My mother shook her head in dismay. “No, but you could have helped the way you treated Tyler. You could have been the braver man and just left well enough alone.”
Dean nodded. “You’re right, Mrs. O’Shea. You’re right. But there is one thing you’re wrong about. I love Tyler. I can’t breathe without her. Can’t you see that by now? Didn’t you see it when we were kids? The way I looked at her? It was almost like I couldn’t see unless my eyes met hers. It didn’t matter though, did it? My parents were always going to get in the way of me loving your daughter because they sealed my fate. No matter what I did, you always chose Ian. Look at what he did to her.”
My mother inhaled sharply. “Don’t you dare bring him into this, Dean. I can admit I was wrong about Ian, and that I pushed Tyler towards him rather than you, but only because I thought he truly loved her. Only because I thought you would bring danger to her. I’m not stupid. I know she always favored you over him, but I acted on the interests of my daughter. I always have and I always will. Just because she is an adult doesn’t stop me from being a mother.”
Her voice broke a little and I knew it was my time to step in. Grabbing her hand, I squeezed it a little. “All my life, you have tried to make choices for me.” My mother opened her mouth to speak, but I squeezed her hand again. “It’s okay, Mum. I know the reason why and I truly love you for it. But you have to realize something. I was miserable when you pushed me towards Ian, and I was heartbroken when Dean left. I fell in love the moment I met him. It had never changed for me. It will never change for me. I know you’re angry that I feel this way. You’re angry that Dean was the cause of me fleeing all those years ago, but all I ever ran away from was my feelings. Dean never left me, Mum. He was always in here.” I placed her hand on my heart. “He’s never left. And asking me to be without him is like asking me to be without the fundamental things that keep me alive. Despite everything he’s done, I love him.” I looked over at Dean and smiled through my tears. “I love him.” We stared at one another for a couple of seconds and I was lost in those deep blue eyes.
My mother suddenly broke away, throwing her hands up in the air. They came down, clapping against her thighs as she shook her head. She walked off and sat down on the sofa. My father went to join her, and he placed his hand on hers and looked up at us.
“You have to understand how much this affects your mother, Tyler. Every day, she tortures herself wondering whether you’re safe…wondering whether you are happy.”
I sighed and felt like shit. I knew my mother cared for me deeply, and I knew both my parents would do anything for me. I had been truly grateful, but they needed to understand something. “I’m so sorry. I know that you’re just being parents, and I will be forever grateful for everything you’ve done for me, but I have to be honest. I was never happy. I haven’t been happy since I was sixteen. I’m happy now. Now that I’ve learned to let go of the past, I feel euphoric. I don’t know where today, tomorrow, or the next day will lead me, but if Dean is with me, that is all that matters.” I saw the resolution in my parents’ eyes. I hated saying that, but I had to be honest. I needed them to know.
“When Dean left, I cried into my pillow every night for over a year.” My mother looked at me with tears in her eyes. “I never told anyone how I felt because I knew I was all alone. I couldn’t talk to anyone.” I felt Dean squeeze my shoulder as he offered me a gentle smile. I could tell this affected him, but he needed to hear this, too. He needed to see that I had always been the girl he fell in love with. That part of me had never changed.
“Every time the phone rang, my heart would leap into my mouth, hoping it was Dean. Every time the doorbell rang, a letter would come, or a noise would sound against my window, I always hoped and prayed it would be Dean.”
My father shot up. “I knew something fishy was going on in your room.”
Oops, let that one slip.
I sighed. “Yes, Dean used to climb up to my window, but it was only to be with me. He never…,” I looked away for a moment, feeling my cheeks redden, “touched me. He was always waiting for me.”
My mother placed her hands on her face and shook her head. “This is just a nightmare.” She looked up. “I’ve entered a nightmare.”
Dean stepped forward. “Mrs. O’Shea, I would never hurt your daughter. I promise you.”
My mother huffed. “Too late, Dean. You already did. And whatever happened to Ian? I don’t believe for one second that he fled, never to return. There’s not been one single word from him since that night.”