“You don’t get to talk to me like that,” my mother said.
“And you don’t get to talk to me like you are. I am your daughter, but I’m not a little girl. Nor am I a minor any longer. I’ve made my decision. I’ve been doing so for a while. You need to let me.”
“No, you’ve made your mistakes and are going to live with them.” My mother searched my face and snarled. “It’s a boy, isn’t it? It always comes back to a boy.” She glared at my father. “I swear, this is your fault. It’s always your fault.”
My dad threw up his hands, pushed back from the table, and stomped out of the room without another word—his usual modus operandi. My mother’s gaze turned to me again. Her eyes narrowed into slits. “Well, who is he?”
My heart thudded, and I swallowed hard. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“You were never a good liar. Is he the one putting these thoughts into your head? That he can be the one who makes all the money and takes care of you? Well, he’s wrong. Now, you listen to me. No matter how much money he makes, you have to do better. Because you are a woman. Everything you do will be twice as hard. He gets everything he wants just by existing, and he probably gets between your legs, as well.”
I blinked. “Excuse me?”
“Oh, don’t act all pure to me. We’ve never been a family who’s discussed purity as something important. We know sex is biological and needed for those who desire it. However, if you are going to waste your life for some boy, don’t come back here. You said your semester was hard? I bet it was because your attention was divided. First, you live in that house with those girls with no ambition. With little Corinne and her happy, lucky life where she’s never had to work a day for anything. And now you’re with some boy? What does he want from you? What are his ambitions? Where does he come from? Nobody. He’s probably nobody. If he was somebody, you would have introduced him to us or said something.”
I just shook my head. “I haven’t even told you if I’m dating someone. And from the way you’re speaking, I wouldn’t. It’s none of your business anyway.” I stood up and grabbed my purse. “I’m going. Goodbye, Mother.”
“No. You listen to me.”
“I don’t have to. Not tonight.”
“Fine, if that’s your parting shot, I’m going to take mine. Boys are nice, and they get the job done every once in a while, but know this… All of these plans you have for your life? It’s going to be hard. You think your little junior year is hard now? It’s a whole lot harder out of school, honey. We are just trying to help you here. But you’re throwing it back in our faces. You’re spending all your time with this boy. And your roommates. No wonder school is so hard for you. It shouldn’t be. This is your easy year. Next year will be just as hard. And you think you’re going to be able to do well on this scholarship and take classes? No, not with your attention divided like this. So, you think long and hard about what you want from your life. Because if you keep throwing back what we do to help you in our faces, we’re not going to be here when you fail. And you will fail. Spectacularly.”
This time, Mother took her martini and walked from the room, leaving me alone, with her having the last word.
I shook my head, my entire body quaking. Somehow, I made my way to my car.
I hadn’t even realized I was crying until I was halfway down the highway.
I saw that Dillon had texted again, just saying “good luck” and asking me to call him when I was done with dinner, but I didn’t say anything. I couldn’t.
Because no matter how pushy my mother could be, she was right. This semester had been harder than it should have been because I spent more time with Dillon than I had planned.
As I’d said before, I hadn’t planned on Dillon Connolly.
And now I was afraid that with me spending so much time with him, maybe I was standing in my way. I could push my parents away. I could make my own decisions, but what would happen if those decisions were wrong?
What happened if I stood up for myself? And if Dillon was by my side when I did so?
Chapter 13
Dillon
I looked down at my phone and frowned. Elise still hadn’t texted me back to tell me how her dinner had gone with her parents, and I was getting a little worried. I knew she was busy and had classes and friends and a life outside of me, but, somehow, I’d turned into a stage-four clinger.
Or maybe that wasn’t right. I just wanted to know how she was. I knew it would be a big dinner, one where she made sure her parents understood what she wanted for her future. I hated that I couldn’t be there for her, but neither of us was ready for that part of our relationship, and me being there would only be a hindrance. That wasn’t what tonight was about. I wasn’t the center of attention. And I was fine with that.
I just wanted to know how she was doing.
And I wasn’t about to text her for the third time just to ask.
I would only be invading her space and annoying the fuck out of her. Of course, if she didn’t text me back by the end of my shift, I would either have to text one of her roommates or stop at her house on my way home. I needed to make sure she was safe. She didn’t need to talk to me, but I had to make sure she was okay.
And, unbeknownst to me, I was in a full-on relationship.
“That is the fifth time you’ve looked at your phone. Girl troubles?”
I looked over at Aiden and shrugged. “I don’t think so.”
My brother winced. “That’s never a good sign if you have to qualify it.”
“I’m pretty sure I said that phrase to you at some point.”
My happily married brother just smiled a little evilly. “It’s the truth. You helped me out of a sticky situation when it came to Sierra. I guess it’s my turn.”
I gave Aiden a look. “I don’t know if I want your advice. Sometimes, you’re a little scary.”
“You’re lucky I like you, kid, and we’re in public, or I’d slap the crap out of you.”
“You’re so nice,” I said, and Aiden just snorted.
“I’m not trying to be nice. I never try to be nice.”
“Well, that’s the truth,” I said dryly.
“You’re such a dick sometimes. It’s like you’re my brother or something.”
That warmed me, and I couldn’t help but give him a sloppy smile. Aiden rolled his eyes but smiled right back. We had been doing good at this whole brother thing for a while now, even though we weren’t that new at it. Every once in a while, though, I was reminded of the fact that I hadn’t been raised with them. I didn’t share in their stories from their time growing up, nor did I have the connections and memories the others did. But they were so good at making sure I was part of everything now. I didn’t feel the lack. Even though I could’ve easily let myself do so. My brothers were good men and took care of me.
Aiden’s eyes narrowed, and he tilted his head as he studied me. “Is there a reason you’re looking at me like that? Do I have something on my face?”