Black Mask [formerly known as The Street Fighter]- BOOK I

TWENTY-THREE: THE RAGE OF A MOTHER

TWENTY-THREE: THE RAGE OF A MOTHER

WHILE eating breakfast, Cameron had received a call. He stood up and left Riley in the kitchen a little confused. Not long after, Cameron came back with a blank look on his face. He turned to Riley, setting his phone down on the counter.

"Your mom just landed here. She wants to meet with you." He told her.

"Well, send one of the guys to get her, and bring here," she shrugged while taking another bite out of her French toast.

Cameron sighed. "Fine."

While he made the call, Riley finished off her breakfast and washed her dishes. Just before she went to their shared bedroom, she decided that it would be fun to tease him. So, while he was on the phone, she kissed him on his cheek. Before he could catch her, she left him completely off guard.

An hour later, Riley was ready. Although nervous about the outcome of her and her mother's encounter, she was ready to see how things were going to play out. How Sylvia was going to play her cards. After all, this meeting was last minute. However, this was between mother and daughter. Riley walked out of the room waiting for her mother to arrive. Little did she know, a beast woke up. Eyes on her in pure love and desire. Sitting in the living room, Cameron sat on the couch watching her.

"Jeans should be illegal whenever they're on you, love," Riley turned to him and gave him a small smile.

The bell sounded making Cameron get up from his seat and head to the front door. With Riley nearby, he opened the door smirking. "Nice to see you again, Sylvia."

"What are you doing here?" she asked, confused.

Cameron chuckled. "I live here."

She sighed. "Is Riley here?"

"Of course," He opened the door wider for her to come inside. "Follow me."

As she entered inside, Cameron led Sylvia to the living room. There Riley was, sitting on the couch. Riley stood up and greeted her mother with a handshake. Which correlated into a miscommunication as her mother went for a hug. Meanwhile, Cameron tried to hold in his laugh at the situation as he watched. Sylvia saw him standing near the archway and gave him a confused look.

"I thought I was going to talk to my daughter privately."

"He's here in case something bad happens," both ladies sat down on the couch.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"A lot of things have happened in nearly ten years, mom. Horrible things."

"Horrible things such as you allowing your father to get dragged into this," Sylvia confronted.

Riley took a deep breath trying to settle her rage that was already simmering. "Like you, I didn't have a choice."

"You did, actually. Sacrifice," Sylvia said coldly.

"You're right. I did have a choice," her eyes became darker than they were before. "I wanted to sacrifice myself for him. I did. Zayn said the same thing. However, I paid your price for nearly ten years."

"Please, you probably wanted his attention. Considering how you look," she sneered.

Cameron knew it wasn't smart to have them sit near each other or be in the same room. Before Sylvia could get another word, Riley had her hand tightly wrapped around her mother's throat.

"One thing you won't do is undermine what I went through. You have the audacity to paint me as another part of the statistic when all of this started because you dated him?! I'm that little girl you loved so much, mother." Riley sneered at her. "This is the second time you've disrespected my character and Cameron. And I won't tolerate it here. I was sure you came here to apologize for what happened in Spain, but your ego blew your head up a little too big."

Cameron peeled Riley off her mother and held her back. "Baby, breathe." Riley did as Cameron told her. Still livid, she walked out of the living room and into their shared bedroom. He then turned to Sylvia with a cold glare.

"What? Can't handle the truth?"

"You should be lucky I stopped her," Cameron sat on the coffee table in front of her. "Now if I didn't, you would be dead."

"Please, as if she would kill her own mother," Sylvia said.

"To think, after all that we-"

Riley came back and this time only wearing a sports bra with her hair tied up. "You think I wanted your ex-boyfriend's attention?! LOOK AT ME!"

Sylvia looked at her daughter in horror. She went near and saw everything. That cold exterior broke. She was about to touch Riley when her hand was slapped away.

"YOU THINK I WANTED THIS?! Do you think I wanted to be kidnapped, huh?!" Riley yelled.

Neither Cameron or Sylvia said a word.

"LOOK AT WHAT HE DID, MOTHER! LOOK AT THE CARNAGE! DO YOU SEE!" Tears began to fall. "I don't why I agreed to even meet with you again. Get out."

Sylvia tried to go near, tried to bring Riley into her embrace as she felt guilty. Riley pushed her. There was so much force behind it that Sylvia fell onto her butt. Riley's stare burned a whole right through her. It was scary. That rage was hiding in her daughter. That rage that made Sylvia visibly shiver in horror. The woman couldn't help but watch her daughter shake in anger, squeeze her hands together so she really doesn't lose it.

"Cameron. Get. Her. Out," her voice made Sylvia's blood run cold.

"You heard her. Let's go," Cameron said to Sylvia, leading her away from the living room and away from Riley.

As soon as Sylvia left the room, Riley decided to go to the gym and blow off some steam. Meanwhile, Cameron made sure that Sylvia wasn't going anywhere near Riley.

"Let me out of this room right now, Cameron. That girl needs to know the truth! She has no right to raise her voice at me!" Sylvia tried to push Cameron out of the way.

Cameron stood in front of her, firmly. "The truth about you neglecting her for nearly ten years? The truth about how you don't really care for her? Which one is it? In fact, did you even want Riley at all?"

"That doesn't matter," she sneered. "Stay in your place, a child's place."

"Answer the question, Sylvia. Did you want Riley or not?"

"Of course I do!" She responded.

"To think, you of all people, decided to disrespect her. Say that she got assaulted only because she wanted attention. Instead of trying to forge a relationship with her, you push her away. Let me make this clear, you're in our house. You should be glad I stopped her from choking you. Because if I didn't, your head would be on the mantle. Pack up, I'm sending you back to Spain."

"NO! She deserves this! It's her fault that her father is in a coma. If she hadn't gone anywhere near him, he would be fine right now probably working," she violently pushed him. "She deserves every bit of suffering she got."

Without another word, she picked up her things. The moment she opened that door, she regretted it. There stood a broken woman. Riley stood at the door without a blank look on her face, but Cameron knew she was fighting with her emotions. Instead of lashing out, instead of saying what her mind thought, she just gave her mother a smile and thanked her.

"Thank you for pointing out the obvious. Thank you for abandoning me. And I hope one day, you can forgive me for dragging my father- Matt into my mess of a life." Riley stepped aside to let her pass. "I won't bother any of you anymore."

"Riley, she's just..." Cameron started.

"It's okay, Cam. And Sylvia, tell Matt that I'm sorry and goodbye."

As Sylvia walked away from the couple, her heart ache at every single word Riley said. The minute the title wasn't used anymore, it was over. There was no turning back. She did this to herself. Like Zayn, Riley distanced herself. They pushed her away even though all she wanted was comfort. Just comfort, a mother's comfort.

Riley knew that she was never going to have that parental love like used to ever again.