Instead of talking about her, she wanted to know Rory’s issue. However, she didn’t want to desert her father, so she asked, “Do you…do you want to talk about why you can’t show your face?”
“Thank you, sweetheart.” Daddy rubbed the back of his neck. “But, no. This is irreparable. All because Kendall—”
Annoyance settled into Rory’s face. “All because ofyou. If you don’t want to blame yourself and Brooks, blame Bash.”
Tense silence followed Rory’s words. Neither her father or brother noticed her trembling. Behind her, her mother’s footsteps clipped toward them.
“Rory, it’s time for you and your father to leave,” she said, stopping between Rory and Mattie. She settled a hand on Mattie’s shoulder. “I need to talk to you, darling…” Her voice trailed off and her hand tightened. “You’re shaking. Motherfucker, what have you said to Mattie now?”
“Nothing, Kendall—”
“Nothing, Momma,” Mattie said. “I was thinking about how I barely escaped.”
Daddy jumped to his feet and rushed toward her, but Momma jerked Mattie behind her.
“I’m not going to do her anything, Kendall. I swear.” He sounded tired and defeated. “Please, trust me.”
“Trust is earned, motherfucker,” she spat. “You’ve accused me of being unfaithful. You’ve fallen apart because of Logan when you’ve professed for years you aren’t him and you don’twant to be him.Loganwould blame Mattie because that motherfucker accosted her. You’ve given me no reason to believe you won’t do the same.”
“I don’t fucking blame her for Wally, Jr.”
“Don’t speak that motherfucker’s name in this fucking house,” Momma spat.
“I swear I won’t hurt her.”
By the time, Momma moved to Mattie’s side and allowed Daddy to step closer to her, she felt dizzy, frozen to her spot.
“Talk to me, Mattie.”
Daddy had a full beard. Dark circles ringed his eyes and his cheekbones were more prominent from the weight he’d lost.
His comfort the other day seeped into her mind. Perhaps, that’s why she opened up about almost everything plaguing her.
“Eric and Billy…I got the weed from them.” Her nostrils flared and she lowered her gaze, unable to look into her father’s eyes any longer. She couldn’t read his expression. “They probably laced it with something.” Which was why it came at such a high cost to her body. She knew about the peace deal with Bash, although the memory of her fight with him also haunted her. “I fought Wally, Jr. I wasn’t high that day, but he had wild strength. I thought he was going to kill me. Eric and Billy threatened to kill me a lot.”
Daddy stared at her, tipped her chin up, and studied her. He thumbed away tears slipping from her eyes then bent and kissed her cheek. “I’m so proud of you for your quick thinking. You did good, sweetheart.” He kissed her other cheek. “I wish I had killed those two motherfuckers. Their deaths were too easy.”
She still had nightmares about seeing Billy and Eric die.
Daddy grabbed her in a tight hug. Mattie held herself stiffly for a moment, images of Wally, Jr., Bash, Billy, and Eric vying for space in her head. Memories ofWally, Wally, Jr’s son,and how he enjoyed hurting her. But then she breathed in her father’s scent and safety, warmth, and love filled her.
She clung to him,Daddy,and sobbed, until her mother tugged her away.
“Johnnie has to get to the club, sweetheart,” Momma said in a broken voice. “It’s an emergency meeting so it must be important.”
She guided Mattie away. At Mattie’s bedroom, Momma followed her in, closed the door, and guided Mattie to her bed.
“Goddamn, I always forget how fucking pink this room is.”
The words penetrated Mattie’s brain, and she laughed through her tears.
Momma smiled and sat next to her. She settled an arm around Mattie’s shoulders, tugged her close, and kissed the top of her head.
“Mattie…My God—” She shuddered. She wrapped the other arm around Mattie and rested her cheek on top her head. “My beautiful, sweet, baby girl. What would I do without you?”
“Billy and Eric used to tell me I was getting what I deserved and what I made them do.”
Momma stiffened, recoiled and jumped to her feet. “Those motherfuckers,” she raged.
