When Fully Fused by Shari J. Ryan

Author:Shari J. Ryan
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Booktrope
Published: 2014-07-20T04:00:00+00:00

***

An excruciating and terrifying cab ride later, we arrive in hell—or my mother’s house, as I should probably refer to it, for Sammy’s sake. I never wanted my mother to meet Sammy, or to ever have an effect on his life. Now, I’m about to welcome her back, but hardly with open arms. I’m back at square one—no drift, no escape, and no Alex. But at least I have Sammy.

I walk in through the front door with hesitation, unsure of what to expect after Alex and I drifted here the other day. That was in my drift though, and this is real. There will be none of Franco’s summoned men waiting for us this time. That was all in my head.

I turn into the kitchen with Sammy’s arm clenched between my fingers. My mother is spinning around the kitchen whipping up some kind of burnt food I’m sure. A stroke of shock hits my nerves as my eyes dart over to the kitchen table. Is that—?

“Dr. Greene, Mother?” I say abruptly.

My mother twists around, brushing the bangs out of her face. “Chloe?” She seems startled by my presence.

I swallow the knot in my throat as I say, “Yeah, it’s me. I’m home—I mean, here.” While I feel a momentary sensation of being a child here again, I regain my awareness of the surroundings—my son standing behind me and my goddamn therapist sitting at my fucking breakfast table. “What are you doing here?” I direct my narrowed eyes at Dr. Greene.

“Honey, it’s not how it looks,” my mother says, stumbling over her words. Dr. Greene, ashamed and suddenly shy looks away from me and down to his twiddling fingers.

“I’m pretty sure it’s exactly how it appears.” I nod my head, shocked by this, but then again, should I be this surprised after what she did to me in the first place? He’s always been in on this with her. I shouldn’t have been so naïve to think they were over after he was fired.

“Sammy?” my mother reaches behind me, seeking out Sammy’s hand. I push him away, instinctively and protectively as a mother bear would do with her cub. “I’m your—“

“Don’t even think about saying that to him. You aren’t even worthy of being called a mother.”

Sammy disregards my hovering behavior and places his hand into hers. Do I rip him away? She doesn’t deserve his kindness. "Sammy, what are you doing?" I ask, keeping my voice quiet.

"What do I have to do to make things right with you, Chloe?" She wipes a dripping tear. "I want to be a part of your and Sammy's life."

"Of course you do, now that Alex is gone."

"What? What are you talking about?" she asks, sweeping her bangs out of her eyes again.

I open my mouth, but the words don't seem to come out. I can feel the rush of pain moving up from my stomach through my throat and burning the nerves behind my eyes.

"Daddy died," Sammy says softly, reaching for my hand.

My mother places her hands over her chest and takes a couple of hesitant steps toward me.

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