The Heart Breaker Association

Chapter 37 - The Mother

I scoffed at her comment even if it was the truth. “Thanks.”

She beamed up at me before skipping off into another aisle and shouting for someone’s attention. I threw the three bags of chips in my hand into my cart. That was easily the oddest interaction I had ever gotten from anyone. I blew out a deep breath and continued on my way unsure of what to make of it.

One of the last items on my list was milk though on my way there, I got distracted by the yogurt.  I spent a few minutes there debating whether or not to purchase any when a woman’s cart bumped against mine.

“Oh, I’m sorry,” I muttered quickly removing my cart away from hers. She gave me a warm smile and my stomach dropped immediately. Her curly brunette hair was held up by a clip and her green eyes held mine for a full minute. I recognized her instantly. She was Mrs. Savannah Gilmore: Preston’s mother.

“Sorry,” I said again pushing passed the yogurt to get to the milk.

“Wait a minute,” Savannah called out. I winced but turned back around to face her. The one thing I did not want was to face the wrath of Preston’s mother. Facing him had been hard enough.

“Yes?” I asked nicely.

Savannah furrowed her eyebrows. “Do I know you?”

Now was my chance to lie and move on, but I found myself shrugging. “I’ve been on a few front pages and not for any positive reasons.”

“Yes,” Savannah agreed. “You were the one with the secret club. Charlotte Clemons?”

I sighed. “Yes.”

Savannah nodded and gazed down at the ground. “My son was put through that club.”

Oh, I’m aware.

“I don’t understand how a group of girls can mercilessly hurt young men and not feel guilty about it.”

Shaking my head lightly, I refused to meet her eyes.

“I don’t think they cannot feel guilty about it,” she commented slowly, inspecting me carefully. “It seems to me that you care.”

“It was a big part of my life,” I replied finally holding her gaze. “I can’t drop it all like it all never happened.”

Savannah nodded understandingly. She pulled her cart along to move closer to me.

“My son was very upset when he first heard the news. He was so angry that he put a dent in his car.”

My eyes widened at the news. “What did he hit?”

“Oh, he wasn’t driving,” Savannah corrected. “I believe he mentioned something about punching the passenger side door.”

“Jesus,” I muttered astonished.

Savannah seemed to agree. “He came home a few days after all the news came out and wouldn’t talk to anyone about how he felt. He just stayed cooped up in his room and refused to come out.”

“I’m so sorry,” I said immediately.

She held up her hand to silence me. “When he finally did want to speak with us, he asked for a large amount of money.”

My jaw dropped slightly at the thought. Had Preston really…? No. He couldn’t have possibly… I mean, not for me… Not when he thought I hated him…

“You didn’t give him the money, did you?”

Savannah, much to my sudden dismay, shook her head. “We couldn’t just easily hand over how much he was asking for. It was quite the pretty penny. We may be well endowed, but you must understand that I cannot give handouts even if it is to my own son.”