AUTHOR’S POV
Sydney and Gabriel landed in Arizona before midnight. They hailed a taxi to the Morgans. Thirty minutes later, Sydney stood by the front door of the home she’d spent her treacherous childhood in with a man who wasn’t her husband by her side. Her stomach was suddenly grumbling. She hoped Caleb was miles away from Arizona on a business trip.
Releasing a breath, she turned to Gabriel and looked at him with grateful eyes. “You’ve done enough for me, Gabriel.”
“I could do more,” he replied.
She stretched out a hand to silence him. “It’s been a long day. You need to rest.” She reached into her purse. “I’ll pay for you to sleep in a hotel tonight.”
He watched her as she searched her purse. He understood she didn’t like being helped or assisted with something, but he knew that wasn’t the reason she wanted him away. He was just some strange man she’d met in the worst circumstances. He wasn’t her husband. He wasn’t the man who made her heart skip a beat.
Sydney raised a bundle of dollars to him and enunciated, “There’s a hotel a few blocks down.”
“I know where the hotel is,” he cut her off. “I didn’t do you a favor you need to repay me for. I can afford a room in a hotel for a night; thank you for the offer.”
Her face sagged, and she quickly corrected, “I didn’t mean you couldn’t afford a hotel, Gabriel.”
His lips curved, and he held her shoulder, squeezing it softly. “I know you didn’t. Relax.”
She stared at him, her eyes searching. If Caleb sees them in this position, even though it’s not contradicting, he would surely put up a show. Gabriel was a nice man, but she didn’t want to feel indebted to him.
She moved back slightly, and his hand slipped off her shoulder. “You should go, Gabriel; it’s running quite late.”
“I’ll leave when I see you get in,” he said firmly.
If he’d leave, she was going to stand by the door for half an hour trying to come up with thousands of ways she could explain to her father the scandal was false. His last call with her was enough warning he didn’t want to see or have anything to do with her again.
Sydney looked at Gabriel, who was staring at her attentively before she entered the house. Anita was walking into the living room holding a tray of Ashley’s favorite Sesame cookies. She saw Sydney and quickly dropped the tray on a table in the middle of the living room before embracing her in a sisterly hug.
“It’s been forever,” Anita affirmed affectionately.
Sydney chuckled fakely. “We spent New Year’s together.”
Anita pulled away and analyzed Sydney’s face. Her smile fell flat as she saw the dark lines and stress marks on her sister’s face. She looked like she had lost 30 pounds since New Year’s, and considering she was pregnant now, so long ago, it was concerning.
“You look like someone with AIDS, Sydney. What the hell happened to you?” Anita wasn’t one to hide her mouth.
She was Sydney’s sister, but Sydney never felt like they shared the normal sisterly bond other sisters shared. Anita was perfect, flawless, and infallible, while she was an embarrassment, a mistake, and a waste of c**dom like Caleb continuously told them. It was the anthem every goddamn day. Sydney believed his words; she lived by them, and that’s why she couldn’t look into her sister’s eyes without seeing how perfect she could never be, no matter how much she tried.
She moved past Anita, walking further into the house. “Where’s mum? Maya said she’s sick.”
“There’s a trace of disdain in Anita’s voice when she answered, “Upstairs, in her room. She’s sleeping- Who’s that on the front porch?”
Sydney turned to see Anita staring through the translucent glass by the sides of the door. Why hasn’t Gabriel left yet?
“It’s, Um… no one, Anita.” Sydney immediately regretted her words. Anita was as sharp as the top of a knife. She looked at Sydney with her mouth curved into an O. “You shouldn’t leave your guest outside.”
She looked back at Gabriel. “Although, he looks familiar… Like some guy I saw on a vacation in Britain with Mark…”
“I’ll tell him to leave, Anita,” Sydney said tensely.
Anita waved her off quickly, a reprimanding look on her face. “You should never treat a guest like that. I’ll invite him in.”
“Anita, please-” But Anita had already opened the door.
Anita smiled widely and talked with Gabriel, offering a handshake. Gabriel accepted the gesture and looked at Sydney, who was scowling at him.
Maya came running down the stairs, stopping by the second step when she saw Sydney. The fragile girl looked scared to death.
“Miss Morgan, you are here? Madam Ashley would like to see you.”
Sydney looked at Amaya, her brows furrowed in concern. “What’s wrong, Maya? Did anything happen to my mother?”
Amaya breathed, “Madam Ashley would like to see you.”
The tone in Amaya’s voice was enough to make Sydney’s heart race. She quickly followed Amaya to Ashley’s room.
Ashley was sitting on her bed when Sydney entered the room with Amaya. Her eyes gleamed with happiness seeing Sydney, but she was too weak to move.
Sydney’s eyes moistened seeing her mother. She had missed her far more than she imagined. She went to her and sat next to her, her eyes scanning Ashley’s face with happiness.
“I didn’t even realize how much I’ve missed you.”
She straightened her mother’s hair affectionately and kissed her cheek. Strands of Ashley’s hair pulled out as Sydney took her hand away.
Ashley smiled feebly, “I’ve missed you too, Syd.”
She winced slightly as she adjusted her position.
Sydney frowned, seeing the struggle in Ashley’s face. Ashley wasn’t even fifty yet, and she seemed so worn out.
Sydney expressed her worry, “Are you okay? Maya said you are sick.”
She looked at Maya, who wanted to cry. “Right?” Maya nodded a response.
The silence in the eerie silence made Sydney restless. “What’s wrong? What aren’t you guys telling me?”
Sydney looked between both of them. Ashley managed to raise her hand to touch Sydney’s shoulder.
Sydney saw her mother’s lean wrist peeking from the long-sleeved shirt she was wearing.
“Don’t worry about me, it’s just a mild sickness.”
Sydney’s eyes widened with worry. “What are you saying, mommy? Look at your hands, you are lean.”
“I haven’t been eating well for some days; it’s nothing, baby. Calm down.”
Sydney couldn’t calm down. Now, she could see the discoloration on Ashley’s face; her hair looked scanty, her lips looked extremely dry, and her eyes were almost popping out of her sockets.
Sydney panicked and got up, looking at Amaya. “What’s wrong with my mother?”
Amaya was ready to speak, but Ashley cut her off.
“It’s just cold, Sydney. I’m fine. I’m going to be all right.”
Sydney couldn’t shake off the feeling that something was seriously wrong.
“That’s what you always say. I’m fine! I’ll heal! You are not fine. You are not well, I can see it. Cold doesn’t make someone look half-dead. For Ch**st sake, can someone explain to me what’s going on?”
“If it so pleases you to know, your mother has cancer.”
Sydney froze with fear, looking at Ashley as tears made their way down her eyes. Caleb made his way to her; he grabbed her by the hair and drew her head backward so she could see his lethal eyes.
“I’m glad you received my invitation.”