Torn (Connections #2)(76)

       
         
       
        

Hugging her goodbye, I can't help but think how right she is. I know how much she loved her husband and although I never met him, I saw her love for him every day. As we stand embracing at her door, I feel compelled to tell her something I never have before. "Grace, you know how much I love you. You're not just like a mother to me, you have been my mother."

Her chin trembles and with the smallest of nods, she hugs me even tighter. "Dahlia, I love you so much. And thank you for that."

When we pull away, I look more closely at her. She looks so worn out. I notice dark, bluish circles under her normally sparkling eyes. "Grace, please don't worry so much. Ben will work everything out. I know he will. He's tough and resilient. He will be fine."

"I hope so Dahlia, I hope so. Now go home and talk to River," she says as she motions me down the steps and into the rain. Then she calls out, "Dahlia honey, where's your umbrella?"

I have to laugh because she knows I can never find any of my umbrellas.

As I get in my car, I watch her standing in the doorway through my rearview mirror. I open my window and call out one last time, "Thank you, Grace. Love you."

She blows me a kiss and waves goodbye, then wraps her arms around herself and goes into the house. I'm so happy we talked and everything is back to how it's always been.

Serena pulls into the driveway as I'm pulling out and she honks her horn repeatedly at me.

Putting my car in park, I open the window.

She hurries over, the rain soaking her clothes. She looks furious. "Who the hell do you think you are, keeping something like that from me?" she says, trembling with anger.

I know she's talking about Trent, but don't know what to say. "Serena, I'm sorry . . ."

She leans down into the window, her fists clenched and her eyes flashing with anger. "How could you of all people not tell me? I thought you believed in telling the truth!" With that, she storms off toward the house.

I get out of the car and run after her. "Serena, I do, let me explain."

"No Dahlia, you don't get to explain. Just remember I'm his mother," she says, slamming the front door in my face.

I stand there trying to figure out if I should go into the house or not. She's so mad, but I can't blame her. She had a right to know. I decide it's best to not try to talk to her right now. I'm sure she wants to talk to Grace about Trent and I'm not sure anything I say will make a difference in her state of mind.

Driving off, I once again find myself heading back to LA. So much has happened in the last twenty-four hours since I made this same trip home, yet it seems so little has changed. Well . . . Grace and I made up. It feels right that we were able to put our issues behind us. Ben and I seem to have come to an understanding-we may even eventually be able to be friends. He's back, but our lives will remain separate and I think he has accepted that. Then there's the bad . . . Serena is not talking to me, and neither is Xander. Then there's the unchanged . . . River and I haven't talked all day, he never came home last night, and I'm not sure what's going to happen when I get home. 

As I think through all of this, I can't help but notice the damp chill in the air and the steel gray color of the sky.





Chapter 21

All In




As I pull into the driveway, I glare at Ellie's car parked in the same place it was yesterday. I take a deep breath and blow it out. I just can't deal with her right now, so I decide it's best not to go in. I want to talk to River and try to get past all this, but I know seeing her again will just enrage me. I just can't stop thinking about the look of betrayal on Serena's face-the same look I know I had a few times in the past week.

I decide I should probably go see Bell and make sure she knows I'm not upset with her. I haven't had a chance to call her, and, hopefully, by the time I come back, Ellie will be gone.

River's mom lives less than five miles from our house. When I arrive at the large two-story house, I ring the doorbell. As I wait, I keep my eyes fixed on the large metal doorknocker. I know Charlotte's at work, but I can't stop from wondering if she knows about Bell and Ben. I'm sure she does. Bell tells her everything. I'm suddenly nervous and my heart starts pounding. When Brigitte answers the door, I jump, suddenly feeling more nervous as she greets me.

"Hi Dahlia, come in. What a nice surprise." The longtime housekeeper is more like a part of their family. The short elegant French woman has her curly brown hair pinned up and is wearing a white shirt and black pants, looking the same she does every time I see her.