by Mia Ford
The sound of her voice stung me. “I’m sorry, Mom,” I told her. We pulled away but Mom kept a firm grip on my hands, clutching and squeezing my fingers painfully hard. “I know this is really hard for you.”
Mom nodded. “It is,” she said softly. “But I know you’ll help me through it, Belle.”
I swallowed nervously. “Am I late?”
Mom shook her head. She glanced around – there were tons of people, all clad in black, shuffling from one end of the vestibule to the other.
“Mitchell was so loved,” Mom said. A tear dripped down her cheek and she wiped it hastily away. “He was just such a wonderful man.”
“I’m sorry,” I said again, feeling lame. As the sound of music began to play, Mom linked her arm with mine and we walked down the aisle of the church together. People were staring – for a moment, I thought it was because I was still carrying a suitcase – but Mom kept her head up and her chin lifted as she walked resolutely towards the front pews.
And that’s when I saw him.
Jackson Rhodes, my stepbrother.
He was seated at the front of the chapel, in a dark Calvin Klein suit. His blonde hair was a little longer than I remembered – he’d pushed it back from his forehead in a glossy pompadour – but his grey eyes were just as chilly. When he saw Mom, he smirked.
“Hello, Anne,” Jackson said in a slow drawl. “So pleased you could make it.”
Mom’s cheeks pinked but she didn’t say anything. Just as I was about to snarl something back at Jackson, Mom grabbed my elbow.
“Belle, behave yourself,” Mom hissed into my ear. “This is a place of God!”
Jackson kept his eyes glued to my body. “Hey, Sis,” he said smugly. “How’re you?”
I fought the urge to smack his smug, gorgeous face. “I’m fine,” I said curtly. “I’m sorry about your father, Jackson.”
For a moment, the icy look in Jackson’s eyes wavered. But seconds later, his cruel smirk was back on his face.
I wondered if he ever smiled.
Just as Jackson opened his mouth, the priest stepped up to the pulpit. I glared at Jackson and smirked, as if to say: “I see you can’t exactly sass me back now!”
Jackson glared right back.
Mom squeezed my hand and tugged me down into the pew. As the priest began to speak of Mitchell’s life, Mom began to sob. I knew at that moment that I had to forget about Jackson – I was there for Mom, and she was my priority.
--
After the funeral, Mom and I took a cab to the reception. It was being held at a restaurant a few blocks away. I didn’t think I was hungry, but at the mention of food, my stomach started cramping and twisting. By the time the cab pulled up, I was starving.
A group of Mitchell’s female friends spotted Mom and pulled her into a tight hug. Before I could say anything, they’d tugged her away to the side of the room and encircled her with sympathy. I stood there, feeling awkward. He was only my stepfather, I wanted to say each time that someone wished me sympathy. And I barely knew him.
A black car pulled up in front of the restaurant and Jackson climbed out of the backseat. He wasn’t smirking anymore – his eyes were narrowed into tiny slits and his mouth was set in a thin line. I watched him brush past the crowds of women and disappear inside.
This is my chance, I thought. I hated the idea of apologizing to him, but I knew it was what Mom would want. And I had to admit, I felt terrible for Jackson. His father had just died – I knew it must be a horrible feeling.
“Jackson,” I called loudly, following him down a narrow hall. “Jackson, I wanna talk to you for a minute.”
Jackson turned around. His handsome features were twisted with grief and his blonde hair was hanging over his forehead.
“What?” Jackson hissed. “What the fuck do you want, Belle?”
I licked my lips and swallowed. “I just wanted to say that I’m sorry about Mitchell,” I said softly. “I know we haven’t always gotten along before, but I think we should make more of an effort now.”
Jackson crossed his muscular arms over his bulging chest. Even in his tailored suit, I could tell that he was ripped. I blushed as I thought about what he looked like without that suit on. Stop it, Belle, this is a funeral for God’s sake! I thought as the blood rushed to my cheeks. You can’t be ogling him. He’s your stepbrother!
“Oh yeah?” Jackson raised his eyebrows. “And why would we get along now, Belle?” He stepped closer and a wave of musky, masculine cologne washed over my face. “Has something changed between us?”
My heart was in my throat as Jackson stepped nearer again, closing the distance between our bodies.
“Um,” I said softly. “I just thought…” I trailed off, my mouth dry and achy. “I just thought that…”
“You thought what?” Jackson’s eyes flashed cruelly. He flicked his glance over my body, down my sides and over the curve of my bust line. “You thought that my dad dying would somehow make everything okay?”
“Jackson, I’m just really sorry,” I said in a rush. “I’m really sorry about Mitchell. He was a good guy. I know it must be really hard.”
Jackson’s lips curled into a cruel sneer.
“Fuck off,” he snarled. “I don’t need your sympathy, Belle. You don’t understand me at all.” He turned on his heel and stalked off.
As I watched Jackson walk away, anger and resentment filled my body. Fuck you, I thought. I tried being nice and you just threw it back in my face.
