Fake Love - Jaxson Kidman Page 0,10
said.
She took me to the counter and helped me sit.
She touched my face again. “Nothing?”
I shook my head.
“How could this happen to you? My baby girl has amnesia. I can’t believe I get to say that.”
“She’s going to be fine, Tina,” Dad said as he entered the kitchen. “Now, what are you doing here?”
“You’re in an even worse mood than usual,” my mother said.
“Do you really want to hear about my week?” Dad asked.
“He was in the hospital with me the whole time,” I said.
“Of course he was,” my mother said. She rubbed my back. “You have a great father, Winter. I hope you remember that someday soon.”
That was all part of her plan.
She never took shots at Dad. That made it so she always had this small part of her that looked good. And it meant when Dad got pissed, he would look really bad.
“Do you need more money?” Dad asked.
My mother laughed. “Really, Jack? After what you did…”
“What I did?” Dad yelled.
“What happened?” I asked.
“This isn’t the time or place,” my mother said. “Our daughter needs to heal. She needs her parents.”
“I need a drink of water, please,” I said.
Dad jumped to the fridge and got me a bottle of expensive water.
“Can we talk privately?” Dad asked my mother.
“Sure, Jack, I’d love nothing more,” my mother said.
They exited the kitchen.
Just behind the kitchen was a den type of room.
The walls were super thin and it was a great spot to hide and listen.
I moved from the kitchen to that room so I could hear my parents talking.
They were down the hallway just enough that from the kitchen I couldn’t hear.
But from inside the den…
“What are you doing here, Tina?”
“She’s my goddamn daughter too.”
“You haven’t been here in two fucking years.”
“That’s right, curse at me. Threaten me.”
“I’m not threatening anyone. I want you out of here. She’s been through enough.”
“This is a chance to start over. All of us. She can’t remember a thing. So let’s help her. Together. Jack… please…”
“I can’t believe this.”
“I can’t believe you didn’t call me right away. That hurt.”
“I’m sorry, Tina. If you want the truth, it slipped my mind.”
“Of course it did. I’m her mother, Jack. She could have died. She can’t remember a thing. And I didn’t find out until-”
“Stay here then.”
“What?”
“Stay here, Tina. At the house. Okay? If you really want to do something different…”
“Wait a second, Jack. You’re not that nice. Not even close. You’re a miserable prick. We all know that. What’s going on here?”
“I got a phone call on the ride home from the hospital.”
“Meaning?”
“I have to go somewhere. For work.”
“Of course you do. Work, work, work…”
“Don’t do that to me, Tina. I’ll kick your ass out, right now.”
“And then pay someone to take care of our daughter? Like you always do?”
“You can stay here while I’m gone. That’s what I’m saying to you. There’s a problem with a project and I have to go in person to handle it. If I don’t, then investors will pull out and I’m screwed.”
“Wow. So I guess it’s good timing I showed up, huh?”
“Do not act like you’re doing me a favor. You think you can figure things out with Winter? Go for it. She’s going to remember everything, Tina. And when she does, I can’t wait to see how it plays out.”
“What makes you think she’s going to remember anything?”
“I just have faith.”
“There’s your problem, Jack. You have faith. You talk to invisible things and hope for the best. I take action. I get what I want.”
“This is what you want?”
“Oh, it is. She’s not staying here. Neither am I. I’m taking her to my place.”
“The fuck you are, Tina. Forget I said anything. You have five minutes to leave.”
“Not without a check.”
“Not a problem. One check and you go away for two years again? I’m in.”
I heard Dad’s phone start to ring. I hurried out of the den and went back into the kitchen. I wanted to cry my eyes out. But I was too angry to cry.
So I stood there.
And when I saw my mother, I pointed at her.
“Winter?” she asked.
“Just fucking leave,” I said. “Okay? Just fucking go. You really showed up for money? Using my accident to get more money out of him? Who are you?”
I couldn’t stop myself from saying it.
My mother slowly walked toward me.
I had more to say but I held back.
She closed right in on me and gently touched my cheeks.
She smiled.
“You are my daughter,” she whispered.
“What?”
“You’re nothing but a liar, Winter…”
I