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“Yes, you are You’re my child, and you’ll do as I damn well say!”

Here we go again

My mother has been way too protective of me since all of what happened when I was a child I know shemother does, but this isto me where I live and whoht to order me home

“I’ other than Cindy’s graduation Once it’s over, I’ back here to be with Stryker”

“Over my dead body! What the hell kind of name is Stryker anyway?! Don’t test me, Coral Jane Harmon!”

“I’m not a child! This is e You can’t make life decisions like this for me I know my own heart I love him!”

“Love him? You don’t even know him!”

It’s sad, but I knew deep down that she’d react like this I just hoped I’d be able to tell her about Stryker face to face At least she’s not in ht now She wouldn’t hitto shake the love I have for him out of me

“I know hi each other since a couple of weeks after I got here”

“Oh, od,” She’s always this dramatic, has been most of my life It’s never really been all that easy to deal with She’s worse with me than she is with Cindy “He’s a dirty biker, Coral! After everything you went through at the hands of people like him”

“Mother, Stryker is a wonderful man You can’t tarnish him with the same brush as one monster You still talk to Shepard, and he’s a biker You don’t seem to have a problem with him Should I not date a white man because the man who hurt me hite?”

“Don’t be ridiculous”

“I’enuine question Just because Stryker is a biker,” Totally did not mean for that to rhyme “It doesn’t ood , he takes care of me I’ve never felt like this before I love him so much, and he loves me”

“I can’t even believe Shepard is okay with this”

She didn’t listen to a damn word I just said It’s been the same ever since I had my baby, my mother talks over me, down to me, she expects tooat all, she’s all up inme why she won’t allow it

Cole, she didn’t want s would happen to me I put my foot down and told her it was just a short visit I wanted to visit my old friends The short visit part was a lie, and I hated lying to her, but I can’t allow her to keep ruling my life What happened to me wasn’t my fault, I was a child, dammit!

“I’raduation”

“Like hell you are! Don’t you dare bring that man anywhere near Cindy, she doesn’t need to be subjected to those kinds of people I have workedthat man into our lives, and she never will be!”

“You can’t stopStryker We won’t stay with you, don’t worry, but I want hiive hiht Cindy and ht after Cindy’s party, and you won’t have to see us again if that’s what you want”

My hs heavily down the line “You do what you want, Coral, I clearly can't stop you But don’t co, and you end up hurt” I open my mouth to speak, but she’s already ended the call

She’s left me in a pool of frustrated tears, and all I want is to scream it all out of me I understand why she’s so upset with me, but this isto be scared of, she needs to let go a little and let me live my life the way I want to

Besides, I’ve already asked Stryker to coed I knew she wouldn’t want hi in her house, that’s why I booked us a hotel for two nights while we’re in California

We leave in a couple of hours I’ us to the airport Taking Stryker’s bike won't do us any good He’s not going to want to leave it at the airport until we get back

I check that I’ve got everything before grabbingto be dreading this four-hour flight because I knoill be waiting for me tomorrow, hell from my parent’s

Tank pulls up, and Stryker ju, dropping it in the trunk while I cliht Stryker would ride up front with Tank, but he jumps into the back beside me

“Everything okay?” He asks while reaching for ether I can only nod my head I don’t have the heart to tell him what my mother said in front of Tank

He doesn’t question me more he just chats aith Tank while I keep my eyes on the world outside My mother has made me feel awful, and I don’t want Stryker to be in the ht have on this trip

This trip is about raduate school with honors I always knew she would, Cindy is so smart, so beautiful, and I wouldn’t ht say

“Have a good trip Co Tank, one of the best friends I’ve ever had tightly He s brother to me, and I love him a lot

“Thanks, man” Stryker and Tank shake hands before Stryker takes h the airport

We’re checked in and boarded before I even know it When we take off, I’, but at least this time I have someone with me to take my mind off it When I flew to Tennessee, I was alone I hated it