Women. Some read that word and think beauty, assholes read it and think sandwiches, but those who bathe in intellect read that word and feel power. Our bodies, built in all different shapes and forms, all bared one thing in common; power. Without us, humanity would not exist. We bear our flesh and our bodies to create new humans, and then continue to nurture and care for them, that’s why when I’d see the word “women,” I thought of power. Despite my rocky relationship with my mother, and not knowing my birth mother, I was beginning to explore more of this mindset each and every day, and I think Bishop’s mom had a lot to do with that.
“Hi, honey.” Scarlet walked into the room, leaving the door slightly ajar. She wrapped her light mesh throw around her slender waist. “Can I come in?”
“Of course!” I tucked some of my hair behind my ear and shut my nail polish. Sliding off the side, I tucked my hands under my thighs, slightly nervous about what our conversation could lead to.
She took a seat at the end of the bed and turned to face me front on. “I know we haven’t spoken much, but I want to always be completely transparent with you.” She cleared her throat and tied her short hair to a small bun at the nape of her neck. “I met Hector when I was around your age. I was new to town, and he was the born and bred rock star of The Hamptons,” she paused and sent me a small wink. “Like father like son. Anyway, I caught his attention pretty much instantly, which, like Bishop, was always hard to do. He, again like Bishop, only dabbled in slightly older women who were either models, actresses or singers. Just to clarify, the reason why they choose A-listers is because those people understood the dynamic of privacy. The Hayes men are taught at a very young age to keep their business out of drama and to eliminate that, they never messed with high school girls or college girls.” She paused, pulling her lip into her mouth. “I thought he loved me. He made me feel wanted and chased. I mean” —her face lit up like the Fourth of July— “obtaining the unattainable, sets off endorphins similar to running ten miles. So we fell in love. My parents struggled to like him. They knew there was something he was hiding, but I ignored all the warnings. I met his family and bonded greatly with his dad. He was everything Hector wasn’t.”
My eyebrows shot up. She shook her head, a horrified expression falling over her face.
“Oh! No! God no. I just respected him so much. If he were still here, he would have loved you.” Her eyes fell to her hands before coming back to me. “Anyway, I got my first acting gig on a small TV show, and Hector was supportive. There through it all. We have great memories together.” Her smile fell, and suddenly, the room felt smaller than what it was a moment ago. “Two years later was the first time he cheated on me, and I’m not telling you this because I think my son is the same, I’m telling you this because Bishop is a lot more like his grandfather than he can see. I thank the Lord every day that Bishop got twelve good years from his pops, because he planted the seed of good in his heart. Yes, Bishop is cold and calculated like his father, but I see the way he looks at you, and it’s not the way Hector used to look at me. It was how his pops looked at his gran.” She swiped away a stray tear and reached for my hand. I didn’t know what to say, I was rendered speechless.
“His pops may have planted the seed of good in Bishop’s heart, but you water it every single second that you’re in his life, and for that, I will always be on your side, Madison.”
Emotion caught in my throat and my tummy flipped inside. “Thank you,” I whispered harshly.
“No need to thank me!” She swatted at me playfully.
“No, I do,” I answered, fighting the tears. “Just before you walked in here, I was having an internal battle with myself. I loved my mom, and when I thought she died, I mourned her death every single day. I couldn’t imagine my life without her, but I dragged my feet through it every day, waiting for the ache to subside. Anyway.” I pulled myself away from the downer I was headed to. “When I found out I was adopted, she was alive, and that she had slept with Bishop, I lost it. I lost all and every single feeling I had for her. Now I can’t even stomach to be in the same room as her, let alone look at her. So just before you came in here, I was thinking about the word ‘Women’ and what that might mean to some people. I think of power every time I see it, and I don’t know why because the only mother I had ever known was a fraud and a skank, but I knew it when I looked at you.”
She smiled at me sweetly. “Well, thank you, but I’m not that strong.”
I snorted. “You’re married to Hector…”
“True!” She nodded. “About your mom, your adoptive one, when and if you want to learn about your birth mom, I’ll be here, but your adoptive mom… she’s a piece of work.”
I tucked my feet under my butt. “Tell me more.”
She laughed and got more comfortable. “Nothing too juicy. She was the mean girl at school. Everyone was scared of her—except me. I was her sworn enemy. She hated Elena too, and Elena is my best friend. She was the wild, crazy...” she paused and thought for a second. “Elena was my Tate.”
I chuckled, my hand coming to my mouth. “Did you have a Tillie?”
Her smile dropped. “I did.”
“Did?”
Her eyes flicked to the door. “Let’s just say that it didn’t end well, and it’s still not going well.”
“Sounds like a Tillie,” I smiled. “I don’t know what to do about her.”
Scarlet stood from my bed and patted my leg. “Everything will be revealed soon, I promise, but know this. Tillie loves you, Madison. She’s a good friend. She’s not like my Tillie. Maybe while we’re here you could spend some time with her? Hear what happened?”
“I’m that obvious, huh?”
She inched her fingers close. “Little bit.”
I sighed. “Ok. I’ll make the effort tomorrow.” She leaned down and kissed my head like a mom would kiss her child goodnight.
“Sweet dreams.” Then she walked out of the bedroom and left me to my thoughts. I didn’t think I was being that obvious about my reservations with Tillie. It wasn’t that I was even upset with her, well, maybe I was. I wasn’t sure why, but I felt hurt that she didn’t come to me, I guess. She should’ve known I would have done everything for her, but at the same time, she would do the same, I guess. If I was in her shoes and I knew telling her something would put her in danger, would I do it? No. Not at all. And with that thought bouncing around in my head, I tucked myself under the blankets and flicked off my light.
I opened my messages to see (0). Bishop still hadn’t replied to my text from earlier, but I sent him another one anyway.
Goodnight x
Then I tucked my phone under my pillow and let my mind sink into unconsciousness.