Taboo: Bittersweet Revenge (Sequel)

A Mother's Wrath

I never noticed how much I could miss this place until now. The mansion slowly creeps into view, dark clouds hovering over as if to signal a thunderstorm brewing in the cold December night. The entire ride home, all that went through my mind was my son. I knew that seeing him would give me a sense of hope in the midst of all this shit hitting the goddamn fan.

But I'm also weary of who I was in a car with for hours on end, and how we managed not to claw each others eyes out yet.

The truck pulls up next to gate and she parks the car. She waited for me to say something, after all, she did get me out of prison. In her mind she's the hero. But there's so much more than that.

It's nothing but silence between us. Either of us knowing what to say after learning what we both know now. I'm still in a state of shock because I don't know how to process any of it, or what comes next.

"Can I ask you...", her soft voice sounding sheepish, cutting the uneasy tension before mustering up the encourage to speak up. And even when she does, she can't face me. "Will you ever forgive me? For what I've done to you. For .... everything that's gone down between us?".

Shocked by her candid question, it takes me a moment to register what she was implying. And I can honestly say for the first in all the years I've known her, that I hesitated to answer that question. She finally plucks up the courage to look me in the eye, and when she does I share an unsure glance her way.

It wasn't to be sarcastic this time, it was a genuine reaction that I wasn't expecting from either of us. If there's one thing I've learnt the last 48 hours, is that anything I thought I was so sure off, is now being called into question. My gaze remains unfocused, contemplating her offer before they lock on hers. And its almost like I'm seeing her the first time. The question remained though; do I take that leap of faith yet?

With an ambigious glance her way, I exit the truck, her eyes diverting back away from mine. Was this reality now? Our reality? Do I trust her with this? Or do I revert back to old ways?... 

I wait for her to leave my view, still shell shocked by the knowledge I just gained. But I found myself snapped back into reality when I notice Christian's car was nowhere to be seen, leaving me a little suspicious. I enter the mansion with the loud echo of the door slamming suit behind me. It was quiet. Too quiet.

Dragging my body towards the kitchen, the first thing I reach for is a cold beer. Flicking the top off, I down the entire drink in one big slug.

I began to explore the vacant house, Raeven's room was empty, the master bedroom was quiet, even Austin wasn't in the lab. I finally found a clue when I walk past Christian's office room. Something caught my eye; a white paper note with an address scribbled across the middle stood out like a sore thumb in the deep chocolate mahogany themed room.

It was an address from Montreal. My mind travelled back to that strange phone call in the middle of the night; Christian's voice radiating with warmth as he resited the words 'I love you' over the phone. Only, those words weren't for me.

Something began to stir inside me. Maybe it was that week from hell in an Atlanta prison or maybe it's my head playing tricks with me. I don't know. Something had clicked in my brain.

I know he's not...doing what I think he is. He couldn't be. Although I did deserve a little karma after all those years ago, I still wouldn't believe this scenario my mind was trying to convince me of. But then again, he's not the type to throw out that love to just anyone; he's a lot more guarded than that.

So if that love wasn't for me, who was it for?

"He's gone...", a deep voice from behind shocks me back to reality, momentarily pausing my uneasy thoughts. I jump back to be confronted by Dexter. I grabbed hold of my chest, anticipating my heart to jump out at any moment.