Series: Webs We Weave Series by Krista Ritchie
Total pages in book: 167
Estimated words: 162520 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 813(@200wpm)___ 650(@250wpm)___ 542(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 162520 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 813(@200wpm)___ 650(@250wpm)___ 542(@300wpm)
The only comfort of starting over was starting over with them.
The sound of gravel catches all our attention and jolts us apart. My heart lurches until I recognize the convertible pulling into the driveway.
“What is she doing here?” Oliver frowns.
The woman who raised us, birthed us, made us who we are, exits the driver’s side door.
“I invited her.” Nova removes a pack of matches from his pocket.
My stomach twists painfully, especially when I see Addison in the passenger seat and Everett sitting in the back. There’s only one reason I can think of for Nova to call her. He’s going to leave with them—he’s going to choose to keep grifting. But it wouldn’t make any sense. He can barely call Elizabeth Mom.
Oliver’s face collapses. “Nov, you didn’t want us here, but you invited her?” He shakes his head in confusion.
Nova nods. “To say goodbye. They’re leaving town. She texted me this morning.”
“They’re leaving?” My stomach doesn’t unsettle. Why? Shouldn’t I be happy that they’re going away?
Our mom comes closer, golden-blonde hair tucked back into a claw clip, strands hanging delicately over her face, and she pulls off her Louboutin red-bottom heels when she approaches the grass and walks barefoot until she’s across from us.
Her eyes flit to each of us, emotion pooling in this silent moment. “Sweet spiders,” she says into a staggered exhale.
This is goodbye? My heart throbs. My head fogs. “The job isn’t done,” I blurt out. “You can’t leave.” Why does this hurt? This shouldn’t hurt. I’ve barely seen her this summer anyway.
Is it because her departure feels more permanent? How many times has she ever returned to the same alias after leaving a job for good?
Never.
“My part is done, bug.” Her eyes glass. “It’s time for us to go.”
“But if we have the money…” I think about the Wolfe fortune. “You three don’t need to keep going. You can settle down. You can retire…” My voice trails off at the look in her eyes. Disappointment like I’d forgotten who and what they are.
“Phoebe, we don’t only do this for the money. You know that.”
My heart caves.
Oliver smiles weakly. “Sticking it to the man?”
“That’s Addy’s mantra,” she says. “And I will go where she goes. But you can’t beat the lifestyle.”
“The money doesn’t hurt,” Nova says.
She smiles. “It never does.” Her gaze returns to me, her expression softening. “Hold tight to Rocky, bug. I’ve always loved that you had him.” I know. “You have what I never found in a man. Love that you can always trust. I never wanted your life to completely mirror mine. I’m so glad it hasn’t.” It crashes into me—that all the times she wanted me with Rocky, it’d been in hopes I’d turn out different from her.
Hot film burns my eyes.
She tells us, “I respect what you built here, and we’re not going to mess it up for you kids. This life…it’s yours.”
“You’re releasing us,” Nova says in realization.
Tears well up in her eyes. “As much as a mother can, spider.” She pulls a pair of sunglasses from her coat pocket and puts them on, hiding her emotion quickly. “Well, we had a good run. Nova. Oliver…” Her gaze lands on me. My name can’t get past her lips because her chin starts quivering.
We immediately close the distance between each other until we’re in a tight hug. My body shudders. She’s leaving for good.
All the pain.
All the betrayal.
It fades away in this moment to make way for new beginnings. She kisses the side of my head, her voice full of honey-sweet velvet, like those summer days when I was six, seven, eight. I’m just a little girl wanting her mom to think she’s the bravest, most beautiful thing in the world.
“Phoebe,” she says. “I love you so much.”
I believe her.
I hear the flick of a match and feel the heat of a fire behind me as flames eat away at the painting.
“Mom…” My voice cracks. “I love you, too.”
* * *
—
Nova, Oliver, and I drive back to Victoria, our luggage from Stonehaven crammed into the trunk. We’re all moving into the Koning house (Jake’s side) while lawyers go over the Wolfe trust and settle the inheritance of the estate.
Nova makes a detour down Main Street before we head to Jake’s. It takes him twenty minutes to find a parking spot, all the lots full today. He’s been grumbling curse words about shitty parking jobs and looks like he wants to key an Aston Martin that took up two spaces.
When we’re finally parked, I shut the car door with a thump and put my hand over my eyes to block the bright midday sun. “Did we miss the ceremony?”
Oliver’s on his phone. “Nah. Hailey says it won’t start for another five minutes. She’s at the fountain if you want to see her.”
Yes, very much. But a wave of guilt assaults me when I see Oliver’s shoulders slump. He puts his phone back in his pocket and tries to fake a smile. But I can see the truth…