The Tattered Bride by Peri Elizabeth Scott

Author:Peri Elizabeth Scott
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Publisher: Evernight Publishing
Published: 2016-11-14T22:00:00+00:00

Chapter Five

“I wish you could stay longer.” Victoria heard herself, whining like a toddler.

“I’ve been here the two days, Tori. Well, two days if you don’t consider the time you spent on the phone with the office and the emergency trips to address ‘issues’ there.” Her mom folded another item for her suitcase.

“I know. But if I screw this up Jon will replace me. In a heartbeat.”

“And I appreciate that. I didn’t expect you to dedicate all your time to me. I came to visit because I needed to know you were okay.”

Something in her mother’s tone indicated her hopes hadn’t been realized. “I’m fine, Mom.”

“You’re a shadow of your former self. You’ve always been driven, but seriously, Tori. If I didn’t know better, I’d think you were pregnant with the way you avoid food.”

Her head spun and she stared blankly at her mother. “I’m not pregnant.” Logan’s baby, someone to lavish all my unrequited love on. She snapped out of it. Not a way to burden a child.

“I know you’re not.”

“How do you know?” It was stupid to continue in this vein, but she was curious.

“I know when you have your periods. I lived with you. So unless you’ve been with someone else since … well, you’re not pregnant.”

“Oh. Right.” She pretended the conversation wasn’t bothering her. She and Logan planned to have children, but it was a blessing that she wasn’t carrying his child. He’d be forced into her life because of parenthood. And she’d be a shitty mother anyhow.

“I think you should come home.”

“What? No. I’m fine.”

“You need your family to take care of you.”

“Mom, I’m twenty-eight. I’ve been taking care of myself for a long time.”

“And doing a terrible job of it recently. You’re going to fall prey to some bizarre virus and won’t have the reserves to fight it.”

There was no dealing with her mother when that woman got such things in her head. “I’ll start. Today.”

“How?”

“I’ll have lunch with you before your plane leaves. And I’ll buy more food for here.”

“You’ll eat?” Margaret’s voice was infused with doubt.

“I will. I can’t afford any more clothes so I’ll have to eat my way back into the ones I own.”

It was doubtful her mom put a lot of faith in her promise, but Victoria vowed she would try. If she became ill, everything she’d worked for would crumble. Mother’s wisdom made sense.

The drive to the airport was quiet. She really didn’t want her mother to leave, and she knew her parent was thinking dark thoughts, primarily because she was worried.

“Logan has taken over his father’s business and from what Robert said, the elder Mr. Doherty is out of a job.” Her mom didn’t think much of Logan’s dad, and only her good manners had kept things civil around him.

Why was her mom bringing this up now? “I know.”

Her mother twisted to face her, and Victoria shot her a glance before returning her attention to the road. She rarely drove the company car, stored in the underground parking lot, and it had far more power than her own.

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