Filed to story: Reclaimed Book by Roxie Ray
“This sucks!”
Cassidy sighed and put the TV on. She stared at the screen, but didn’t seem to be watching at all. “This is all fucked up. I can’t believe how determined that psycho bitch is.”
“I hope she finally leaves town after all of this. She should’ve run off with Forrest.”
Cassidy scoffed. “She was just using him. She’s still obsessed with Steph.”
“Don’t remind me.”
We flipped through the channels idly for a few minutes. My phone started to ring in my pocket. I fished it out, assuming it was Steph calling to give me an update on whatever was happening, but that wasn’t the name I saw on the screen.
“Mom? Is everything okay?” I stood up and started to pace. I hadn’t spoken to her since our last big fight. If she was calling me, something was seriously wrong.
“Harley?” Her voice was shaky on the other end of the line. “I didn’t think you’d answer…”
“What’s going on?” I asked. Maybe this was why I’d felt off all day, not the Blakely thing.
“I… I need your help,” she said.
“What? Why? What happened?”
Mom coughed a few times. “Can you come over?”
“What? Now?”
“I just… I think it’s time,” Mom said. “I need… I need help, Harley. I think I need to go somewhere. To rehab.”
My heart leaped into my throat. She was actually ready? She wanted to go to rehab?
“Can you come help me?” Mom asked. “Just you? I need to pack… I don’t know where I’m going. The hospital?”
“Yes, I can come,” I said instantly.
Cassidy stared at me, her brows raised in confusion. “Who is it?” she mouthed.
“Thank you,” Mom said. “I know this is inconvenient…”
“It’s the right choice, Mom,” I said. “I’ll be right there.”
I hung up the phone and immediately ran upstairs to change. Cassidy was hot on my heels. “That was your mom?” she asked. “Seriously?”
“Yeah,” I said as I peeled off my sweatpants and jumped into a pair of jeans. “She’s ready to go to rehab, Cass. And it sounds like it’s real this time.”
Cassidy crossed her arms over her chest and leaned against the doorframe. “Seriously?”
“Seriously.” I was torn between being overjoyed and being terrified. If she was really ready to get real help, this could be a major turning point. Not just for her, but for me, too. Maybe we could be a family again. She could be the grandmother Dylan always wanted.
“You don’t think it’s weird that she’s calling right now?” Cassidy asked. “Of all times?”
“What do you mean?”
“Seems like a weird coincidence that she would call right when Steph is supposed to be in a meeting.”
“Steph’s always in meetings,” I said. “I feel like I’ve barely seen him since this whole thing started.” I pulled on a hoodie and tied my hair up. “I need to go to her place. If she’s serious about this, I don’t want to give her any time to change her mind.”
“Alone? You should take Rome?-“
“No, he needs to stay here with Dylan,” I said. “Dylan’s the one Sean is really after.” I didn’t really think that was completely true-Sean had made it clear he wanted to get rid of me, too-but I didn’t want to show up with a bunch of enforcers in tow if she was already antsy about this process. She could be really prideful. If I showed up with dragons at my back, she might feel attacked and change her mind.
This had to be just me and her.
Cassidy narrowed her eyes. “Call Hawk, then.”
Cassidy didn’t understand how small this window was. I needed to get to Mom’s now.
She was right to suggest I take an enforcer, though. Steph had made it clear it was dangerous to be out alone right now. I dialed Hawk.
The call rang, and rang, and rang.
The voice mailbox you have tried to reach is full…
I didn’t have any time to waste.
“Hey, Hawk,” I said into the phone as the robotic voice told me he couldn’t accept voice messages. “Do you have a second to escort me? I’m going to my mom’s. Yes, now. … Really? Great. Can you meet me there? Great. See you soon.”
By the time I finished my little skit, the line was dead.
Cassidy uncrossed her arms. “He’s meeting you there?”
“Yeah. It’s not far. I’ll be fine, Cass.”
The risk was before Sean had decided to challenge Steph, right? Now Sean was committed to fighting Steph to the death, so he wouldn’t be chasing me down. And it was the middle of the day. This would be quick. I’d go get my mom, take her to the hospital for intake, then call Steph.
“All right,” Cassidy said. Her voice was unsure. I was grateful Dylan was outside, because he’d definitely know I was lying, but I couldn’t pass up this opportunity to help my mother. It might be the only chance I get.
“I’ll be back soon,” I said. “Hold down the fort, okay?”
I rushed out of the house before Cassidy could say anything else, hopped into the car, and pulled out before Rome could hear the engine and question me.
I drove to my mom’s A-frame house tucked into the woods outside of Lakeview. I parked haphazardly, then rushed up the porch stairs and knocked once before bursting into the house. “Mom?”
I expected to find Mom at the tail end of a bender, with the house trashed, and her probably sick and a mess. I expected to see bottles strewn all over the coffee table, the lights dim, some bad music playing on her stereo.
I did not expect to see Blakely.
Mom was nowhere to be seen. It was only that gangly, red-headed bitch standing in the middle of the living room, grinning at me like a demon.
“What the fuck are you doing here?” I snapped.
Fuck, I was stupid. I should’ve brought Rome.
“Hi, Harley,” Blakely said. “I needed to speak to you alone. I knew Ace wouldn’t let me, so I enlisted your dear mother to give me a hand.”
“Where is she?” I demanded. “What did you do to her?”
