Page 75 of Obsessed

At the mention of Gage’s arrest, Mason shifted, and Rain noticed a distinct lack of shock on his face. Did he know? Maybe he’d seen it online…

Or maybe hewasbehind it.

“Lemme text you Josh’s address.” Taking a brand-new cell phone out of her designer purse, she unlocked the screen. “Don’t worry, Rainy, he’ll take care of us, just come by tomorrow with your things. It’s an hour away but his place is huge like his-”

“No.” He needed to put a stop to her delusions.

Her head snapped up, eyes filling with rage.

“No? What do you mean no?” Her tone was like a siren before an incoming storm but Rain refused to be intimidated, not when he had Mason beside him, reminding him of everything he’d built and everything he’d become.

Standing as tall as he could, Rain took the hand of the man he loved, holding it tightly. “I’m living with Mason now.”

“Him?” She squinted at Mason, scrunching up her face in thought. “Is he the powerlifter?”

“Yeah.” Rain tried not to roll his eyes while Ollie snorted again. Of all the things to remember, she’d honed in on that.

“Isn’t he a little old for you?” she countered, and Rain almost laughed in her face.

“Really? You’re dating your sixty-year-old boss.” They were getting loud but at this late hour there was no one else on the street to witness their fallout.

Her rage spread quickly, twisting her lips. “I’m not asking you, Rain, I’m telling you.Get your things and get your ass to Josh’s place.”

“Why? You don’t care about me. If Gage hadn’t been arrested, then you’d still be living with him, the guy who tried to break into my room the first night you brought him home.” As expected, she scoffed, crossing her arms, but Rain wanted her to hear it loud and clear so she couldn’t deny anything. “Did you know that he tried to fuck me on your birthday?”

Ollie and Tommy gasped, Mason’s fingers twitched, but his mother only stared, gritting her teeth as her fury built, shaking her until she erupted.

“That’s because you’re a little whore!” she snarled, her breath icing the air.

Anger poured from Mason in waves but Rain was used to her using words as knives, and the time he’d spent away had caused a disconnect in his favor because the things she said didn’t cut anymore. Her blades had gone dull.

“So that’s why your boyfriends started mauling me when I was four? Because I was a whore?” Tilting his head, he challenged her. He couldn’t help himself; this would be the last time they ever spoke and he wanted her to know exactly why he was leaving and that she was a terrible mother. “You always told me that you had me because you wanted a friend. But you don’t treat friends the way you treated me. You knew those men were dangerous, you knew what they did, but you still brought them home. And you’ve never shown any remorse or regret, you’ve never asked me how I am, or how I feel, or if anything is bothering me. You don’t know anything about me, or who I am, because the only person you’re interested in is yourself. You want me to be your puppet or your robot, so you can control me without the emotional investment, but I’m a human being! I have my own wants, my own personality, and my ownlife. A life that no longer includes you.”

For a few seconds she didn’t speak but her face told him enough. She’d never been good at hiding how she felt, that would require reflection and maturity, both of which she didn’t have.

“I didn’t give birth to you so I could be on my own,” she finally blurted.

“That isn’t my problem anymore.” Those words broke the bond, slicing through the last link of the chain, and everything he felt toward her dissolved. It didn’t matter what she did now because Rain wasn’t giving her any more of his energy, that was reserved for people who cared about him.

He held her stare, looking into eyes that were so much like his own yet so different, and the air grew thick with anticipation. Mason slid a foot out, ready to jump between them again, and Rain could feel the tension coming off the brothers behind him. After what she’d done at The Pointe, she had to know that she was outnumbered, that if she got physical, then this wouldn’t end well for her, and it seemed to sink in as she let out a disgusted huff.

“Fine.” She practically spat the word, giving Mason a death glare. “Stay in this shit town with him. But don’t come crawling to me when this doesn’t work out and you’re alone.”

Rain only nodded, knowing that not reacting was the best way to react. She continued to glare and then spun on her heel and stalked off. They all stared after her until she turned a corner and Rain drooped once she was out of sight, his limbs noodly.

“Are you okay?” Mason put an arm around his waist, supporting him as he nodded.

“Yeah. Actually, I am.” He felt raw and shaky, but cleansed, as if he’d been reborn.

Tommy let out a sob, tears spilling from his eyes.

“I had no idea…” Taking the tissue that Ollie offered, he wiped his face. “Why didn’t you say anything?”

“Because you and your family were my escape.” Rain patted his shoulder. “I didn’t want you to pity me or see me as a victim.”

“But you’re not a victim,” Ollie stated, his eyes serious. “You’re a survivor.”

Rain thought about everything he’d been through, especially over the last year. He’d weathered Tristan leaving, Gage’s perversion, having to sleep in The Pointe’s storage room, and a broken heart; however, his biggest obstacle had been escaping his mother. He’d fought so hard to pry her tendrils loose, reaching for a future without her in it, and now he had safety, hope, love, and the cutest kitten ever.

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