Page 63 of Cuts Like An Angel: Part 3

“I think sometimes they were born like this,” Maria said. “A test for us perhaps.”

“Because raising your son on sex and prostitution was the right way to raise a child?” Rosie set her eyes on Maria. “It isn’t me who is the whore, is it?”

“Rosie … what has gotten into you?” Her mother stood with her mouth hanging open. A welcome improvement, Rosie decided. It made the layers of Botox seem to stick out more. “I have heard enough of this. You’re not staying here another moment. Disrespecting this poor woman like that.”

Rosie snorted a laugh. All of this had unleashed some creature in Rosie, and now it was out, she was sure as hell not putting it back. “I am staying right here.”

“No.”

“Yes …”

Linda stepped forward and she slapped a hand down on Rosie’s arm, wrapping her cold fingers around her wrist.

Rosie snatched her arm back. “Let me go.”

William stepped between them, or he tried to. But no, this was her fight. Rosie tried to move around him, but he had caught her mother’s arm. “You have one minute to leave this house,” he said.

“Are you threatening me?”

Rosie pushed at William, moving his hand from her mother before she started to complain about some assault shit, like she would. “You need to leave. Both of you.”

“I want you out of my house and off my property.”

Linda straightened her back and put her arms back across her chest. She’d be better back home in America, where those silly poses suited her. It never occurred to Rosie before how stupid it looked, one leg sticking out a little to the side, hip jutting like she was important. “We’re guests of your mother’s, not yours. We have agreed we’re staying here.”

“There is nowhere for you to stay,” Rosie said. Unless they were going to cosy up with Maria in the front room, and Rosie would have paid to see that.

“There is a spare bedroom. Maria said, you two can sleep there, and they’ll take your room.”

Oh, she’d hit the big time, this time. Put William in the front bedroom …” You aren’t staying,” Rosie said, feeling protective of him.

“So, there is another room?”

Rosie slipped her hand into William’s. She needed to for her more than him. “Come with me,” she whispered, because staying in there with them wasn’t getting them anywhere. She’d do it properly. She pulled him into the hallway. It was colder there, refreshing almost. Like they’d managed to walk between different worlds. One where it was her and William, and another where her parents were being their usual insufferable selves. “Grab one of these,” she told him. Rosie grabbed the first bag and opened the front door. William grabbed another and followed her.

“What do you think you are doing?” Her mother had followed them, except she was standing at the door, arms holding herself tight. Well, the cold did have some use after all. Maybe her mother could freeze.

“Helping you leave,” Rosie said as she dumped the bag on the pavement by the rental. Not even the cold was brave enough to bother her this evening. Not that she was feeling so courageous herself, but something in her had fired … had got sick of all her mother’s ways. The woman at the door was someone else … someone smaller than she had been years ago when she could boss Rosie about.

Maybe Linda sensed the shift too, because when Rosie entered the house again and grabbed another bag, she didn’t stop her. Rosie wheeled the case all the way out and left it where they had put the other bags, next to the car.

Rosie stormed in again. She grabbed another bag. William was waiting for her. Her father came out of the kitchen followed by the ailing Maria. But it made no difference to Rosie.

“Put this with the others,” she said to William, but her mother grabbed it.

“Let go,” Rosie said.

“You’re throwing out your own mother?”

“You weren’t invited,” William said.

“You keep out of this. This is between me and my daughter.”

William opened his mouth, but Rosie put her hand up. “We want you to leave. Go home.”

“This won’t be over, you know?”

Rosie yanked the case from her mother’s grasp. “Yes, it will.” The case moved too fast when Linda let it go, suddenly lighter and it sent Rosie back. William caught her.

Her father let out a sigh and shook his head. Always that way since she had been a child and he was about to lecture her. “I hoped it wouldn’t come to this,” he said. He reached into his inside pocket and pulled out an envelope. He handed it to Rosie, and then took Linda’s arm. “Come on now. We’ll come back tomorrow, when our daughter has had time to come to her senses.”

Rosie gripped the envelope like her father had just handed her a bomb. She was pretty sure whatever was in this, would be as devastating as one.

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