chapter Seventeen





After our heated exchange in the kitchen, I didn’t see Brody for the rest of the day. I wasn’t sure if that was intentional or not, but whatever it was, I was grateful for the short reprieve to do some food shopping.

My first stop was Whole Foods then Trader Joes. The guys’ staples at the house were bread, beer, apples, and bananas. Oh, let’s not forget coffee and milk. Apart from those, the fridge was practically bare of food yet fully stocked with imported beers.

If there was something I could do to help out in the house, I could at least try my hand in cooking. Although I wasn’t the best of cooks, I wasn’t against purchasing some cookbooks and starting out with simple dishes, so I made sure to have a good selection of protein, veggies, and fruits.

Before returning to Carter’s, I made sure to purchase some pastries to drop off at the children’s ward at the hospital since I had promised Trista and Emma that I would. They were involved with the kids there, and since they weren’t here to do it themselves, I had to make the rounds and check in to one of the nurses, the most beloved Flo.

I was friendly with her, but I kept my distance. After what had happened last week, I was weary of being touched by anyone. The imbedded fear that they would hurt me was what Rob had scarred me with, and I had to learn how to live with that.

Driving back, I was surprised when my phone rang, but what truly shocked me was the caller. It was my mother who never called me for anything. She would have her assistant do it for her if there were “obligations” I had to fulfill in the family, such as dinner appearances, the occasional Christmas portrait, and so forth.

“Hello mother,” I uttered sternly, readying myself to hear something disapproving from her.

“I need to speak with you. I was hoping we could meet for coffee.”

Her random invitation almost made me step on the break and digest it properly. I felt as if I had just heard her wrong.

“Yeah, sure. Just let me know when and where,” I responded casually, not wanting to come off too curious. Then she would end up lecturing me about manners.

“I’m actually in Starbucks on State Street, the one that’s closest to Cabrillo. How long do you think it’ll take you to come and meet me?” Her statement came as a surprise. Not only that, but I daresay she seemed too eager to see me.

The whole thing—the random call and invitation for coffee—was putting me on edge. This wasn’t my mother, but she sure did sound like she was. I had no choice except to put off my cooking skills to go meet my mom.

“Let me drop off the groceries first, and then I’ll come meet you. Give me about fifteen minutes, and then I’ll be right there.”

“Very well.” She then hung up on me without a goodbye.

I snickered, thinking it was typical of her. I supposed the real mother I was so accustomed to was still there, alive and thriving. Nothing had changed.

After dropping the grocery items and shoving the cold food in the fridge, I quickly ran back out to meet my mother.

As I was driving towards the meeting place, I conjured up all the reasons she could possibly be requesting this random meeting. Alas, none of them came to fruition. What she announced before I had even had the chance to take the old, leather-cushioned chair across from her was a bomb, ready to explode on me.

“Your father and I decided to get divorced,” my mother declared, pausing as she pointedly raised her brow at me before taking a deep breath. “Well, it’s him mostly, and I was practically left no choice in the matter.” She stated it succinctly and as though she was looking for some sort of angry reaction from me.

The divorce news shocked me, yet at the same time, I wasn’t all that surprised. After all, they bickered like they were oil and water. I was just wondering what had taken them so long to decide to finally do it. However, knowing how sensitive this subject was to my mother, I feigned caring what the reasoning behind such a revelation could be.

“What? Why would Dad want a divorce now after all these years?”

She gave me a straight-faced look, trying to read my facial reaction, like she wanted to pick my thoughts as she probed into my eyes. “He’s having twins with that woman, and now, years later, he believes it’s time we should live our lives happily. He wants to be with his real family, apparently.”