But she did.
She fucking did.
“I didn’t help your mother, Christopher. But at the same time, I didn’t stop her. I started figuring out what she was doing, and I should have told you sooner. But you have to understand just how deep my loyalty is to that woman. I would do anything for her. But this… I can’t stand by and let this happen. I can’t watch you and allow you to believe Ember left of her own free will.”
“Did they force her?” Rage begins to fully set in no matter how many calming breaths I take. “Did my mother lie about that? Did she not walk out the door with them?”
“Ember left with them. But she was driven to do it. I can see why she did. That poor girl never had a chance under this roof. She was miserable and scared, and Louisa made sure to keep it that way.”
And I didn’t fucking see it. I chose to put my head in a damn hole and avoid the feelings of my wife. I should have been here. I should have watched, listened, and felt that something was off. But I was too damn focused on making life return to normal.
Normal.
Nothing would be normal again.
And what the fuck is normal anyway?
All I know is I want my goddamn wife back. They took her from me, and I want her back.
“Do you know where they took Ember?” I ask.
Ms. Evans shakes her head. “I overheard them saying they were going back to Nevada for a short time. I know your mother allowed them to use her pilot to get there. But that’s it.” For the first time, she approaches me and tentatively touches my arm. “I’m sorry, Christopher. I should have told you sooner. I have always tried to mind my own business when it comes to your family. I hear things but try not to react. It has served me well up until now. I even tried to be a friend to Ember, because God knows the woman needed a good friend. But I couldn’t be enough. She deserves happiness. You both do. And I sincerely believe you love her as she loves you. I hope you can find her. I hope you can take her back.”
I nod as a million thoughts on how exactly I am going to try to do it run through my head.
“But, Christopher,” Ms. Evans adds, “if you do find her… don’t bring her back here. Start a new life with her. A life that you both create. Your life is not for her. So, create one that belongs to the both of you.”
Without saying the words, Ms. Evans makes it very clear to me… I had a part in all this too. I tried to force Ember into a world she didn’t want to be in. I was selfish. I was focused on the past, rather than the future with my new wife. I did this. I fucking did this.
“Do you know where my mother is?” I ask between clenched teeth. I can’t even breathe through the fury attacking my body.
“She’s downstairs.”
My mother… how do I forgive what she’s done?
I may never be able to, but for now, I need to focus on finding Ember. My mother will at least know where the plane went, and I can start from there. I’ll find Ember, and I’ll make my mother help me in doing so. She’ll pay for what she did to my wife. For what she did to us.
4
Christopher
“I’m trying really hard not to scream and strangle you right now,” I say, clenching my fist to try to contain the rage that wants to erupt from inside. If she weren’t my mother….
Lucky for her, she is.
“You can be mad at me all you want,” she calmly says, not showing the slightest remorse. “But I did it for Ember. The girl didn’t belong here and never would. You were bringing home a broken person. I told you this, but you were being too selfish and wrapped up in your own world to see it for yourself.”
Her words are like a blow to the face. Maybe because they’re true. I was selfish. I did want my life back, and that meant forcing Ember to live it. Was she miserable? Was she lonely? Clearly, she had to be if she left on her own. She saw Richard and Scarecrow as a way out… a way out of the prison I put her in.
“So let her go,” my mother adds. “I know you want to go find her. I know you want to save her. But you can’t, Christopher. You need to allow that awful part of your past to remain just where it is now. Behind you. You deserve better, but so does that woman.”
“You’re right,” I say, clenching my fists and then focusing on releasing the tension as I let out a deep breath. “Ember does deserve better. She deserves to be happy, but she also shouldn’t be with those crazy men. I might have failed her, but I sure as fuck am not going to allow her to be with those two. She doesn’t deserve them either. I need to give her the option of an out. I have to at least try.”
“She wanted to go with them! Why can’t you listen to me? It was her choice!” I’m not used to seeing my mother get so frazzled, but then again, she’s not used to people not listening and not complying to her every whim either.
“She left because she felt there was nothing else to do. You mentally tortured her, Mother! You made her think she was losing her mind. And all but ignored her.” Sickness rolls around in my belly as I run my hand through my hair, trying to control the fury and the deep guilt inside me. “I thought I was protecting her, and all I did was…. Fuck. She deserved so much better.”
“You can be angry at me,” Mother says, calmer this time. “But I did what I did to try to fix a mistake that should have never happened. You brought your nightmare home with you.”
“No, Mother!” I shout. “I brought home my wife. I brought home a woman who doesn’t have a mean bone in her body. She’s genuine, true, loving, and, frankly… the kindest woman I’ve ever met in my life. And she loved me. She truly loved me for who I am, rather than what I am. Money didn’t mean anything to her. The Davenport name held zero value to her. She loved me for me, and I’m standing here watching her slip between my fingers. Because of you, and because of me… I could lose it all.”
“She’s gone, Christopher. There’s no finding her. So be mad, grieve, or do whatever you need to, but she’s gone. Accept it and move on.” She takes a step toward the door to leave, then pauses and adds, “I’m not going to apologize for what I did. You’re my son. There’s nothing a mother won’t do for her son. My job is to protect you, and that is exactly what I did.”
“No. What you did was awful. It was cruel. Frankly… it was downright evil.”
She makes eye contact with me but shows zero emotion. It’s as if my words aren’t even being heard.
“And you’re going to help me make it right.”
“I won’t,” she says, stiffening her spine. “Good riddance.”
“You are going to help me,” I say with conviction. “Either you help me find her, or I call Agent Martinez right now and tell him that you assisted Richard in kidnapping Ember. You broke the law, Mother. You’ll go to jail for this.”
Her lips purse, and for the first time in this entire conversation, I see a mixture of fear and defeat flicker in her eyes. It’s brief, but I can see my words have finally sunk in a little.
“I don’t know where they are,” she snaps. “All I know is where the pilot flew them to. I can give you that information, but that’s it.”