We had spent our entire lives in that house.
"So, what? I have to do what you say or you’re going to continue to hang this over my head?"
"No." He shook his head and straightened from the counter. He picked at an invisible piece of lint from his jacket, and I knew that he was all business now. "This will be the last time we speak of it."
I wanted to rage against him, to tell him that he had no right to do the things he said, but that wouldn’t get me anywhere. Because the truth was that my dad would find a way to take everything from me if that was what he wanted.
He had power and money, and I had neither of those things without him.
"You can either act like you belong to this family, or you cannot. That choice is completely up to you." What he said and what he meant were two different things. To act like I was a part of his family was to obey his every command. And I didn’t know if I could do that, but I couldn’t lose my mother’s house.
He had used this against me before, but I hadn’t believed he was truly capable. But with the way he stared at me now, I knew that he was. He was capable of anything.
The stupid charity gala that he wanted me to attend was this weekend, and I knew that I should just shut my mouth and attend like he wanted me to.
It was just an event, just my father proving who he was to these people, and I could handle one night. Even if I had to dress up and let him parade me around like I was his fucking princess daughter, I could handle it for one night if it meant getting him off my back.
"Fine. I’ll go to the gala and wear whatever Amelia deems appropriate for me." I couldn’t stop the sass in my voice. "Can I go to Allie’s now? I haven’t got to see her in days."
And I needed her.
I needed to get so far away from all of these people and just be with my girl.
With both of us being back in school and our new work schedules being only part-time, I felt like I never got to see her. I talked to her every single day, but it wasn’t enough. I needed to see my friend and have her help me straighten out what the hell was going through my head.
She was the only one who could.
"Fine, but I expect you to be back home tonight. Amelia will want to talk to you about your dress."
"Fine." I grabbed the keys off the counter and turned away from him before he could change his mind. "I’ll be back later."
I didn’t wait for him to respond as I headed out the door and climbed into my car. I tried not to think about my father or Lucas or Beck as I rolled down my window and blared music through my speakers.
I let memories of my mom cloud my thoughts as I drove down the street of pretentious houses and headed to the opposite side of town. I let myself remember her hair that was lighter than mine and the way her smile was lined with laugh lines.
Her memory wasn’t fading. I could imagine every part of her as if she was still right in front of me.
I could still smell her soft perfume and feel the softness of her skin.
Those memories crashed into me, and even though I hated thinking about them, I hated thinking about the fact that she was gone, I forced myself to go through the steps of remembering everything about her that I could.
Because I knew that one day those memories would slowly start to fade, and I would regret it. Even if it hurt right now, I knew I would regret it.
By the time I pulled up to Allie’s house, I felt lighter yet heavier at the exact same time. It was something that I couldn’t explain, the way thinking about my mom made me feel.
Allie ran out as soon as I pulled up and waved me inside. I had never been inside her house before. It had always been a simple pick-up or drop-off, and I found myself anxious to meet her parents.
She wrapped me in her arms as soon as I stepped out of the car. "It took you long enough."
"I know. My dad was riding my ass."
She made a face that told me she understood. She had let me vent about
my dad more times than I could count. "About what now?"
"Some dang gala he’s forcing me to go to."
"The Clermont Bay Helping Hands Gala?" She looked back at me as she led me toward her house.
"Yeah. Wait. Are you going?" Hope bloomed in my chest.
"I’ll be serving." She laughed. "I work the event every year."
"Ugh. I wish you could just go with me."
"Me too." She grinned. "The event is so glamorous. You’ll have fun."
"With my dad, stepmom, and Lucas?" I made a face, and she laughed again before pushing through the front door.
"Well, at least you’ll get to eat all the good food."
"That’s true." We walked into her house, and I was instantly bombarded with the smell of home. A real home.
"Mom!" Allie called for her mother, and a pang of jealousy or something that felt a lot like it hit my chest.
"In here."
I followed Allie through the small living room and into the kitchen. Her mom was stirring something on the stove and moving to the sound of music that played from the radio on the counter. Allie was a spitting image of her.
From her blonde hair and her eyes to the smile that lit up her entire face.
She looked over and saw me with Allie and immediately dropped her spoon into the pot. "Oh, hi." She turned toward me and wiped her hands down her jeans. "I’m Molly."
"I’m Josie. It’s nice to meet you." I took her hand in mine that she stretched toward me, and it was just as warm as I had expected.
"It’s nice to meet you too, Josie. Allie has told me a lot about you." She smiled, and I prayed that Allie hadn’t told her everything.
"I hope it was all good." I laughed, and I could have sworn her eyes twinkled.
"It is." She grinned. "But she leaves out all the juicy details. All she told me was that you’re dating that hunk Beck Clermont."
"Mom!" Allie looks like she’s about to kill her mother, but I couldn’t help but laugh.
"We are definitely not dating." We were so far from dating that I wouldn’t even know what to call us.
"Well, whatever you all call it these days. Allie never brings any boys home so I have to get my dating gossip from somewhere."
"I’m afraid my own dating gossip is rather boring." I set my keys down on the kitchen table and took a seat beside Allie as her mom moved to the fridge.
"Now I may be old, but I’m not that old. I know boys like Beck Clermont are nothing close to boring."
Allie put her head in her hands, but her mom was right. Beck was many things, but boring wasn’t one of them.
"Well, you’re right. He’s not boring. But he’s not really good either."
She pulled out a pitcher from the refrigerator, then closed the door with her hip. "They never are, sweetheart. But that’s what makes them fun. I had a thing for bad boys when I was your age too."
"Mom, that’s so embarrassing." Allie truly looked mortified that her mother was saying all of this in front of me, but I already loved her. "I don’t want to hear about you being with anybody other than Dad."
I couldn’t stop laughing at Allie’s reaction, but I had a feeling her mom was like this most of the time. Because even though Allie was embarrassed, she still couldn’t stop smiling at her mom.
"Who said anything about it not being your dad? Your dad was very bad when we were young." She wiggled her eyebrows.
"Oh my God." Allie covered her ears, and I looked up at a picture of her family on the wall. It was of Allie, her dad, and her mom, and I had never seen a more perfect-looking family. It wasn’t because of what they were wearing or how they were styled, they just looked so dang happy.
Her father was handsome and had dark brunet hair that was completely in contrast with her and her mother, but I couldn’t imagine him being a bad boy in high school. I can’t imagine him being anything like Beck.