UNKNOWN: Surprise

“Baby girl?”

When those two words hit the air, I froze. Solid. My phone remained in my hand, and my eyes still focused on the text I’d just received, but I couldn’t move. That husky yet feminine voice could never be mistaken. It once sang me to sleep every night, but now it haunted my dreams. Time no longer existed. I could have been standing there for ten seconds, or ten minutes.

I finally looked up and stared at her. My mother. Aged but still the spitting image of the woman who’d kissed me goodbye on that fateful day thirteen years ago. For so many years I’d imagine this exact scene in my head—her reappearing in my life, calling out my name, rushing to me, and wrapping me in her arms. But what I had imagined was nothing like what I was experiencing now.

Behind her, Missy rushed in and ran straight to me.

“Look at me.” I knew Missy was close, but her voice sounded far away. “Sasha, look at me,” she pleaded, and I felt her hand touch my arm.

My eyes remained on the woman who I didn’t know was still alive until just now.

My mother took a step toward me, and I finally blinked. “My baby girl, look at you. All grown up and owning your own store. You look so pretty.”

“Stay the fuck away from her,” Missy hissed as she wedged her body between us. “You do not get to be anywhere near her.”

“Baby girl.” My mother ignored Missy’s warning, and this time louder, and with less softness to her voice, she asked, “Do you remember me?”

Do I remember her?

After thirteen years of living without a mother and attempting to move on from the worst kind of rejection anyone could experience, she had decided that now was the perfect time to step back into my life. My life had just started making sense. I had a home that was mine, a career I loved, and a store I was proud of. I had friends who I called family, a man in my life who'd started healing the hurt she left and a future that was looking brighter than ever. And now she comes into Sass and asks if I remember her?

Was she crazy?

“I just met your boyfriend. He is very handsome, just like your father was when I first met him. I always knew you’d find a good-looking man to settle down with.”

She was digging her own grave with every word she spoke.

My blood began to boil at the thought of her being anywhere near Ben, and it bubbled over when she mentioned Dad. She would not taint either of them. She’d already destroyed my dad, and there was no way in hell she was going to get anywhere near destroying what I was building with Ben.

The door burst open for the second time behind me, but again I couldn’t tear my eyes away from her. I was still trying to get my head around what was happening. Why now? Why not the day after she left, or even a month after? I would have even accepted a year, but thirteen years? That was almost half of my life, and there was no turning back from that.

“Get out,” I whispered as anger crawled through my veins and tore at my skin. Missy remained between us but moved next to me when she heard me speak. As soon as she did, her fingers entwined with mine, and I swallowed the strength she offered me.

My mother’s smile remained glued to her face. Her eyes darted between Missy and me, and the tension in Missy’s hand grew against mine. My anger scared me. I didn’t know how to process this, how to behave or react. I just wanted her gone. I didn’t want to breathe the same air as her.

“You need to leave.” My words came out stronger than before, and her smile began to fade. She took a step toward me, and I took one back. “Get out of my store,” I yelled, causing my voice to bounce off the walls. “If you don’t leave, I will call the police, and seeing that you’ve done your research you know my boyfriend is a cop, so I’m sure he could pull some favors and have you arrested.”

I had no clue what I was saying, all I saw was red.

I jumped as strong hands gripped my hips, and I sagged in relief as Ben’s familiar scent wrapped around me. Missy dropped my hand and stepped toward my mother, but it was Ben who spoke.

"Get the fuck out of here," he growled in the most threatening voice I’d ever heard. “Do not make me say it again.”

“Baby girl—”

“Do not call me that again,” I warned as the familiar feeling of heartbreak spiked throughout me. “Do not come to my store. Do not look for me. Do not call me. Do not come near me again. You made your choice thirteen years ago, and now I’m making mine. I no longer have room in my life for you.”

I shrugged out of Ben’s grip, and rushed to my office, desperate to put distance between my past and my present. Shaking my hands, and pacing the room, I begged for calm to arrive as I released the breath I’d been holding.

Within seconds of my escape, Ben appeared, face masked with concern, and thankfully he came straight for me. Without a word, he pulled me against the solidness of his body, and I gripped onto him tight, praying that somehow he had the power to make this all go away. I closed my eyes, as his fingers ran through hair, and offered a moment of soothing peace.

