Sweet As Sin

by Ana Jolene

  “We were never serious,” she cut in. “And, to save you from continuing, I was the one who screwed things up. My parents showed up out of the blue and it threw me off course. I realize it sounds really stupid and minor, but seeing them again brought some of my childhood issues back to the surface.”

  Hunter nodded as if he understood. After a moment, he said, “I think you should talk to him.”

  Maison shook her head. “I can’t. He probably hates me now.”

  “He’ll hate you even more if you continue ignoring him,” Hunter shot back. Her frown deepened. “Look. He may be mad right now, but Hutch won’t hate you forever. In fact, I think the guy actually loves you.” Her eyes flew open at that admission. What? How could that be?

  Hutch . . . in love . . . with her?

  Impossible.

  “So, as a guy looking out for his brother, please, just talk to him. We’ve had enough heartbreak for the day.”

  At the words, she looked up at Hunter. He looked tired, but more importantly, he looked concerned.

  Damn, he was right. She was letting her fear stand in the way of her own happiness. And if her parents hadn’t shown up, she was pretty sure she could say with confidence that she was in love with Hutch too. But they’d fallen apart so much since then. How could they ever go back to the way things were?

  Hunter rose and headed for the hospital room. But he stopped and looked back at her. “Do you want me to ask him to come out so you can talk in private?”

  The suggestion made her stomach clench but Maison forced herself to nod. “Yes, that would be great. Thank you.” She would have to apologize someday. Might as well do it now.

  With a reassuring smile, Hunter slipped back into the room. As the door closed behind him, Maison could picture him talking to Hutch. What would Hutch say when he told him she was waiting out here for him? Would he come out? Or would he leave her out to dry?

  Her entire body began to shake with her fear. Not even deep breathing could ease the growing panic inside of her as she waited to see if Hutch would come out to talk to her.

  When the door opened, Hutch worried it might be Maison returning. But it was just his brother coming back. “You all right?” Hutch asked him. The guy looked exhausted, but he wasn’t sure a dozen hours of sleep would do him any good. Like him, his stresses would keep him awake.

  “I am, but I know you aren’t.”

  Hutch frowned. “What are you talking about?”

  “Maison is outside waiting for you.”

  Hutch blinked. “What?”

  “You heard me.”

  “She’s . . . outside?” Waiting for him? He knew she’d gone out for a bit, but he figured it was because she had to go to the bathroom or something.

  “Yes, genius. So go out and talk to her.”

  Hutch frowned. “Wait a minute. Where’s Sam?”

  “She left. She said she had a client to meet. But you better hurry. Maison looks impatient.”

  Maison wanted to talk? Okay. Okay, he could do this. “Did she say what she wanted to talk about?” She didn’t want to talk about what happened, did she?

  Hunter gave him an are-you-really-that-stupid look. “What do you think?”

  Okay, so he was stalling. But that was because he was nervous. He had no idea what Maison was going to say to him. Did she want to make up or break up with him?

  Hunter groaned and scrubbed a hand over his face in frustration. “For God’s sake!” he cried. “She wants to apologize, okay? Now go outside and talk to her.”

  “Okay, okay, relax. I’ll go talk to her.” But as he walked to the door, his pulse skyrocketed and his muscles stiffened. Drawing in a breath, he braced himself. “Okay,” he told himself. “You can do this.”

  On a breath, he opened the door and peered outside, finding a woman with dark brown hair, sitting alone. “What the—” He probably stood there for too long staring because the woman looked up and shot him a confused look. “Ah, sorry.” Where the hell was Maison?

  He turned back into the room. “What?” Hunter said, seeing his confusion. “What happened?”

  “She’s not there.”

  Hunter was already moving towards the door. “What do you mean she’s not there? She said she was going to wait for you.” He spun around in a quick circle once in the waiting area, eyes searching for Maison. “What the hell? She was right here!”

  Hutch stood by the door, mouth pursed together in a line as disappointment filled him. Why did it not surprise him to learn that Maison had bolted once again?

