And Shay.
Looking back at her baby girl, such sweet innocence, she watched Quinn’s eyes get heavy, her lashes beginning to drift shut. Running her fingers over her grandmaw’s pearls around her neck Whitney’s hands stilled over the beads.
Why was she here?
Looking up at her mama she watched her a moment. Why did she think she could casually share dinner with three people who hadn’t even shown up at the hospital the night Quinn had been born? People who went behind her back to try and lure her back into a life she didn’t want. “With all due respect Mama, I will dress ma’ daughter the way I see fit.”
Georgie and her papa gazed above their phones as her mama’s eyes went round. She wasn’t sure why she had never been good enough for her mama, but inflicting that same kind judgment onto her baby girl was unacceptable.
“I’m here,” Whitney called out, running through the kitchen around the large island in the middle. “I’m here.”
Pushing her hair off her face she smiled as her mother looked up from ordering more spice on the crawfish by the chef. She was supposed to be home thirty minutes ago, but she wasn’t as late as she would have been if she hadn’t run through the backroads before hopping the fence and sprinted across her parents’ property.
“Whitney Mary,” her mother scolded as her father walked into the kitchen fixing the cuff of his shirt. “Where in the world have you been?”
“I went with Charlotte down to the swamps.”
“Excuse me?” her mother ordered, before lowering her voice.
“What? She needed to take some pictures for her photography class,” she shucked off her shoes. Oh dear Lord she needed a shower. She was home for winter break and although finals had been last week, Charlotte had persuaded her professor to allow her to send in her final project a week late. She had claimed that the grounds on campus weren’t inspiring her, but really, it just had been because she had caught her frat boy boyfriend that she was going to take pictures of in bed with a freshman and Charlotte had walked in with a knife claiming to neuter him in his sleep.
“And you thought that the afternoon before the firm’s Christmas party was the best time to do that?” Lillian asked, her mouth in a tight line.
Great.
She was angry.
Again.
“Mama, she needed help-”
“-I don’t care what Charlotte needed. Your place is to be here.”
“But I am here.”
“And looking like a drowned rat. Honest to God Whitney, you live to embarrass this family.”
What? She was helping her cousin with an exam. Really, she just needed a reason to get out of her house, but she would keep that to herself. Living away at school learning law wasn’t a dream come true, but coming home wasn’t exactly a vacation either.
“You have approximately thirty minutes to make yourself presentable before this home is filled with your father’s colleagues and clients,” her mother shook her head. “And presentable by my standards, do you understand me?”
“Mama, I-”
“-Thirty minutes and get those boots off my floor right now.”
Agreeing, she picked up her shoes and what was already going to be a long night just got a lot longer. So she was a few minutes late, it wasn’t like she had shown up to the party in dirt. Georgie walked into the kitchen dressed in a white oxford dress with stockings as her mama fussed over her hair.
“Papa, I-”
“Just do as your mother says Whitney, okay?”
Shaking her head she turned the corner and stepped around a caterer standing in her foyer.
“Oliver, I simply cannot handle that girl any longer,” she heard her mama on the other side of the wall. “I try and I try with her. To make her a respectable part of this family,” her mother huffed. “I’m at my wits end Oliver. She is not like us.”
Resting her head against the floral wallpaper, she listened to her mama say all the things she knew deep down she had always felt. Her parents wanted her to be somebody that she wasn’t.
“Just, relax,” she heard her papa smooth. “Adam will be here this evening and he will keep her in line.”
“Well, it appears that you have undoubtedly picked up some poor manners while living with your cousin.” Her mama raised a brow, taking a sip of water.
“Why do you do that?” she heard her voice rise, feeling herself get worked up. “Why do you have to put down every person that thinks or talks differently than you? That wants different things than you?” She could feel Georgie’s eyes shooting between her and their mother but she didn’t care. Not anymore.
“Excuse me, who do you think you are comin’ into my home and speaking to me this way?” Lillian asked throwing her napkin on top of her plate.
“And who do you think you are makin’ backhanded comments about my baby girl?” Pushing her chair out, she threw her own napkin onto her plate. “And ripping Charlotte down every single chance you get.”
“Winnie,” her papa warned, taking off his reading glasses. Gosh, she hated that nickname.
“And you were so rude to Shay when you showed up at my home unannounced,” she continued, her heart speeding at his name.
“Who?” her mother asked as if she was completely bored.
Shay. The man who had finally taught her to stop apologizing for who she was. Who forced her to unlearn all the things she had been taught to be sorry about. The one who breathed courage into her and made her feel safe. The one who fed her baby cupcake frosting at parties and who drove her mad with that ego of his. And the one she loved so gosh darn much.
“Oh, you mean that jock that you left Adam for?” her mama asked.
Excuse me?
“What in the world are you talkin’ about?”
“Oh I ran into Adam’s mama at a club outing in the next town over. She went on and on the little motor mouth that she is and it came as no surprise to me when she informed me that you left Adam. It wasn’t enough that you left your family, but you left him and took his baby with you. All to get loose with some tattooed football player.”
