Sexting My Ex’s Dad (Forbidden Silver Foxes)

45. Stella

45

STELLA

E lio parks the car in front of my childhood home, his eyes darting between me and the house.

“You don’t look very sure about this,” he comments. “You don’t have to confront your mother if you don’t want to. I can replace the money for Leo. I don’t mind.”

“No.” My words are final. “I appreciate the offer, but I’m not with you for your money. With that fifty thousand you gave me, I can replace it, but it’s the principle. This confrontation is long overdue.”

I push open my door and step out of the car, slamming the door shut after me. Elio is quick to follow.

As we walk towards the door, I can’t help but notice the overgrown weeds and peeling paint. Once upon a time, this house used to be the gem of the neighborhood. That was when my dad was still alive and Mom actually used to put care into things…and people. Looking at it now is just depressing.

I raise my hand and knock on the door, the sound echoing through the quiet street. Inside, there’s shuffling, followed by the familiar voice of my mother, Kendall. “I have your money,” she calls out, her words slurred and weary. “Ain’t no need in ya coming all the way over here. I told ya I’d bring it.”

My hands ball into fists at my side, anger surging through me like a tidal wave. So, she’d taken Leo’s money to give to someone else? If she weren’t my mother, I’d hate her guts. Maybe I do anyway.

The door creaks open, revealing my mother’s disheveled appearance. Her eyes widen in shock as she takes in the sight of Elio and me standing on her doorstep.

“Stella?” she stammers, her words still slurred. “What are you doing here?”

“Nice to see you too, Mom,” I reply sarcastically, my voice dripping with disdain. “I heard you have some money for me. How thoughtful, considering it was mine in the first place.”

She gapes at me, dumbstruck by my unexpected arrival and biting tone. Despite all of the horrible things she’s done all my life, I’ve never spoken to her that way before. I’ve always maintained a certain level of respect. But, I’m done with her crap. She opens her mouth to respond, but no words come out.

“Can I come in?” I ask, not waiting for an answer. Pushing past her, I step into the house. The familiar scent of stale cigarettes and alcohol assaults my senses, reminding me of why I’d moved out so young in the first place.

“Stella, what are you talking about?” Mom finally manages to sputter.

“Leo’s care facility called,” I say, my voice trembling with barely contained fury. “They told me that you went up there and took the advance that I’d put down. Thanks for asking by the way.”

My mother pales, her eyes darting around the room as if searching for an escape route. But there’s nowhere to hide from the truth.

“Look, Stella, I... I needed that money,” she says, her voice wavering. “You don’t know how hard it’s been for me since you left.” Since I left? That was years ago. She’s just looking for any excuse she can find.

“Hard for you?” I scoff, my heart pounding in my chest. “Do you have any idea what you’ve done? You took the money meant for Leo’s care! My brother, your son! Don’t you even feel bad?”

“Stella, please,” She pleads, tears welling up in her eyes. “I just needed a little help, and I thought—” I don’t care anything about her tears; she does this every time I confront her, breaks down because she thinks it’ll make me back off.

“Thought what?” I interrupt, seething with anger. “That nobody would notice? That it wouldn’t matter? That I wouldn’t mind you wasting thousands of dollars on drugs, booze, and some guys you owe money too?”

“Look, I’ll get the money back, okay?” she pleads, her bloodshot eyes welling up with tears. “I just need a little more time.” We both know the truth though – the money is as good as gone.

“Time won’t fix this, Mom!” My voice cracks, and all I want to do is scream. “Do you know what I had to do to get Leo that far ahead? I’ve been working my butt off, but you wouldn’t know anything about that, would you? Because all you ever do is take, take, take. You couldn’t give if your life depended on it, not even to your children. What kind of Mom are you?”

Sometimes, I wonder how different my life would have been if she had been different. But, that’s all wishful thinking. I can’t change her, but I can be better than her.

“Stella, you don’t understand.” Suddenly Mom’s tears are gone, and her nose is scrunched up, hands balled into fists. “At least Leo has you. But who do I have? I’m all alone.”