  TWENTY-NINE

  She was such a pussy! Why had she done that? Hunter had done everything for her and all Maison had to do was wait outside for Hutch but she couldn’t even manage that without falling into a panic attack!

  Was she so much of a coward that she couldn’t give Hutch the explanation he deserved? Not only had Maison screwed this up for them the first time but also she knew she was making this worse by not confronting him. What the hell was wrong with her?

  Although she wasn’t in the best of moods, Maison still went to see Rissa. Having the teen around usually cheered her up. Plus, she wanted to know how the dance went.

  But when she arrived at her house, she was surprised to see another woman answering the door. She looked so much like Rissa that she stepped back a step. “Maison? Hi, I’m Florencia, Rissa’s mother. Please, call me Flo.” Maison tried to hide her surprise. What was Rissa’s mother doing here?

  That was a stupid question. She lived here. But in all the times that she’d visit, Flo had never been around.

  “Hello, Flo.” Shaking off her surprise, she reached out to shake her hand.

  Flo smiled at her. “I really want to thank you for what you’ve done for Rissa. Without this program, Rissa would never have found you and would never have made it through this school year. You’ve been such a positive influence on both her attitude and behavior that I don’t know how I could ever repay you.”

  “It was my pleasure. Getting to know Rissa has been such a wonderful experience. And actually, in offering her advice, I’ve learned a few things myself. You have an amazing daughter.”

  “I know I haven’t been around here much but that’s going to change. I’m starting over. I don’t want to miss out on the opportunities that I have here with Rissa. Sooner or later, she’s going to be an adult and I want her to have a role model she can look up to.”

  Maison smiled, loving what she was hearing. “That’s amazing, Flo.”

  The other woman beamed. “I know I have a long way to go, but I want to start fresh.” Flo suddenly looked emotional and Maison felt like she was on the verge of tears herself. But then Flo jumped into action before they both started crying. “Here, let me get Rissa for you.”

  As she called for her daughter, Maison quickly dabbed at her eyes. God, she’d been an emotional wreck all week, but at least this time her tears weren’t because she was sad or heartbroken.

  Rissa had a huge smile on her face as she came down the stairs. “Hey, Maison!”

  Maison felt her mood brighten instantly. “Rissa! How are you?”

  “Good.”

  “How was the dance?”

  “It was awesome!”

  “You had fun?” She worried that she would still be upset about not having a date.

  “Yes! Jasmine and I danced all night. And we even got to stay out afterwards.”

  Her smile widened as Rissa’s excitement filled the room. “I’m a little jealous now,” she admitted. “I could use a girls’ night out.” Especially after everything that had happened to her.

  “Maybe you two could have one before we go,” Flo said.

  When Rissa turned to her mother, her smile faded. Maison frowned. What did she mean by before we go?

  When the girl turned back to her, her expression almost looked apologetic. Her voice softened and Maison realized that she was holding something in her hands. “I have something for you . . .”

  “Oh.”
<
br />   Looking down at what she’d given her, Maison realized it was a Polaroid picture of Rissa, looking all dressed up and glam in her dress. She was smiling brilliantly at the camera and Maison grinned at the confidence that oozed from her. “Wow,” she breathed. “Rissa, you look absolutely beautiful.”

  The teen blushed. “Thanks. I want you to keep it. You know, so you don’t forget me.”

  Maison’s smile faded and she shook her head. “I don’t understand. Why would I forget you?”

  Rissa’s voice was sad when she said, “We’re moving.”

  “Moving? Why?”

  Flo spoke up first. “Rissa’s father will be released soon and we’re going to try and be a family again.”

  Oh, wow.

  She should be happy for them. No, she should be ecstatic! But instead sadness filled her. Did this mean she would never see them again? “Can’t you try and be a family here? Do you guys really need to move away for that?” She wasn’t ready to let go yet. Not when she’d lost everything else already.

  “I want a fresh start, Maison,” Flo said. “It would be so easy to fall back into old habits if we stay here. I want a completely new life. One that doesn’t involve prison sentences.”

