I want to scream that he's more than decent. That he's kind. Patient. Warm in ways I didn't even realise I was missing until I got to know him.
That he feels like home in a way I never expected to find again.
But I swallow it down.
“Maybe now, but do you know why I left your dad for him?”
“I don't want to know.”
I push past her and reach for the door, pulling it open wider so she'll take the hint and piss off.
But she doesn't.
Just laughs softly and shakes her head.
“The affair with Elijah started just after you were born.”
I don't want to hear any of this.
“You did my head in. I hated being a mum. But Leon loved it, even if we were just teenagers. You ruined my body, my social life. I was angry all the time because of you.”
My grip tightens on the door until my knuckles turn white.
“Mum of the fucking year,” I mutter sarcastically.
She ignores me and carries on. “I always had a massive crush on Elijah. I started getting closer to him because your precious dad just wanted to spend time with you. Completely forgot about me.”
She rolls her eyes like even now she resents that. The fact that she wasn't somebody else's number one anymore.
"I started fucking Elijah, and your dad had no clue. He got me hooked on drugs. Did you know that? The sex was better than anything with your shitty dad. But by the time he found out, I was already pregnant with River, and then your dad left with you.”
No.
She's lying.
She has to be lying.
Elijah isn't that man, or he would have told me. There's no way he was on drugs. He wouldn't force someone else to do them.
God, I feel sick.
“Elijah will come back to me if he knows what's good for him. A silly little girl won't satisfy him for long.”
She taps my cheek lightly.
“You're just temporary fun for him.” She invades my space, not giving a care about hurting me.
“Do us all a favour, Willow and go join your dear old Dad.”
Chapter 35
Elijah
“Willow?”
Ezra called earlier to say she’d shown up at his bar like she had been crying. He’d served her a few drinks and tried to get her to talk, but when he attempted to cut her off, she told him to fuck off, smashed a glass and walked out.
Apparently, she was more than a little drunk.
