that has taken root in my gut. My need to find Mia is now a throbbing desperation that I can’t ignore and standing here dancing around my mother’s shitty minefield is a waste of my time, when Mia could be in my arms right now.
“Listen, Mom, I don’t have time for this. I need to know what exactly you said to her.”
“You think I made her leave?” she gasps.
“I know you did,” I state, not caring at all when her face falls. “So why don’t you tell us what you said.”
“Well,” she starts, her eyes shifting from left to right like she doesn’t know where to start. “I sympathized with her about what your father did to her family, for starters.”
“For starters,” Liam sighs, dropping down on the couch. “This is fucking great.”
Cole glances at me with an eyebrow raised. Hmm.
“Since when do you apologize for John’s actions?” I question her, my voice low and smooth. She stills in place, her eyes widening but I ignore her shitty acting. “Why would you bother with that when you hate the man?”
Unless she used that as the anchor to her plans, planting seeds in Mia’s head.
“Julian…”
“Why would you do that?” I step forward, eyeing her, watching for even the slightest twitch in her demeanor. My mother might be many things, but she’s mostly successful at getting what she wants, regardless of who she has to step over to get it. If she wanted Mia gone, then I guarantee that she stomped all over my Little Minx, then kicked her into the pit of her deepest fears.
“I didn’t really apologize on your father’s behalf—there’s no excusing what that bastard did—but I did make sure that she was clear on some things.”
“Things like what?” Liam presses.
“I made sure that she knew she wasn’t safe living under your father’s roof, but I think she knew that when she tip-toed into the house.”
“Tip-toed into the house?” Liam scoffs. “You make it seem like she snuck in here to steal one of your ugly paintings or some shit.” But I’m not concerned about that.
“You told her she wasn’t safe here,” I start, watching my mother as realization sinks in. “Why would you tell her that unless your goal was to make her think that we knew all along what dad was doing?”
“Holy shit,” Cole murmurs, but I go on.
“You lied to her! You made her believe that we were playing her the entire time she was here. That I was playing her.”
“What?” Liam demands, jumping up to his feet, but I just hold my mother’s gaze. It’s all so clear now. She made Liam, Cole and I out to be the big asshole villains in Mia’s book and now, after everything that happened between us, the shit I did and said, she definitely believes the shit my own mother dished out.
“Boys, listen—”
“You made her doubt and question everything that ever happened between us,” I say, cutting her off. “All the real moments, the genuine feelings, the honesty, you made sure to light that shut up and set it on fire.”
My own mother did that, after I confessed to everyone here that she was the love of my life, my mother went on to eviscerate her.
“I needed her, and you lied to her,” I whisper, staring at her like I’m looking at a stranger.
“Julian, I didn’t lie about anything,” Mom whispers, her voice hoarse as if she’s regretting her actions, but I know better. “I just confirmed what she was already thinking.”
“Yeah that we what? Helped Dad destroy another family? Her family?” I demand and she looks away. “You poisoned her against me.”
“Oh, what does it matter now? She’s gone now and you should be able to breathe a little easier now that you have managed to hurt her like she hurt Aiden.”
It’s as if her words have a physical impact on the room. Cole’s jaw practically drops to the floor and Liam gaps at our mother in shock as she finally snaps, revealing her true colors. She isn’t concerned at all about Mia. She doesn’t care what happens to her at all.
“Don’t look at me like I just ran over your puppy. I know for a fact that neither of you like her, so why are you so worked up about her leaving anyway?” Mom questions with a raised eyebrow. “Don’t tell me she was your common bicycle to ride.”
What the fuck?
But before I can say anything, Nicky comes from out of nowhere and literally tackles Mom