Driving down the back roads of Manchester, New Hampshire, Gia felt as if she had never left.  She hadn’t decided if that was a good feeling or not.

Not all of her memories from home were bad ones.  In fact, she had a fairly happy childhood. 

She felt the warmth of Justin’s hand as he placed in on her thigh and she offered him a weak smile.

“This is where you grew up?”

“More or less.  I actually grew up in a small town about twenty minutes from here, this is the city.”  Gia genuinely smiled when Justin let out a laugh.

“City, huh?” He watched out the window for a minute, “So you were bored growing up, too.”

“I found ways to entertain myself, but this place didn’t offer much help.”

“That sounds really dirty to me.”  He grinned at her and she let out a chuckle.

“I’m beginning to think that my boyfriend is a genuine pervert…but I love you for it.”

Justin’s jaw hung open with his usual reply, but he stayed silent because she took the words out of his mouth.

“I figured we’d check into the hotel and hang out for a bit before meeting my sister for dinner.  She and her husband, James, wanted to take us out tonight.”  Gia glanced at Justin to see him nod in approval.

A little while later they had checked into their hotel and made their way up to their room.  Justin dropped their bags inside the door and ran over to the bed, jumping and landing on his stomach.

It wasn’t the most luxurious of places, but it was the best that New Hampshire could offer, and it would do just fine for the week.

“I certainly don’t miss living out of hotel rooms.”  Justin commented from the bed.  Jamie had brought her suitcase over to the corner and she grabbed some clothing to change into.  On her way past the bed, Justin shot an arm out and brought her down next to him.

“Hey Peaches, where you going?”  He nuzzled her neck with his nose before kissing the soft skin below her ear.  Gia squirmed a bit before turning and capturing his lips with her own.  He let out a small moan as she deepened the kiss and then pulled away.

“I want to take a shower before we head out for dinner.”  She kissed him again and then pushed herself up from the mattress and headed toward the bathroom.

Justin let out a deep breath and focused on anything but his mounting sexual frustration.  He had been trying really hard to take things slowly, but it was getting more difficult by the day. 

He listened as the water came on and Gia started singing a Stevie Wonder song.  He cringed a little at her rendition.  She could carry a tune if the radio was on, and she didn’t have too bad a voice, but on her own she was lacking.  Justin rolled over and grabbed the remote.  He turned on the local sports station and turned up the volume succeeding in drowning out her voice.

~*~

Dinner had gone well, and Justin had really enjoyed meeting Gia’s sister and Brother-in-law.  James was a big man, over six feet and almost 300 pounds of muscle.  He was a football player and an avid sports fan and the two men talked sports for most of the meal.

Gia’s sister was an older version of Gia.  She was a little shorter and a little rounder from having children, but she was just as pleasant and just as funny as her younger sister.  Justin had truly enjoyed getting to know this side of his girlfriend, and it was good to see her looking so comfortable and happy. 

At the end of the meal Justin and James had made plans for a tee time during the week and Justin was really looking forward to getting to know the man better and getting out on the greens.

Right now they were in the car headed toward Gia’s mother’s house and he could feel the tension coming off of the girl next to him.

“Does your mom know we’re coming?”  He needed something to break the silence or else he was going to go crazy.

“No,” She shook her head with her words.  “I didn’t think it would go over well if I called first to ask.  She’ll just have to be surprised.”

“Are you going to be OK?”

Gia turned to look at Justin before returning her gaze to the highway.  She took in a deep breath and let it out slowly before answering.  Her voice was slightly shaky as she spoke.

“I haven’t been back to this house for a long time, and it’s making me nervous.”  She licked her lips before continuing.  “She’s said a lot of things to hurt me in the past, and I’m afraid of what she’s going to tell me now…but I need to do this.”

She took in a shaky breath and stopped talking, her lips pinched together as she tried to stop the tears.  Justin reached over and took her hand in his, giving it a loving squeeze.

“I’m sorry I brought it up.  But when you’re ready to go, give me a sign and I’ll get you out of there, OK?”

She nodded quickly and the rest of the drive was made in relative silence.  Justin could still feel the nerves radiating off of Gia and it was making him uncomfortable, but he was determined to be strong for her.

They pulled off the highway and made their way down a winding back road.  A couple minutes later they were pulling into a long dirt driveway and toward Gia’s childhood home.  It was a small log cabin set in the middle of the woods.  There was an open driveway and a long stretch of yard behind the house where a shed and a dog kennel were sitting flanked by gardens.  It looked harmless enough, but the way Gia was staring out the window made it look like she was being forced into the Lion’s den.

He was the first to move, getting out of the car and going around to her door.  He opened it for her and helped her stand.  Justin pulled Gia into his arms and he kissed her temple before letting go. 

“You’ll be just fine.”

A sound behind them caused the couple to turn and a couple of dogs came rushing from the house toward them.  Gia managed a smile as the Labradors jumped around her.  She petted their ears and scratched their chins before looking up to see her mother standing on the front porch with a hard look on her face.

