Forrest — Chapter 27 Mama

FORREST

I GOT back to the penthouse. My mother and Meadow were in the living room, engaged in a serious conversation.

“Mama, can we talk?” I threw Meadow a glare, hoping she would not try to be so dumb to not get the message. “Alone, please?”

Scowling, Meadow stomped upstairs. I sat beside Mama once Meadow was out of sight. I wrapped my arm around her and pulled her into my arms.

“How are you feeling?” I asked her when my anger wore off. I missed her terribly, but I couldn’t risk her being with me. I had to sacrifice something for us when in return, she would be safe.

“I’m good. You worry too much when I should be the one worrying about your suicide mission.”

I kissed the top of her head.

From the start, I knew she was right—it was a suicide, but I wanted answers. Once this was over, I knew everything we sacrificed for would pay off.

All I needed was closure and a new life.

After what happened to the last PI Alan and my mother hired, they decided it would be better if I would be far from the people I loved, still, the bastard never gave up looking for us.

When I stayed away from my mother, I thought I would have a good life, then something terrible happened almost three years ago. I found out he was a part of it. Whatever his reasons, I knew one of them was, he wanted to tie loose ends.

“He’s not gonna kill me, Mama. It’ll be just a business meeting.”

“What if he will recognize you? You share his blood, Forrest. Don’t be so stupid.”

“I’ll be fine, Mama. I need to start a new life or get back the life I left years ago. Don’t you want it? That finally, I can come back to England with you? With this kind of arrangement, I don’t think I can even start something new if I won’t face him. The world is getting smaller between us, and you know that. One day, eventually, we’ll cross paths. I can’t spend my days looking over my shoulder, scared that he might stab me from my back. I thought you want me to have a girlfriend, get married, and have a family?”

“Tell me about your plan with your so-called business meeting? Are you going to tell him who you are? Make a deal with the devil? What made you think he will hold at the end of the bargain, Forrest? The last time we checked, he was a canny and cutthroat bastard. He’s not going to change even he finds out who you are. Our lives will be in danger. We will be in great danger.”

“Only one way to find out. It’s been years. We can’t live every day with fear, Mama. I can’t do it anymore. Now I have the chance to face him, I won’t let our fears hold me back to stop whatever the grudge he’s holding against us. It has to end one way or another, or so help me God.”

Mama’s broken sobs ripped through her that tightened my chest, and it hurt a lot knowing she was worried about me. The urge to punch Alan had my body vibrated with anger.

“I promise I will come back to you in one piece. Just one last request, Mama. Then you can ask me whatever you want. I will do it in a heartbeat even if I have to marry someone to your choosing.”

Mama lifted her hazel eyes filled with unbridled torment mixed with excitement.

I wiped her cheeks dry. “I’m so sorry. Forgive me if I have to keep this from you.” I pulled her into a hug again. I was hurting her even though I was doing this for her as well. I knew she understood why I was doing all of these, but I was her son, and I knew how much she was terrified of losing me.

“You didn’t even introduce us.” Her words sliced my heart.

A sad smile curved up my lips. “Her name is Megan. I completely forgot and got too carried away to see you in my living room.” And I was embarrassed walking in your direction with a raging hard-on “Now that she ran away from me, I don’t think she wanna see me again.”

“I’m sorry if I have to bring Meadow with me.”

“There’s nothing to be sorry for, Mama. I don’t want you to travel alone either. As much as I dislike the idea of her waving the ring into my face, she’s the only person I can trust when it comes to you.”

“I happened to mention something about your last call. She still has feelings for you, Forrest.”

“It was her decisions, Mama.”

“I know. Hear me out first, honey. I can’t also force you to love her again. You two grew up together, and you can’t just forget those memories because of one mistake. What you had for her was just the love of a best friend, or maybe you loved her dearly, but that was in the past. You were still young when you wanted to get married. Now that you know what you want in your life, I won’t hold you back. I want you to follow what your heart dictates you, Forrest. You’ve been through hell. As your mum, and all I want is to see you happy. You deserve better. She might still love you, but one day, she will realize that you two don’t belong to each other.”

“Thank you.”

“So, it’s her then?”

I chuckled, feeling the emptiness in my chest. “I don’t think there’s it’s her then anymore.”

Mama slapped my thigh, making me hissed in pain. “What was that for?”

“I don’t see you as a quitter, Forrest. Remember your drawing? How many times did you try until you were satisfied? And you’ve been plotting this whole bloody thing of rubbish for years, and for a woman that you love, you would just quit easily?”

My tongue thickened in my mouth. “Love? Mama, I—”

“Fine, but you care about her. You’re not the kind of lad who will just bring any woman here. I know how important security and your identity to you, yet did not hesitate.”

“Mama, we didn’t even go out on a date.”

“Then ask her out. It’s not too late.”

“I don’t think she would say yes.”

“Stop being daft.” She rolled her eyes. “I didn’t raise you to give up. I may not know anything about this generation, but old ways are still a smart idea. How long have you known her?”

“Almost two years. Why?”

“So, you’ve known her that long and you never asked her out, why? How could you forget to mention her to me?”

My brows drew together in confusion. “I don’t understand.”

“Oh, you understand me just right.” She stood up. “Alan will be here shortly. And a little advice, young lad, you should tell her who you are before she runs away again. If she feels the same, she will accept you no matter who you are.”

I sighed. “Mama.”

“Listen to me, Ellery Forrest Keighley. I know, you are not living the life you want for years, I think it’s about time you tell your friends who you are because living a life in a shadow is not living a life at all. And I can’t wait to meet Megan.”