Forever You're Mine (MINE #4)(54)

Surely I could handle one crazy bitch with a side of psycho.

Right?

Holden shook his head, casting his line. “Go file the damn restraining order. You talk to Cora?”

“Not since last week. Why?”

“Her mother died.”

“You’re shittin’ me.”

Holden shook his head. “Wish I was man.” His eyes met mine. “Overdose. She needs you. She’s not handling it well at all. Maddie’s been over there since she got the news.” Looking out across the lake, Holden continued. “That girl f*ckin’ loves you man. A lot. She has her reasons for doing what she did. You should talk to her.”

“What reasons?”

“Not for me to say. But from what Maddie told me, Cora had a damn good reason for breaking up with you. Just go see her, man. Trust me on this.”

Well, if there was one person in the world I did trust, it was Holden.





Love recognizes no barriers.

It jumps hurdles, leaps fences,

penetrates walls to arrive at its destination of hope.

~Maya Angelou





Death.

It’s so final.

It was hard to believe she was really gone. I didn’t mourn for her. Not at all. I grieved for what I never had, a loving mother who cared for me and loved me unconditionally. She was my mother. And even though she hated me, I still loved her.

How f*cked up is that?

They found her naked in the bathtub where she must have fallen asleep after taking a fatal combination of pills. I wish Winston were here. I needed him so badly. He was the only family I had left in the world now.

“I think you should go lay down for a while, sweetie. When’s the last time you slept?” Maddie asked, brushing the hair from my face.

I shrugged.

I’d been drifting in a daze, devastated over losing Cannon, stressed over getting my brother back, and now this.

How much could one person take?

“I think you should try to sleep. It might do you some good.”

I shook my head, staring at the rug beneath my feet. I didn’t want to sleep. My dreams had been plagued with memories of Cannon and nightmares about my mother.

Sleep was the enemy right now.

I sat there for hours or minutes. Time had become an elusive thing. I had no way of keeping up with anything anymore, least of all time.

His scent assaulted me and I closed my eyes against the memory.

“Cora.” My eyes flew open, not truly believing my ears. Cannon’s face was inches from mine. I blinked, knowing damn well this was just a dream.

“She won’t eat or sleep,” Maddie said and I blinked again.

“Cannon?” I whispered, reaching for him.

“She got any soup?” Maddie didn’t answer and left the room.

His hands cupped my cheeks. “Cannon? Is it really you?”

“Yeah…it’s really me,” he said quietly.

Tears sprang from my eyes as I buried my head in his chest, inhaling his comforting scent. That’s when I lost it, letting go of everything I’d been holding inside. I didn’t want to cry for her, but my heart wept anyway.

Cannon held me close, rocking back and forth gently. “Shh…it’s okay. Everything’s gonna be alright.”

Stroking my back, Cannon soothed me in ways no one else could. With his strength and love. He still loved me. Even after I broke his heart, he was here.

After a while, my tears finally subsided. “Sit up, babe. I need you to eat.”

“I don’t think I can.” My throat was raw and tight with emotion. I had so much to say. I just couldn’t seem to find the words.

Cannon situated me on the couch and reached for a steaming bowl on the coffee table. My stomach grumbled as the smell of chicken noodle soup invaded my nose. God, when was the last time I ate? I found out she died yesterday morning. I hadn’t eaten anything since the night before that. He held the spoon in front of his mouth and perched his lips, blowing to cool it off.

“Open,” he ordered.

I did as he said and moaned around the spoon, my stomach growling for more. After he fed me a few more bites, I felt like I finally had a little sliver of life back and reached for the bowl to feed myself.

“Let me,” he insisted and his deep voice would not let me deny him.

Once he finished, he sat the bowl down. “Where’s Maddie?”

“I told her to go.”

I wanted to cry again. “But…I don’t want to be alone.”

“I won’t leave you,” he assured, placing a hand on my knee.

“She’s gone.”

His hand squeezed, comforting me. “I know.”

“Do you know how many times I wished for her to die?”

“Babe.”

Tears began to fall once more. “I’m a horrible person.”

He pulled me into his arms, holding me tight. “No you’re not. You’re human.” His hand drifted up and down my back, and I closed my eyes as the guilt came washing over me.

“I lied to you.”

Cannon stiffened and I could feel his heart racing beneath my ear. I lifted my head to look into his eyes, and told him about the day Alexis came to see me.

“She blackmailed you?” he asked, his voice deep and deadly.