“You want to do what!?” Summer shrieked.
I winced as I pulled the phone away from my ear. I heard her rattling off all sorts of things strung through with curse words I’d never heard in my life. But, as I held the phone away from my ear, I prepared the only argument I’d need in order to get her to see my point of view.
“And another thing,” she said as I placed the phone back to my ear, “you want someone to blame for who broke up the family? They did. With their controlling ways and their asinine beliefs and their–.”
I grinned. “You’ve been telling people they’re dead, haven’t you?”
She paused. “Well, if that’s the assumption they make, then that’s on them. They might as well be dead for the sins they’ve committed anyway.”
I flopped back onto my bed. “And here I thought you weren’t a religious person.”
“This is Mom and Dad we’re talking about! I don’t want their influence anywhere near my daughter!”
“Do you want me to come help you get out of the mess Tanner’s gotten you into? Or, do you want me to just take full custody of Cheyenne now while you galavant off into the sunset with your biker criminal?”
She sighed. “He’s not a criminal anymore than Mom and Dad are criminals.”
I sat up. “I’m not sure what that’s supposed to convince me of, but this isn’t my problem. You’re the one who gave this man a second chance. You’re the one who made the choice to get involved in this.”
“I was already involved because these assholes took over the strip club I worked at! And before you blame Tanner for making me strip, I swear to fucking God you knew I enjoyed my job. I took that job because I was good at it and because it made me feel good about myself. You were the only one who felt shame about it. Not me.”
I nodded. “Point taken, but that doesn’t negate the facts. If you want Cheyenne safe, there’s no one that will keep her more safe than Mom and Dad. And besides, they’re not as terrible as they once were.”
She scoffed. “Over my dead body, they’re not.”
I shrugged. “We can have it that way if you don’t want to do this. Because that’s what will happen without my help. Tanner will get you and Cheyenne killed. Is that what you want? Because I know you well enough to know that you wouldn’t have called for help unless you had literally no other recourse of action. So, take it or leave it.”
“Are those really your stipulations? You don’t help if Cheyenne doesn’t go to Mom and Dad’s? They’re our abusers, Sloane.”
“Who have changed a great deal since you last saw them. Sometimes, people have to hit rock bottom.”
“Don’t give me that low-down bullshit. They’re disgusting individuals, and you know it.”
I stood to my feet. “Then, good luck elsewhere.”
“Wait, wait, wait, wait!”
I heard her sigh on the other end of the line before she cleared her throat. “I’m Cheyenne’s mother, and I don’t want them in her life.”
I rolled my eyes. “They are her grandparents, Summer. They should meet their only granddaughter at some point in time.”
“You might be able to forgive them for the shit they pulled, but at one point in time they wanted me to abort Cheyenne. Did you know that?”
I paused. “No, I didn’t.”
“Because I never told you. They wanted me to abort Cheyenne because Tanner was the father and they didn’t want a pregnant, unwedded daughter living in their house. And you want me to send Cheyenne over to the people that wanted to abort her? Are you serious right now?”
I pointed at the air as if she were standing in front of me. “You’re the one that put yourself in this situation. You’re the one who sent Cheyenne here. You’re the one that chose to go back with Tanner instead of staying here with the only shred of family you still have, and that was the selfish decision that you made. You don’t get to play hardball anymore because I’ve usurped your right as mother because you dumped my niece on my doorstep and compromised my entire life just so you could go and be a hero by some dude’s side that should’ve wrapped his willy twelve years ago. You don’t get a say in this. Not when I’m the one spending weekends and holidays with Mom and Dad, explaining why you guys aren’t there. Not when I’m over at their house holding them while they cry after every therapy session that practically rips them apart. You are no longer in control, so get used to that now because it’s not changing until all of this is said and done. Got it?”
There was a very long pause and I thought she had hung up on me. But, when she sniffled, I heard her ask the one question that I knew she would.
“They’re–in therapy?”
I eased myself back down onto the edge of the bed. “Yes, Summer. They’ve been in therapy for almost five years now. I told them it was the only way they’d ever stand a chance at getting you back in their lives and meeting their granddaughter, and they didn’t fucking hesitate. People change, Summer. Sometimes it takes their world falling apart, but they do change. And I can tell you straight from the horse’s mouth that they have. They aren’t perfect, but no one is.”
She sighed. “Do they still go to that stupid-ass church?”
I shook my head. “They don’t go to church at all, to be honest. Haven’t been ever since you ran away from home.”
“Wait, seriously?”
I snickered. “Seriously. When you ran away, their church disowned them. Said that they were probably incapable parents if their own God-given child didn’t want to stay with them.”
“They got excommunicated for their own stupid ways. How delicious.”
“And to be honest? What other choice do you have? You can’t just leave her with anyone else. I don’t trust anyone that much here in Santa Barbara. You wouldn’t believe the amount of dirty cops I work with on a daily basis. The only reason why I’m not bringing them down is because I have no proof. None of them are watching Cheyenne, and she’s not heading back home until this mess is cleaned up. You’re backed into a corner, so just say “yes” so I can pack our shit up and get on the road after I drop her off.”
“Wait, Mom and Dad are in Santa Barbara? Since when?”
I closed my eyes. “They moved here a few years ago. Right around the time they started therapy.”
