Queen of the Fireflies (Aurelia Chronicles Book 1)

by Rinna Ford

  Chapter Fourteen

  The next morning really was as bad as I thought it would be. The alarm clock beeped incessantly, until I threw it across the room. My mom peeked her head through the door, her eyebrows raised.

  “Everything all right in here?” she asked. I groaned in response. I sat up with my eyes still closed and stretched my arms above my head. I must have looked seriously crazy because Mom chuckled as she went to go back to the kitchen. She left my bedroom door open and I could hear her laughing all the way down the hall.

  I put my feet on the carpet and shuffled to the bathroom, still half asleep. I was surprised that I didn’t run into a wall. Man, I really didn’t do well on little sleep. I took my shower, but decided not to wash my hair. It took more energy than I had at the moment to give it the proper attention.

  I dressed in the first things I found in my closet, some overall shorts and a white tank top. I French braided my hair, put on a basic amount of makeup (for me), and I was ready to face my mom. She had my breakfast and coffee ready and waiting on the table, God bless her. I’m not sure how I survived living without her the last three years at college.

  “So you were out late,” she said, taking a sip of her coffee. Here we go. I knew I would get this line of questioning this morning.

  “I fell asleep on Brogan’s couch while we were watching a movie last night. I woke up around 1:15 and came home.” I took a bite of toast and realized that I had never told my mom Brogan’s name.

  “I thought he was just visiting.” My mom had a worried look on her face and wanted to know more about our situation.

  “He is but he has a suite at a hotel downtown.” A few moments passed before either one of us said anything.

  “When is he leaving Savannah?”

  “He goes home on the 28th, so 9 days.” My heart sank with the idea of Brogan leaving. It was 3 days before my 21st birthday. Stop it. I shook my head to clear it of those thoughts.

  “Are you going to be okay when he leaves?” She looked concerned, and honestly she should be. I’d be a wreck when he was gone.

  “I’ll have to be,” I sighed. “I have priorities- school, internship… I won’t have time to fall apart. Besides, it’s just a summer romance. I knew from the beginning it would have an expiration date.” Mom gave me a weak smile.

  “You know how I feel about getting attached to people. And I really don’t like you getting your heart broken.”

  “Me either,” I huffed out a sad laugh, “but I decided that I’d rather live in the moment and be happy. I’ll get over him eventually.” Maybe if I kept repeating that, I’d start to believe it.

  I finished my breakfast and looked at the clock, I needed to get to work, so I put my plate and cup in the dishwasher before grabbing my keys.

  “Oh!” Mom stopped me before going out the front door. “Harlan and I will be coming in the shop at 10:00. We’re going to have to let Angie go, so we’re meeting her there to fire her.” She sighed. “I really hoped she would have worked out.”

  “So it didn’t go well yesterday?”

  “She was more worried about flirting with the male customers than actually learning something, so no. I really had high hopes for her.”

  “I’m sorry Mom. You’ll find someone.” I gave her a hug. She looked like she needed one. My mom was so kind-hearted, I knew the idea of firing someone was just tearing her apart. I pulled away and gave her a smile. “In the meantime, I’m here to help.” She smiled back at me and shooed me out the door.

  I got to the store right on time and opened up for the day. The morning was slow with a few customers, so I was able to text back and forth with Brogan. I had to finish a class assignment after work, but I had my evening free, so he and I made plans to meet at a park downtown for a concert.

  Harlan showed up at 9:55 and my mom right after him. They both looked somber and I really didn’t blame them. Not only were they going to fire her, which is never fun, but I was sure she wouldn’t go out quietly. I didn’t envy them at all.

  10:00 rolled around and Angie hadn’t shown up yet. The three of us waited almost 30 minutes for her to arrive. I think her tardiness made it easier on Mom and Harlan to let her go.

  Angie walked in the store like she owned the place. She pushed her sunglasses to the top of her head and dropped her purse on the counter right in front of me. I rolled my eyes, but held my tongue. She was getting what was coming to her.

