Read Online Rent-A-Bride by Elaine Overton - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Elaine Overton
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at all considering she left home at thirteen but the mind was not always rational.
Amelia licked her lips and swallowed. “Hello, Mama.”
“Amelia?” Marina’s thin brows crinkled in confusion as if she were still unable to believe the evidence of her eyes.
Fighting back the nervous trembling she could feel coming on Amelia simple nodded. “Can I come in?”
Marina glanced back over her shoulder nervously before stepping out onto the porch and pulling the door closed behind her. “What are you doing here?”
The nervous trembling suddenly turned into a rock and sunk to the bottom of her stomach. “I’m back in Michigan now and I just wanted to see you.”
“
Back
in Michigan?”
Amelia swallowed again now only wanting to end this as quickly as possible. “Yes. I lived in L.A. for a while—didn’t Byron tell you?”
Marina shrugged indifferently.
Amelia’s eyes narrowed to slits. “How’s Byron?”
“I don’t really talk to Byron anymore. He moved out over a year ago.”
“Moved where? He’s only eighteen!”
Marina crossed her arms over her chest defensively. “Why are you here, Amelia?”
Amelia felt a totally inappropriate bubble of laughter welling up in her chest. “Hell if I know.” She shook her head sadly. “Can you at least tell me where to find my brother?”
“Last I heard he was—”
“Last you heard?! What has happened to you, Mama? You weren’t like this before Daddy died.”
“How the hell would you know what I was like?! You were just a child—
Daddy’s precious little angel
!”
In that moment an alarm went off in Amelia’s brain. There was more than a touch of venom in that statement. Something she would consider later but right now all she cared about was tracking down her brother.
“Never mind. Go on.”
“
Like I was saying
, last I heard he was staying in the Armstead apartments over in the New Center.”
“Thanks.” Amelia turned and headed back down the stairs silently fuming.
“Amelia!”
She stopped on the bottom step and turned to look back up at her mother. As she looked into the eyes of the woman who bore her into the world she realized there was nothing there. No maternal love whatsoever. She could’ve been discussing the weather with a stranger at a bus stop for all the emotion projected.
Amelia sighed heavily realizing it was time to give up any hope of ever repairing their relationship. “Yes?”
“Whether you find him or not, don’t come back here.”
Amelia had already decided that this would be her final visit. She had extended the olive branch and it had been thrown aside. But still hearing her own mother say those words hurt none the less.
She turned and walked away secretly fearing that after years of almost no contact her reunion with her brother would go much the same way. And then…what would she have left?
• • •
“Get your ass in here girl!” The tall, broad shouldered man in the doorway reached out and pulled Amelia into a bear hug she would’ve been helpless against if she’d had any intention of fighting it. “When did you get back?!”
Amelia wrapped her arms around her brother’s mid-section and held on tight. It had been so long since anyone had hugged her with anything resembling true affection. She hadn’t realized how much she needed it.
“Last night.” She stepped back so she could look into his face. There was four years between the two of them but Byron Young had grown into manhood during her time away and he towered over her by at least a foot.
Amelia felt her eyes swelling with tears. “You look…you look like Daddy.”
Closing the door Byron smiled at his sister before wrapping his arm around her shoulder and leading her to the couch.” How did you know where to find me?”
“I went by the house.” Amelia sank down on the lumpy beige couch.
Byron’s smile faded. “You talk to Mama?”
“I guess you could call it that. Bryon, what has happened to her? It’s like I don’t
Amelia licked her lips and swallowed. “Hello, Mama.”
“Amelia?” Marina’s thin brows crinkled in confusion as if she were still unable to believe the evidence of her eyes.
Fighting back the nervous trembling she could feel coming on Amelia simple nodded. “Can I come in?”
Marina glanced back over her shoulder nervously before stepping out onto the porch and pulling the door closed behind her. “What are you doing here?”
The nervous trembling suddenly turned into a rock and sunk to the bottom of her stomach. “I’m back in Michigan now and I just wanted to see you.”
“
Back
in Michigan?”
Amelia swallowed again now only wanting to end this as quickly as possible. “Yes. I lived in L.A. for a while—didn’t Byron tell you?”
Marina shrugged indifferently.
Amelia’s eyes narrowed to slits. “How’s Byron?”
“I don’t really talk to Byron anymore. He moved out over a year ago.”
“Moved where? He’s only eighteen!”
Marina crossed her arms over her chest defensively. “Why are you here, Amelia?”
Amelia felt a totally inappropriate bubble of laughter welling up in her chest. “Hell if I know.” She shook her head sadly. “Can you at least tell me where to find my brother?”
“Last I heard he was—”
“Last you heard?! What has happened to you, Mama? You weren’t like this before Daddy died.”
“How the hell would you know what I was like?! You were just a child—
Daddy’s precious little angel
!”
In that moment an alarm went off in Amelia’s brain. There was more than a touch of venom in that statement. Something she would consider later but right now all she cared about was tracking down her brother.
“Never mind. Go on.”
“
Like I was saying
, last I heard he was staying in the Armstead apartments over in the New Center.”
“Thanks.” Amelia turned and headed back down the stairs silently fuming.
“Amelia!”
She stopped on the bottom step and turned to look back up at her mother. As she looked into the eyes of the woman who bore her into the world she realized there was nothing there. No maternal love whatsoever. She could’ve been discussing the weather with a stranger at a bus stop for all the emotion projected.
Amelia sighed heavily realizing it was time to give up any hope of ever repairing their relationship. “Yes?”
“Whether you find him or not, don’t come back here.”
Amelia had already decided that this would be her final visit. She had extended the olive branch and it had been thrown aside. But still hearing her own mother say those words hurt none the less.
She turned and walked away secretly fearing that after years of almost no contact her reunion with her brother would go much the same way. And then…what would she have left?
• • •
“Get your ass in here girl!” The tall, broad shouldered man in the doorway reached out and pulled Amelia into a bear hug she would’ve been helpless against if she’d had any intention of fighting it. “When did you get back?!”
Amelia wrapped her arms around her brother’s mid-section and held on tight. It had been so long since anyone had hugged her with anything resembling true affection. She hadn’t realized how much she needed it.
“Last night.” She stepped back so she could look into his face. There was four years between the two of them but Byron Young had grown into manhood during her time away and he towered over her by at least a foot.
Amelia felt her eyes swelling with tears. “You look…you look like Daddy.”
Closing the door Byron smiled at his sister before wrapping his arm around her shoulder and leading her to the couch.” How did you know where to find me?”
“I went by the house.” Amelia sank down on the lumpy beige couch.
Byron’s smile faded. “You talk to Mama?”
“I guess you could call it that. Bryon, what has happened to her? It’s like I don’t
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