Read Online Waiting for Always by Ava Claire - Free Book Online
Authors: Ava Claire
Tags: Romance, Literature & Fiction, Contemporary, New Adult & College, Anthologies, Collections & Anthologies
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emergency alerts blared in my head, my arms jutted out awkwardly, unmoving, afraid that if I moved, if I wandered down this road, the only thing left would be tears that I refused to cry. No weakness, no prisoners, no—
Use.
She was holding me tight, not letting me go.
Not just Rose. Not just the foster parent that didn't send me away. She was the woman that chose to be my mother. The woman who saw past my scowls and fights at school and saw the cry for help. The kid that was just begging for someone to give a damn.
When I turned back to her, she lifted her fingers to my cheeks and smiled. I cleared my throat, standing up tall. "Allergies."
"They say it's especially terrible this year," she said with a sly grin. She pulled her cardigan close and worked her way towards the living room. "I know enough about all the ugly in the world to know something good when I see it. You're a good person, Logan. And I saw the way your face lit up when you talked about Melissa." She stopped in front of the mantle with a sigh. "I can still remember you walking through that door, so angry. So sure you didn't deserve anything good, or to be happy." She looked back at me, tears glittering in her eyes. "You know one of the last things Johnny said? 'Don't let Logan believe that it's okay to put love off. Love is worth more than all the riches in the world.'"
I loosened my tie, loneliness circling my heart. Tightening its hold on me. "I had love. I was the one that threw it away, because I was too stubborn to let go of my anger."
"And have you called her? Tried to make it right?"
She said it so simply. So casually.
"It's not that easy."
She looked puzzled, dusting her hands off. "I thought technology advanced over the years? Whole phone books in the palm of your hand." She gave me a stern look. "You still have her number? Call her up. Better yet, go to her. Don't live a life of regret, son. Life's too short for that nonsense." She moved back into the kitchen like she was on a mission. She pulled a cloudy-looking Tupperware container from her cabinet and went back to the table, putting the cookies inside.
"Cookies for later?"
"Cookies to go." She clicked it shut and held it out to me. "You came to see me for a kick in the rear, so here it goes. You can't wait for divine intervention. If you want love, if you want Melissa, go get her."
I couldn't help but laugh until I realized she was being dead serious. "Just like that, eh?"
"Just like that." She beckoned for me to lean down and planted a kiss on my cheek. "Maybe I'll come see you two in the city sometime."
I wasn't completely on board with this scenario yet, but my heart was already on a plane, flying to SMF International Airport.
She shepherded me to the door, reminding me to not send a bunch of people to be a nuisance and disrupt her organized chaos.
I gave her another hug, holding tighter this time. "It was great to see you, Mom." The word sprung from my lips and when I realized what I'd said, a sob cut through me.
She reached up and fixed my tie, her lips quivering. When she stepped back, she was beaming. "It's about time."
Chapter Eight
Melissa
I 'd given countless presentations before my colleagues and complete strangers, and I still got butterflies right before a pitch meeting. I threw back my bottle of water, running through the generic fact sheet about Kaleidoscope. We were far from the biggest firm in the Greater Sacramento area, but that gave us the flexibility to treat every client like a VIP. We'd helped clients weather all sorts of PR disasters, from product recalls to CEO gaffes. My team and I usually spent the days leading up to our first meeting with a new client researching and finding the right angle to help them see Kaleidoscope was the perfect fit. This client was a last-minute addition, a local CEO interested in media coaching.
I polished off my water and rose from my chair, smoothing my hair back and running my hands over my skirt.
"Ready to go?" Dad
Use.
She was holding me tight, not letting me go.
Not just Rose. Not just the foster parent that didn't send me away. She was the woman that chose to be my mother. The woman who saw past my scowls and fights at school and saw the cry for help. The kid that was just begging for someone to give a damn.
When I turned back to her, she lifted her fingers to my cheeks and smiled. I cleared my throat, standing up tall. "Allergies."
"They say it's especially terrible this year," she said with a sly grin. She pulled her cardigan close and worked her way towards the living room. "I know enough about all the ugly in the world to know something good when I see it. You're a good person, Logan. And I saw the way your face lit up when you talked about Melissa." She stopped in front of the mantle with a sigh. "I can still remember you walking through that door, so angry. So sure you didn't deserve anything good, or to be happy." She looked back at me, tears glittering in her eyes. "You know one of the last things Johnny said? 'Don't let Logan believe that it's okay to put love off. Love is worth more than all the riches in the world.'"
I loosened my tie, loneliness circling my heart. Tightening its hold on me. "I had love. I was the one that threw it away, because I was too stubborn to let go of my anger."
"And have you called her? Tried to make it right?"
She said it so simply. So casually.
"It's not that easy."
She looked puzzled, dusting her hands off. "I thought technology advanced over the years? Whole phone books in the palm of your hand." She gave me a stern look. "You still have her number? Call her up. Better yet, go to her. Don't live a life of regret, son. Life's too short for that nonsense." She moved back into the kitchen like she was on a mission. She pulled a cloudy-looking Tupperware container from her cabinet and went back to the table, putting the cookies inside.
"Cookies for later?"
"Cookies to go." She clicked it shut and held it out to me. "You came to see me for a kick in the rear, so here it goes. You can't wait for divine intervention. If you want love, if you want Melissa, go get her."
I couldn't help but laugh until I realized she was being dead serious. "Just like that, eh?"
"Just like that." She beckoned for me to lean down and planted a kiss on my cheek. "Maybe I'll come see you two in the city sometime."
I wasn't completely on board with this scenario yet, but my heart was already on a plane, flying to SMF International Airport.
She shepherded me to the door, reminding me to not send a bunch of people to be a nuisance and disrupt her organized chaos.
I gave her another hug, holding tighter this time. "It was great to see you, Mom." The word sprung from my lips and when I realized what I'd said, a sob cut through me.
She reached up and fixed my tie, her lips quivering. When she stepped back, she was beaming. "It's about time."
Chapter Eight
Melissa
I 'd given countless presentations before my colleagues and complete strangers, and I still got butterflies right before a pitch meeting. I threw back my bottle of water, running through the generic fact sheet about Kaleidoscope. We were far from the biggest firm in the Greater Sacramento area, but that gave us the flexibility to treat every client like a VIP. We'd helped clients weather all sorts of PR disasters, from product recalls to CEO gaffes. My team and I usually spent the days leading up to our first meeting with a new client researching and finding the right angle to help them see Kaleidoscope was the perfect fit. This client was a last-minute addition, a local CEO interested in media coaching.
I polished off my water and rose from my chair, smoothing my hair back and running my hands over my skirt.
"Ready to go?" Dad
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