  “Hi Angie,” Harlan said. “Let’s go in the back room so we can talk.”

  She gave Harlan a sweet smile. “I’d love to.” She sneered at me as she walked by, then put that little smile back on her face when she thought Mom and Harlan could see her. She didn’t realize that my mom saw the look she had given me. I shook my head and turned away.

  It wasn’t long before I heard yelling coming from behind the door into the workroom. I wanted to give them privacy, because I was technically just the help so I stayed out of it as long as I could. But then I heard Angie yell at my mom, calling her a bitch. I stormed through the door, making it slam against the wall.

  “Get the fuck out of here, Angie! You got fired! Have some class! ” I yelled. I was fuming.

  Angie started to scream back at me, but then a gust of wind blew through the shop and knocked her down. She looked surprised like the rest of us did, but then jumped up and ran right in front of me.

  “You did that!” She screeched in my face. “I’m calling the police!” I rolled my eyes.

  “And say what? That I made the wind knock you on your ass? Because I certainly didn’t push you!”

  She was beyond angry and I could tell she wanted to hit me. Harlan started to step in, but I motioned for him to step back. He definitely wasn’t the kind of guy to hit a girl, even if she needed it, and this girl looked like she’d tear him apart. I at least could hit her back, if it came to it. She screamed out loud in frustration.

  “Go ahead and hit me.” I told her confidently. “Because you’ll only get one.”

  She screamed again, then stormed past me and out the front door.

  Mom looked like she was ready to cry or pass out from the stress of it all, and Harlan just looked concerned. I took in a deep breath and then let it out.

  “Well, that went well,” I joked. Someone needed to cut the tension. Mom closed the distance from the other side of the room and wrapped me in her arms. “Mom, it’s okay,” I assured her. She began to weep.

  “She was going to hit you,” she said between sobs. Harlan couldn’t stand to see her cry. He kissed us both on the head, then left.

  “Oh Mom, she was never going to hit me. She’s a bully and only picks on those she thinks are weaker than her.” I winced at my words. I almost implied that she and Harlan were weak. “I showed her that I’d hit her back, so she took off. Don’t worry about me, Mom.” I pulled back and found a tissue box on the work table and handed her one. “I can take care of myself.”

  “But you’re my baby,” she sobbed and wiped at her cheeks.

  “I love you, Mom,” I laughed. She cried a little longer, even though she knew she was being a little ridiculous. She really was a gentle soul.

  Just then, the bell over the door chimed. I smiled and went out into the front to help the customer. The lady wanted to order a bouquet for her mother. I filled out the paperwork and put it on the board in the workroom. As the customer left, I realized that none of the doors were open when Angie was knocked down and she was standing still so she didn’t trip. If it wasn’t a gust of wind, then what knocked her down?

  Mom stayed and worked on flower arrangements after Angie and Harlan left. She was scheduled to work at 1:00, so she just decided to stay. I think she wanted to keep herself busy, to take her mind off the mess with Angie. She kept giving me strange looks throughout the morning, like she was waiting for me to sprout another head or something. I just shrugged it off and went about my work.

  Harlan called and said he would be looking through job applications and start
calling people in for interviews. He asked if I would help out since I seemed to see Angie for what she was before they did. Of course, I agreed.

  At 1:00 I walked to a deli around the corner and picked up lunch for us, since Mom didn’t pack her lunch. She didn’t plan on working most of the day. As I was walking back to the floral shop, I saw Brogan walking toward me. My face lit up in a smile.

  “Hello,” he said and put his hands in his pocket. It seemed like he was looking for something because his eyes darted around.

  “Hey you,” I responded. He squinted at me, then shook his head, and bent down to give me a kiss. Weird. “I was just going to take lunch to my mom. Do you want to walk with me?”

