Property of Drex (Book 1)(47)

She answers on the second ring with a confused, “Hello?”

“Hey, Mom. It’s me. Sorry, I had to get a new number because—”

“Damn it! I’ve been looking everywhere for you, Eve!” she shrieks, emotion choking her words. “Do you have any idea how terrified I’ve been? Where the hell are you?”

I have to pull the phone back because of her volume, and I wince as Drex arches an eyebrow. I don’t know if he’s amused, confused, or just intrigued.

Mom is so loud, that I decide to go ahead and put it on speaker. Drex is going to ask what all she said as soon as I’m done anyway. Or one of his guys is listening to the call as I speak. It’s not like I have privacy.

“I’m with a friend. I told you I was leaving town for a while. I’ve been—”

“Get home. Now! You have a family. Your two brothers are worried to death about you. Do you have any idea what you’ve put us through? How selfish can you possibly be, Eve?”

Drex’s jaw tenses, and my lip trembles. Somehow, I manage to keep the sting of her words from affecting my voice.

“I can’t come home right now. I love you, and tell the twins I love them. But I got a job. I can’t just come back. I’m trying to make some money.”

She curses, which is highly unusual for her. “Eve, I have plenty of money. Apparently your father had a friend hold back money for him. He found me the day you took off, and I paid the bills. I guess your father wasn’t the asshole I thought he was after all. There was enough left over that I was able to quit one of my jobs. But I still need you to help with the twins.”

My father becomes the hero and I become the villain in this moment. I feel it. Benny told her dad had left her money. While I’m really the one paying the debt.

“I can’t come home, Mom. I told you. I have a job—”

“I can’t believe you’re being this way. I have a job, too, Eve. The twins need both of us. I can’t do this on my own. Find a place to work around here. Stop thinking about yourself and remember we’re a team.”

A tear creeps out, and Drex comes over. He stops short, running a hand through the longer strands of hair on top of his head. Then he turns around and stalks back to the kitchen.

“I can’t. I’m sorry.”

I sound like a broken record.

“Unbelievable. Fine. Do whatever. I never thought I’d see the day where you stopped caring about your family and only worried about yourself. Here I was thinking your father was the selfish one.”

I saw that coming, yet even knowing she was going to go there doesn’t stop the punch to the gut I feel. She has no idea what I’ve done for my family.

I just hang up. There’s nothing left to say. And she doesn’t call back to try and talk me into coming home or apologize for assuming the worst in me.

Drex comes back out of the kitchen with two plates in his hand, but my appetite has vanished. He sits down beside me, putting the food on the coffee table in front of us, while I quietly digest my mother’s disgust.

He watches me as I pick at the food, nibbling small bites.

“I take it she had a low opinion of your father?” he asks, treating it as though it’s casual conversation.

“Not anymore.” I give him a forced smile, and he grunts while taking another bite of food.

“What’d your dad do?” he asks, still sounding casual, as if this isn’t a touchy subject.

Lying isn’t an option. Not that I want to lie. Not answering him is also not an option.

“He killed himself,” I mumble.

Drex doesn’t act surprised, meaning he already knew about this.

“And that’s why she hates him?” He pauses a beat. “Or why she did hate him, rather,” he amends.

I nod, hoping he doesn’t want me to elaborate.

“How close were you to him?”

A bitter laugh escapes me before I can stop it, but it dies in my throat when tears threaten to emerge.

“I was daddy’s girl when I was younger. But the older I got, the less he wanted me around. He grew distant… from all of us. Especially the last few years. He was barely home.”

He puts his fork down, and he studies his plate for a long minute, as though he’s trying to find a way to ask a difficult question.

“Did you know he worked for us at one time?”

My entire body tenses, then suddenly, without warning, a burst of laughter comes out of me. It’s hysterical, crazy laughter that is taking the place of the tears that I don’t want to fall.

Drex cocks an eyebrow at me as I completely lose my dignity, unable to stop laughing. Finally, I see the seriousness in his expression, and my laughter halts abruptly, almost painfully.