Page 42 of Full Throttle 2
“Trust me; Faye is a lot, and it’s been a long day. Again, I don’t want to ruin your night.”
Brian held her a little tighter. “Trust me, period. Nothing will ever ruin my night or any other moment when I’m with you.”
“Another time.” Lila’s heart felt like it was going to burst. She loved this man and hoped her past wouldn’t ruin their future.
Lila walked into the house just as her mother came out of the shower. Her head was wrapped in a towel, and she was wearing a silk bathrobe. “Oh, I thought I was going to have the house to myself.”
“I texted you earlier to let you know I’d be home late. Where is Uncle Cyrus?”
Faye shrugged. “I don’t know. He took off with some woman.”
Lila smiled. “That’s nice. He’s been alone for so long. I’m glad that he’s spending time with someone.”
Faye rolled her eyes. “Why is it nice for him and not me?”
“Whoa.” Lila wasn’t exactly sure where that had come from. “It’s late, and you don’t want to go there.”
Faye placed her hand on her hip. “Why don’t I?”
“Because you won’t like what I have to say.” Lila’s response was harsher than she intended.
Faye pressed her lips together in an angry line. She was still pissed from her earlier conversation with Cyrus. “You mean you wouldn’t say, ‘Thanks, mom, for taking care of me, for sending me to the best schools.’ For me doing the best I could as a single parent!”
Lila’s brows drew together in anger. She was doing her level best to remain calm. “That’s not the way I remember things.”
“How do you remember things? I really want to know.”
Lila started to walk toward her room. “Tonight is not the night for you to be picking fights. I’ve had a long day. I still have some studying to do, and I’m tired.”
“There you go. Always putting me off as if I was one of your little friends. You need to give me the respect I deserve!”
“Respect?!” Lila whipped around. “Okay, you want to go there? Let’s go. I’m supposed to respect you for parading one man after the next around me or for packing me up and off to stay with Uncle Cyrus and Aunt Lauren while you went on one of your adventures? You. Were. Never. Around!”
Faye was about to strangle Lila with her bare hands. “You little ungrateful witch!”
Colby walked into the house just as Lila was spitting fire at her mom. They could both be heard yelling from outside. Colby quickly stepped between mother and daughter before things got completely out of hand. “Whoa, whoa, whoa!” She extended her arms to keep some distance between them. She wasn’t exactly sure they wouldn’t get physical. “Maybe we should all take a deep breath before y’all say something you don’t mean.”
Faye backed up slightly. “I meant every word of what I said. Don’t worry. I won’t beat her ass even though, clearly, I didn’t do enough of it when she was a child.” Faye glared hard at Lilabefore brushing past her into Cyrus’s room and slamming the door shut.
Colby turned to Lila. “What was that? Is that how we are talking to our mamas now?”
“This is really none of your business.”
“You made it my business when you were about to tear my parent’s house down. C’mon, Lila. Talk to me? What’s going on?”
Lila’s eyes grew glassy. “I’m sorry, Colby, but this conversation has been a long time coming. She just keeps pushing my buttons.”
“For better or worse, that’s your mother. I know things between you two aren’t the best, but take a walk, do some yoga, just try not to talk to her like that.”
Lila was wrong, and she knew it, but she still pleaded her case. “You couldn’t possibly understand what it’s like to have Faye as a mother. She’s the reason...” Lila cut off her words as the tears spilled down her cheeks.
Colby placed a hand on Lila’s shoulder. She spoke softly, “What?”
Lila pulled her lower lip into her mouth. “I’m trying to be respectful, but she keeps pushing me to the edge. I can’t deal with her. It’s just too much.”
“What’s too much?”
Lila shook her head. “I’m tired. I just want to forget about it and start over tomorrow.” She didn’t wait for a response before stomping off to her room.