Left him? Is this what he was telling people? His words from the other day resonating. I also have a feeling that you won’t be received as warmly as you would expect.
“That is not true.”
“Quite frankly Whitney, I don’t know what to believe from you anymore,” her mother shook her head.
“Are you kidding me?” Whitney shrieked as Georgie reached out her hand before retracting it.
“Whitney Mary,” her papa warned again, “do not raise your voice to your mama.”
“And you!” she pointed to him, her chest heaving. “You promised Adam a higher position at the firm if he dragged me back home and forced me to do something that I hated. Something that I never wanted.”
Her father was quiet a moment and she swallowed back the tears. Shame on her for cryin’ all those nights over her family. Wondering what was wrong with her. Why she had never good enough and why she didn’t fit in. Why they didn’t want her to be happy.
“You had responsibilities to this family and you just took off,” her papa finally hollered, standing up. “You left me no choice.”
“Responsibilities? You want to discuss responsibilities? You had a responsibility as my father to protect me. Instead you promised to help a man who verbally and emotionally abused me.”
Feeling Georgie stiffen beside her, she stared back at her papa, his face unreadable. The same as it had been for most of her life. Looking across the table at her mother’s steely gaze she knew that she believed some woman over her own daughter and for the first time in her life, she didn’t care. She wasn’t going to try to convince her otherwise. It wouldn’t have mattered. It never mattered in the past and it certainly wouldn’t matter now. But it didn’t mean she had to participate any longer either. She knew exactly what kind of life she would have been forced to live if she had stayed. Even if she didn’t finish law and follow in her papa’s footsteps
, the only thing that would be left for her was to become just like her mama. Burying her insecurities underneath money. Competing in false friendships and turning the other cheek when she knew her husband had been unfaithful. She never wanted that. And she certainly wouldn’t allow that for her daughter.
“Everything with you two is about winning,” she swallowed hard. She refused to cry in front of them. They didn’t deserve it. Turning around, she unbuckled Quinn from her seat, lifting her baby girl into her arms. Turning towards her parents again she looked at each of them. They were such cold people. Maybe in their own way they thought they were helping her, but not in any way that she needed. Any way that she would beg for. “And whether you realize it or not, yet. You both just lost.”
Storming down the porch steps of her parents’ home, Whitney’s whole body shook realizing that it was the last time she would ever see that house again. She wasn’t going to let them draw false accusations about her relationship with Adam, pick apart her baby girl or insult the man she loved. She had always imagined the day when she would be brave enough to stand up to her parents, so why did she want to be sick? She should feel good about this. Right? Hearing Georgie call her name she ignored her, snapping Quinn into her car seat. She didn’t want to talk. She didn’t want to hear the long line of excuses and she sure as heck wasn’t going back inside that house. In the course of one week she had lost the love of her life and her family and she wasn’t sure how much longer she could keep it all together. Just because she was a strong person, it didn’t mean that she wanted to be all the time.
“Whitney, stop,” Georgie yelled out catching up to her, slightly out of breath. “Please.”
Shutting the car door she stood up looking back her sister. Georgie had been busy with school, she understood. She was starting her career, she understood that too, but what she couldn’t understand was how she just forgot about her. “You know, Georgie. I expected this from them,” Whitney said, pushing her hair off her face from the wind. “But not from you.”
“I knew nothing about Papa’s deal with Adam. I swear, Whitney.”
Snickering, she thumbed the keys inside her hand. It didn’t matter.
“Hey, you think it’s been easy?” Georgie spat, her accent thickening. “You don’t think that after you left that all the pressure didn’t all fall on me?” Pointing to herself, her sister shook her head. “Pressure to not only live up to the expectations they put on me, but to make up for yours too?”
She never thought of that. Never considered the impact that leaving Louisiana had on Georgie.
“I’m here trying to clean up your mess,” she pointed towards the house. Her sister was strong and didn’t cry. She didn’t show emotion and never came undone, but she looked at war and it was really difficult to watch. “It’s fine, I’ve accepted it, but I just need to know that you’re happy. Are you happy, Whitney?”
Nearly choking back her tears, the past week tore through her veins. She was happy with Shay and Quinn. The three of them. Together. But there was no three of them. Not anymore.
“What’s his name?”
Looking up at Georgie, her eyes blurred. “I don’t know who-”
“-Come on,” Georgie shook her head, not buying it. “I do have social media you know. Your smile has grown over the past few weeks, Whit.”
Searching her face, Georgie almost looked desperate to hear her say the words. That she was happy. “Do you love him?”
“You’re not gonna stop are you?” Whitney coughed back a cry.
“No.”
“Yes, I’m in love with him. Shay is incredible and makes me happy but he was planning on leaving Charleston without telling me. And quite frankly I am really sick and tired of being used and lied to, Georgie.” Wrapping her arms around herself, the nighttime lights kicked on around her parents’ property. “Hearing that Shay was leaving, it destroyed me. And I told him that I didn’t need him. That we didn’t need him.” Which wasn’t true. And it wasn’t fair of her either. Feeling her sister’s arms around her, Georgie allowed her to cry. They never did this before. The whole emotions and support thing. She was so confused. She couldn’t even imagine Shay leaving without seeing him again. Without apologizing for what she said; she owed him that.