“Where do they live?”
“Is this you agreeing? Because I really need you to agree so I can get to work.”
She clicked her tongue. “Yes, this is me reluctantly agreeing. Now, where do they live?”
I smiled. “I’ll send you their address so you can keep it in your phone. I’ll also send you their new cell numbers. Well, new to you, not to me. I’ll let you know once I drop Cheyenne off and get on the road. At that point, it’ll be about four and a half hours to your place.”
“Actually, I’ll send you the address of where we are. We’re camping out in this massive house in a gated community that backs up to the beach. It really is gorgeous. I’ll have the guys clear you out a room with a view.”
I walked over to my closet. “Sounds like a plan. I’ll call you soon.”
“Sloane?”
“Yeah?”
She sniffled. “You wouldn’t drop Cheyenne off with Mom and Dad if they were the same, right?”
I snickered. “Hell, no. You should know me better than that by now.”
She sighed with relief. “If anything happens to her–.”
“Yeah, yeah, I know. You’ll whip my ass and all that nonsense. Just know that the same goes for Tanner.”
“Yeah, yeah. I know.”
I giggled. “We’ll talk soon.”
“Talk soon.”
“This is going to be weird,” Cheyenne murmured.
I grinned as I drove to Mom and Dad’s place. “Well, you’ve been getting their birthday and holiday cards, right?”
She snickered. “When Mom’s not trying to hide them from me, sure.”
I tried not to let my anger boil over. “Well, they’re very excited to have you come stay with them for a little while.”
“I’m going to have to repeat a grade, aren’t I?”
We pulled into the driveway and I peered over my shoulder. “I’ll make sure that we do whatever it takes to get you caught up. I won’t let this affect your schooling, okay?”
She sighed. “Okay.”
I put the car in park. “Now, grab your things and be prepared for a lot of hugging and kissing. You’re their only grandchild whom they’re meeting for the first time, so try to be kind to them. They’ve lived a hard life.”
She started gathering her things. “Are they really as bad as Mom thinks they are?”
I turned around in my seat. “What has she told you?”
She shrugged. “Not much. But, enough to let me know that she ran away because of them.”
I chewed on the inside of my cheek. “You trust me, right?”
She nodded. “Yeah.”
“So, you trust that I wouldn’t just drop you off at anyone’s house, right?”
Her face softened a bit. “Yeah.”
“Then, trust me that when I say that your grandmother and grandfather are good people–at least, now they are–I mean that with everything I am.”
She smiled softly. “Okay, Auntie Sloane.”
I winked at her. “All right, get your things and let’s get you inside.”
The meet-and-greet was short and sweet. I took Cheyenne inside where Mom and Dad rushed her with hugs and kisses to her cheek. Dad had cookies baking in the oven and Mom already had a spread on the table, complete with her favorite soda and snacks that I had sent over to them in a text message list a little while ago. I watched from the foyer as they led Cheyenne into the kitchen for lunch, and when she looked back at me the smile that crossed her face warmed my heart.
I knew she’d be okay, even if Summer didn’t think so.
“I love you, CheyChey.”
She sat down at the table. “Love you too, Auntie Sloane. I’ll see you soon?”
I backed out the front door. “As soon as I can get back.”
I closed the door and steeled myself against the tears that threatened to pour down my cheeks. Yes, there were still scars that throbbed with pain every time I stepped foot into their house, but little by little we were healing.
Well, as much as we could with the Summer-sized hole still lingering over our heads.
Nevertheless, I texted Summer before I backed out of the driveway and got on the road. She wanted pictures of Cheyenne with Mom and Dad, but I wasn’t about to drive back just to take some snapshots. We had work to do; work that involved keeping my niece safe. And I took that very seriously.
So, I sped to Santa Cruz as quickly as legally possible before I pulled up to a wrought iron gate.
“Passcode?” the security guard asked.
I remembered back to one of Summer’s texts. “Forty-twenty-one.”
The guard punched it in. “Name?”
“Sloane Riley.”
He punched something in on his keyboard. “All right, have a nice evening, Miss Riley.”
“You too, sir.”
As I navigated my way through the neighborhood, the sizes of the houses astounded me. But, my jaw physically dropped open when I pulled up behind some bikes in a roundabout driveway that sat in front of one of the biggest houses on the block.
I mean, since when did motorcycle gangs have mansions?
“Sloane!”
Summer’s voice hit my ears as I got out of my car, but Tanner was right behind her in tow. I glared at him as my sister wrapped her arms around my neck, and not once did I take my eyes off him.
Still, he tried his best. “Sloane, it’s good to see you again.”
My eyes fell down his body. “Wish I could say the same.”
Summer released me. “You promised.”
I rolled my eyes. “You too, Tanner.”
He chuckled. “It’s okay, she has every right to be angry.”
I grumbled. “You’re damn right, I do.”
Summer whispered in my ear. “Just be nice, okay? Please?”
I peered over at her. “You know I’m always nice.”
She barked with laughter. “Yeah, if a bed of nails is considered nice.”
And for the first time in three years, my sister, myself, and Tanner all laughed at the same time. Almost as if we were sharing a moment. Almost as if none of this bullshit had ever taken place.
Almost, anyway.
