Between Ties

18. The Return of The Emerald Dress

Shit, this is what that text was about.

Mom.

He probably wanted to tell me that she was in town and was planning to stop by.

"Rhyett's mother." She said cautiously shaking his hand as if he had some type of disease "what happened to your face?" She asked scanning the surface of his slightly beaten up face and then I had readied myself to interrupt as I took a deep breath in.

It's not her business and I don't even know why the hell she's here.

Why did my father allow this. I wanted to be mad at him but he wasn't the problem,

She was.

"That's not important." I said to her "why are you even here!?" I was furious. I could feel my ears turning as red as my hair.

"Neil!" She yelled and then ignored me to face my father "so this is what's going on!? You let her run around town with some boy who has cuts and bruises on his face! He is obviously trouble...and clearly you don't know how to parent your teenage daughter!"

What the actually fuck was her problem, she had no right to address my father about his parenting when she's been anything but a parent.

"Get out of my apartment!" I said strongly, glaring at her and then felt Maverick's fingers wrap around my wrist, forcing me to look back at him.

He stared into my eyes with softness shaking his head lightly, biting his bottom lip nervously not knowing what to say because he didn't want to get involved, he knew that it wasn't his place, but I could tell that he wanted to stop me...I know it had something to do with how close he was with his mother and he didn't like how I was with mine. But he didn't understand.

I ignored him and pulled my arm from his fingers.

This woman made me hate my father for years and now she's here expecting me to fucking give her a chance to speak.

"Don't touch my daughter." She said to Maverick and then his eyes turned hard as his mouth quickly smirked with a hint of anger.

oh shit, here we go. She shouldn't have.

"With all the respect Ms Willow-" he began as I nervously swallowed a lump and then she corrected him "Ms Bowgard." She smiled thinly raising her hand into the air as a way of showing him that his words didn't matter.

"I don't give a fuck," He stared into her eyes not blinking in that moment "I am not a threat to Rhyett. In fact my face is proof that I won't let anyone disrespect her. Not even you." He paused as I began to internally panic I need to get him out of here before he says something crazy,

I just don't want to deal with all of this right now and I know Maverick would protect me, regardless of who was trying to hurt me,

My mother wasn't an exception.

"Stop," I said to him gently "hey look, you have that thing tonight with Kenzo, the dinner he texted you about...it's getting late you should go get ready. I'll call you later." I nodded at him as I placed my hand on the soft warm surface his face twisting his neck in a smooth gentle motion to have his eyes see me.

He just looked at me. He didn't say a word.

"Maverick you're going to be late. It's important remember. Kenzo wants to talk. It's important Maverick, this is my business and I'm strong, I can handle this. You know that." I said and then he swallowed and shut his eyes to almost calm down and let it go, as he gave off a nod before staring back at her,

My mother.

"It was nice meeting you. I hope we meet under better circumstances again." He said bluntly with no emotion on his face as his thick voice was fully present.