Page 32 of Rekindled Heart
“Dammit, Caro! What are we fighting about? I love you, you love me! I want to take care of you and keep you safe! You and Christopher! Why is that a bad thing?”
“It’s not a bad thing. But I’m a mother. And I’m an adult. I can make my own decisions. I don’t need someone thinking that they can just charge in and take over my life!”
“That’s not what I’m trying to do! I don’t want you to get hurt again!” He runs his fingers through his hair and I hate that I’m doing this to him.
But I can’t let him take over completely. I’ve spent my life being pushed around by everyone in my family and all my friends. My sister dragging me from one stupid thing to another. I’m tired of going along with all of their expectations.
“I love you too, Ricky. But you had no business calling my boss and talking about me. Our contract is between doc and me. It has nothing to do with you.”
“You’re with me,” he huffs.
“Doesn’t matter. How would you like it if I called your boss and started talking about the feed rotation for the cows or something.”
I stomp over and grab my clothes off the floor, heading for the bathroom. “Now I’m gonna get dressed, go find my son and get him ready for school, then I’m going home. If you’re bound and determined to watch me, then you better plan on doing it from the road because I’m out of here.”
I ignore the hurt look in his eyes and stomp into the bathroom, shutting the door behind me.
I lean on the door and close my eyes, tipping my head back and feeling the anger drain right out of me.
I can’t let him take over my life. That happened before and look what it got me.
Lost and alone and raising a boy on my own. Cheated on. Broken.
I need to pull up my big girl panties and get my ass out there, figure this out and finally get my act together.
Maybe Ricky and I can make it work and maybe we can’t. If we break up, I guarantee I will never get involved with another man. He’s got my heart and he always will.
But it’s not his responsibility to make this right. It’s mine.
“Hey, Caro? Are you alone?”
I squeak and jump straight up in the air. “Dammit, Angel! What the hell is wrong with you? You’re supposed to be in Vegas waiting to testify against that asshole! Not standing in a barn and whispering to me.”
“Yeah. It was hard to slip away from all of them but I’m sick of sitting around and waiting for Kirby Rohr to show up and attempt to kill all of us.”
“So you brought him straight to my doorstep? Thanks so much, sis! It’s nice to know where I rank with you. I’m trying to protect my son and you’re just trying to get us all killed!”
“That’s not fair,” she pouts. “I missed you,” she huffs.
“Bullshit! You were bored!”
She doesn’t say a thing and I know I was right. “You need to get the hell out of here.”
“I just got here!” She protests.
“Congratulations, lovely to see you! Now get the hell out of here!”
“Where’s Christopher? I want to say hi!”
“Not gonna happen. Leave. You’re trespassing.”
“Jesus, Caro! You’re being a bitch!”
“And you’re being the same old selfish child you’ve always been! Go away! I don’t need the kind of shit that you always dragto my doorstep! You cost me a relationship that I want more than anything in this world once! I don’t need you fucking my life up again!”
Her pretty face crumples and I want to go to her, want to hug her against me and tell her that it’s all gonna be alright. But I can’t tell her that.
Because she’s not gonna get Christopher hurt. She’s not gonna break my little family apart like she did with that senator. The married one who screws around way too much.