“Dex.” Mom’s voice came behind me.
“Leave me alone.” I didn’t even bother with the elevator because I wanted to get away from her too. I turned to the door for the emergency stairway.
“Stop now.”
“No.”
“Stop right fucking now.” She raised her voice for the first time ever.
It made me stop involuntarily, like I had no control over my body. But I didn’t turn around.
“I know you’re upset right now. I understand. But your father loves you so much. Please don’t forget that.”
“Really?” I said bitterly. “He has a funny way of showing it.”
“He loves you more than anything in the world. He just wants the best for you—”
“Mom.” I turned around and faced her, slightly pained at the tears in her eyes from the way this whole thing had blown up, the destruction of her family. “I really don’t want to talk right now. You need to let me go.” I considered her just as guilty as my father for her involvement in this plot, but I couldn’t yell at my mother, not when she wore her heart on her sleeve and loved me fiercely every single day.
She stared at me as the tears fell down her cheeks, but then she gave a slight nod.
I turned into the stairwell and left.
“I love you, baby…”
The door shut behind me and cut her off from view.
I stopped and stared down at the steps, wishing I could just walk off, but I couldn’t. I turned and opened the door, seeing her standing there like she knew I would turn back around. “I love you too, Mom.”
14
Dex
I showed up on her doorstep and knocked while holding the six-pack underneath my arm.
There was no answer.
“Daisy? You home?”
“It’s my brother.” Her voice was audible through the doorway, and then her footsteps came a moment later.
She must have company. I shouldn’t have dropped by without texting her first. I just wasn’t in the right state of mind.
The door opened a moment later, and she was in a black dress and heels, like she had plans that evening. Her bubbly and positive personality quickly faded away when she saw the look on my face. Then she turned back into the apartment. “Babe, let’s do a rain check.”
I looked past her and saw the good-looking guy on the couch, wearing a long-sleeved black shirt with dark jeans. He had blond hair and blue eyes, classically handsome good looks. “I didn’t mean to interrupt, Daisy. We’ll talk tomorrow—”
“No, it’s fine.” She walked over to him on the couch and looked down at him. “Tomorrow?”
He finished his glass of wine before he rose to his feet. “Sure. Text me.” He looked down at her, gave her a charming smile before he kissed her on the mouth. “You’re worth the wait.” He walked toward me standing by the door. “Mason.” He extended his hand to shake mine. “Nice to meet you.”
“Dex. You too. I apologize for ruining your date.”
“Don’t worry about it.” He walked out and shut the door behind him.
I turned to Daisy and set the beer and folder on the coffee table. “I should have texted first—”
“Forget about him.” She smoothed out her dress before she sat on the couch. “What happened? You look like shit.” She slipped off her heels and helped herself to one of the beers.
I took a seat beside her and twisted off the cap of my beer. “Is that the guy you told me about?”
“Yes,” she blurted. “But let’s talk about him later.” She waved me off. “What the hell happened?”
It meant the world to me that she dropped everything for me and didn’t hesitate. No matter how much she liked this guy, I was her priority. “Dad put me through the wringer…”
“What does that mean?” She took a drink then set the bottom of the beer on her thigh. Her dark hair was in curls down one shoulder, and she had large gold earrings in her lobes. Her legs were crossed, and she sat with perfect posture.
“This woman emailed me a week ago and asked me to operate on her husband, but I told her I wasn’t practicing anymore. Apparently, she went to Dad’s office and asked for his help. So, when I got off work today, Mom invited me up for dinner, and I basically walked into an intervention.” I took a drink and set it on the coffee table. “The woman was there and begged me to take her husband as a patient, while Dad sat there.”
Her eyes widened. “Whoa…”
“He totally ambushed me. Fucking bullshit.”
Speechless, she just stared at me, like she didn’t know what to say. “That doesn’t sound like Dad.”
“Why do you think I’m so pissed off?” I grabbed the beer and took another drink, staring at her coffee table in her large living room, a vase of flowers sitting on the table. Her apartment was sleek and modern, with pops of color from flowers and throw pillows. “He crossed a line. I’m not a child anymore. I’m a grown-ass man, and he had no right to do that. He needs to accept my decision and move on.”