Lesson Twenty-Five - Be More Than What They Can See.
A week later Riker is sitting in my living room watching a movie with me. He had been coming over a lot more often lately and I didn't know what to think about that. At first it was weird and I just sat and gave him weird looks the first time he just sat with us. Now though I was starting to get used to it but I was still on edge. There had to be a reason for his new behaviour.
He claimed he was here to see my brother but most of the time Damon wasn't even here. He was probably away causing havoc where ever he went. His partner in crime though was sitting right beside me.
"Will you stop looking at me. You're starting to make me feel uncomfortable." Riker didn't even look at me as he spoke. His hand was rested on my calf as my legs were lying across his lap. His touch burned but in a good kind of way though I wasn't going to tell him that any time soon.
I scoffed at his comment. Never before had I heard anyone make him uncomfortable. I'm didn't even think it was possible at this point.
"Don't you have a club to run seeing as your brother is away?" I wasn't lying as I remembered his brother Ace was away to London for some 'meeting' as Riker called it. It was probably something to do with there criminal empire though.
He was currently on his phone with a bored look on his face. Didn't the future Heir of the Mafia not have something better to do than sit here with me. Though I probably had other stuff I should've been doing as well, than sitting here watching tv all day.
"The gang will be alright I doubt it's going to get attacked again anytime soon." He gave me a pointed look it was the first time he had looked up to met my gaze in a while. His hand on my leg burned even more. "Plus the last time it was because of Zane Knight and I doubt he is going to pull that stunt twice after what you did the last time."
"I haven't actually seen Zane for a while." I said thoughtfully. It was the truth, we might not be as close as we once were but I do sometimes worry about him. It's hard not to when you spent so much of your time with someone. Sometimes I was happy he was back but other times I wished he left again. It would just make my life so much easier if he completely left. Then I wouldn't be tempted to go looking for him or to talk to him. I wouldn't actually do it though. At the end of the day the further away from my life Zane stayed the better.
I noticed that Riker's grip on my leg had gotten tighter and I looked up at him to see that he was giving me a hard stare.
"What?" I asked confused. What was his problem now then it clicked. Him and Zane weren't what you would call best friends if Zane attacking Riker's hideout didn't prove that. Sometimes I thought I was the only one stopping the two from killing each other. Then I laughed at the thought and pushed it away. They didn't care enough about me to put me in the middle. After all to the world I was Zane's ex girlfriend that broke his heart and at the end of the day I was nothing to Riker. Sometimes I didn't even think we were friends yet here he was sitting with me in my own house.
"Nothing." Riker's jaw was hard and his voice flat as he pushed my legs of him. I looked at him confused but moved my legs anyway. What was his problem now.
"Miss Lyra."
I looked up to see Richard our head butler standing at the doorway with a slightly pained look on his face. I knew what ever he was going to say next I wasn't going to like it. I knew that look and it normally meant something that involved my mother.
"Yes?"
"Your mother is here to see you."
I groaned out in annoyance like a child and threw myself back in the seat. I was looking up at the ceiling hoping that there was a God out there somewhere and that he would save me. Of course though my prays weren't answered as my mother burst her way through the doors.
"Lyra!" shouted my mother in her forever happy voice. Why did she always feel the need to scream my name every time she seen me. It was one of the most annoying things and I always knew she was going to do it as well. In fact I braced myself so much for it that I think I would have a heart attack if she didn't do it.
"Mother." I said as dry as possible to make sure she got the hint that I didn't want her here. Of course she didn't notice though and sat down in the seat beside me. I sensed that she wanted something.
"I didn't know you were here Riker." From the shocked look on my mothers face she wasn't lying. Though I didn't blame her, I was still shocked that he was here never mind her.
He shrugged and went back to looking at his phone. "I was meeting Damon." He wasn't lying either he did met my brother earlier but Damon had left long ago. Saying something about a job that needed done. I didn't ask for details knowing I didn't really want to know what my brother was up to.
"Your father was looking for you about an hour ago. It looked important from the way he was getting on." My mother looked thoughtful for a moment before going back to her normal annoyingly bubbly self.
From the corner of my eye I seen Riker look up to met my mother gaze. His leg brushed against mine reminding me how close we were sitting beside each other. I didn't make a move to move over, feeling comfortable sitting this close to him.
