“Oh, come off it, Mom. I love you and I know you love me, you and Dad both. In your own ways, you’re just trying to make sure I’m happy and taken care of. But I AM happy, much happier than I ever have been, and that’s because of Leah. I love her, she loves me, and that’s the way it’s gonna be. When you decide to stop showing off your money and status, stop pushing Victoria Jones on me, and act like the real human beings I know you and Dad can be, then we’ll be back. Until then?” He paused and then shrugged his shoulders. “I’m done.”
He didn’t say anything else then, just turned on his heel and tugged me with him towards the foyer.
“Ian Thomas Mitchell, how dare you speak to your mother like that!” she sputtered. “We’ve stood beside you when you’ve desecrated your body with all of those…those…things all over yourself. We put you through school, let you follow your dream to start your own construction company, even though your father wanted you to go into investments with him. We just want what’s best for you, and we don’t want you to have to work yourself to death in the process. And the whole thing with Victoria, well, you’ve been close friends for your whole lives, and it’s just been assumed that you’d end up together. She’s heartbroken that you refuse to go out with her any longer, especially now that Leah’s in the picture.”
She turned to me and her smile, though catty, was slightly less hackle-raising than usual. “Leah, I do apologize that we’ve made you uncomfortable. I’m sure you’re a lovely girl and all, it’s simply just a matter of differences. You understand, yes?”
I opened my mouth to reply, even though I was at a loss for words since she’d pretty much just told me I wasn’t good enough (in not so many words), but didn’t have to say a thing.
“And once again, Mother, you’ve just reaffirmed my decision. I hope that you and Dad will eventually come to your senses and get your noses out of the air.” He leaned in and kissed her cheek gently and swiftly. “Goodbye, Mother.”
And that was that. My heart ached for him, because he’d just essentially written his parents off because they were so…so…stuck up. There’s no other word for it. And I was the reason he did it.
For the first time ever in our relationship, I was second-guessing it. What kind of person would I be to allow myself to come between Ian and his family?
“Stop it.”
I blinked and turned my head to look at Ian. I’d been staring out the window, watching the scenery pass by as he drove us home.
“Stop what?” I asked, carefully.
“Stop overthinking what just happened. It’s not your fault.”
“But, Ian-”
“I’m not built like them, Leah. I’ve known it since I was young. You know it, too, and I hope you realize that I would never stand by and let someone continue to belittle you. And that’s what they’ve done since they met you. It’s been over a year, Leah. I let it go on for too long, and for that, I’m sorry.”
I sighed. “I know you’re not like that, Ian. I’ve told you before, I’m not sure how you turned out like you did being raised by them. But they’re your parents.”
He shrugged. “And you’re the woman I love. You’re the woman I want to spend the rest of my life with. They’ll come around eventually. If not? We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.”
We didn’t speak again until we got home, though he did reach over and take my hand, holding it for the rest of the drive. My cell rang as we got inside. I reached into my purse to grab it as Ian headed down the hall toward the bedroom.
“Hello?” I asked, answering without looking at the display.
“What are you doing?” Chloe asked me.
“Just got home from Ian’s parents’ house,” I told her.
“Oh. How’d that go?” she asked, and I could hear the sarcasm in her voice. She already knew the score on that front.
“Meh. About as well as you’d expect. Only this time? Let’s just say, I don’t think we’ll be going back there anytime soon.”