I smile and take a seat on the empty sofa. “In the kitchen, old man. You know where it is, you’ve got legs that work, use them.” Hudson replies, walking over to me and handing me a plate, followed by a knife and fork.
“I see how it is, I’ve been demoted.” Harrison says tongue in cheek, since he and mom have been apart he’s happier, I like him this way, he and Hudson get along
better.
“You were never in the lead to be demoted. Go get your dinner.” Hudson tells him as he sits down beside me. “You okay?” he asks when the men leave the room.
“Yeah, I just wanted to apologize to them, I overreacted and I shouldn’t have shouted at him.”
“Princess, you had every right to react how you did. Jagger knows that if I had found out about that conversation and he hadn’t told me…”
“He would have kneecapped me.” Jagger laughs walking back into the sitting room.
“Too fucking right I would have, you would have kept your life though.” Hudson replies as if this conversation is normal.
Just as we all begin to eat the doorbell sounds my body tenses. Who’s at the door, we aren’t expecting anyone. Jagger places his plate down on the table and gets to his feet. “I’ll get it.”
Hudson and Harrison continue to eat but my eyes are glued to the door Jagger has just walked out of. Worry is eating away at me, what if it's Martin? What if he's here? Hudson squeezes my knee as if he's trying to reassure me that everything's going to be okay. I give him a weak smile one that he sees straight through he doesn't say anything. What can he say? Until Martin is gone I will be feeling like this every time the phone rings or the doorbell sounds.
The door closes and I sigh in relief, whoever it was, is gone. When Jagger walks back into the sitting room, my mouth opens in shock as I see who is with him...My mom.
“Well this is cozy, now isn’t it?” Her tone is full of anger and sarcasm. Hudson grips my knee tighter, she always goes too far. She never thinks before she speaks and every time she does she just come across mad and bitchy.
“Is there a reason you're here, Tina?” Harrison asks her, his voice deep and deadly I've never heard him speak to my mom like that before.
“I would like to see my daughter without making an appointment,” she replies dismissing him.
“There's a reason you have to make an appointment Tina,” Hudson says through gritted teeth. “Martin is still out there, he’s lying low at the moment, but we don’t know when he’s going to attack next or who.” I know that Hudson feels guilt that Martin hurt me, and for him not to be captured yet. Everyone Martin hurts, Hudson feels that deeply.
“You're meant to be protecting my daughter, but ever since she met you all you have done is caused her pain and sadness,” Mom says, and smiles as Hudson flinches.
“No, he hasn't. Since I met Hudson, I finally feel happy and loved,” I tell her, my fingers interlacing with Hudson’s.
“Love?” she scoffs, “there's no such thing as love. Men use and abuse you.” Her eyes glancing at Harrison as she says those words.
“Mom!” I yell. “How can you say those things? Harrison was nothing but sweet to you, he gave you everything you asked for, everything you wanted and you threw it in his face by not accepting his son. You never gave Hudson a chance, you never even tried getting to know him.”
“Mia, it’s fine,” Harrison tells me. “Your mom’s here for an argument and I’m not going to give her the satisfaction, I’ve had enough of her bullshit to last me a lifetime.”
“Tina, it’s time for you to leave,” Hudson tells her and I’m actually proud of both him and Harrison, the way Mom’s talking to them and yet they don’t respond with anger, they’ve so far kept their cool.
“I'm here to see my daughter, not her boyfriend,” Mom’s voice full of disgust.
“Fiancé,” Hudson growls, the sound rattling in his chest.
Mom knows that, I told her the very next day it happened, she never acknowledged me. Mom laughs, “Fiancé? It’s never going to last. Not with a man like you and a girl like her.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Hudson spits out, he’s barely holding onto his anger. Mom’s pushing him too far now.
She rolls her eyes. “What I mean is, Mia is sweet and you’re well…. A criminal. Look at you, you’ve been with fifty women? Probably double that. Whereas my daughter isn’t one of the whores you’re used to. What’s going to happen when you get bored? What’s going to happen to Mia once you do?”
“Tina, it's time for you to leave.” There’s an edge to Harrison’s voice, he gets to his feet and towers over mom.
“No, I won’t leave. I'm finally telling you how it is. Someone is finally standing up to you, you’re not getting away with what you’re doing to my daughter.” Pointing her finger at Hudson, a scowl on her face.
“Mom!” I yell, unable to believe the words coming out of her mouth. I have never seen her so disrespectful, not just toward Hudson and Harrison but to me too. “Just leave, Mom.” I tell her not wanting to be around her right now. I don’t even recognize the woman standing in front of me.
She gets a furrow between her brows. “Mia you can't be serious?”