Read Online The Games We Play Vol. 3 (Riley Grayson) by Elizabeth Nelson - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Elizabeth Nelson
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tell me.”
Ali began to shake uncontrollably as she thought about how she was going to word her thoughts. Her mom squeezed her hug tighter and more tears fell, almost as if her mom was squeezing them out of her. After a minute, Ali calmed a bit, took a deep breath and just said it. “Dad’s having an affair,” she mumbled into her mother’s embrace.
Holding Ali out at an arm’s length, her mother studied her. Ali held her gaze despite her blurred vision from the heavy tears that swelled her eyes. “Why on earth would you think your father is having an affair?” Laughing, her mom turned her back and looked out toward the yard.
Ali didn’t want her mom to let go of her. She needed them to be strong together. “Because I saw him. Last night. He was going into a restaurant with some woman.”
“Really, Allison. You have such an active imagination.” She turned to face Ali once again. Stunned by her mother’s reaction, Ali began to bawl even harder. “You know your father is always taking clients out and meeting with friends for business.”
Ali curled her hands into fists, her fingernails biting into her palms. That was the one thing she hated about her mother: she was the queen of avoiding problems. “Mom,” Ali said through clenched teeth, “this wasn’t a client and it wasn’t just a friend. I saw Dad cram his tongue down her throat.”
Her mom winced and turned her back once more. Good. Maybe I’m finally getting through to her .
“And then I saw him grab her ass!” Ali needed to let her mom know the severity of the situation.
“Watch your language, young lady!”
Ali threw her hands up in the air in frustration. “Did you hear me? Dad’s cheating on you!” She said it loud enough for her father to hear inside. She didn’t care anymore. Nothing was going her way anyway, so who the eff cared?
“I had hoped this day would never come,” her mom mumbled as she took a seat on the wicker couch. She patted the spot next to her again. “Sit. We need to have a talk.”
Ali’s heart stopped and her stomach dropped. Oh my God, she knows! Mom knows about Dad’s affair.
Stunned, Ali sat down next to her mother. Whatever was coming wasn’t going to be good. Suddenly, Ali wished she hadn’t taken Hilary’s advice to come here and confront her mother. She knew that whatever was about to come out of her mother’s mouth wasn’t going to be easy. Her face said it all.
“The day I found out I was pregnant with Jada, your father lost his job, and it took him almost the entire nine months of my pregnancy to find a new one. We were struggling financially, and of course that put a strain on our marriage.”
Ali swallowed the bile rising in her throat. She had never known this. It was bad enough that the image she’d held of her father was shattered and she wondered if she would ever be able to look at him again the same. She didn’t want that to happen with her mother, too. Ali quickly regretted this whole situation. She should have never brought it up and just pretended everything was fine.
“But then he was offered the job he has now. We thought things were finally looking up for us. We were so far behind in everything. We almost lost this house, we lived without luxuries for months. No cable or phones or trips to the movies. Shortly after Jada was born, your father got a promotion. We began to dig ourselves out of debt. It was a great feeling. Unfortunately, he had to work around the clock to make that happen. I rarely saw him. For all intents and purpose, it was like I was a single mother. With your father working all the time, I had no one.”
Her mother sighed and there was a faraway look in her eyes. Ali was still too afraid to speak so she simply sat there and waited for her mother to continue.
“By the time we were able to live comfortably, things had deteriorated so far.” She shook her head. “I was so angry with your father. I felt like he’d abandoned me and Jada. We were
Ali began to shake uncontrollably as she thought about how she was going to word her thoughts. Her mom squeezed her hug tighter and more tears fell, almost as if her mom was squeezing them out of her. After a minute, Ali calmed a bit, took a deep breath and just said it. “Dad’s having an affair,” she mumbled into her mother’s embrace.
Holding Ali out at an arm’s length, her mother studied her. Ali held her gaze despite her blurred vision from the heavy tears that swelled her eyes. “Why on earth would you think your father is having an affair?” Laughing, her mom turned her back and looked out toward the yard.
Ali didn’t want her mom to let go of her. She needed them to be strong together. “Because I saw him. Last night. He was going into a restaurant with some woman.”
“Really, Allison. You have such an active imagination.” She turned to face Ali once again. Stunned by her mother’s reaction, Ali began to bawl even harder. “You know your father is always taking clients out and meeting with friends for business.”
Ali curled her hands into fists, her fingernails biting into her palms. That was the one thing she hated about her mother: she was the queen of avoiding problems. “Mom,” Ali said through clenched teeth, “this wasn’t a client and it wasn’t just a friend. I saw Dad cram his tongue down her throat.”
Her mom winced and turned her back once more. Good. Maybe I’m finally getting through to her .
“And then I saw him grab her ass!” Ali needed to let her mom know the severity of the situation.
“Watch your language, young lady!”
Ali threw her hands up in the air in frustration. “Did you hear me? Dad’s cheating on you!” She said it loud enough for her father to hear inside. She didn’t care anymore. Nothing was going her way anyway, so who the eff cared?
“I had hoped this day would never come,” her mom mumbled as she took a seat on the wicker couch. She patted the spot next to her again. “Sit. We need to have a talk.”
Ali’s heart stopped and her stomach dropped. Oh my God, she knows! Mom knows about Dad’s affair.
Stunned, Ali sat down next to her mother. Whatever was coming wasn’t going to be good. Suddenly, Ali wished she hadn’t taken Hilary’s advice to come here and confront her mother. She knew that whatever was about to come out of her mother’s mouth wasn’t going to be easy. Her face said it all.
“The day I found out I was pregnant with Jada, your father lost his job, and it took him almost the entire nine months of my pregnancy to find a new one. We were struggling financially, and of course that put a strain on our marriage.”
Ali swallowed the bile rising in her throat. She had never known this. It was bad enough that the image she’d held of her father was shattered and she wondered if she would ever be able to look at him again the same. She didn’t want that to happen with her mother, too. Ali quickly regretted this whole situation. She should have never brought it up and just pretended everything was fine.
“But then he was offered the job he has now. We thought things were finally looking up for us. We were so far behind in everything. We almost lost this house, we lived without luxuries for months. No cable or phones or trips to the movies. Shortly after Jada was born, your father got a promotion. We began to dig ourselves out of debt. It was a great feeling. Unfortunately, he had to work around the clock to make that happen. I rarely saw him. For all intents and purpose, it was like I was a single mother. With your father working all the time, I had no one.”
Her mother sighed and there was a faraway look in her eyes. Ali was still too afraid to speak so she simply sat there and waited for her mother to continue.
“By the time we were able to live comfortably, things had deteriorated so far.” She shook her head. “I was so angry with your father. I felt like he’d abandoned me and Jada. We were
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