Page 132 of Fierce-Hyde

She wondered if he pushed to come if she would have given in for the moral support.

She was positive she would have and then regretted it.

He’d be there for her, she knew it. But today wasn’t going to be that day.

“You never say it more than once and you know I need the reminders,” her mother said.

She wouldn’t argue. She didn’t have the mental energy for it.

“Mom, this isn’t about us. It’s about Dad. I want to know what happened with you two. I know it’s not my business, but you never pushed for me to spend time with him either. We lived close enough and when I was a teen you both were hands off. Why?”

“You had friends and needed to be with them. I told your father that.”

“So you told him I didn’t want to spend time with him?” she asked. This was the first she had heard it.

“No, just that when he and I talked, you weren’t around and I said you were out with friends or had a boyfriend.”

She wasn’t buying that it was that simple. “What else?” she asked. “When I went to college he barely texted me. We didn’t see each other when I came home that I can remember. Then conversations halted. Did you know that?”

“He never said a word to me about it and neither did you. You’ve both done your own thing and didn’t include me.”

She’d heard this too. That her father had his friends and did what he wanted and left her alone. She’d whine and cry and need things and he’d tell her to figure it out on her own.

Some might think it was harsh, but since she lived in the same house, she knew it was stupid things like getting a stain out of a shirt or finding the right light bulb. Her mother did want someone to take care of everything for her.

Maybe that was why she was as independent as she was. Tori didn’t want to be anything like her mother.

But in doing that, did she foster this distant relationship—if it could even be called that—with her father?

“I’ve done my own thing because I’ve had to,” Tori said. “I had to care for things because you weren’t doing it.”

“So this is going to be my fault?” her mother asked. “That you and your father stopped talking and you’re going to blame it on me? He’s an asshole and has always been selfish. Maybe you take some of that from him.”

“That’s mean,” she said, stunned her mother said that. “If I was just like him I’d have walked away from you years ago and I sure the hell wouldn’t have paid your rent last month. By the way, you’re welcome. Not that you ever thank me.”

There was silence on the other end. “I’m sorry, Tori. This is just so upsetting to me. I don’t like getting hit with these things out of the blue.”

“Do you think I do?” she asked.

“What are you going to say to your father when you see him?”

“I have no idea,” she said. “I thought you could shed some light on things, but I guess not. I have to get off the highway soon and need to pay attention to where I’m going. It’s been a long time since I’ve been back.”

“Bye,” her mother said and just hung up on her. Like she always did.

She didn’t say she needed to go right then, just that she would soon. But her mother always had to get the last word in.

She took a few deep breaths and looked at the map on her screen and got in her lane to exit in two miles.

Before that a text came up from Hyde so she hit the button and listened to the car dictate it saying that he was thinking of her and wished her luck. To call him when she had a chance later. Then he ended it by saying he loved her.

That was what she needed from someone.

Support.

Encouragement.

Love.

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