In His Bed (18+)

Chapter 34

Standing in front of the bathroom mirror, I frowned at my reflection. The dress I was wearing was nice – nice enough so that it wouldn't stand out at brunch.

My grandfather, Robert, had invited us to an upscale restaurant that I'd only ever driven past, never imagining that I might one day eat there.

Still, I couldn't help the simmering indignation I felt dressing up for this man.

Fuck this. I'm wearing pajama pants and a hoodie.

But, as I walked down the hallway past the living room, I caught sight of Mom seated in the armchair.

Jaw clenched, eyes riveted to her phone, she radiated a kind of anger that I'd never seen from her.

"What is it?"

Looking up, her face softened immediately. "Oh, it's nothing."

She's lying?

Walking forward, I leaned against the arm of the couch. "Seriously, what is it?"

Mom sighed, gesturing with her phone, "It's the last message your father ever sent me."

Sick curiosity burned through me. "Can I read it?"

Her reply was immediate. "No."

"Please?"

She let out a humorless laugh. "You can read this when I'm dead. Until then, I don't want you to see this."

"Why?"

Licking her lips, Mom looked up at me. "It's the moment that he showed me his true colors. I'd been so blinded by what we had – by what I thought we had – that I couldn't see who he really was... until I got this."

"Really?"

Sliding her phone into her purse, she nodded. "After I told him about my pregnancy, he put my things out on the front lawn and sent the most vile and vicious string of insults and threats that I have ever seen in my life – you already know some of them, but you don't need to know about the rest."

Shrugging, she looked up, apologetic, "I read it whenever I get to thinking, 'maybe I overreacted', or 'we were just kids'."

I cocked an eyebrow, "Or when you start thinking about giving his shitty, enabling family members a chance?"

Mom snorted, standing as she pulled out her keys. "Look, if I can hear an apology directly from his father's lips, I'll call this a 'win'."

My annoyance faded, and I abandoned my plan to show up looking like I just rolled out of bed.

"Okay. That's the goal, then."

Mom smiled, faintly. "Ready?"

I'll get through this – for her.

"Yeah, just let me grab my purse."

Walking into the restaurant, styled to look like a French bistro, I felt immediately and acutely out of my element. The people sitting in the dining room looked like they ate at these kind of places all of the time – meanwhile I couldn't help but think of most sit-down eateries as 'fancy'.

Following Mom's lead, we walked up to the host's podium and moments later we were being led back to a private dining room where a white-haired man rose to greet us.

So, this is my grandfather.

He was tall, with a frame that suggested an athletic past. He looked like a man trying to maintain an active lifestyle, despite his age.