I stood there, totally speechless at the person standing in front of me. At first, I couldn't feel anything except Kevin's concerned eyes burning a hole in my back; I was just too shocked. Then, the anger kicked in the second they opened their greedy little mouth.

"Hi." was all it took to set me off. I tried hard to hold it back a little.

"What the Hell do you think you're doing!?" I yelled. So much for holding back.

"I was - I just -"

I dug my fingernails in my clenched fists. "Did the fact that I hung up the phone on you mean anything?"

I felt Kevin move closer.

"Just try to understand -"

"Understand?" I think I sounded a bit hysterical. Kevin touched my arm, but I didn't turn back. I couldn't move.

"What's going on here?" he asked.

"Nothing. Just some selfish, scared twit trying to redeem herself." I said flatly.

"Is that any way to talk to your -"

"Don't you dare think you can call yourself that."

Kevin intervened again. "Who is this?" he whispered.

"I'm Elizabeth Rollins." she said to Kevin.

"Oh, so you found something else to marry you? Livestock perhaps?" I sneered. Her cold blue eyes burned into me.

"You are one rude little girl, you know that?" she said just as rudely back.

"Well you would know if you would've stuck around." I said. "And I stopped being a little girl a long time ago. Something else you would've known."

"Who-" Kevin started.

With my lack of patience currently, I snapped, "My so-called Mother."

I could only imagine the look on his face. He thought my mom was dead, since that's what I told him.

"I thought she died in a car crash..." he said, and I could tell by his tone just how confused he was.

"You said I was dead?" Elizabeth said, obviously insulted.

"I guess I forgot to put 'wish' in that sentence." I had so much suppressed rage from this woman ever since she left my Dad and me a few years back. Ayden was already off to college, so it didn't affect him quite so much.

"Oh please! You don't want me dead." she said.

"Psh. Like you know anything about what I want."

She stepped out of the doorway and slammed the door. She was tall and had brown hair, exactly like mine, that fell to her shoulders. Her blue eyes definitely weren't welcoming and she could really be a scary woman.

Unless you were like me, who knew that she couldn't hurt anything. Not physically anyway.

She walked right up to me, putting her manicured hands on both of my shoulders, and she tried to put on her 'Mom' face. You know, the one that says I love you and I feel your pain.

Which is complete BS.

"Don't touch me!" I said defensively.

"You have your Dad's eyes." she said, avoiding my remark. "And his nose. But other than that, you're me."

"Oh for the love of God! I am not you! I might have your chin or your ears, but I will never be you." I felt like crying, but I couldn't. Nothing came out except my words of hate.

I think I hit a nerve on her, because she swallowed hard as she said, "I didn't mean to hurt you."

"Well you did! You know how terrible I felt having Dad look at me every day knowing that every time he did, all he saw was the woman he loved that left him when she got a little scared?" Talking about my dad put new knots in my stomach.

A single tear streamed down her flawless face. She shook the bangs from her eyes. "I'm sorry."

"I don't forgive you." I said. I knew I was coming off cold and calloused, but she didn't even deserve what I was giving her.

"I know." was all she said. Kevin stood far off in the background now, and watched with a worried/confused look on his face.

"How did you know where I was? Actually, where'd you get my number too?" I asked.

"Ayden." Some brother. First my ex-boyfriend, now my ex-mother...

"Leave. Please." I begged through my gritted teeth.

"Just let me-"

"Please." This time my voice broke. I fought tears stinging my eyes.

She did a small smile and said, "Goodbye." My least favorite word in the world. Even coming from her.

She walked out and I immediately wanted to break down.

Kevin, sensing exactly how I felt, went over to me and wrapped his arms around me, pulling me close to his chest.
I buried my face in his chest and broke down right there. My body shook furiously and I was definitely not at my best.
But Kevin would kiss the top of my head and whisper 'It's okay' and 'I know' when I said something totally incoherent. He didn't run off or freak out when I was about as low as he'd ever see me...if I could help it.

And at that moment, even though I wasn't exactly emotionally sane, Kevin was the one that I chose.