"I know he was texting me."
I remembered that Riker's phone had rang not that long ago but he had hung up straight away and had been on his phone silent. I guess that's who it was. I guessed that it was one of his whores trying to get his attention, after all it was Friday night.
"At least your father can get a hold of you." My mother sent a glare my way with a pointed look. "While I've been trying to get in contact with this one all day."
I had been making it my life mission to ignore my mother's phone calls from 8 O'clock this morning. I was doing so well until she showed up at my house. I should've went somewhere she would never had gone. Maybe a homeless shelter or something.
"Well you've found me mother what is it you want?" I asked not really caring because I already knew the answer I was going to give her. No.
She placed her hands on my arm and I did my best to try and remove it but she wasn't going anywhere. What was with people lately and grabbing me. I wasn't some doll to play with. I seen Riker try and hide his amusement as he tried to focus on his phone. I just sent a glare his way before turning back to face my mother.
"Will you let go."
"I need you to ask your father something." There was pleading in her eyes and I could see the desperation what ever she wanted it was something big.
I narrowed my eyes at her as I stopped trying to get her grip off me. Even Riker was now paying attention. "What is it?"
She looked at Riker almost like she wasn't sure if she could say it in front of him but then she looked more sure about herself before blocking him out and focusing on me. "Can we talk alone."
I was going to tell her what ever she needed to say she could say it in front of him but then I remembered that she was married to his dad. Something that I forgot about a lot of the time. So making up my mind I turned to Riker and gave him a pointed look. He looked unsure at first then nodded and got up to leave. He messed up my hair as he walked past and didn't even give my mother a second look as he put his hands in his pockets and left the room.
"Since when were the two of you close?"
Of course leave it to my mother to butt into my life when she was just asking me for something not two seconds ago. I pushed myself back from her making her grip on my arm drop, I needed space between the two of us. I didn't know what she was going to ask but it was probably going to be something that would piss me off. It always was.
"That's none of your business and what is it you want me to ask father?"
Her gaze dropped and she played with her hands that were now rested on her lap. It was like she didn't know what to do with herself. She looked like a woman that was backed into a corner.
"I need you to ask your father to drop the lawsuit against me, Lyra. I can't lost everything that I got from me and your father's marriage. It's all I have."
I looked at her like she was crazy. My father was still trying to work out a way to get everything my mother got from the divorce and time was ticking. Last I heard was that he was close to it and if my mother was coming to me now, she knew it to.
"Now why would I do that?" I asked giving her a pointed look. "We both know that Xavier Kennedy is just going to use you to gain power in our family. Riker even told me, mother."
"I know, I know." She said sounding defeated. "But I can't lose this Lyra. That money and that percentage of your father's empire is all that I have left. Look at me Lyra!" she now sounded distraught. "My children don't even want me here. You avoid me at all costs, my own daughter. My son's left this City just to get away from me. My ex husband doesn't even want to look at me after everything and I can't say I blame him. What else do I have Lyra."
I couldn't believe her. Sometimes I couldn't believe she was my mother. "Do you hear yourself?" I was pissed and I didn't even bother to hide it.
"Please Lyra!"
"NO MOM!" I shouted finally cracking. I watched her flinch as I stood up to gain even more room between us. "There is more to life than fucking money. If you want a better relationship with your children then fucking try. Like do you even know what NFL team Hayden plays for? Do you even know where Cole is right now? Do you even know what me and Damon have been through in these last few years when we needed you? No because you think of no one but yourself. We aren't all golden boy Alexander Anderson so you don't care. Want a better relationship with dad? Then stop trying to use his money from a Empire that he helped build against him."
She looked at me with tears in her eyes but I didn't care I was seeing red. How dare she ask me for such a thing just so she could keep the one thing that seemed to important to her. Money that she didn't fucking earn.
"That's the first time you've properly called me mom in years." She voice cracked as she spoke and my eyes softened at the sound of it. I know I was harsh on her but she needed to hear it. Someone had to tell her the truth.
"I think you need to start from the bottom and just fix your life." I said lifting my phone off the seat. "Do something that you want to do, don't go around trying to find someone else's money. Go out and find something you love and earn your own. Don't expect to see a change if you don't make one."
With that I walked out. I've had enough of that for one day.