  “Sure.” He smiled at me, but it didn’t reach his eyes. He took the bag of food from my hand to carry it for me. Always the gentleman, even when he was acting strange. We quietly walked side by side until we reached the floral shop. He opened the door and motioned for me to go in ahead of him.

  “Hello,” my mom said, her back stiffening when she saw that Brogan was with me. She didn’t look happy.

  “Hello,” he smiled.

  “Mom, this is Brogan. I ran into him on the way back from the deli and he decided to walk back with me.” She gave him a tight smile and moved her eyes to me.

  “Can I talk to you for a minute?” she asked me, motioning for me to follow her into the workroom. She looked a little mama bearish, which was an unusual look for her.

  “It’s okay. I need to go,” Brogan said, getting the hint. My mom was being rude, and she was never rude. She was even nice to that horrible bitch, Angie. He nodded to her with a small smile and turned to me. “I’ll see you at 7:00.” He gave me a quick kiss and left.

  “What was that about?” I asked my mom, annoyed with her behavior.

  “I think you should end this relationship before you get any more involved,” she stated.

  “Why?” I questioned. She looked down at the ground and began playing with her hands.

  “It’s obvious you are falling in love with him and I just don’t want you to get hurt.” Valid. But she was lying. Me falling in love with him wasn’t the reason for her sudden attitude.

  “You got all that within the 30 seconds of meeting him? Of seeing us together?” She nodded her head, still looking at the ground in front of her.

  “Mom, I’ll be fine.” I said, voice firm. “I can handle it.” She looked back to me, this time with tears filling her eyes.

  “It’ll only end badly.”

  “Mom, it’s my decision to make.” I knew I would still see Brogan for as long as I could, no matter what she said. I couldn’t walk away from him until I had to. But, I decided I would just not tell her whenever I saw him.

  I handed her the lunch I bought for her, told her goodbye and went home to do my assignment.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Brogan and I made made plans to go to an outdoor concert that evening, so I met him at the entrance of the park where it was being held. I didn’t tell him, but it was my first concert. My mom kept me pretty sheltered throughout my childhood, and that included going to things like watching bands play music.

  He looked much happier to see me than he had earlier in the day. His wide grin gave his mood away. As I approached, he took in my short black shorts and tank top and his eyes got darker. I smacked his arm playfully and he picked me up in a hug.

  “Dream girl,” he breathed into my neck, inhaling. I moved my head back and pushed my lips onto his. It was the best feeling, being with him, being near him. I thought spending time at Bonaventure gave me peace, but it didn’t compare to being in Brogan’s arms. Mom was right, I was falling in love with him. That’s if I wasn’t in love with him already. I sighed in defeat at the thought.

  He put me down and picked up my hand to hold it. He led me through the crowds of people to a blanket he had already set out for us. It looked like he had gotten there early because he had picked a great spot. We could see the stage perfectly, but we weren’t so close that we would be mobbed by dancing people.

  Once the concert started, I was enraptured. By the third song, I was up and dancing with the music. Brogan sat with his legs sprawled out in front of him, watching me with a little grin on his face. Normally I’d be self-conscious about someone watching me like that, but I was beyond that with Brogan. I wanted him to want me and only me for the rest of our lives. I turned away from him, moving my body to the beat. It was such a heady feeling.

  A couple of songs later, the band switched tempos and began playing a slow song. I decided it was time to sit down for a bit, but when I turned toward the blanket Brogan was gone. I started to look around for him, but then I felt him standing right behind me.

  “Dance with me,” he whispered in my ear.

  A smile crept onto my face and I turned toward him. He put one hand on my lower back and took ahold of my right hand with the other. He pulled me close, my head resting on his chest. I lied before. Dancing with Brogan was the most peaceful I’d ever be. It was Heaven. It was everything. I never wanted to do anything else but this for the rest of my life. I closed my eyes and we swayed with the beat until the song ended. I pulled away, just far enough so I could look up at his face. I pulled on his shirt where my hand was resting, and he leaned down to put his lips on mine.

