Hurt Me Like You Mean It [BL]-Chapter 18: I’m divorcing your father

Chapter 18: Chapter 18: I’m divorcing your father
Lance’s heart dropped the moment those words left her mouth.
"Mom—wait, no.." he said quickly, sitting up straighter, his voice softer but rushed.
"Don’t say it like that. It’s not your fault. You did everything you could. I’m the one who handled things rashly"
Lexi shook her head, the guilt already settling deep into her expression. She reached for his hand and squeezed it.
"I should have been there.." she said quietly. "I should have known something was wrong the moment you started avoiding my calls. I should have pushed harder. I should have.."
"Mom," Lance interrupted gently. "Please stop blaming yourself."
She fell quiet, staring at him with that same motherly ache that always made him feel six years old again. Her thumb rubbed over his knuckles absentmindedly, like she had to reassure herself he was still sitting there.
"You went through all this alone," she whispered. "Debt collectors. Hospital bills. Pressure. And instead of asking me for help, you went straight to him. I guess I’m of no use too, I couldn’t pay the debt myself, I really did try. "
Lance swallowed hard. He didn’t know how to correct her when the truth was way worse than the lie.
"It wasn’t like that," he said weakly. "He offered before I even asked."
"That doesn’t make me feel better," Lexi replied immediately.
Lance sighed and leaned back against the couch, eyes drifting to the ceiling for a moment.
He felt exhausted to the bone.
Too many lies.
Too much fear.
Too much Ansel and Henry drama humming under his skin.
"I just... I didn’t want to stress you out," he said. "You already had enough to deal with."
Lexi scoffed softly, rolling her eyes like she wasn’t sure whether to hit him with a pillow or hug him to death.
"I’m your mother, Lance. Stressing out over you is literally in my job description. I worry because I love you. That’s never going to change."
Lance looked down, a faint warmth spreading through his chest that only made the guilt worse.
"I know," he murmured.
She studied him again. Her eyes softened when she took in how tired he looked.
How stiff.
How awkward his posture really was.
"How serious is this... boyfriend?" she asked, voice careful.
Lance’s soul nearly left his body.
"Uh—serious-ish?" he tried.
Lexi raised a brow.
"As in ’I’m buying you expensive clothes and giving you a lot of money’ serious? Or ’I’m using you’ serious?"
"Mom!" Lance groaned, covering his face.
"Well he could be charming," Lexi said simply. "Charming men with money can be the worst kind."
Lance felt a chill prickle the back of his neck.
Yeah.
He knew that firsthand.
"He’s... complicated," Lance said finally.
Lexi let out a slow breath, weighing that word.
"Complicated can be okay," she said. "But dangerous is not. If he hurts you in any way, emotionally, financially, physically, i want you to tell me. Immediately."
Lance nodded, even though the truth was far too twisted for anything that simple.
"I will," he lied gently.
Lexi squeezed his hand again, then finally leaned back into the couch, tired but calmer now that she had said her piece.
"Good," she said softly. "Because I can handle anything except losing you."
Lance’s throat tightened.
He smiled faintly, leaning his head against her shoulder.
"I’m not going anywhere," he said quietly.
But the thought slipped in anyway.
He wasn’t the one in control of that.
Not really.
"Well then, that’s settled. I have another confession to make."
-_-
Lance raised a brow, his mother had a very serious expression on her face and she was usually 90% goofy.
"Go for it. I’m sure I won’t be surprised by whatever you say.."
-_-
Lexi chuckled then leaned back on the couch, crossing her legs.
"I’m divorcing your father.."
-_-
Lance wasn’t surprised if he was married to his father, he’d want to divorce him too.
"What about custody for Lacey? You’re gonna leave her with Dad?" What about the house? What about Lev? I know he’s 19 but Dad’s always been his favorite."
Lexi sighed and shook her head "I don’t know. He may be your dad’s favorite but he’s not stupid.."
-_-
Lance nodded so the issue was custody for Lacey.
"You know Uncle Joe is a top lawyer, if Dad wants custody for Lacey he will get it.."
-_-
Lexi scoffed "Your father left a debt worth 450k on my head, he left the mortgage, Lacey’s and Lev’s tuition. He left it all on my head. I can’t take it anymore Lance, my job is on the line, it took me 20 years to become an attorney general, how can your father win custody? He won’t even smell it.."
-_-
Lance raised his hands in defeat, she was the top lawyer for the government after all.
"Alright, you’re the boss. If you need any help let me know. Now" Lance said standing up and heading to the kitchen space.
"Let’s see what you brought.."
Lexi stood up after him, she had made a few of his favorites and Lance loved meat.
"Hope you have clean dishes at least? You can’t get that lazy right?"
-_-
"Yes mum, I have clean dishes.."
Lance pulled open the cabinet to grab a plate, then paused.
He frowned.
Something didn’t feel... right.
He closed the cabinet slowly, turned around, and saw his mother leaning against the counter with one brow lifted, arms folded again.
She wasn’t looking at the dishes.
She was looking at him.
More specifically, the way he moved.
"Lance... why are you walking like that?"
Lance froze so fast he almost dropped the plate he had just taken out.
"What..like what?" he said, voice cracking in a way he immediately regretted.
Lexi narrowed her eyes.
"Like your back hurts. Or your legs. Or something hurts."
Lance felt every cell in his body scream panic.
He straightened too fast.
"Nope. Walking normally. Totally fine. Nothing hurts. Everything is good. Great, even."
Lexi tilted her head slightly, that slow, suspicious motherly tilt that said you can ’lie to the world, but not to me’
"Mhm," she hummed. "So... nothing happened? You didn’t get into an accident? You didn’t fall? Twist something?"
Lance’s eye twitched.
"No."
"Because you’re moving like someone beat you with a belt," she added casually as she sat down on the counter chair.
He set the plate down before he dropped it.
"MOM—"
"I’m just saying," Lexi continued, tapping her chin. "Your posture is weird. Your legs are stiff. And you keep wincing every time you bend..."