Chapter 35:

His mother...

Hearing her heels clicking against the concrete brought me out of my daze.

Landon didn't waste his time, grabbing ahold of my hand he practically dragged me inside the house, closing the door. "She already saw you."

"I don't care." He locked the door. "She'll get the hint." We both waited by the door to see if you would get the hint but she continued her way to the door.

Swinging the door open, he almost barked at her. "What do you want?" The hatred was clear in his voice.

"To see my son," She said almost casually like she's done this plenty of times.

"I am not your son, not anymore." He didn't open the door far enough for her to come in. "How did you find me anyway? Are you stalking the family now?"

"I'm still your mother," She ignored his jab.

"No, I have a mother. Her name is Ruby." I see her eye fan over with something, probably hurt. Her eyes move over to me and I stepped behind Landon, not in fear but being caught.

"I remember you." She chimed and my skin started to prickle of me being addressed by her.

"Likewise."

"Who's this Landon?" She asked about me as if I wasn't there anymore.

"That's none of your business, never will be."

"Why can't you accept I'm sorry?" She baffled out, finally losing her top from his attitude.

"You act like I walked out on you!" He yelled back at her, his hand tightened on the doorknob. "Did you honestly believe it would be that easy?!"

"I'm still your mother! I do realize that I walked away from you. I was stupid and young-" She became to ramble but he stopped her mid sentence.

"You still left. This isn't going to be a family reunion after almost sixteen years, you should have stayed gone." Another hard blow and pill to swallow.

"I divorced him." She claimed and that seemed to set him off even further.

"You don't think I know that?" I touched his arm to calm him down from exploding on her further.

"No, not your father." She shook her head, clearly trying to cover up her tracks.

"You want to come back because you're broke and because I actually made a name for myself," He doesn't ask it like a question more of a statement.

"No." She denied his claim. "I don't need your money, I miss you guys-" She tried reaching for him through the door and he flinched back hard that he bumped into me.

"Don't."

"Landon." I said his name, it was apparent that things weren't going to go well from here because neither one was listening to each other. At the sound of my voice, he turned his head a degree. "Can I speak to her?"

"Absolutely not."

"Please." He saw it in my eyes that I wanted to convey something to her, it was important- at least to me.

"You have five minutes." He warned me before walking away from the door. "I can't believe this shit." He mumbled on his way to the kitchen, probably to go get a drink.

She had a smile on her face but it was quickly dropped at my words. "I just want you to know everything you are doing is unhealthy for you and for him."

"Excuse me?" She exclaimed with written confusion on her face, I didn't want to disrespect her but it needed to be said.

"I think you heard me right."

"Dear, you don't know anything but what we've been through so you're judgement is not valid."

"I know enough." Those three words made her take a step back, she probably thought I was just a fling or his friend that didn't get too involved with him.

"And who might you be to him." She asked, completely going over what I said.

"My name is Embre, and girlfriend."

She made a tsk sound, mocking me. "And you think he cares about you." She taunted me more. "Did he whisper the sweet three words to you?"

"I don't think he wants to see you." I didn't digest her words for trying to make feel less than.

"That's not for you to decide." It was clear as day even when it was turning night outside for anyone to see.

"But it's mine." I heard his rigid voice silence the words forming on both our lips to say. He moved me to the side opening the door fully for her to see his whole entire frame. "Don't come back here. Don't show up at my office and don't come near me. Yes, you are my mother maybe blood but not heart."

"Landon..." She trails off.

"Leave." He demanded her, we didn't miss his voice cracking and it seemed to fuel him more as he yelled seeing she stayed glued to her spot. "Leave!"

"I'm sorry." She strained before retreating away to her car, we both watched her drive away.

Slamming the door shut- the glass frame cracking under his force- he rested his head on it. I swiveled to the side seeing his eyes sealed shut. I gave him a minute.. that's when I heard the most heart wrenching sound come from him. It pierced my ears sharper than a knife.

With strength I didn't know I had it took me three seconds to wrap my arms around his neck bringing him closer to me, his head rested on my shoulder. "Please don't cry." I pleaded with him. "It's okay."

I didn't care that I was straining on the tips of my toes, he needed someone and that someone was me.

"This is not healthy for you." I whispered to him, combing my hands through his hair. "Maybe if you talked to her you could get some closure about all of this."

"No." He rejected it but I knew it was him reacting off of pain and her deception.

"Landon..." I stopped, what was I suppose to say? I knew that he thought I was right, but the other part of him wanted to cast her away and his unanswered questions that taunted him every so often.. But I didn't say anything, letting him go through the course of emotions he was feeling.

It felt like ten minutes had passed but it was shorter than that. He pulled away just a smug to look down at me before placing a light kiss to my forehead. "Thank you."

"No problem, anytime." Running my hands up and down his arms. "You hungry?"

"I'm not sure." He sighed. "I just lost my appetite."

"Well you have to eat." I insisted. "Let's order in." Releasing him only to hold his hand, I practically had to drag him along with me to the living room to sit on the sofa. "What do you want?" I asked, my phone in my hand.

"Doesn't matter."

"I don't think that's a place, but I'll look it up." I tried to joke to cheer him up but it didn't work, he still was slumped. I sighed. "Landon.."

"I'm just going to go to sleep." He announced. I felt him slipping through my fingers.

"Oh.." I tried to reach out for him but my arm couldn't reach that far and it draped back to my side. "Okay.." I watched him ascend the stairs and into the room and I sat back, slouching in defeat.

I sat there for a good thirty seconds before my stomach chimed. Rolling my eyes, I got up to enter the kitchen and I warmed up the leftovers we had and settled for that for tonight.

Shutting off all the unnecessary lights I dashed upstairs and into the room, scared for my life once I was done and I found Landon sitting on the edge of the bed in his sleep clothes.

So he didn't go to sleep after all.

He didn't say anything about me entering, he was probably lost in his thoughts.

Grabbing a pair of his new boxer briefs and one of his t-shirts I entered the bathroom to at least rinse work off of me. If space was what he needed, then I was going to grant him that until he was ready.

When I came out he was in the same position but this time he was fumbling with something in his hand. "What is that?"

"Nothing." He placed it back in the drawer before pushing it closed. "Just something she gave to me when I was young."

"Why do you still have it?" I hinted that somewhere inside of him he still somewhat cared? It wasn't much but just a pinch.

"I don't know, I've just never gotten rid of it." He looked up at me and he seemed distant like he wasn't with me in the moment.

"Come here." But it was me that walked over to him with my arms outstretched and he hesitated at first before he gave in to wanting the comfort. Sitting on his lap, I put my right arm around his neck securing it with my left hand.

"Everything's going to be fine."

I'll make sure of it.

He hummed silently to himself before he began bouncing his leg making me jolt up. "Let's go to bed."

"Okay." It was a mere whisper but he heard me. Unfolding myself from around him, I went to my side of the bed slipping under the duvet with him.

Pulling me closer, he rested his chin on top of my head and I laid my hand over his beating heart that was steady for now.

Everything was going to be okay.