“Don’t let him go,” Georgie mumbled into her hair with all the certainty in the world.
Too late.
“Not everyone gets this chance Whit,” Georgie said, her voice slipping a moment and she had a feeling that they weren’t just talking about her any longer. “Not everyone gets their happily ever after.”
Leaning back, Georgie looked through her. “Screw Adam and what he did. Forget Mama and Papa. Just go, Whit.”
“And what about you?”
“I’ll be fine,” Georgie shrugged and she had a hard time believing her.
“Adam is planning on taking Papa down inside the firm,” she wiped her tears, sulking at the mess on her face.
Agreeing, Georgie wasn’t fazed. “I know all about it. I will handle that little shit, don’t you worry. Just go get your guy.”
“He’s probably headed all the way back to West Virginia to be with his papa during his back surgery,” she sniffed. Fiona had left her several messages just checking in on her and Quinn and she received a picture the other day from Erin of the kids’ Christmas photo. Siobhan hadn’t stopped calling and texting all hours of the day and each time one of them reached out, a piece of her heart broke a little more.
“So what?” Georgie shrugged helping her clean off her face.
“So I can’t just show up at his parents’ house unannounced.”
“Whitney, you’ve been impulsive your entire life.” Georgie led her to the driver’s side of her car before opening the door. “Are you really gonna stop now?”
Rubbing a smooth rock between his fingers, Shay launched it over the cliff as it disappeared into the water. The last time he had been here he had done this easily with Whitney. Mostly just to give his hands something to do to keep himself from grabbing her warm skin. To keep from consuming her mouth. Only difference now was that he knew what that skin felt like. What those lips tasted like. He felt like he was standing in the middle of a memory looking over at a few bushes to his left. Smirking at the thought of her stopping to show every flower and unique leaf to Quinn as if she knew what they were. She always did that. Stopped to show Quinn every small, beautiful object she came across. It was one of the things he loved most about her. How small, simple landscapes, knick knacks and pictures with rich history seemed to fascinate her.
God he missed them.
The last forty-eight hours had been extreme. And that was being kind. After winning their game on Sunday, he had taken a private jet service back to his parents’, while his team headed back home. Getting in a few minutes shy of midnight, he woke up early the next morning to sit inside the waiting room as Ma paced for six hours. All four brothers had populated the small room until they received word from the doctor. Pops had done outstanding and they all had breathed for the first time that day. Bringing him home this morning had been a freaking circus in true Cunningham fashion. A lot of yelling, because, well, whoever yelled the loudest was always right; too much directing because for as stubborn as his brothers were, their wives were even worse and the usual chaos with some of the younger kids who weren’t in school yet. Ma had fussed and his pops had bitched and it had taken all of twenty minutes before Pops had requested a cold beer.
He wished Whiney had been there. He’d been so on edge, pretty sure that he still was, and needed that southern drawl telling him that everything was going to be just fine. He needed to bury his face inside her warm neck as a stillness that only she could bring calmed him down. He needed to hold Quinn and walk around with her while she chewed on his fingers, feeling more of her teeth beginning to grow. He wanted to hear her laugh with her whole belly again. Shaking his head, he inhaled a deep breath of the cold, mountain air looking out at the trees on the other side of the
giant lake off the cliff. Hitching his foot against the large rock in front of him, he wasn’t finding the peace he always felt up here. The focus and reflection that came with his favorite spot.
And he wasn’t surprised.
He was pretty sure Ma had been ready to chase him down with a broom when he told her that he and Whitney were still just friends. Another person who tried to hide their disappointment in him. Rory of course, had called his bullshit while sharing a beer and a burger after the hospital. Never one to hold his tongue, the words, pussy, weak and dumbass had been thrown around the table. He had also asked when he was going to stop blaming himself for the accident. Erin and Holly had made it their sole mission to bring up Whitney and Quinn’s name any chance they had, mostly going on and on about Rory and Siobhan’s wedding and he couldn’t walk two steps without one of them commenting about him being love sick. He was already counting down the hours until he could leave their meddling. Even Nicky, his own godson. His nephew, his spawn, had joined in on the games.
“How many points do I have?” Laying down on his stomach on top of the small twin bed inside the room that his parents reserved for grandkids, Shay grabbed a ball off of the floor in front him.
“You’re a little slow on your cuts,” Nicky shrugged, his thumbs violently pushing down on the game controller. Never in a million years did he ever think that one day his nephew would be playing him on a video game. Even less that his picture would be on the cover of that video game. “Yeah, seems about right.”
Rolling on his back, Shay threw the ball up in the air as Nicky’s arm shook before shaking his head. “So how’s your girlfriendddddd?” he asked like every suspecting seven-year old who thought it was cool to mock dudes over girls.
Hail Mary (The Mavericks Series) Page 29