At that moment, I made a vow to never say anything kind to Jackson Rhodes for the rest of my life.
I couldn’t wait to get back to school. The tension was too much to bear. Even though I didn’t see Jackson again after the funeral, I felt him everywhere I went. Mom was too upset and distracted to notice – she spent most of her days crying and staying in bed – and I’d done nothing but pretend to study while actually watching bad reruns of Teen Mom on MTV.
As soon as I got home, Alexa hugged me and handed me a glass of wine.
I laughed. “It’s ten in the morning, babe,” I said, staring down at the glass of cabernet in my right hand. “You sure about this?”
Alexa raised her eyebrows. “It’s finals week,” she said smugly. “That means we can drink all day if we don’t have a final.”
I groaned. “Aren’t you forgetting about studying?”
Alexa shrugged and gave me a guilty look. “I thought you’d like it,” she said. “Don’t you want to tell me about your trip?”
I sighed. Leaving my suitcase by the door, I kicked off my ice-crusted boots and hung my jacket up in the foyer. I’d always been one of those people who liked to unpack immediately, but the smell of the wine in my hand was too tempting to resist.
Walking into the kitchen, I sat down at one of the wooden chairs. “It was okay,” I told Alexa. “I mean, it was really horrible. Mom is so devastated. I don’t know what she’s going to do. And God, that asshole Jackson! He practically ruined the whole reception! He drank a whole handle of whiskey and passed out on the floor.”
“He’s probably hurting,” Alexa said.
I glared at her. “He ruined everything,” I said sharply. “He’s a cocky asshole who can’t stand one second not being about him, and he ruined everything.”
“Belle, Jackson’s going through a lot.”
I raised my eyebrows. “Yeah, well so am I,” I said hotly. “And I don’t treat everyone like crap!”
“How’s your mom doing?”
“Terrible,” I said flatly. “She’s crushed. I’ve never seen her this devastated about anything before. I don’t know what to do – it’s impossible to take care of her right now.”
Alexa nodded and sipped at her wine. “Well, I’m sure Mitchell made plans to take care of her,” she said wisely. “A guy with that much money wouldn’t exactly leave his widow bereft.”
I nodded. “I’m sure you’re right.”
“Have you heard anything?”
“About what?
” I leaned back and took another long drink of wine.
“About the will,” Alexa said impatiently. “Do you know what your mom is going to do now?”
“Alexa, he just died like, a week ago,” I said incredulously. “God, you make my mom sound heartless.”
Alexa shook her head and blushed. “I didn’t mean it like that,” she said guiltily. “I just meant that, you know…she’s going to have to figure it out soon. She doesn’t work, does she?”
I shook my head. “Mitchell made her quit when they got married. He said it wasn’t seemly for her to continue working when he made so much money.”
Alexa frowned. “That’s…. not good,” she said after a moment.
I blinked at her. “Why?”
Before Alexa could respond, I felt my phone buzzing in my pocket. I pulled it out, frowning when I saw that it was Mom.
“I must have left something behind in New York,” I said slowly before answering. “There’s no way she’d be calling so soon otherwise.” Inside, I was plagued with guilt. I knew that I shouldn’t be at school – I should be with Mom, taking care of her and making sure that she ate and slept.
“Hi, Mom,” I said warily. “Is everything okay?”
“Belle, honey, do you have a few minutes?”
The sound of her voice made my stomach plummet to the floor. There was something about it that sounded strange, alien – almost removed from grief.
“Sure,” I said uneasily. “What’s up?”
Mom cleared her throat. “I have some bad news, honey.”
“What is it?” My heart was beating like a jackhammer against my ribs and I couldn’t stand the thought of hearing more bad news. What was she going to say? Had she been in a car accident?
Mom didn’t reply.
“Mom, are you okay?” I asked frantically. “Tell me what’s going on, please!” The suspense was making it hard to breathe.
“I’m fine, honey,” Mom said softly. “But I don’t know how much longer I can say that.”
My jaw dropped. “Are you hurt? Were you in some kind of accident? Mom, what happened? Are you— “
“I heard from Mitchell’s estate lawyer,” Mom said heavily. “About the will.”
For a moment, I couldn’t breathe. My chest ached tightly and my lungs pleaded for air but I couldn’t make them work.
“What happened?”
“He’s left all the money to Jackson, Belle. He didn’t leave me anything. Not a cent.”
A cold, numb chill spread through my limbs. I felt like I’d fallen into a frozen lake and now I was trapped beneath the ice, searching desperately for warmth and oxygen.
“Why?” I asked slowly. “Why would Mitchell do a thing like that?”
Mom’s sobs broke the silence and I felt tears well up in my eyes.
“I don’t know, honey,” Mom said. “But you’ve got to help me.”
“Mom, I don’t know what I can do— “
“Belle, you have to talk to Jackson,” Mom said heavily. “I don’t know why Mitchell did this. He knew I didn’t have anything saved, that I wouldn’t be able to live on my own.”
“That has to be a mistake,” I said. “There’s no way he would’ve left you out of his will, Mom!”
