Me, Love, & Secrets

I Win

"Je ne crierais pas de noms si quelqu'un reconnaissait avoir blessé mon neveu!" Nikki's eyes never left my face. "I knew there was something about you." I wouldn't call names if someone admitted to hurting my nephew!

I felt more sober than I did when I arrived. "What are you talking about, Nikki? I haven't seen Roberto in a while."

"You weren't with him last night?"

"Why would I be with him? I don't like him. I have a boyfriend."

"Ça ne t'a pas empêché de l'utiliser pour tomber enceinte!" That didn't stop you from using him to get pregnant!

The room grew silent. Gosh, I really hate this woman. She makes it so hard to tolerate her. If she'd ever been kind to me just once, I would have sat down with her a long time ago and told her about everything Roberto has been doing. She knows he's mentally unstable, but uses that to say women take advantage of him.

"N'amenez pas mon fils dans ce," I growled. Don't bring my son into this.

"Que tu le veuilles ou non, il sera toujours à part de ça." Whether you like it or not, he'll always be apart of this.

I stood up and pushed Lucas out of my way. I wasn't about to allow her to speak to me like this. If she wants to argue like she's young, then she can fight like she's young. Whoever hurt Roberto did us all a favor. That's not my problem. He should have stopped what he was doing a long time ago. I don't have time for her accusations and calling me out for things that happened a long time ago.

"We're not the reason Roberto got hurt, Nikki. If anyone should be blamed, it's him. He's the one going around acting like the world is his oyster. I tried to warn him, but he wouldn't listen. I know you couldn't stop him, because you didn't stop him when he tricked multiple girls into loving him. You saw what was happening, but you had to blame someone for making him act the way he was acting."

"Why would I blame his condition on worthless girls?"

"¡Métetelo por el culo!" Mom suddenly appeared in front of me. I no longer saw the withering glare on her face. "Telle tante, tel neveu. Tu as déjà pensé à ça, Nikki?" Like aunt, like nephew. Have you ever thought about that, Nikki?

"Tu as du culot, Julia!"

"Je fais."

"Tu es seulement parti, parce que la même chose t'est arrivée. Telle mère, telle fille!" You only left, because the same thing happened to you. Like mother, like daughter!

I don't know how older women do it. Does the thought of back problems fly out the window when they're angry? I didn't try to stop them. There was no point. No one else was going to stop them. Mom was winning, but that was expected. Fighting isn't the first thing that comes to mind when you live in France. Mom was a fighter, because she was married to James. It's only logical she can throw a fatal punch or two.

"Ruby, go sit down," Lucas whispered in my ear. "Now..."

I didn't have to be told twice. Dad put a hand on my shoulder. This was a little bit comforting. I'm not alone in this. I don't think I ever was.

I focused on Lucas just in time to see him pulling my mom off of Nikki. Evan came out of nowhere and pulled Nikki up off the floor. Well, this is a sight to see. I wonder if Mom will recognize him. She hasn't seen him in a while. Not since I began going to the doctor alone.

"Mom, I got this."

"Espero que te atropelle un camión y tengas que vivir el dolor." I hope you get hit by a truck and have to live through the pain.