Sitting up a bit taller, Jordie said, “I drank myself stupid, went to rehab, and haven’t drunk since.”
“That’s dumb. I doubt there was anything wrong with you, just overreacting like always,” she said, waving him off. “He does that. He used to make up the most awful stuff as a child. Then his friend got killed, and he’s been trouble ever since. So pay him no mind. It’s probably a stunt for attention.”
Kacey’s jaw actually dropped. “Attention? Are you fucking kidding me?” she shrieked when she recovered from the shock. Jordie cupped her shoulder and she glanced over at him, her eyes wide. Slowly he shook his head before leaning over and kissing her on the lips.
“I got this,” he said against her lips.
But Stacey was still running her mouth. “Tell your baby momma to watch the way she speaks to me, Jordie Scott!”
“Stacey, please,” Phil asked, but Jordie’s eyes were on Kacey.
“She can’t hurt me,” he said slowly to her, but Kacey didn’t believe him. She knew Stacey could, but soon, he was looking back at his mother, his shoulders firm as he held her gaze.
“It’s not an attention-getting stunt. I had a problem; I’m treating it. And I’m not here to point fingers, but did it ever occur to you that maybe you were the root of my problem?”
She laughed. “Please, I never did anything to cause that.”
“You’re right, you didn’t do anything,” he said calmly, but his chest was rising and falling quickly. “You did nothing for me. You didn’t love me, you didn’t care for me, and you sure as hell never put me first.”
“That’s a lie,” she snapped. “I did the best I could.”
He scoffed. “No, you did what you wanted, and that’s fine, Mom. I’ve forgiven you.”
“You have?” Kacey asked, shocked, as Stacey glared.
“Yes,” he said, not looking at Kacey. “At the beginning of the week, I had every intention of giving you the opportunity to be in my life. Give you a second chance to do right by me, because someone gave me a second chance and I’m a better person because of it. But I realized a few days ago, you don’t deserve a second chance. That I’ll never matter enough to you. And once I came to that conclusion, I decided I don’t want to see or talk to you ever again.”
Her glare deepened as Jordie slowly rose. “Phil, it was wonderful meeting you, and I hope you enjoy the game tomorrow.”
He nodded, his brow furrowing as Kacey stood, and he said, “You’re leaving? Already?”
“Yeah, I made a mistake coming. But again, it was great meeting you. Good luck.”
“You too, I’m sorry that you have to leave.”
“I’m not,” Jordie said softly, taking Kacey’s hand in his. Looking at his mother, he just shook his head. “Have a nice life.”
He turned, pulling Kacey with him, and she went willingly. But when she noticed that Stacey was following them, her stomach dropped.
“Jordie, she’s following us.”
“I figured she would,” he said, but he didn’t seem as affected as she thought he would be. It worried her. Ushering her along, he went out the front door into the chill of the night. Wrapping her arms around herself, she kicked herself for not bringing her jacket. Turning, Jordie handed his ticket to the valet and asked her, “Do you want to get into the car first?”
She shook her head and said, very fiercely, “I’m standing beside you.”
He nodded before removing his jacket, sliding it over her arms just as Stacey burst through the door, her face red with anger.
“How dare you embarrass me like that!” she yelled, her hands striking her hips, her face tipped up at him. “Are you a dumbass?”
“I don’t think I embarrassed you. I was honest.”
She faltered. “There was no reason to announce being an alcoholic! How stupid are you?”
Kacey’s heart lurched in her chest and her nails bit into her palms as Jordie shook his head. “Most parents would be proud of their children for bettering themselves.”
“Oh, what the hell ever! You think you’re hurting me, Jordie Scott Thomas? Do you forget who gave you life? Who supported you all those years? Therapy isn’t cheap, you shit, and I can’t believe you’d embarrass me in front of my fiancé like that!”
“I could never forget, but you were never a mom to me,” he said sternly, but she was already screaming.
“Oh, because I didn’t coddle you or feed into your lies? I saw right through you. Everything that happened, you caused! You