  “But what about Rissa?” Hadn’t she moved enough in her lifetime that she deserved to stay in a school for more than one year?

  “Rissa is okay with it, right?” Flo glanced at her daughter. Rissa looked so much like her; it was uncanny.

  “It’s okay, Maison,” Rissa said. “I want to go.”

  Another argument was on her lips but Maison snapped her mouth shut. Flo was right. There would be too much temptation around here, and if they had a shot at starting a brand-new life, why not take it?

  Still, that wouldn’t erase the fact that she was going to worry about them. But Maison couldn’t ask them to stay for her sake. Somehow, she’d just have to learn how to deal.

  The tears she’d been holding back earlier threatened to spill again, and this time, Maison didn’t stop it. As she started to cry, Rissa did too. Why was everything falling apart around her?

  As Rissa held her, Flo stepped back, giving them the space for them to say their goodbyes. This was likely the last time Maison would see her and that knowledge only made her sob harder. “Be good, okay?” she said when she finally found her breath. She wiped a tear from Rissa’s cheek. “And remember what I said . . .”

  Since the first moment they’d met she’d been trying to tell the girl that she was beautiful and intelligent and that she didn’t need to follow what other people did in order to feel included or cool.

  The girl’s her bottom lip quivered but she did nod. And although she hated saying goodbye, Maison knew she was going to be all right.

  After a while, she forced herself to stop crying and smile at this girl who she’d quickly come to love as a real sister. “Here.” She grabbed one of her business cards from her planner and scribbled down both her personal email and number on the back. “Don’t lose this, okay? Call me any time you want.”

  Rissa took the card and clutched it tightly in her fist. “Thanks. I will.”

  On a breath, Maison turned to Flo, pulling her into a hug before heading for the door. She didn’t know Flo well, but she admired the woman’s courage. A lot of changes would be coming their way and she hoped that their family was strong enough to survive it.

  Maison paused at the door to look back at the mother and daughter standing together. She was scared for them, but feeling scared wasn’t always a bad thing.

  She hoped that life treated them well. She believed that they would get the fresh start that they deserved, and she hoped that they realized that they were stronger when they were together than they were apart.

  Today’s trip hadn’t gone as planned, but in coming here, Maison realized a few things about herself. She’d become so reliant on getting her parents’ approval that she hadn’t sought out ways to try to overcome it. Instead she’d allowed herself to wallow in her own self-destructive thinking and pushed those she cared about away from her.

  If she wanted things to change for the better then she had to take her own advice. She had to stop running away from people and fully embrace who she was. And in order to get over her parents’ influence on her, she had to start seeing herself as beautiful and intelligent again.

  Maison smiled. Once again, Rissa had taught her another life lesson that she wouldn’t have figured out if it weren’t for her.

  With a last parting goodbye, she stepped out of the Ferlito-Joneses’ household and started walking back to her car, clutching the photo of Rissa tightly to her chest.

  * * *

  When she reached home, Maison went to her living room and pulled out one of her old picture frames. For years it sat unused on her bookshelves simply because she had nothing to put inside, but it was finally going to be used for the first time today. As she placed Rissa’s beautiful picture inside, she smiled. It fit perfectly inside the frame and Maison thought it would look beautiful on her coffee table. She was definitely going to miss her dearly but she was also glad that Rissa was going to have the fresh start she always dreamed of. As Maison set the picture down on her coffee table, the doorbell rang and she turned to answer it.

  Once she swung the door open, her mother stepped through without warning. “What the—” A second later, her father followed. Maison gaped at their presence. “What are you doing here?” She thought they’d left already.

  Her mother waved her hand in her face. “Stop asking silly questions.”

  “We’ve come to check on you,” her father said as he made his way to the couch.

  Huh? What was she, twelve? She didn’t need babysitting!

  Her father leaned forward and frowned at the picture frame in front of him. “Maison, who is this?”