  We stayed until the concert was over. I didn’t get back up to dance because I was content sitting next to him, being held in his arms. Brogan wanted me to come back to his suite with him to stay the night, and I wanted to say yes more than anything in this world. But my mom and I were at odds over him, and I wanted to smooth things over with her before doing something like staying out all night with him. He said that he understood. Brogan walked me to my jeep, and gave me a kiss before heading to his own car. I hated watching him walk away.

  I got home just after midnight. Mom was sitting in the living room, but unlike my first date with Brogan, this time I knew she was waiting up for me.

  “Did you have fun?” she asked taking a sip of her tea. She was being curt with me and I didn’t like it.

  “Yes. I went to a concert.” I told her.

  “A concert? With Brogan?”

  “Yes, I went with Brogan.”

  She sighed and got up from her chair, still holding her cup of tea. “I thought you were going to stop seeing him, before you got even more hurt.”

  “I never said that, Mother.” Her eyes went wide. Oh, she knew I was getting mad. I only ever called her mother when I was angry. She tried to placate me by touching my face and looking at me with concern. I shrugged her off. “Goodnight.”

  I began walking down the hall, because dammit, I was almost 21 years old. I should be able to see a guy if I wanted to, fall in love if I’m able to, and stay out all night if the need arises. I shouldn’t have to explain myself to her or to anyone!

  She was treating me like I was a teenager who was busted from sneaking back in after curfew. Not like I knew what that feeling was. I was never allowed to have a curfew to begin with because I wasn’t allowed out of the house with anyone of the opposite sex. Ever.

  I went to close my bedroom door, but she pushed it open, letting herself in.

  “I think you should stop seeing him. Please believe me, because I know men like Brogan. It’ll end badly.” That’s all she said even though she kept looking at me with sad eyes. She was starting to sound like a record.

  “How do you know men like Brogan?” I yelled. “I’ve never even seen you with a man besides Harlan, and I know you aren’t dating him!”

  She took a step back in shock. No matter how mad at her I was, I never raised my voice.

  She calmly sat down on the edge of my bed and began fidgeting with the rim of her cup. “I knew a man before I fell in love with your father. I thought I loved him, but he broke my heart in every way imaginable, leaving me in a very bad place.” She put her cup of tea on my nightstand and patted the bed next to her, motioning me to sit down. “He was a lot like Brogan. Good loo
king, lots of muscles, and very charismatic. He treated me like gold, until he didn’t anymore. Please, just trust me. End it with him.”

  My mind was spinning with what she just told me. It explained a lot and made me wonder if it was this man we were hiding from. I sighed and gave her a defeated look, the anger leaving me.

  But Brogan wasn’t like this man that hurt my mom. I knew it deep in my soul that he would never hurt me like that.

  I didn’t want to have this argument with her anymore. I’m not one to lie to my mom, but staying away from Brogan wasn’t something I’d be able to do, no matter how much she wanted to keep me safe from harm. So, I decided the best thing to do was let her think that I would end the relationship.

  “Fine,” I said in a low voice. That one word didn’t say that I would break-up with Brogan, but it implied it. I could live with that. I took some pajamas out of my dresser drawer and walked into the bathroom. When I had finished getting ready for bed, she was back in her room. Mom’s cup of tea was still sitting on my nightstand.

  Sleep didn’t come easily that night. I kept staring at the cup. I really hated lying to my mom, even if I wasn’t really lying with words. She had sacrificed so much for me. She always did what she thought was best for me, even if it made us isolated from the world around us.

  I got up and took the mug into the kitchen, setting it in the sink. I started thinking about what my mom said, about the man before my dad. It seemed like she went through something horrible. My mind began to race. What did he do to break her heart?

  She still hadn’t told me about my father even though she promised a few weeks before. I wondered if the two men were connected somehow. Records of my dad were non-existent, so it would make sense that the two men were connected.