Page 49 of The Temptation
My eyes dart down to the leggings she’s wearing, and the way they hug that tight fucking body of hers. They’ve been driving me crazy all day.
“I was going to say that you can come as long as you stay in the car.”
She stamps her foot against the tiled floor like a child. “That’s not fair.”
“I mean it, Lucia. No matter what happens, promise me you’ll do as you’re told.”
She tilts her face towards the ceiling and blows out a puff of air before following it up with an audible sigh.
“Fine,” she mutters.
My leg starts to bounce as we turn onto my street. I’m not nervous about being here; I’m trying to rein in my anger. My mother is fifty-one years old, for fuck’s sake, and way too old to be doing this kind of shit.
She needs to grow the fuck up, get her life together, and take up knitting or something.
“You okay?” Lucia asks from the passenger seat as her small hand moves over to rest on my leg.
“Yeah,” I reply, dropping one hand from the steering wheel to rest it over hers. “I hate that you have to see this side of my life.”
It’s something I’ve worked hard to hide from the rest of the world.
“I grew up with a crazy parent, remember? You got front-row seats to that disaster, so it’s only fair I get to see yours in return.”
I chuckle. “I guess that’s only fair.”
“Damn straight it is.”
I wrap my fingers around hers, giving her hand a light squeeze. As much as I hate that Lucia’s witnessing this shitshow that is my mother, there’s something comforting about not having to face it on my own. If anyone understands unhinged family members, it’s her.
A low growl builds in the back of my throat as I pull up outside my place and see the front gate kicked in. My mother and that dick she was with are nowhere in sight. I swear if I find them still on my property, I’m going to lose my shit.
Lucia gasps before stating the obvious. “They kicked your gate in.”
“I can see that.” I bring the car to a screeching halt and turn off the ignition.
“Obviously, they couldn’t crack the code.”
I release a sarcastic laugh. “The funny thing is, the code is my date of birth.”
“Your date of birth? That’s a little reckless.”
“Not really, since I’m the only one who knows when that is.”
“Your mum would know it.”
“My mother never once acknowledged it, so I doubt she even remembers when it is.”
“She’s never done anything special for you on your birthday?” Lucia asks, and I hate the pity I hear in her voice.
It’s just another day. There’s nothing special about it. I curse the day I was born, so why would I want to celebrate it?
“On my ninth birthday, she OD’ed, does that count?”
I glance towards the passenger seat when Lucia doesn’t reply to that, and find her lips pulled into a thin line. “I know she’s your mother, and I shouldn’t speak out of line, but that woman is the worst.”
I lift one shoulder. I can’t really argue with that. “It is what it is.”
“If it’s any consolation, my father didn’t know my birth date either. Well, I don’t think he did. I at least had Arabella to celebrate it with.”