“Well, he did,” Mom said heavily. “And now I need your help, honey. Please,” she added, in a pathetic tone of voice that made me want to cry. “Please, Belle. Please try to help me. Do you think you can do that?”
I sighed softly. “What do you want me to do?” I raked a hand through my hair. “I haven’t graduated yet, Mom. I can’t get a job – at least, not a job that will pay any kind of money. And I don’t have any savings – and I have all those loans from school!”
The sobs on the other line of the phone were the hardest things I’d ever had to hear.
“Just please talk to Jackson, Belle,” Mom said. “He won’t take my calls, but I don’t know if he’s heard the news. Please, tell him. Please ask him if he’d be willing to help me.” She paused and made a soft sound like she was being strangled. “Please, Belle. This is my only hope.”
Talking to Jackson was the last thing I wanted to do in the world, but I knew I didn’t have any other choice. This was coming down to the wire, and I was going to have to help my mother if my life depended on it. Rapidly, my mind kicked into gear and started spinning. I tried thinking about things I could sell – what little jewellery I had, my laptop, maybe some of my old clothes and shoes. Sure, there wouldn’t be much, but it had to be enough to help.
“Belle? Are you still there?”
“I’m here,” I said. “Mom, I don’t know. What about if you move out here, and live with me and Alexa?”
“Honey, please, just talk to Jackson,” Mom said heavily. “He’s our only chance.”
After I got off the phone with Mom, I sprang into action. I torpedoed through my room, looking for anything of monetary value that might fetch a sum. In the end, I didn’t have much. There was a pair of half-carat diamond earrings that Mitchell and Mom had given me when I’d graduated from high school, as well as an amethyst pendant in the shape of a heart. I didn’t think that either would sell for much, but I pocketed both anyway.
At the bottom of my jewellery box, there was two hundred and fifty bucks in cash. I’d started saving up when I’d first gotten to college, and I knew that it didn’t look like much, but I hadn’t ever thought about having to support my mother. I’d started putting away cash for stuff like emergency pizza runs, or maybe even renting a car for a weekend trip.
This was a whole new ballgame.
I barely heard Alexa as she walked into my room and flopped down on the bed.
“Belle, what’s going on?”
I shook my head. “I don’t want to talk about it,” I said softly. “Something…something really horrible happened, Lex.”
Alexa pursed her lips. “You can always talk to me,” she said softly.
I winced. I knew that she must have overheard my part of the conversation, but the cuts were too fresh. I didn’t want to go into what was bothering me so much – I knew that Alexa could probably tell, but still.
“I don’t know. It’s just everything.” I threw my arms up in the air. “I feel so helpless, Lex. I don’t know what to do.”
Alexa crawled off the bed and scooted closer. She put an arm around me and pulled me into a hug. For a moment, we were frozen together like that. But then something inside of me snapped, and I started to cry.
“There, there,” Alexa said. She stroked my hair and held me close. “It’s gonna be okay, Belle. I promise.”
“It’s not,” I said tearfully. “Mitchell left everything to Jackson, my asshole stepbrother. My mom didn’t get a cent, and now she wants me to go beg money out of Jackson!”
Alexa hugged me tighter. “It’ll be okay,” she said in a soothing voice. “What’s the worst that could happen?”
I pulled away from her in shock. “Are you kidding?” My jaw dropped. “He’s…he’s spent his entire life trying to ruin mine!”
“Belle, come on,” Alexa said softly. “He just lost his father. He’s going through a lot of grief right now.”
I stared at her. “I tried to give him my best at the funeral, and he told me to fuck off. Literally,” I added in a dry voice. “He doesn’t give a shit about me, or my mom. Why the hell would he help us out? He probably thinks Mom is nothing but a gold-digger!”
Alexa sighed softly. “Belle, I know this is hard. But can’t you accept that maybe he’s just been fronting this whole time?”
“He’s always been nothing less than a complete jerk to me,” I said softly. “The first time I met him, he was charming for about ten seconds. Since then, I’ve never seen that side of him. He’s just an arrogant prick!”
Alexa patted my shoulder. “I know,” she said. “But you’ve gotta help your mom, right?”
I nodded grimly. “I do,” I agreed. “I know I do.”
--
The next morning, I
hopped on a bus to New York City. It felt weird to be going back so soon after leaving, but I hoped that I wouldn’t be staying for long. I was absolutely dreading meeting with Jackson, but I didn’t know what else to do. After all – he hated my guts. There was no way he’d want to drag this process out any longer than it already had to be.
I checked into a cheap bed and breakfast on the outskirts of Brooklyn and immediately tried to call Jackson at work. He had his own consulting firm – it was called First Perfect – and he’d been working there since his early twenties. Mom always talked about how rich Jackson was, but I didn’t even need to hear it to know. All I had to do was look at him. In addition to the rack of expensive suits, he always had a fresh haircut, perfect skin, and immaculate shoes.
“First Perfect Consulting, the first time you work with us, it’s always perfect!” A receptionist chirped into the phone.