“Georgia.”  She stated with a coldness that gave both Justin and Gia the chills.  “What are you doing here?”

Gia took a few steps closer to the house before stopping and assuming a rigid stance.

“I have a few things I need to say to you.”  Her voice was filled with a strength that surprised even herself.  It was false advertising, because inside she was quickly turning to mush.

“I thought I made myself clear that I wanted nothing to do with you anymore.”  The older woman’s eyes flicked over to Justin before returning to Gia.  “And I don’t know why you brought him with you.”

Justin moved to step forward and speak but Gia stopped him with a look.

“He came because I wanted him to come, and you did make yourself clear, don’t worry.  After I say what I came to say you’ll never have to see me again.”

For a moment that seemed like says the two women stood locked in a battle of stares.  Gia’s mother was the first to break.

“You disgust me, you dirty tramp.  You think you have the right to come to my house and disturb my life?  As far as I’m concerned you’re dead, I can’t possibly imagine what you could have to say to me.”  The older woman spat out words that might as well have been laced with venom.  Gia watched Gia out of the corner of his eye and he could notice a slight tremble.  He just couldn’t decide if it were out of fear or anger.

“You were never a mother to me.” Gia’s voice was low, but her words were clear and powerful.  “I only ever wanted you to love me like a mother should love a daughter, but you were never capable of even that.  You made my life here hell.”

The young girl took a step closer to the porch before continuing her tirade.

“I watched you ruin a good man, I watched you break apart marriages, and I watched you serve yourself with no thought of anyone else.  You made me feel worthless; invisible.  I wanted to kill myself because I couldn’t get you to love me.  I hated you and I hated myself for it.”

Gia watched as her mother started to speak but she help up her hand to stop her.

“I’m not done yet.” She warned. “I didn’t come here to remind you of the hell you put me through.  I came here to tell you that I don’t care anymore.  Go ahead and write me off as dead, mother, because I don’t care.  I’ve made a life for myself, a good one.  I make good money, I have a job that I love, and I have a man in my life that I adore and he loves me.  And I did that all without you.”

“I’ll bet you made your life by whoring yourself out, like you always used to do as a child.”

“Oh shut up!”  Gia screamed, and her mother took a step backward in shock.

“Don’t you raise your voice to me-“

“I will do whatever I damn well please.”  Gia snapped back.  Justin placed a calming hand on her shoulder and she gave him a small glance that let him know she was appreciative.

“I should warn you, young man, my daughter is a lying tramp.”  Justin’s head snapped up and he looked at the woman on the porch.

“Don’t bring him into this.”

“Oh, you didn’t tell him, did you?”  A wicked smile crossed her features and she shot a look at Gia before continuing.  “She didn’t tell you that she seduced my ex-husband and drove him to leave me?  Oh, yes.  She was a little whore when she was younger and she ruined my marriage.”

Tears had started to run down Gia’s face and her hands were clenched in rage.  Justin looked at her in desperation, he didn’t know what he should do.

“That is not how it happened and you know it!”  Gia’s voice was thick with tears and her breathing was becoming erratic.  “Rick was my mother’s last husband.”

“And she seduced him into bed.”  The disgust was evident in her mother’s words, but Gia shook her head and let out a horrible sounding laugh.

“He raped me!” She screamed, “You left me alone with that man and he raped me.”

“Oh you asked for it, you slut.  Always walking around in those tight shirts and pants, he couldn’t help himself.”

“And she’s still defending him!  I can’t believe you.”  Gia choked for a normal breath of air.  Justin reached over and pulled her into him. 

“Hey, breathe with me, baby.  It’s ok.  She’s not worth this, Georgia, she’s not worth your time anymore.”  He spoke into her hair, leaving a kiss on her head.  Gia calmed down enough to look up at her mother and speak.

“It’s done, you get what you want.  As far as we’re both concerned, you only have two daughters and I certainly don’t have a mother anymore.  She died when I was young.”  Gia turned and Justin started to lead her back to the car.  She stopped and turned before adding, “And don’t you dare try and keep me from the rest of my family because they’ll turn on you too.  And that is not a threat, it’s a guarantee.”

Gia didn’t wait to hear a response.  Justin helped her into the passenger seat before running around and jumping behind the wheel.  He sped out of the driveway and headed in any direction that would get them as far away from that place as possible.  Gia had held herself together as long as she could, but now she was hysterically crying in the seat next to him and he feared another attack.

“Hey, Peaches, look at me.”  He pulled the car to the side of the road and waited for her to turn to him.  “I love you.” He stated strongly.

She hiccupped loudly and the tears didn’t stop rolling.  Justin pulled her across the seat and into his lap before kissing her face.

“You need to calm down baby, I need you to control your breathing, OK.”  She looked up at him with fearful watery eyes and he could read the apprehension on her face.  “I love you Gia, and nothing that woman can say will ever change how I feel.”

He pulled her closer and she leaned her head against his shoulder and focused on calming down.

It was over and she could focus on moving forward.  She just wished she could do it without all the pain.