“I warned you that you were pushing Clint,” she whispers, and I look over to see if Beau could hear anything she just said. “I told you it wouldn’t end well.” I swallow now, my body starting to shake. Beau spots it, and his face looks frantic. “It was a warning.”

“A warning?” I repeat the words in a whisper. “A warning.”

“You’re just lucky,” she says, and I cut her off.

“I was with Ethan.” My voice trembles, or maybe I think it does. “He could have been hurt.”

“And you would have no one to blame but yourself.” I look at the phone now. This is my mother, the person who is supposed to protect me, the person who is supposed to pick me over everything else.

“Mother.” My voice comes out in what sounds like a hiss and a shout. “Are you fucking kidding me?” I look over at Beau, and I know he’s going to have questions. “What if something happened to Ethan?” My tears come now, and I don’t even move to wipe them off. “What if he got hurt or worse?” I don’t say the words, and I refuse to think the thought.

“Well, he’s fine,” she says.

“That’s it,” I say. “I’m done.” I look at Beau who sits there with clenched fists. “It’s over, Mother.”

“Finally,” she huffs. “You said something smart for a change. I told him you would see the light.”

“Oh, no, Mother, I’m not talking about that.” I shake my head. “I’m talking about this. Me and you, our relationship.” I throw my hand up. “Or whatever you want to call it.”

“Savannah.” She laughs. “I’m your mother.”

“I think that is where you are wrong,” I tell her. “A mother protects her child. A mother lives for their child. A mother will put her life before her child, each and every single time and not just when it’s convenient for them.”

“I gave you everything, you ungrateful little shit!” she shouts. “Everything. I had to move away because you got yourself knocked up, and instead of doing the right thing, you had the bastard.”

“Goodbye, Mother,” I say, hanging the phone up. It rings again, and this time, I decline the call. The sob rips through me, and Beau leans over and grabs me into his arms.

“It’s okay,” he whispers. “It’s going to be okay.”

I bury my face in his chest as his hands rub my back. “You were right,” I finally say between sobs. “You were all right.” I lean out of his arms, and I look at him. “It was your father.”

Chapter Nineteen

Beau

I’m not sure I hear her when she says the words between her sobs. “What did you say?”

I ask her again.