Page 9 of Whatever You Want

“Ava.” She sighed. “You need to drop it, okay? I know you don’t approve, and you mean well, but this isn’t helping.” My fingernails dug into the table. Sometimes, talking to her was like waiting for a ship to sail into an airport. No matter how many different ways I tried, I couldn’t seem to get through to her. “Let’s talk about something else, shall we? How was the baptism?”

It was clear that she was done with this discussion.

“The baptism was nice.” I looked out the front window and almost fell from my chair when I noticed Richard’s tall, looming frame staring daggers at me. Unease traveled up my spine. How long had he been standing there for? Did he hear us talking?

Of course he did.

I stiffened when I heard his heavy steps descend through the doorway. He strode into the kitchen and drew to a stop. His stance was intimidating, and I held my breath, waiting to see if he would call me out.

“Ava,” he said coldly. “I didn’t realize you were stopping by today.”

“I wanted to check on my mother,” I told him, trying and failing to keep the bite out of my tone. “I heard she slipped and fell in the bathroom.”

Her eyes widened with fear, and I already regretted provoking him.

A muscle ticked in his jaw. “Yes, that was unfortunate.”

“You’re home early.” My mother quickly stood up and headed to the stove to check the chicken and biscuits. Even bruised up, she was in a Chanel sundress with high-heeled sandals. I’m not even sure she owned a pair of jeans anymore. Richard would never allow her to dress casually.

“Will you and Madison be staying for dinner?” he asked, glancing into the other room where Madison was watching something on TV. Her body was bent forward in concentration while she snacked on a bag of pretzels.

“Sorry, we have plans.”

The truth was, I didn’t want my daughter anywhere near him. I was ready to get the hell out of here.

His eyes narrowed. “You know, you really should try to spend more time with your mother.” He spoke the words calmly, but I sensed his irritation. “It would be nice if you didn’t just use her as a babysitter all the time.”

While he’s never been physical with me, I didn’t trust him. Drew never liked him, and we both always made a point of visiting my mom when he wasn’t home. If she watched Madison, it was always at my house. An arrangement she understood, but apparently, he didn’t. Now I was kicking myself for bringing my daughter here today. Never again.

“I don’t think you need to worry about how much time I spend with my mother. Our relationship is just fine.”

“Ava,” my mother began.

“Don’t.” He shot my mother a warning glance, and she just looked down at the floor. He glared at me with annoyance. “I’ll excuse your rudeness this time, but please remember whose house this is.”

“And I’d like you to remember that I’m not an idiot. Touch my mother one more time in anger and it might just be your last.”

He pressed his lips into a tight line. “I don’t know what you’re talking about, but I don’t appreciate the threat or your tone, young lady.”

“And I don’t appreciate you using my mother as a punching bag either.”

I really needed to do something with my sharp tongue. Pissing him off wasn’t going to help the situation. If anything, it would make things worse for her—something I needed to remind myself of.

“Careful, Ava. You’re walking a very thin line here. I’ve never touched your mother in anger.” His face was a mask of controlled fury. “In fact, I’ve given her a good life. Isn’t that right, dear?”

He placed his hands along her shoulder, and she flinched. Sure, he provided for her. She no longer had to scrub toilets or work long, twelve-hour days. Instead, she had to worry about stepping out of line and doing anything that would trigger his temper, especially when he was drinking.

My anger flared, but I kept it under control. I could say more, but I didn’t. Nothing would get resolved today, and I wasn’t stupid enough to fire him up more than I already have.

He stepped closer, kissing her on the side of the head. She gave him a tight smile while I sat there with my arms crossed over my chest. Somehow, someway, I would get her away from him.

“I’m going upstairs to take a shower. Make sure my dinner is still hot when I come back down.” He turned on his heels and walked up the stairs without another word.

Good riddance.

I rose from my seat to bring my empty glass over to the dishwasher. I checked my phone for the umpteenth time and saw an email from my realtor. I clicked on the message, noticing he had sent three new listings. My shoulders dropped as I scrolled through the first attachment. It was way out of my price range, but I was in love by the time I got to the third one.

“Oh my gosh.” My eyes lit up as I clicked on the images to make them larger.

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