Page 28 of Crashing Into Me
“I don’t love her. Hell, I don’t even like her!” He boomed and looked at Lana, whose face was filled with anguish.
“Love has nothing to do with it.” Maureen looked at Lana and smiled. “You see, dear, this is why you were better left upstairs.”
“Mother!” he yelled, so loud the entire town must have heard. “I’m not marrying Kim, are you serious? Who in the hell do you think you are? You don’t get to plan my life!”
“As if you’ve done so great on your own thus far? Need I remind you in front of your little friend here, what I’ve had to do for you?”
She continued walking around the living room, her heels clicking like a metronome during piano lessons.
“Street-racing, accidents, DUIs…the death of your brother,” she yelled, “Your father was so stressed and heartbroken, it sent his health spiraling, and that’s what killed him! Your irresponsibility has cost this family enough, and you will do whatever is necessary to fix it. End of story!”
Lana felt herself rise from the couch, anger coursing through her veins, seeing only red.
“He doesn’t need reminding, Mrs. Capshaw, because he lives it every single day of his life!”
She didn’t even realize she was now standing face to face with her. It was as if she'd stepped out of her own body and was watching someone else altogether. She continued.
“Perhaps the reason for his behavior is that you’ve used it as a tool to control him while you look down your nose at him. This isn’t parenting, he’s an adult and you should be ashamed for treating him like a child and then using his misfortune as an excuse for you behaving like a shitty mother!”
Lana grabbed her mouth, unable to stop the ramble of words as they tumbled out. Kim’s eyes were the size of saucers, and Maureen stood there with her mouth ajar, searching for words that didn’t come. Heathcliff looked frantically at Maureen and Kayden, clearly out of his depth when Lana turned to Kayden.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to disrespect your mother, but I won’t let anyone talk to you like that or treat you that way anymore.” She turned back to Maureen. “I don’t give a damn who they are.”
Lana stomped out of the living room and up the stairs, leaving everyone in suspended animation. She didn’t dare turn around for fear she would pass out from the amount of adrenaline coursing through her body. When the door to her room slammed, Maureen’s blue-gray eyes fell on her son.
“And to clarify, mother, she isn’t my little friend. She’s my fiancé.”
Kim’s face turned as white as a ghost, which made him smile.
“Feel free to sleep in one of the guest rooms downstairs, as my future wife and I would like to be undisturbed for the rest of the evening.” With that, he turned to leave.
“Kayden!” Maureen shrieked, her body heaving so severely that she could barely breathe. He turned to her.
“If you choose to defy me, you’re cut off for good! And just so you know, that little project with the diner was stopped as of yesterday. So if you think you’re doing something special there, you’re not!”
“What?” he replied, barely believing his ears.Did she really go that far?
“Yes, you heard right. Capshaw is taking over the project, and KDN Properties’ contract was canceled.”
Kayden looked at his mother, tears welling in his eyes.
Kim stood and walked over to him.
“Listen, Kayden, it’s not worth it. If you do what your mom wants, you get to control the company and can take on the projects you want to. Total freedom! Don't throw that away for someone you don’t know.”
She touched his forearm, and he pulled away from her.
“Listen to her son. She’s the only person in here other than me that’s thinking of you.”
Kayden snorted and wiped his face. He looked into his mother’s eyes and tried to search for any glimmer of love or affection, but couldn’t find a salt grain’s worth. Maureen’s face softened, having not seen her son this vulnerable in years. She finally studied the fine lines that started to appear around his eyes, the weariness of a man who had been through too much. She could see the toll it had taken on him.
“Mom, I love you,” he said sweetly, then continued, “and there’s very little that will change that. But I’m done jumping through hoops. If you want to cut me free, then cut me free,” he continued. “I’d rather struggle the rest of my life with a woman who loves me for who I am and not what I can give her,” he said, looking at Kim.
“I’d rather be penniless if it means I can finally have some peace in my own life! You have to let him go, Mom. Joel isn’t coming back; Dad isn’t coming back!”
Maureen flinched at the sound of Joel’s name coming from Kayden. “I’ve apologized all I will...all I can. You can accept that and love me anyway, or you can walk away and say goodbye.”
He turned and walked up the stairs, as they stood in silence. Kayden couldn’t believe the extent his mother had gone to, and he no longer cared. He would find a way to hold on to this newfound happiness, no matter the cost.
