Sinfully Beautiful.

Chapter Thirteen.

I could smell something cooking as we made our way through the large tile foyer. My mind had no doubt that my mother had hired help for this occasion, when in reality my brother and I were both happy with a sandwich and chips. My mother had no idea who either of us were anymore, which was sad because she used to be the exact same. All of this pretentious make believe show she puts on for everyone on the Upper East Side would have my father rolling in his grave.

I let my fingers trail along the large circular table in the center of the room, before I dropped my hand not wanting to have touched anything Maxwell once did. Cameron squeezed my hand as we walked through one of the openings in the house, one that led to the kitchen.

I was right when I saw four people in chefs aprons working tiredly around the stainless steel stove. "They're in the sitting room Ma'am" One of the chefs said to me, motioning to the room ahead. I smiled gently before dragging Cameron along behind me. "It'll be ok sweetheart" Cameron whispered in my ear as we rounded a corner and we both heard the annoying cackling laugh that belonged to my mother. I just nodded to him before letting out a deep sigh and waking into the lions den.

"Oh Avery darling you're here!" My mother said when we stepped into the room full of ugly white expensive furniture and fake flowers. Fake. That was the perfect word for everything having to do with the two of them. Fake flowers, fake smiles, fake compliments, there life was full of fake things that made me want to vomit on their overly white carpet. My mother's fake exuberance to me being here was no exception.

Cameron squeezed my hand tighter when he saw my mother rise from her seat across the room and make her way over to us. "And you brought your boss?" She asked looking with admiration at the tall man beside me. Her eyes were of course checking Cameron out from head to toe, but the twitch in her lip told me she was anything but happy he was here.

"I am more than just her boss Mrs.Preston" Cameron said removing his hand from mine to move it around my waist, pulling me closer to him. My mothers eyes went wide at the interaction, and they rested on Cameron's hand that was gently grazing my hip. "Well it seems Avery sure has a thing for the men she works for" She said with a sneer before walking away from the pair of us.

Ok that one stopped me in my tracks. I gently shoved Cameron away from me, suddenly overcome with confidence to stand up to my mother.

"Did you seriously just say that mother?" I asked taking a step closer to my mother who had turned her back to me. She turned around, the fake overly white smile never leaving her lips. "Avery dear, it was no secret you had a crush on Maxwell when you worked there, who could blame you" She said with a chuckle as she stood beside Maxwell who I saw was sitting in a armchair by the fireplace watching the interaction with both confusion and intrigue.

"I wouldn't willingly touch that man with a ten foot pole" I growled at her, crossing my arms across my chest. I wished nothing more than for Maxwell to look in another direction, feeling disgusting as he continued to look at me. My mother laughed loudly and kissed Maxwell on the mouth before taking the seat beside him.

"Please don't start this Avery, your brother just got here for Christ's sake!" She swore, reaching over and taking my stepfathers hand in hers.

"And maybe I should inform Tommy what he missed while he was gone!" I shouted. "Should I tell him that our stepfather shoved me against the window of his office and took what wasn't his? Should I tell him it lasted for years and I couldn't tell anyone because he threatened to kill me? How about the fact that our mother knew about it the entire time and the only thing she said was to stop my dramatics?! How could you mother?! How could you let this filth touch your little girl? let him force himself onto her and push her away when she came crying to you."