Total pages in book: 139
Estimated words: 130380 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 652(@200wpm)___ 522(@250wpm)___ 435(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 130380 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 652(@200wpm)___ 522(@250wpm)___ 435(@300wpm)
“I didn’t curse at you, I cursed to you.”
I heard her going off on the other end, but it was softer now, the sound far away as if in a cave that I was only catching the echo of. You worry us to death, Mary. I don’t understand why you won’t just come back home. Or go to college, for goodness’ sake. You won’t let us help, you won’t—
It sounded like a hand was smothered over the phone, and then after a long pause of silence, the sound cleared, and a deep voice bellowed my name.
“Hey, Mare Bear.”
I almost cried at the sound of my father’s voice. “Hey, Dad. I’m sorry about the card. I’ll pay it as soon as I get home, I’m on my way now.”
“It’s all good, I already took care of it.”
My neck heated. “You didn’t have to do that.”
“You’re our daughter, we’re supposed to take care of you.”
I ignored the sting in my chest. “I’ll wire you tonight. Just tell me what the overdue fee was.”
“I’ll send it right back if you even try.”
“I don’t need your money, Dad.”
“Hey, I’m not asking for anything in return.”
He shot the words out like he knew that’s why I was insistent, and I couldn’t even lie and say it wasn’t. Last time I’d asked for their help, they’d offered it along with a set of conditions — move back home, get a regular job, enroll in college, get my life together. I’d expected it from Mom, but with Dad… it hurt.
“Are you going to come home to visit anytime soon? Your mother and I miss you.”
I snorted. “I highly doubt she misses anything about me.”
When he didn’t respond, I sighed.
“Maybe you and I could grab lunch this week. I can come downtown to the office? We haven’t had your favorite Thai place in a while.”
“Okay,” Dad said after a pause, and I heard the hurt in his voice, how he wished things were different between me and Mom.
He wasn’t the only one.
“I’ll have Matthew join us, too. He’s doing big things, just closed a deal on an e-commerce app that we were in a head-to-head battle over.”
The first genuine smile of the day found my lips then. “That’s my big bro.”
I could tell Dad was smiling, too, even though I couldn’t see him. “He’ll be excited to see you.”
My heart ached, wondering for a split second if I should have followed in my brother’s footsteps, if I should have joined the family company right under him and Dad. I could have been finishing up my degree this year, just twelve months away from a six-figure salary that would only exponentially grow.
But the thought didn’t even have time to stick before my creative energy was beating it right out of me.
I would have been miserable.
The truth was, I’d rather be broke and doing what I love than rich in some passionless job.
Of course, after tonight, I had a sinking feeling in my gut that the last year of my life might have been wasted on a man who wanted to fuck me more than he wanted to help me make a career.
My mood depleted again as I turned onto our street, and when I saw cars lining both sides of The Pit and lights flashing from our living room, I groaned.
A fucking party.
Great.
“I gotta go, Dad. I’ll text you about lunch.”
“We love you, Mare Bear.”
“Love you, too. And… thank you,” I said sincerely. “For the card thing. It won’t happen again.”
“No sweat,” he said, and I knew for him it wasn’t. Even with the overdue charges, my bet was that bill couldn’t have been more than a few hundred bucks. My dad spent more than that on dinner most days of the week.
I parked at my old house, casting a forlorn look at it and wishing more than I had in the last six weeks that I could just open the door, climb the stairs to my room, pack a bowl, and be alone.
Instead, I dragged my feet across the street to The Pit.
Mary
No one noticed me when I walked through the door.
Not that that surprised me, considering half the cheerleading team was there as well as a dozen or so sorority sisters. I spotted Kyle and Braden in the kitchen lining up shots with a group of girls gathered around them, and while a lot of the team was there, I noticed Zeke and Clay weren’t, which meant Riley and Giana wouldn’t be either.
As much as I loved those girls, I was glad I didn’t have to put on a happy face and pretend I wanted to party when it was the absolute last thing on my mind. Thank God they both had boyfriends they were obsessed with.
I weaved through the crowd up to my room, smiling when I found Palico curled into a ball on the clothes I’d left on my bed.