“Talk to me, Sasha. What can I do?”

I looked up at him, and decided that I wanted to be anywhere but here. “Please take me home.”

“You’ve got it.”

He entwined our fingers, and pulled me out of the office and made into the store. I kept my eyes to the ground. I had no idea if my mother had left, but I was sure I did not want to see her again. Ben stopped and I clutched onto his hand and leaned my cheek against his back and closed my eyes.

“Can you organize someone to lock up? Call Anna and see if she can come in for the rest of the day but if she can’t, try Paige, Shelley or Dee. Then you come to my place.” Ben instructions left no room for questions.

“Okay, Ben, I can do that,” Missy said, soft, before she said my name even softer. “Sasha?”

My eyes found hers, and the one and only tear I’d let fall slid over my cheek.

“I love you, babe,” She whispered, and the honesty in her voice was startling. “Never doubt how much you are loved.”

I squeezed Ben’s hand and silently told him I needed to leave. But before we disappeared through the back door, and he took me to the safety of his house, I spun around, needing to say one more thing.

“Miss,” Her eyes flew to mine, and then I gave her my honesty. “Never doubt how much you are needed. Thank you for being my person.”

* * *

I pulled my knees up to my chest, wrapped a throw blanket around my body, and stared out to the mountains. I had no idea how long I’d been on Ben’s porch, but I knew I wasn’t focusing on anything. I’d barely said a word since Ben brought me here. I didn't know what I was meant to say or how I was meant to react, so I began to shut down. I lifted the steaming hot mug to my lips and sipped on the soothing peppermint tea Di had made and brought out to me. She’d given me a soft look, told me drink up, and that she was here if I needed to talk. She was so nice. Everyone was inside. Drew had been waiting when we pulled up at Ben’s. Fury radiated off him as he pulled me against him and I never thought he was going to let me go, and to be honest, I didn’t want him to. He whispered things to me that only I could hear. Things that meant more to me than he’d ever know, and words I would keep with me forever. He’d only let go of me after he promised me that he’d make this right. I believed him. I always believed my big brother. After he’d let me go, he followed Ben and I inside and he hadn’t let me out of his sight. Di and Ronnie then turned up, meeting Drew for the first time under the worst circumstances. Then Crazy John burst through the door, pulled me away from Ben, then grabbed Drew, and wrapped his arms around both of us. Still I didn’t cry besides that one tear that had spilled over at Sass. Missy, Paige, and Gigi arrived soon after.

They were here to support me, but the problem was that I didn’t know what I needed.

“Darlin’, can I join you?”

I glanced over at the door at the sound of Ronnie’s worried voice. I nodded before taking another sip of my tea and watched him over the top of the cup as he walked toward me. He joined me on the wooden swing and began to rock us slowly.

“You’ve got a house full of people in there worried about you.” He broke the silence that had fallen around us.

I twisted around and faced him. “I don’t know how I’m supposed to feel, what I’m supposed to say, or what I’m supposed to do.”

“Just feel darlin’. If you want to cry, cry. If you want to scream, scream. If you want to smile, smile. I’ve lived in Monroe my whole life so I know a little about what happened. I saw your father change when your mother left but I also saw him become a stronger man because he had two kids to take care of. He was stronger than a lot of men would ever dream of being. I know you have that strength in you too, but you’ve got to know that it’s okay to feel weakness too. And today, tomorrow, next week, next year, you let it out, and we will all be here for you.”

“He was the best man I knew,” I whispered, talking about my dad for the first time in a long time. “When she left it destroyed him but he never let it break him. Well, not in front of Drew and me. She left at the beginning of summer break, but I remember that summer break being one of the best I had all because of Dad. Even when I was confused and heartbroken, he made it his mission to make me smile. He spoiled me that summer. He showered me with so much love all the while he was facing the worst time of his life. All because of her. I can never forgive her for that. Then there is Drew. He was already at college, working toward his dreams but she stole that from him. He moved back to Monroe and came back home. Gave up his scholarship, his dreams and aspirations because he wanted to be there for Dad and me. I lost part of my brother back then. And I can never forgive her for that either.”

He moved closer to me and wrapped his arm around my shoulder. “What did she steal from you?”

I looked at him, and told him the truth. “She stole my worth, she stole my ability to think of letting anyone in, she stole any chance of me giving my heart to someone. If she could leave me, her own flesh and blood, why would anyone else choose to stay.”

