Chapter Twenty Four
Stick
Scherri comes back from the hospital visit more sad than I've ever seen her in my life. I immediately take her in my arms and she doesn’t resist, even though her mother is right in front of her.
“She's gone,” she whimpers into my neck.
“I'm sorry, Babe.”
I stroke the back of her hair and let her tears flow into my hot skin. I know how she feels and I know that the best thing is to let the feelings freely leave, before they settle in your limbs and come back to bite you.
Jacket's hand is stroking her lower back and I don't even mind that. Everything we can do to make Scherri feel a teeny bit better is all that matters. He disappears for a while and I lead Scherri to the den where I settle her under my wing. If I could take her on my lap and hold her there like a little girl, I would. Jacket finds us there when he carries in a tray of the sweet tea he's made.
“Thank you,” Scherri says, a wan smile of gratitude turning up her lips.
“No problem.” Jacket sits down on her other side and takes her hand in both his.
And that's how she finds us. When Lyndsey walks into the room, clearly on the attack, she's shocked to discover her daughter cossetted between the two of us.
“I can see you don't even seem to care about your grandmother's passing,” she snipes at her daughter. “I brought you here to support me in this terrible time and all you've done is make googoo eyes at every boy that comes to the house.”
I'm about to tell Lyndsey to take it easy but a wave of something powers through Scherri and she pushes up out of my hold, her cheeks blazing hot.
“I do care,” she rages, shocking her mother with her intensity. “I care very much, mostly because she was the only mother I ever really knew.”
Lyndsey looks like shes been slapped in the face but only for a second. You can see her cells regrouping, like the T2 unit in the Terminator movie that can never be fully eliminated.
“Was it her that also taught you how to be a little slut, only interested in throwing yourself at boys?” Lyndsey says.
“Mrs GreenGross, Ma’am, you're upset,” Jacket intervenes. “Sit down and have some tea before you say something that will be hard to forget.”
But not even his charm has any effect on Lyndsey. I can see her and Scherri are unleashing something that's been stewing for years, decades even. I fire him a look and he slides from the room, leaving me to deal with the two furious women.
“No, that was all you, Mom,” Scherri lets rip. She stands up and faces her mother head on. “You and your abandonment of your husband and daughters.”
The actual slap across her face resounds around the den stunning us both. Jeez. I leap forward and snatch at Lyndsey's wrist, easily restraining her from striking my girl again.
“That's enough,” I tell her, then; “Are you okay, Babe?”
The two women burn furious hurt, one into the other via their ferocious stares. But Scherri's lip is quivering while her mother's is rigid. Christ, I just gave Lyndsey more ammunition with that slip up. She disentangles her glare from Scherri and rounds on me. Good, I can take the all the ammo she's got to throw at me. At least Scherri's free now.
“Babe? Babe? Is that the way you address your sister? What exactly is going on with you two anyway?” She swivels back on her daughter. “Don't tell me you've dragged Harden into your dirty little slut games?”
“I said that's enough,” I jerk Lyndsey's stiff arm, where I'm still restraining her badass temper. I don’t care if she is my dad's wife and that she's just lost her own mother, no one speaks to Scherri like that.
But Scherri is determined to have her say. And perhaps it's time. All I can do is stand by her and make sure she's safe. And that I'm there to put her back together after she's shattered everything she's known up until now.
“What Stick and I share isn't any of your business,” she says, standing up to her mother for the first time.
Which clearly surprises them both.
“You're disgusting. I want you to leave this house.” she snarls at me.
“I'm staying,” I inform her.
“And you, you little tramp. I want you out of the house as well.”
“That's fine with me,” Scherri snips although I can see all the hurt in her sweet face. “You never wanted me around before when I was a kid, so why should now be any different? But don't think you can make me feel dirty or slutty about my body or who I love ever again.”
“Just wait until your father hears about this,” she says, under her breath.
Although it isn't clear whose father she's referring to, our kind of shared dad, or Scherri's own father.
“I'm glad your grandmother didn't survive long enough to witness this.”
“Granny told me to love freely and not be ashamed of it. Something you neglected to teach me in your eagerness to instill some kind of shame that would hold me back my entire life.”
“Sure, throw my dead mother in my face to hurt me. You have no shame, young lady.”
“You're right, I don't. Not the kind you want me to have at least.”
“You two will not humiliate this family. We've lived in this house a long time. This community looks up to us.”
“Don't worry, we won't be around long enough to upset your fake apple cart of perfection,” Scherri blurts. “As soon as the funeral's over, I'm leaving.”
“No, I want you out of here now. First thing in the morning you can pack up and find somewhere else to act like a little slut.”
“Lyndsey, I'm telling you for the last time to stop speaking to your daughter like that,” I step in to stand up for my girl, firmly but trying to instill some calm. “The insults don't hurt her any more. You're only hurting yourself.”
“She is no longer my daughter. My only real daughter, Bella, will be here very soon, thank goodness.”
She turns her flashing eyes at me but I stare her down stone hard. Scherri's mom needs to understand that her bullying days are over. Scherri's found the inner strength inside to stand up to her without fear. The combined events of today have given her a new sense of herself, I can see it written all over her even if she hasn't quite taken it on board yet.
And it's an amazing sight to see my girl confident and self-assured. Not taking any crap anyone wants to spew on her.
She's so soft and kind, my beautiful, perfect girl. But there's also a tough core inside her that will always protect her sensitivity. Just in case I'm not around some time to take care of it myself.
“Goodbye then. I guess we won't be seeing either of you anytime soon,” Lyndsey hisses her final shot.
“Yeah, goodbye, Mum.” Scherri's voice cracks and she takes off, running out off the room and up the stairs.
I let Lyndsey in on one of two truths about her wonderful daughter that I doubt she'll truly take in. But I nevertheless feel compelled to tell her that Scherri and I are the real deal, always have been. Then I follow straight after my girl.