Impacted (Conflicted Encounters #2) (24 page)

I made another run though of the room before dragging my bags to the elevator. I would be leaving from Ryder and Scarlett’s apartment in the morning for the airport. I had no idea where I planned to go when the flight landed back in the states after the wedding, but I wasn't going to pay for the room for a week while I was away. My stomach rolled when I thought about that.
 

I didn't want to go home. I wanted to stay here with Ryder, but I needed him to want me to stay. There were times, especially last night, when I thought we would be okay. I thought we could move on from the accident and from my leaving, and we could have something special, but then Ryder locked up. I could see him pushing me away and putting back up his walls.
 

It took so much to break them down in the first place. It took a tragedy we shared to seal us together. Now, I hurt him, and he wasn't going to forget that so easily. Ironic that I forgave him without question, and now I was practically begging to win him back. Maybe this trip would change things. Was it possible that if we erased the rest of the world around us, he could remember what we had?

My phone rang as I was getting into my loaded car. I didn't recognize the number, but answered anyway.
 

"Kallie, I need more," Marie said as soon as I picked up.
 

"Excuse me?"

"They all sold and they want more. The young kids are calling the pieces you made, up-cycled," she explained.
 

"All my pieces sold?" I asked. I really thought they would sit there forever, collecting dust with the rest of the store.
 

"Yes, and people are coming in and asking about them," she shouted. "People are telling their friends, and now I'm turning away customers."

I smiled despite her stress. "I will get some over to you as soon as I can," I assured her. I had no idea how I would make that happen, but I was just so excited that people actually liked my designs. I hung up and made the drive to pick up Scarlett.
 

We spent the day pampering ourselves. We got manicures and pedicures along with facials. I got my hair cut and streaked with some black and teal. It was subtle and would match the color theme perfectly. Scarlett was brave enough to get a wax. I settled with getting my eyebrows shaped. It was a little past noon when we finally left the salon. I felt sexy and was actually excited to leave for paradise in the morning.

"You mind if I drop you off?" I asked her as we pulled into the parking lot of the apartment.
 

"Sure," she said slowly, giving me a confused look.
 

"I need to go to the shop and see if Ryder has any more trash for me to work with," I told her.
 

"Oh, alright," she nodded, and then opened the door. "Don't bail on me, though. You better be here for dinner tonight."

"Of course," I smiled. She waved and closed my door.
 

I pulled up to the shop, and I was relieved I made it before Ryder got off of work. I walked as quickly as I could in the heels I was wearing. They seemed like a good idea this morning when I thought to wear something that wouldn't cover my toes and ruin my pedicure. Now, they just hurt and I was cursing them.
 

"Your girl is here," I heard shouted across the open shop.
 

I saw Ryder come out from under the hood of a classic muscle car. His hair was messy, and he had grease smudges on his forehead. My throat tightened because I always thought he looked the sexiest when he was working on a car. The concentrated look he would get, the way his arms flexed when he would work, and the smell of exhaust stirred a storm inside of me. I always thought back to when I first saw him with sober eyes the morning after I went home with him as a stranger.
 

"Everything okay?" he asked, staring at me frozen in the parking lot.
 

"Oh, yeah," I said, shaking my head clear of my thoughts. "I was hoping you had some parts you wanted to donate."

"We've actually been putting some things in a box," he said, pointed to a big box spilling over with random metal pieces.
 

"Oh, thank you," I sighed as I looked in. I already had so many ideas for the little I could see. "Marie sold out of what I already gave her, and her customers are asking for more."

"That's great," he said as he walked over to me. He leaned down and gave me a soft kiss on the cheek. "I'm filthy."

"I like it," I whispered.
 

"Don't tease me, woman," he growled in my ear.
 

"I wouldn't dream of it," I said in a breathy voice.
 

He shook his head at me and backed away with his hands out in front of him in surrender. He lifted the box, and I followed to him the trunk of my car. He put the box in the back and leaned against the car. His eyes left mine as he moved closer to me.

"Is that your mom?" he asked.
 

My stomach sunk as I followed the path his finger was pointed. Sure enough, across the street on a bench, sat my mother. She wore white capris and a red blouse. Her hands were folded neatly in her lap as she watched us from her perch.

"What the hell?" I whispered. "I'll be right back."

I slid off my heels before making my way across the street to her. My stomach rolled, and I prayed everything was okay. Anytime I got a visitor from home, it was bad news. First Josh, with details about the accident that killed Carter. Then when he returned, telling me of my father's heart attack that sent me back home. The heat of the pavement made my steps quicker and I quickly sat next to her. She watched me with a confused look; probably horrified I was walking around barefoot.
 

"What are you doing here?" I asked her defensively. Panic and anger was making my hands tremble.
 

"I'm not here to fight," she sighed. "I love you, Kallie. I don't know what I did along the way that made you think I was the enemy or that you couldn't come to me about anything. I wanted to talk and check in on you."

"I'm a grown woman. I don't need you to check on me."

"I know," she nodded. "But as a parent, I am entitled to be worried about her only child going on a vacation with her friends. I'm allowed to be concerned when she leaves home, doesn't tell anyone where she went, and never checks in."

"How did you find me?" I asked.
 

"I have my ways," she winked. "Ivan."

"Ah. You here for the necklace?"

"No, it's yours to do as you wish. It's obvious these people mean a lot to you, and I trust your judgment, baby. Just don't lose it down there," she added with authority.
 

