The Wounded Love novel Chapter 41

"You just need to loosen up. Change your wardrobe, smile more, don't be so quick to judge. I offered as what was supposed to be constructive criticism, but after I said it I was scared that maybe she'd take it the wrong way.

"You're right. I should try not to be so uptight anymore. Maybe I'll go shopping tomorrow, you just gave me a reason to go shopping!" Mother laughed.

We continued our conversation all throughout dinner and I genuinely felt sorry for her. In nice words she told me that she was a grinch because she was lonely and felt as if she were alone for the majority of her life. She drifted away from my father when I was twelve and I took his side during the separation, leaving her with nobody except for her rich snobby friends and family.

I never knew mother felt this way. I mean, I knew she was alone but she would always act as if it didn't bother her. So I took this opportunity to help her in the small ways I could. We started by setting her up on a dating website.

Pictures were the hardest part. She looked like a stiff old librarian in every single photo of herself, so after finding her a decent dress and practicing on her smile for a total of fifteen minutes we began the photo shoot.

This was the kind of job that called for someone like Jade, so we agreed to all get together and finish the reinvention of Anne Williams.

Just as I was about to leave there was a desperate knock at the door. One of the maids walked over and opened it up only to be shoved aside by Nick Green.

I could see my mom's face go pale. "Skyla, I didn't, I swear to you I didn't invite him. I told him not to come around here anymore. You have to believe me, Skyla." She pleaded.

"She's telling you the truth, baby but I really need to talk to you." Nick confirmed with wide, desperate eyes. His wrinkled suit was only partially buttoned and only half tucked in with the jacket hanging off of his shoulder. The tie hung around the back of his neck and his normally perfect gel-styled hair was a mess.

"What are you talking about?" I asked him.

"So that night I went out to this bar, not really sure what to do. I started drinking because that's what you do at a bar, you drink. I got really drunk and was just sitting there. It was that place a few blocks away from where Angela lives." I let him talk. I didn't interrupt.

"I don't even know when she got there but the next thing I knew she was there. I was depressed and she took me in. I didn't refuse, because I needed comfort. I went over to her place expecting to crash on her couch or something because I was really drunk, but one thing lead to another and...

"I swear to god Skyla, I didn't mean for any of that to happen. I wanted to win you back, not sleep with her, but she took advantage of me. Angela and I didn't get together while me and you were together, it was after you dumped me.

"I left in the morning, planning to forget the whole thing. It was a dumb, drunk one night stand. I was going to call you, but I wasn't sure what to say. Angela ended up calling me a couple weeks later to tell me that she was pregnant and I was the father." My heart felt as if it stopped beating but I continued to walk, pretending to be okay.

One leg, two. Keep going Skyla. Don't let them get to you. I kept telling myself.