Rocky
I was glad I’d taken Daria to meet Cameron, though she’d been quiet ever since. I knew how she felt about going after Jason Steele and I felt a strange amount of guilt about how I’d roped her into it. Though, selfishly, I was glad I did.
She was moving around in her office, trying to shake off the heat. Usually in this weather, she would come out of the cramped office and sit in the fresh air. Maybe she was still processing?
That didn’t really sound like Daria, though. Once she made up her mind, she was pretty set on it. And I knew without a doubt that now that she’d become as involved as she was, she wouldn’t go back on her word. Still, I couldn’t take the risk that she’d changed her mind or was having second doubts. I knew I had to see if she was still on board with the whole thing. She was part of my life now, whether she liked it or not.
“What’s wrong, Daria?” I asked.
She looked up from the computer, wide-eyed and apparently having not noticed that I’d stepped into her office. That was another indicator something was wrong. She was never that immersed in her work.
She shook her head blankly, lips struggling to form words before she blew out a frustrated breath. “It’s my mom,” she said finally, looking down even as she said it.
I frowned at that. I couldn’t believe that Corinne was so against Daria associating with me. Didn’t she remember how club life used to be? Didn’t she remember how I used to be? It hurt to think she had no trust in me at all anymore, though I supposed I deserved it. After all, I did drag her daughter into a mess that she had no right to be involved in. It had been over a decade since my promise to keep her out of club business, and I’d finally broken my promise. It was irrational, but I’d hold that against myself forever.
“So, she’s still not happy with you?” I asked.
Daria winced and looked away. “I haven’t really told her how involved I am yet. I’m scared she’ll assume the worst. We already have a rocky relationship, I don’t want to tear it apart.”
Damn. That would be rough to explain. I’d assumed that Corinne and Daria would have a strong relationship considering all the things they’d been through together. Though, some people thought that about my dad and I, and that couldn’t be further from the truth.
“I’m sure she’ll understand once you explain. She’s your mother. Besides, talking with Cameron cleared things up for you, why don’t we get your mom to meet up with him too?”
Daria paused for a moment, thinking. “Do you really think that’s a good idea?” she asked.
“Well what do you have to lose?”
“I suppose you're right,” she conceded.
Not having thought of it before, I just realized that tomorrow would be the first time I’d see Corinne in years. It was a small town but I still hadn’t been by the diner where she worked, though I definitely should have. It wasn’t that I didn’t want to see her or that I’d been too busy because I really could have made time if I wanted.
Frankly, I was scared to see her again. Especially now that I’d gotten her daughter dragged into things that she had no business being dragged into. It wasn’t even entirely club business that I’d dragged her into, though I didn’t know if that was better or worse.
At least I knew it would be good for Daria to have things cleared up with her mom. She was already looking happier than this morning, just at the prospect of telling her mom everything.
“Are you okay with everything else that happened yesterday?” I asked. This was my main worry, that she’d changed her mind about me or wanted nothing to do with me.
Daria looked up at me with a soft smile, a smile that immediately eased any fears that I had, something she seemed to have a gift doing.
“I wouldn’t say okay, but I’m still standing by you. You're not getting rid of me remember?”
“Just checking. Do you want me to get Cameron here tonight or tomorrow?”
She bit her lip in thought. “Tonight’s probably a better idea. I don’t want to keep lying to her.”
“Alright, I’ll call.”
Cameron picked up on the first ring and agreed to meet with Corinne with no hesitation.
“Have you seen her yet?”
“I saw her weeks ago,” he replied. “She looks really different though.”
“What do you mean?”
“You’ll see, son. I’ll drop by tonight.”
And with that, he hung up, leaving me to wonder about his strange warning. How different could she possibly look, except for having aged twelve years? Though, the way Daria talked about her sometimes, I wondered if I ever knew her at all.
I decided that Cameron was just trying to wind me up, knowing what she used to mean to me. Actually, Corinne had spent a lot of time with Cameron and my dad over the years. As brothers, they used to fight between each other a lot, about themselves, about the club, and everything else under the sun.
Corinne would try to be peacemaker between them, making sure that their arguments didn’t get too heated. I didn’t think someone as kind and caring as Corinne could change so dramatically. Though, I would soon find out for sure.
“Cameron’s in,” I told Daria. “We’ll go by the diner tonight.”
“Thank you for doing this for me, you didn’t have to.”
And I didn’t. But if this would appease Daria, getting Cameron to convince her mom that she wouldn’t be in any danger, then I’d do it.
“Yes, I did.”
As selfish as I was, I recognized that this was the only way to keep Daria on my side. And for that, I’d do whatever it took.