Page 15 of More Than A Feeling

I snapped out of my thoughts. "Darling, I'm sorry."

Damn it, Seamus, help me out, man. I'm fucking lost.

She gave me a watery smile. "How about we go to your place and—"

"No, let's go to yours."

My house still smelled like Fleur, and I wasn't ready to have another woman's scent replace that.

Fact was that I was sparingly spraying the perfume Fleur had forgotten in my bathroom onto my pillow at night like a pathetic schoolboy.

Chapter 7

Fleur

Heartbreak was not linear. One day, you felt fine and thought, fuck that asshole; the next day, you thought, I miss him so much; another day, you wondered why you couldn't just call up Callum and tell him you loved him and ask him to love you.

This non-linear progression was further exacerbated when consuming copious amounts of Sazerac.

"You've got to get under someone new," June told me as she made a Vieux Carree for the German couple, now living in Bettendorf, Iowa. They were in New Orleans during the Thanksgiving break because they didn't have any family to visit with.

I should've planned a trip as well, I thought, since my family had disowned me for asking my father to get out of my house when he was being verbally abusive. My mother had been vicious. Yeah, I know it looked like my father was the bad one,but Mom was worse cause she was a divorce lawyer while Dad did corporate law.

"Fleur Marie Landry, I'm so disappointed in you," my mother told me over the phone. She was too busy to actually come over to my apartment and dress me down.

"Mom, you've been disappointed in me and with me since I was born." I thought it was a pretty good line, considering how crappy these parents had made my childhood. They hadn't protected me from Sabine's cruelty and instead had added to it.

It all began when Sabine had meningococcal pneumonia when she was eight, and I was four. Sabine almost died, and my earliest memories were of my parents telling me to be quiet so as not to disturb my older sister. That was the beginning of my parents telling me to behave myself, not fight with my frail sister, be kinder to my sister, not be mean to my sister—and shut up already with all my needs and demands.

Sabine thrived on being the center of attention, and I learned how to become freaking wallpaper so my abusive family would leave me alone. The fact that it took me twenty-six years to finally figure out that nothing I ever did would be good enough for them was a testament to my naïve optimism.

"Fleur, I'm glad you and Callum broke up. He doesn't need your toxicity," my mother spoke in a serious, lawyer tone, the one she used to intimidate opposing counsel.

"Well, I'm glad I didn't disappoint you on this account," I bit out sarcastically. The freedom you got once you gave up on the family crazy was amazing. I never realized how liberating it could be to finally speak my mind and express my feelings when my family tried to tear me down.

Before Callum happened, I'd apologize and beg for forgiveness and promise to do better. Now? As the meme went:Behold the field in which I grow my fucks. Lay thine eyes upon it, and thou shalt see that it is barren.

"Young lady, you need to keep a civil tongue in your mouth," Mom snapped. "At this rate, is there any surprise that you're twenty-six and single?"

"I'm not single," I lied. I knew that would send her into a tizzy.

"What? You were just in a relationship with Callum. Don't you have any shame?"

"Callum and I broke up nearly six weeks ago. How long were you expecting me to remain single?" This was so much fun. I should've done it earlier.

"I'm appalled." Mom was furious. "How is it that I have one daughter who is a saint, and another, who is so selfish?"

"How am I selfish for dating?"

"Well, I want you to know that you're invited for Thanksgiving Dinner despite your behavior. But not whomever you're seeing."

"I think I'll pass." I had attended every holiday dinner and put up with shade being thrown at me. This year, I wasoutta fucks!

"What? You have to be there. The Gallaghers will be joining us from Edinburgh."

James and Rose Gallagher were good people. I'd met them several times and had also spent some time with them during Seamus's funeral. They were down to earth despite all their family money. But I didn't like their older son very much anymore.

"Callum and Sabine have decided to start dating, and we want to make sure the Gallaghers see us as a…."

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