AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“What do you want to say to me?” I ask as I turn to confront my mother in the empty dining room that she’s taken me to.
I hate the thought of looking at her, but there’s no hiding from this. I finally lift my gaze, and staring directly at her, I take my mother in properly for the first time since she died.
In front of me stands the woman who allowed me to believe an unforgivable lie.
“I didn’t do right by you,” she begins, “When I returned, I wanted to push you away, so I tried to act as if you didn’t mean anything to me. It was a lie, Tarian,” she says as she moves into the room and makes her way to the window. “I should have been a mother to you before anything else, but I’d read your father’s will and knew what was in it. I knew every line of that document off by heart. It was your father’s dying wish that you remained in Tynewood and took your place as a Crown, so what your father wanted, I granted. Instead of fighting his will and staying with you, I left with Thane.”
“No,” I tell her. “You didn’t grant his dying wish. My father wanted me and you to live in Tynewood together. Yes, he wanted me to be a Crown, but he also wanted you to guide me and raise me. But you killed him. Thane showed me everything, including your letters that were nothing more than bullshit.”
She is silent for a moment, and then she nods.
“You’re right. Your father wanted you to become a Crown, but I hated the Sovereign and the town. I saw what the society did to him.” My mother takes a deep breath before she continues. “I stayed in a loveless marriage to protect you, Tarian, but there came a point I couldn’t live that life anymore. I asked your father for a divorce, but he refused, so one night, I took the gun he hid in his desk and I shot him. Having killed him, I panicked and called Thane who came and helped me stage the car accident and my own death. I will never regret killing your father, Tarian, but I do regret what happened after that.”
“You didn’t have to fake your own death. You could’ve stayed, and I could have grown up with a mother.” All I dreamed of for years was having you still with me.
“I couldn’t face you, knowing I’d murdered your father, and I had my own emotional scars that needed to heal, so I chose to go with Thane and leave you behind. Your father was a strong man, but he was also strong-willed and violent. There are things about him?—”
“I know he was abusive,” I interrupt her. “I’ve read your letters, so I know your version of what happened between the two of you. If it’s true, then I can understand why you wanted to leave him, but you didn’t have to leave me, and you certainly didn’t have to kill him.”
“There were moments I second guessed my decision,” she agrees with a nod. “But it was too late by then.”
“What happened to the baby?”
Shock paints her features, but it slowly disappears. She knows I’ve read all the letters, so she can’t hide from the truth any longer.
“It was my second heartbreak,” she says as she shakes her head. “My first was losing you. Losing another child confirmed what I’d always known— I should never have become a mother.”
I finally allow myself to meet her eyes. I can see her pain reflected in them, and I wonder if I’ll ever be able to forgive her. I know I can’t right now.
“I didn’t think I had any other choice. Now we’ve spoken, I will leave Tynewood for good. I want you to live a happy life, Tarian. I can see you’ve already found someone to love.” There is a gentleness to her words when she says this, and I can’t help furrowing my brow in confusion.
“What do you mean?”
“I’m talking about that girl in the living room. She only agreed to come here today because she wanted to persuade me to talk to you. She asked me to give you the closure you need, so you can move on from the past.”
“She did that for me?”
My mother nods, a smile playing on her lips.
“She loves you, Tarian. You may not see it yet, but you will. Trust me, it will all become clear in time. And when it does, I suggest you don’t walk away from her. In this life, we’re lucky if we’re given even one chance at finding happiness. You can’t afford to let your chance pass you by.”
I find my chest tightening as I look at my mother. I can’t forgive her for what she’s done, but I am grateful she has spoken to me in person, rather than in a letter. The realization that she’s willing to walk away to ensure my future happiness has hit me harder than I care to admit. I thought I was done with feeling pain when it comes to her.
“Look after Grecia, and look after yourself,” my mother says as she steps toward me and cups my face in her hands. “You’re a good boy. I hope you always remember that your father was kind to you. And he loved you dearly. I’m sorry I did what I did after his death. I’ll live with the regret for the rest of my life.”
Then she turns on her heel, and without a backward look, she leaves.
“Are you okay?”
Grecia’s voice comes from the doorway, and I look up to see her standing there, her arms folded across her chest. I can’t deny I was shocked when my mother assured me that Grecia loves me.
“I think so.”
The air crackles with tension as I face Grecia. Her eyes hold mine hostage as she stares right into my soul. She’s always been able to see through the shadows clouding my mind.
Even though I’ve caused her heartache, her presence is confirmation that she’s still fighting for me.
I brace myself for the onslaught of emotions threatening to engulf me. My heart pounds in my chest with a mixture of fear and longing. She’s the one woman I never thought I’d get the chance to be with, but even though I haven’t wanted to admit it because I was too scared, she’s also the one woman I know I can’t be without.
