“Oh.” She looked around. “Well, um, I…you’re really not doing anything for your birthday? Garrett was so excited. He’s told me so many things about you and Mason. I guess there was an intense basketball game between the two of them. Garrett was sore for a week after.”
I swallowed over a knot. What right did he have to boast about me? He kicked me out for her, but I gave her a polite smile anyway. My face felt like it stretched against cement.
“Are you going to celebrate your birthday some other time? He really wants to be there. You mean the world to him.”
Her smile seemed genuine and my knot shrunk. Then I hardened. She had no right to care. I shook my head. “I don’t know. I don’t care about my birthday. Can you do the party or not?”
“Oh.” She blinked from the sudden aggression. “Um, sure. Anything for you, Sam. I mean that, I really do. I know Garrett loves you so much and I’m really hoping the two of us work things out.” Her voice quieted and she looked down at her hands that were knotted together in front of her. “I’m ashamed of what I did. I really am, but I’m trying. I really am.” When she looked back up, there was a renewed intensity on her face. She seemed so earnest.
I shrugged again and looked away. Then my voice came out strained, “Just triple your normal rate for her.”
“But—”
“She’ll pay, trust me. She’s desperate. Charge her triple. She’s a bitch.”
“Um—”
I didn’t care whatever else she had to say and I swung away. I hurried out of there and my heart seemed like it was about to explode out of my chest by the time I got to my car. My fingers fumbled for the door handle. It took three tries before I could open it and then I sat inside with my heart beating and my breathing erratic. I tried to calm myself. I tried to force my hands to loosen from the balls they had formed, but my head bent down and it took a while.
CHAPTER TWENTY FOUR
When I pulled into the mansion’s driveway, I was surprised to see Mason’s Escalade. Then I went inside, saw my mother and felt gutted. She had on a soft pink dress. It was a simple dress, but it wrapped around her body and I could see that she’d lost weight. I wasn’t sure when it had started, but she was rail thin now. A part of me wanted to ask her if she had an eating disorder, but I held my tongue. Then I saw Mousteff emerge from the kitchen and place a steaming bowl of soup in front of her. She grimaced at him, but his lips pursed together and he dropped two packages of crackers beside the bowl. “Eat,” he barked before he disappeared back into the kitchen.
She sighed but picked up her spoon.
As I watched, she ate the bowl one sip at a time. I stood there for an hour. It took her that long before she pushed the empty bowl away and stood. Her face was twisted and she held a hand over her mouth. Then she rushed down the hallway. I knew where she was going and hurried to stop her. As she pushed through the bathroom door, I grabbed her arm and reeled her back into the hallway.
“Sam,” she gasped.
I slammed the door shut and planted myself in front.
Panic came over her and she tried to shove me aside. Her hands grappled for me, but I evaded each time. I twisted my arms free, dodged when she tried to hook around my waist, and her struggles became more frantic.
“Samantha, please. I’m going to be sick.”
I heard the whimper in her voice and shook my head. “Keep it down, mom. You need to.”
The fight left her. She reared back, but a different fight was in her eyes now. She lifted her lips in a snarl and she grew still. “What do you care? You’ve been absent from my life since we moved here. Get out of the way, Sam.”
“No.”
“If I die, you’ll be rid of me.”
I felt the blood drain from my face and I flinched. I couldn’t stop it. Then I caught movement from the corner of my eye and saw Mason there. He stood at the end of the hallway, but he shook his head in a small movement.
I took a deep breath. “When did this start?”
She snorted. “Like you care.” She leaned against the wall and raked her hands through her hair. Her body crumbled to the floor and I knew she’d lost another fight. Her shoulder shook and sobs sounded from her.
I slid to the floor across from her and gentled my voice. “Where is James?”
“With Helen.” Her voice was hoarse. “He’s going to get back together with her. I just know it.”
I rolled my eyes. Even I knew the fool was besotted with my mother, but I held back my disdain. “Analise—”
She lifted her head. Her makeup was smeared from the tears and black splotches ran down over her cheeks. Her eyes were rimmed from it as well and she let her head fall against the wall with a hard thump. Then she did it again as she moaned, “What am I going to do, Sam? I love him. I love him so much. I can’t lose him. I’ve already lost you. I can’t lose him too.”
I curled my arms around my knees and pulled them tight. My chin rested on top of one of my knees and I tried for a small smile. I knew it came out strained. I didn’t care. It was the best I could do. “I’m sure James isn’t getting back together with Helen—”
“He is.” Tears filled her eyes again and she buried her head in her own knees. “What am I going to do, Sam? I have no idea. She called today and said her and Garrett broke up. James left as soon as he got that call. I knew he was going to console her. She sounded hysterical on the phone.”