How to Steal a Heart

~ Chapter 30 ~

Why am I here?

As soon as I saw the state she was in. I could no longer remember. Did I want her to comfort me? Did I just want to lay eyes on her? What could we talk about except the obvious?

She was in rehab, yet still drinking as if she was home.

The sound of my voice made her turn around. Glass bottle still pressed to her lips. Even the sight of me wouldn't make her drop it. As soon as she looked at me her eyes were back on the window. My stomach started to bubble, I no longer wanted to be here.

"When I told you to take care of yourself, this isn't what I meant." It was meant to come out as a joke, but the air around the sentence was dead.

It hung - it was acknowledged, but not spoken upon.

"I came all this way and I still can't get even a hello from you?" I kept all my things on me. I don't plan on staying long.

"What? Was the mansion getting too big for you? You had to leave and see your poor mother?"

I was used to the cruel words from my father. However, my mother had never spoken to me this way. I knew it was part of her being drunk, but what did she want from me? We had this conversation the day she moved out. She knows better than anyone why I'm staying with my dad. I don't even know why she would bring it up.

"Like I have a choice-"

"Right, because the mansion is the lesser option," She retorts right back, still not facing me.

"Even if leaving was an option - Where else could I go? With you? In this rehab facility?" I snap, "Don't forget that mansion used to be your home too,"

"I could never forget,"

I was a little confused about where all this animosity was coming from. For the life of me, I can't understand why she could be so angry, well, so angry at me. I try desperately to remember a happier time. A time when my family was all together, laughing or smiling. All I came up with was a blank. It's just like earlier this morning in my father's office.

Why can't I remember my childhood?

"Is that all?" I whisper after a moment of silence.

She glances at me from the corner of her eye. The bottle in her hand falters. There's another crisp moment of silence before I just decide for her.

Opening the door without a word and I walk out. Feeling tears in my eyes, but trying to blink them back. I wouldn't even say I'm sad.

I'm fed up.

I don't know why people feel like they can treat me like shit, but I won't allow it anymore. I'm finishing what I have to finish so I get out of my situation. I deserve better than this. I know I do.

I smile at Ms. Jones as I pass her. Getting into my car and driving off. An hour and a half drive for a five-minute conversation with the one person I came to see. I wanted her to see me drive off. Through that tiny window of hers, I wanted her to realize where she is and what she's done to herself. The brute conversations with my parents should make it easier to cut them off. In reality, it's just not that easy for so many different reasons.

I let my car blaze on the nearly empty highway. I don't want to go home right now, but where else could I go?

I got an idea, picking up my phone. It rings twice before it picks up:

"Hi, babe!" Athena's voice rings in my ears.

"What are you doing, Green-eyes?"

"Waiting for you to make my life better. I'll send you the address,"