“Darlin’,” he whispered, and that’s all he had to say.

He gave me silence while my head screamed at me. Time ticked on and I rested my head on his shoulder and he kept swinging us on the porch. “Got one more thing to say,” he said and I tensed. “For your peace of mind, and to keep on healing, I think you need to ask her why. The answer might not be pretty, and it might not be what you want to hear, but it will help put your nightmares to rest. You may be sitting here thinking this will destroy you again, but darlin’, this time you have a family behind you. More importantly, you have my son who will pick up every piece of your heart and will make it his mission to spend the rest of his days putting it back together.”

“I really like your son,” I whispered, thinking about Ben and for the first time that day the briefest of smiles teased my lips. “More than I’ve liked a man before.”

His body moved again and I knew he was looking down at me. “And I know my son really likes you more than he’s liked a woman before.” He gave me a squeeze and I slowly pulled away and sat up straight. “But I’m thinking that’s not a huge surprise for you to hear. Us Hunt men, don’t let women that mean something to us slip through our fingers.”

As soon as he said the word surprise, I remembered the taunting text I’d received.

Surprise.

Why did alarm bells go off in my head when I thought of that text? Then it hit me. Ben’s words from the other night.

He has a surprise for you and Drew.

“Oh my God,” I whispered as I jumped off the swing and rush back inside with Ronnie close on my heels.

As soon as I hit the living room, all eyes came to me.

“It was Edward,” I said, searching through the room until I found Ben’s eyes. “He did this.”

Everyone became alert and it was only then that I noticed Carson and Austin had turned up.

“What do you mean?” Ben asked as he crossed the room toward me, his eyes flashing with anger at the mention of Edward. “How does O’Leary have anything to do with this?”

“I got a text message just before she turned up. I was reading it when she walked in. All it said was ‘surprise’. Nothing else, and it came from an unknown number. You told me that he said he had a surprise coming for Drew and me. I think he did this. He brought her back here.”

You could have cut the tension in the air with a knife. Gasps and curses swirled around, and my confusion grew. Why would anyone want to do this to someone?

“Where’s your phone?” Carson asked, stepping up beside me.

Missy moved to my bag and found my phone being I responded. When she got back to the group, she asked, “What’s your code?”

“Sunday,” I whispered, my eyes flashing at Ben.

Missy tapped into my messages, opened up the last text, and handed my phone to Carson.

I had no clue what he did next but he started tapping things on my phone and he stepped away to talk with Austin. Then Austin got out his phone and made a call. I didn’t ask, I just let them do what they had to do.

Crazy John grabbed my hand and held on throughout all of this.

“Can you find her number?” Drew asked, causing my neck to snap as I turned to him. “I want to know why she is here. If I get anywhere near O’Leary, shit is not going to end well.”

“Drew, you don’t—” I started, but stopped talking when his eyes cut to me.

“You’re standing here hurting, Sasha and it’s breaking my fucking heart to see it. I’ve seen this look on your face before and she brought it on both times. We’ve just got you smiling again, so I’m sure as fuck not letting her take that away from me again. I protect you. It’s as simple as that.” Drew’s words were meant to be final but I had a few things I had to say too.

“What about you, Drew?”

“This is not about me. It’s about you.”

“Drew, what about you?” I whispered, rushing to him and wrapping my arms around his waist. “What about you?”

“We’ll talk about me another time. Right now, I’ve got to focus on you. Please let me do that. I need to do that.”

His voice was thick, and I knew he was barely holding on. I chose to hide how I felt, but Drew made sure he destroyed any evidence of how he felt.

“We’ll get you the number,” Ben said, and my eyes shot to him. “But you take someone with you.”

“I’ll go,” Crazy John murmured. “I’ve got a few things I want to get off my chest and it would be a fucking pleasure to say them to her face.”

Oh God.

“I’m coming too?” Missy piped up and at the rate I was whipping my head around, I was going to get a neck injury.

“Missy, you—” I started, but once again I was cut off.

“There is no way I’m not taking the chance to rip her a new asshole. She hurt my best friend. No one hurts my best friend. Ever.”

“I want to be there too.” Gigi decided to enter the conversation.

“Gigi,” Ben warned.