"I won't," I told her. I had all intention of guarding it with my life.
 

"He is incredibly handsome," she said, looking over at the shop.

"Mom!"

"What? It's obvious," she shrugged. I agreed.
 

"Dad didn't like him," I sighed.
 

"You could bring home the president and he wouldn't be good enough. You're his little girl."

"I guess."

"I'll be honest," she started, and I sighed. And it begins. "Ryder could break your heart. Your relationship with Carter was innocent and young. Safe. What you have here is nothing like that. I'm not saying I think he will, but he has the ability to wreck you in a way that Carter never could."

I nodded and watched as he pretended to be cleaning his work area. I knew he was off the clock and just waiting around for me.
 

"I was your father's Ryder," my mom confessed. When I gave her a look, she continued. "I grew up with my father since my mom passed when I was baby. I ran away at eighteen because he was an angry drunk. I met your dad at a bar one night."

I stayed silent so she would continue. I grew up never knowing my grandparents on my mom's side of the family. I was always told they passed away before I was born. I never heard stories of her growing up or saw any photos from her childhood. My dad was the opposite. I saw my grandparents often and every holiday. Their home was covered in snapshots from his youth and of theirs.
 

"I was eighteen, broke, and drunk when I met him. He gave me a ride home and gave me his number when he dropped me off. I think for a while I was something new and exciting for him. He didn't have the business then, but he was in college and his family always knew he would do something great."

"You never broke his heart," I pointed out. I wasn't sure what the point of the story was if she was comparing herself to Ryder.
 

"No, I didn't. I loved him fiercely. I stood by him when he opened that first location in the ghetto. I did the books for him until you reached high school. I was never in it for the money or the status. I loved him for his heart. His family just had to learn that. It took me a long time to prove it."

"So, eventually Dad will be okay with this?" I asked.
 

"Kallie, we never want to see your hurt. I watched you crumble to the floor when I told you about Carter. It killed me to see you like that. I would die happy if I never have to see you like that again. I would have rather took off my hand than tell you that he was gone if I could have. It also hurt to see you when you came home from here."

"How so?" I asked. I thought I came back stronger.
 

"I watched you die inside. You went day in and day out like a zombie. I know you love us and wanted to help the business, but I knew you hated every second of it. I have never seen you like you looked the other night at the gala. I want that Kallie."

I blinked as my eyes started to mist over. "Thank you."

"You deserve to fall in love. You should experience life and live it to the fullest. We will always worry about you. We just want the best for you. I want you to be happy or else the rest doesn't matter."

I turned around and wrapped my arms tightly around her neck. She squeezed me back, and I filled with warmth inside. I was so concentrated on finding out what I wanted and making myself happy that I had tossed aside their concerns and worries. I always saw them as controlling and overbearing. Now, I see that they were always loving and protecting me.
 

 
I knew my father would take more time, but I didn't feel so alone anymore. I wasn't a runaway or an orphan. I was a young woman, trying to find her way, and I still had my family behind me. My heart hurt for my mom, knowing she was young and actually alone. She never told me her dad was abusive before. I started to see my home life so differently. I wasn't hated and abused. I was never scared in my home. I was loved, somewhat smothered and mislead, but I was never actually alone.
 

"I love you," I said into her hair.

"Love you more, baby."

We pulled apart and looked over to see Ryder leaning against my car, watching us. He gave a small wave and we waved back. My mom waved him over to us, and he quickly obeyed. Good boy.

"You better take care of my little girl next week," she said, trying to sound threatening and failing.

"Yes, ma'am," he smiled.
 

"You better call me when you land, and get to the resort, and whenever you go out anywhere," she rambled.
 

"Mom," I laughed. "I will call and text everyday. I'll be safe."

"Can I meet the bride-to-be?" she asked shyly.

I looked up to Ryder and he nodded. "Lunch at Minnie's?"
 

"Oh! That adorable diner that way? The food smelled great when I walked by," my mom clapped.
 

I laughed and texted Scarlett to ask her to meet up for lunch there. I warned her my mom was here and would be joining us. She responded that she would be right there, so we waited for her. I introduced them, and my mom enveloped her in a hug as soon as Scarlett approached. My dad joked the other day about menopause, and I was starting to think that was the reason for her heightened emotions.
 

She was teary one second and ecstatic the next. She looked in every shop window as we walked to the diner. She acted like a kid that had never been out of the house before. I laughed as I walked behind her and Ryder while he gave the grand tour of the town square. She had her arm linked around his and stared around like a wide-eyed tourist.
 

"Kallie! You back to work?" Tiffany greeted us as we entered the homey diner.
 

"Sorry, no," I laughed.
 

"Damn," she muttered. She led us to a booth and took our drink orders.

I explained to my mom how I worked here to pay for my car. She was disappointed I didn't call and ask for help. I rudely pointed out that they’d cut me off, so she quickly changed the subject. I was sure that was dad's call and not hers, but it didn't make it suck any less. She chatted away with Scarlett about the wedding. She was excited for her, even though she had only just met her. I guess weddings are exciting, no matter what.
 

I caught Ryder staring at me during lunch a few times. I offered him shy smiles, not sure if he was upset he was just dragged into a lunch with my mom or not. His eyes racked my body like he was anything but angry. The looks he gave me made my cheeks burn red, and I had to avoid my mother's eyes.