Page 68 of The Companion Love Trap

EVERLY

My mother’s eyes narrowed as she glared at me like she thought I’d intentionally planned this to ruin something for her. She’d zoomed in on me and Kieran, and I knew her first attack would be to undermine me. I glanced at my father, who gave me a weak nod. While my father had been kinder to me growing up—an occasional comfort in the harshness of my mother—he never stood up to her, and eventually, I saw him for the weak-willed man he was.

Jace’s hand fell to my thigh under the table, beckoning me to look at him. I gave him a quick smile, trying to convey with my eyes that I was okay.

“I have to say, Beverly. It’s a surprise seeing you here. Last I heard, you were copulating your way through downtown. I do suppose the men there are more willing to sleep with someone of your size.”

Wow, okay, so Mom wasn’t playing today and going straight for the attack right out of the gate.

I snorted, grabbed the bread, and spread a significant portion of butter before taking a bite, moaning around the fluffy goodness. My mother’s hadn’t been touched, nor would it be. Briony Carlisle didn’t let carbs touch her precious lips. I wiped my mouth once I was done, making a dramatic display as she huffed at me when I didn’t respond how she wanted.

“I’m sorry, was there a question disguised in your thinly veiled insult? So I’m a fat slut.” I shrugged my shoulders. “Get over it. I’m not sure how my waistline or bed partners are any of your business. Besides, haven’t you heard it’s the curvy girl voyage era?”

“Beverly!” she hissed, sitting forward in her seat like she couldn’t quite believe I’d spoken back to her.

It’s been years, Mom. You have no power over me, nor do I care what you think.

“It’s Everly, the B’s silent. Maybe you should be, too,” Jace said, catching me off guard. I smiled at him, shocked and forgiving him for his earlier transgression.

“How dare you?!” my mother shrieked, apparently not understanding Jace’s role in the business.

“Briony,” Mrs. Woodward started, trying to stop her friend. But my mother was too far gone at this point, stuck in her hatred of me and how disappointing I was to her.

“I think the one who should question herself is you, Mrs. Carlisle,” Kieran said. “You’re here as a guest of the Woodwards, whereas Everly, Jace, and Cruz are mine. They’re my family, my lovers, and my world. Disrespect them, and you’re disrespecting me, and I have no interest in entertaining someone who can’t understand that.”

My mother’s face turned the color of a bruised grape; her cheeks puffed up like she might blow any second. My father tried to distract her, but she shooed him away, too stuck in her own righteousness to listen to anyone else. As my mother’s embarrassment morphed into anger, she turned from the men who’d spoken up for me and glared her daggers right at me. I sighed, squaring my shoulders as I prepared for her verbal attack.

“I’m not sure what she promised you, but she has no money. She foolishly bequeathed her trust fund to Voices in Motion and has been taken out of our wills. She won’t inherit a dime. She’s homeless and can’t keep a job to save her life. She’s nothing, and you’ll soon realize that once the appeal of her novelty wears off,” she paused, lifting her nose at me. “But I’m sure she’s willing to do anything in order to entice a man.”

I stood and started a slow clap. She had no clue about the hornet’s nest she’d just stepped into. The tempers of the three men I cared about had just about boiled over. If she wasn’t careful, it would be her body that went overboard, and I wouldn’t even stop them.

Did that make me a petty bitch? Maybe.

Did I care? Nope.

You couldn’t miss something you never had, and my mother had never been a maternal figure, just a drill sergeant.

“Bravo, Briony. I didn’t think you had it in you, but you’ve proved beyond a doubt that you’ll never change. These eight years haven’t done a thing to you, but they’ve made me stronger, bolder, and more confident. Out of your reach, I flourished. I might not have a permanent address or a career to call my own. But I have a home. I have a purpose. And most of all, I have three boyfriends who see me for the woman I am.”

My mother pretended to act like the injured party, clasping her chest like me standing and clapping was the most outrageous thing she’d ever witnessed.

Buckle up, Mother. The show’s just getting started.

“You know, I’ve lived the past eight years doing what I want, when I want. And let me tell you, it’s fantastic. I’ve met so many unique people, had some of the craziest jobs a person could ever have, and experienced so many different cultures. Yes, there were times I didn’t know where I would sleep or get my next meal, but it never mattered because the kindness of people is a magical thing. It turns out, when you’re nice to people, they remember that.”

I took a breath, glancing at the three guys who had stood up with me, melting my heart. The waitpersons, servers, and a few nearby tables had also stopped to listen. Dane, our waiter, saw me and gave me a soft smile and a nod to continue.

“You made me feel worthless, Mom. Nothing I did was ever good enough. It didn’t matter that I’d mastered the piano and the violin, winning countless awards; you still pointed out the things I could’ve done better. I got straight A’s but wasn’t top of my class, so I was stupid in your eyes. I wasn’t as skinny as the other girls in dance, so you put me on a diet at twelve. At twelve!” I took a deep breath, my voice rising, and I didn’t want to be accused of being overly emotional.

“You took everything I loved and made me hate it because it was never good enough for you. You made me feel like a burden and like I couldn’t trust people because they’d only want something from me. So yes, I left and gave my trust fund to people who deserved it more than I did for nothing more than being born into our horrible family. Plus, I figured no one could take advantage of me if I didn’t have anything. Thanks for nailing that one with the boyfriend you paid to spy on me. It took me years to find myself and love the things I was good at again, but I did. And it turns out, most people only want kindness.”

My mother started to interrupt, but my father stopped her. It was the first time I’d ever seen him do it.

“Let her finish, Briony. We owe her that.”

“I wish you would’ve taught me love isn’t conditional, and my worth isn’t measured by what I look like or what I do. I learned my value first but struggled to truly let people in. I’ve kept everyone at arm’s length for years, worried I’d be a burden to them. I honestly thought I’d never be able to love someone because if my own mother didn’t love me, why would anyone else? But I was wrong.”

I glanced at the three guys who only had eyes for me and the emotion swirling in them. I sucked in a breath, tears gathering at the corners as I accepted I wasn’t alone in this. It was time for the last rule.

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