“Alone?” I scoff, shaking my head in disbelief. “You did this to yourself, Mom. You chose this life over your own children. And now, you’re willing to let Leo suffer because of your selfishness.”

“Stella, I—” she begins, but I cut her off.

“Save it. Just give me the money you owe the care facility, and we’ll be out of your hair.”

Kendall’s bloodshot eyes flicker away from me and land on Elio, her expression shifting to a sly grin. “And who’s this?” she slurs, trying to sound casual but failing miserably. “It ain’t Owen.”

“None of your business,” I snap, my fury simmering just below the surface. She’s trying to change the subject – she’s always been good at that. Or maybe it’s because she can sniff when someone has money from a mile away.

“Come on, Stella, introduce me to your new ‘friend,” she says, exaggerating the word with a mocking tone.

“Why? So you can sleep with him?” I ask, shocking her. “I mean that’s what you did to Aunt Vicky’s husband right? And your best friend, Sasha’s fiance? You’re good at that.”

“Stella…” Elio puts a hand on my shoulder.

But I can’t stop now. “You know what, Mom? You’re right. You are all alone. And you deserve to be, because you’re a horrible person. You’ll probably end up in a ditch somewhere, and do you know why? Because you’re too stupid to realize that you’ve wasted your entire life away.”

Immediately after I stop talking, my mother’s hand connects with my cheek, a stinging sensation that echoes off the walls. Shocked, I instinctively reach up to touch the already reddening mark she’s left on my skin.

She’s done a lot of things before, but hitting me…? That’s new. I guess that’s what happens when her usual tricks stop working.

“You don’t speak to your mother that way!” she yells.

I turn to look at her before I feel Elio’s hand yank me back, his glare pointed at my mother. “Don’t you ever lay a hand on Stella like that again.”

“Stay out of this!” Kendall snarls at him, her eyes wild and unfocused. Alcohol and drugs will do that to a person.

“Or what, Mom?” I shoot back. “You’ll hit me again? Go ahead. It doesn’t matter what you do. You’ve lost me forever. You may as well not have children anymore.”

“Get out of my house,” She seethes, her face contorted with rage. “Both of you!”

“Fine by me,” I retort. “I never want to see you again.”

“Stella,” Elio says softly, turning to look at me with concern etched into his handsome features. “Let’s go.”

“Good riddance!” Kendall spits after us, hatred dripping from every word.

As we walk away, I’m filled with a strange, hollow feeling. While part of me is relieved to be leaving this toxic environment behind, another part can’t help but wish my mom were different.

“She doesn’t mean it,” Elio says once we settle back in the car.

“I know she doesn’t.” Tears threaten to spill from my eyes and rage boils beneath my skin. “She’ll sober up, apologize, and then act like nothing happened. It’s a cycle. I don’t want to be a part of that woman’s cycle anymore.”

“Are you okay?” Elio asks.

“Fine,” I mutter, even though I’m anything but. “Or at least, I will be.”

“Stella.” Elio pulls my hands into his lap. “You don’t need to pretend with me. It’s okay to feel angry, hurt... or whatever you’re feeling right now.”

“Thank you,” I whisper, allowing myself to lean into him for a brief moment. As his arms envelop me in a warm embrace, I let the unspoken understanding between us soothe my frayed nerves.

“I’m sorry you had to go through that,” he apologizes.

I laugh mockingly, shaking my head. “No, I should be apologizing to you,” I tell him. “You shouldn’t have seen that.”

“None of this is your fault. You don’t need to apologize for anything.”

I swallow hard, trying to push down the lump in my throat. “It’s just... that’s my mom, you know? And she’s so…” I let out a breath. “I don’t want you to think less of me because of her.”

“Trust me, Stella. I don’t. You’re nothing like her.”

I offer him a small smile, and he bends down to kiss me on the forehead. “Where now?”

“I was going to visit my brother. You don’t have to come if you…”

He cuts me off. “Then, let’s go.”

As I watch him crank up the car, I realize that I’m falling for this man.