“No, Benjamin. I’m going to be there. Blondie means something to you, she means something to me, and I need to make sure that woman knows exactly what she has lost.”

Ben looked at Gigi for two beats before looking at me and offering me a smirk. “Sweetheart, it looks like you’ve got yourself a tribe.”

For the first time all day, I smiled.

* * *

I started to undress for bed while Ben took a shower, but the pounding in my head became excruciating. Stumbling through the silent house in only my bra and pants, I stepped into the kitchen, flicked on the light and filled a glass of water. I had no clue where Ben kept his Tylenol but thankfully I had a stash in my purse. After taking two, and praying that relief would come soon, I washed the glass and placed it in the dish rack and took a deep breath. All I could do was hope that sleep would be my friend tonight.

Ben and I had been on our own for an hour. After goodbyes and hugs, and promises to call me the next day, our family and friends left, and I fell back into silence. Ben had held me close while we watched television, he’d made me grilled cheese for dinner, and I barely took a bite, and he’d tried to get me to talk, but I just couldn’t find my words.

I didn’t know what to say.

Now, as I stood looking out the kitchen window into the darkness, I didn’t hear him come in. His heat hit my back, he swept my hair off my shoulder, and he kissed me softly just next to my bra strap.

“You okay?” he whispered, his breath warm. “What can I do?”

I twisted in his arms. “Hold me.”

His hands went to my hair, and I sighed in relief when I felt the gentle tug as he wrapped my blonde locks around his fist. I concentrated on my breathing while getting drunk off the steady beat of his heart beneath my cheek. I prayed for strength to engulf me as I pressed against his bare chest, and held onto the man who was becoming my world.

I found my voice and asked the question I’d wanted to ask him all day. “What am I going to do?”

“Break, sweetheart.” His response was immediate.

I sucked in a desperate breath, and my body went tight against him. “I can’t.”

“Break,” he repeated.

I shook my head and began to pull away. Resting my chin on his chest, I looked up at him. “I’m not the girl who breaks.”

“You’re wrong,” he said, sweeping his thumb over my bottom lip. “You’re my girl, and if my girl is standing in front of me with the weight of the world on her shoulders, she deserves the right to break.”

“Ben,” I whispered, choking on the emotion bubbling inside me. “I can’t.”

“Let me pick up the pieces.”

I shook my head. “I can’t.”

“Let me work every day for the rest of my life to make you smile.”

“Ben, stop,” I begged as I felt my walls begin to crack. After pushing thirteen years of feelings, thoughts, hurt and confusion deep inside me, they were now hurtling toward the surface. Every promise Ben encouraged them to show themselves. Over the years, I’d used every ounce of my energy to hide it all from the world. I was protecting myself from becoming the person I may have become if I allowed myself to face my demons head on. I had beautiful, supportive people in my life who offered me support, but I never wanted to burden them with my problems. That was just how I was. But being in Ben’s arms right now and believing every word he offered gave me strength. He was a man who I thought had the strength of a thousand warriors and the patience of a hundred saints, but what I was quickly learning was that he was just a man who wanted to give a woman the freedom to fly. He was giving me that. So, as I stood in his kitchen, in his arms, I felt the walls begin to tumble, and I didn’t panic. I began to feel free. And that was the absolute scariest moment of my life.

“Let me be the man who gives you the life a woman as incredible as you deserves.” He hummed against my ear as I buried my face into his chest.

Tears cascaded over my cheeks as the sob I’d locked away for so many years tore from my throat.

“Let me be your man,” he begged, his voice cracking.

“You are my man,” I whispered with honesty and a promise.

For the next hour, we stood together, me still in his arms, and him still wrapping me up against his warmth. My sobs unleashed thirteen years of torment I’d been dealing with on my own, but in Ben’s arms, I felt like I could take on the world. With every minute that passed, I felt something shift within me. My anger started to fade and in its place sympathy rose. I felt sorry for my mother. She’d abandoned two awesome kids who had grown into even better adults. She’d left the man who would have doted on her for the rest of her life, for what? She’d miss out of getting to know all of the people in my life who were the best people I knew. She’d never get the chance to witness her children find their true meaning in life. She’d live with regrets of what she’d chosen to throw away for the rest of her days.

If that wasn’t punishment for bringing hell to your kids’ life, then I didn’t know what was.