  Maison jumped forward. “Hey, don’t touch that!” She didn’t want their dirty hands touching something so precious to her.

  But her mother reached for it before she could. She examined it like it was one of her X-rays. “Who is this girl?” she asked after a while.

  Maison considered lying but then decided against it. “She’s my Little Sister.”

  “What?” Her mother looked shocked. “Explain.”

  Maison sighed again. “I’m in a Big Sister program and she’s my Little Sister.”

  Some of the outrage had dimmed from their expressions but her parents still didn’t look happy. “Oh,” her mother huffed. “Well, I guess that’s nice of you.” She looked down at the photo of Rissa and frowned. “Where is this photo taken?”

  “It’s at one of her school dances.”

  “Where’s her date?”

  Maison thought of Boone. Of the heartbreak that he’d caused Rissa. “She didn’t have one.” Didn’t need one.

  “Humph. That’s not surprising. Look at her. She’s skin and bone!” Her mother’s tone was one that Maison was very familiar with.

  “Let me see,” her father said. When her mother handed the picture frame over to him, he laughed. “Why don’t you try handing over some of your fat to her so that the two of you can actually resemble normal, healthy human beings?”

  Maison felt heat start to rise in her body. As her mother chortled at her father’s cruel joke, she asked, “Does she have an eating disorder or something?”

  Ugh! They were terrible! How could they say such a thing about an innocent girl?

  Fury erupted within her. For thirty years she’d allowed her parents to verbally abuse her, to call her cruel names and to let them dictate her life, but she wouldn’t allow the same thing to happen to Rissa!

  Maison stomped across the room and snatched the picture frame from her mother’s hands. “Give that to me!” Her mother gasped. “Rissa does not have an eating disorder. She has a body that is perfect for her age group! What is wrong with you people?” she snarled. “How can you two sit here talking bad about an innocent teen who has done nothing to you at all? Do you two get off on being so cruel to
others?”

  “Maison!” her father snapped, coming to his feet. His own anger had risen to match hers. “You do not get to speak to us that way! Apologize at once!”

  “No,” she snarled, matching the same venom in his voice. “I’ve had enough of you two and your nasty words! I won’t listen to it any longer!” Her eyes began to well up as emotions ran rampant within her. “For all my life, you’ve made me feel worthless and ugly and I went around thinking that all of it was true! But I’m not actually any of those things. I’m perfectly fine the way I am and I’ve found people who like me for me!”

  “Ha!” Her mother laughed cruelly. “Like who?”

  “The Ferlito-Joneses and the Happa-Hewitts,” she shot back.

  “They’re lying to you.” Her mother took a menacing step towards. “They feel bad for you, so that’s why they tolerate you.”

  Maison shook her head. “That’s not true. Matthew has become a great friend of mine. A life-long friend.”

  “Really,” her mother drawled. “What about that boy then? Have you seen him again?” Maison’s mouth snapped shut and her mother grinned wider, sensing triumph. “Don’t make me say that I was right again. He was too good for you and he was going to realize it sooner or later.”

  Emotion welled up inside of her but Maison refused to cry. “He loves me,” she whispered. “And I love him.”

  Her father scoffed. “If that’s the case, then where is he now?”

  Her mother stepped forward again. “Come on, darling.” Her tone was mean and condescending. “Wake up and see what’s around you. Can you really believe that they’d really like this?” She waved a finger at her body.

  “They do. But even if they didn’t, there’s no need for me to change who I am. And I certainly don’t need your approval before I can feel better about myself.” Maison stormed towards the door and flung it open. She was sick of thinking she was inferior. From now on, she was going to take back her life and live it how she wanted to. “Get out,” she snarled. For a moment, her mother just blinked at her. Her father looked equally shocked. “Get out!” Maison screamed, finally reaching her breaking point. Her parents jumped into action, startled out of their wits. Supreme satisfaction filled her as they ran out the door. “Until you realize just how much you’ve hurt me, don’t ever think about showing up here again!” She slammed the door in their shocked faces, feeling no remorse.