Taste (Stark and Stone #1) (Ongoing)

33. Welcome To The Freak Show

"Thank god I found where the keys were to your room. I wanted to avoid crashing your party of two."

I knew one day I had to tell my mother but that day was not today. Today was supposed to be perfect and the best damn day of my life. Today was supposed to be spent in blissful reminisce.

My mother looked way to calm for a woman who just found that her daughter was sleeping with her stepson. She should be disgusted if not worried. And if I know my mother even a little bit, I know she is hiding something from me.

This is the calm before the storm.

"Mom, listen to me. I know you must be feeling betrayed and even ashamed of me but what we have is real. I have never felt the way I have felt about him with anyone else. You have to understand. Are you even listening to me?"

My mother kept staring at me and it was getting on my nerves.

"I don't give a flying fuck who you spread your legs for but who I give a fuck about is your bastard father. He's marrying that college girl, and I rather be dead before a child replaces me."

Oh, here it comes. My mother and her everlasting obsession with my father. This takes me back to the times when they used to fight each other every day. I was so sure that Grayson did a spell on her and changed her for good but I guess this woman is a better actress than I thought.

"Mom, you need to stop stressing so much about Dad's wedding. You are married to Grayson now and you need to focus on that. How hard is for you to stay loyal to your husband for once?"

She stood up and walked right up to me. I pulled my chin up to look her in the eyes.

"You ungrateful little b—"

"Say it. I'm an ungrateful little bitch and you know what, it stops now. I'm not going to do your work for you. I'm not going to be the bridge between you and my father while you set the bridge on fire. Because the only person who ever gets burned is me and neither you nor Dad give a single fuck about me. And for the first time in my life, I couldn't care less about you too."

My mother smirked and looked at my dishevelled clothes. She combed my loose strand of hair away from my face and tucked it behind my ear.

"Oh, stop your drama. I care about you a lot. Trust me, I'm doing what's best for you too. Do you want his new bride to take away all your inheritance? Because you are naive if you think she won't touch your money."

Money might be her motivation but it is clearly not mine.

"You know what, I should tell Grayson how I entered the house last night to the screams of my daughter who was shockingly naked in his son's arms. He would like to focus on that. I might let this slide because I expected such behaviour from you, but Grayson is never going to let this go without being utterly disgusted in his son. I would have kept my mouth shut, but now I know how much he means to you."

I never thought I would say this but I hate my mother.

"You know what. Do what you want to do. Tell the world for all I care. It will not change anything between us and it will not stop Dad from marrying his fiancé. He is moving to New York anyways and—"

"Oh, you think I won't make a scene. To any media who will listen, I will say how he took advantage of you. After all, he is still your older stepbrother, minor or not. The world will frown upon him. And after knowing he's a Stark and of course with your father having a live wedding like he is some fucking royalty this news will spread like fire."

"Are you insane? You are blackmailing your own daughter? How low are you going to go for stupid revenge?"

"You will never understand, Adelyn. You think what you have with Alastair is real. You are living in a delusion. He will have a woman every other night when you are not beside him. Men like him can never stick to one woman."

I took a step back because she hit too close to home. I may have talked to Alastair about Felicity but I was nowhere near comfortable with him seeking comfort in her arms. I understand they share the same pain but I want him to think of me as his peaceful place. But he's moving to New York and I still have school left here.

I heard his footsteps approaching my room and I just wished the heaven above for him to be clothed.

"Hey-ay-ay...Hello!"

He was fully clothed and shocked as hell to see my mother in my room. My mother gave me a fake smile as he looked at him.

"Oh, wonderful. You found me. Alastair, I know you must be going to the gym but your father really needs you at the company. It was something related to New York. The man was furious for some reason. Tread carefully."

She laughed as if she doesn't know what the whole deal is. If Grayson knows about New York, then there is no stopping the war between them today.

"She arrived a few minutes ago."

Alastair shook his head and I know how much he wanted to avoid this confrontation but today is all about that. I cannot let his father give him any more ammo to keep him leashed to his company. I turn back to my mother and realize how much I underestimated her. She was playing me the whole time.

Alastair leaves the room after giving me a look I understand very well "It was a close call".

"You knew everything."

I emphasize each word barely able to control my anger.

"I'm your mother. I know everything about you. You think you could keep your affair a secret under my own roof. Now, tell me. You want me to tell Grayson everything about the two of you which will force him to work for Grayson or do you want me to go to the media. You'll lose him either way. The third option is my favourite. You help me with my plan and I will keep my mouth shut about all this."

I thought of telling everything to Alastair but then the voice of my mother reminded me about my insecurities. Will he give up everything to be with me like I would do for him? Then again no one is going to give him a chance if he has a scandal attached to his name. And what if I told him and he told me to give up on us? I rather destroy my father than lose Alastair because of him.

I look at my mother who looks smug without knowing my response. The woman is a witch and I wonder if I'm on my way to becoming her too.