by Nora Cobb
Dad frowns as if he thinks he’s been too rash, and he places his hand on Dom’s shoulder. “It’s all right, son. You know you’re welcome here.”
Holy fuck.
Silas sits up straight, and his eyes narrow on the melodrama unfolding before him. Silas won’t be overshadowed when he’s in the room. Acting isn’t just a skill for the stage. He stands up and walks over to Dad with a confident stride. Silas extends his hand, and Dad lifts his hand off Dom’s shoulder to shake it.
“Mr. Saunders, I don’t think we’ve met.”
“I think we may have once before.” Dad screws up his face while he thinks. “You took Vicki out a few times. Hanging in there at Redwood?”
Silas smiles with a cool charm as his teeth flash. “It’s the end of the year, Mr. Saunders, and things are getting crazy.”
Dad chuckles. “Call me Greg. You’re a friend of Vicki’s. We don’t need to be so formal.”
Silas has a smug look on his face as he lines up for the shot. “We’re dating, Greg.”
That manipulative fucker. Silas glances over at me adoringly like he’s the only one that matters in my life. Gasping, my mouth opens, and I want to shout the truth. He dumped me when I couldn’t walk the walk and ended up faceplanted on the ground. I wasn’t Hollywood girlfriend material for Mr. Movie Star. But I don’t have time to think of a comeback. Chase is on his feet and heading for Dad.
“Is it okay if I call you Greg?” Chase has this look on his somber face like he’s auditioning for Annie the Musical. All he needs is a curly wig and a bowl of gruel, the sneaky bastard. He rarely shows his true emotions, preferring to keep them secure behind his mask.
Dad lets go of Silas’ hand and takes Chase’s in a firm hold. “Of course. I remember you, Chase. From the hospital when Vicki was hurt.” There’s an awkward pause as Dad makes a decision he’s not sure about. “She told me about your parents. You can spend some time here.” Dad glances at Chase’s bags. “There’s plenty of room.”
I groan, and they all look at me as if I’m the one being overdramatic. I lift my index finger into the air and wave it like I have superpowers. “You aren’t playing my daddy.”
“Vicki?” Dad frowns, but I’m not letting this go on for a second longer.
I don’t care if everyone is mad at me. I’m speaking the truth with a sharp tongue that I may regret later. I have regrets, so here goes one more.
“I’m dating all three of them, and they’re messing with you, Daddy.”
Dad pulls his hand out of Chase’s as if it burns like lit charcoal. Dad’s face loses the soft expression of concern as he looks at each of them one by one. Fool him once and you better run. Dad switches on businessman mode as he reassesses the situation. He takes a step back, and I realize with a start that I’m in range. I panic and try to get my footing back on the high road.
“It’s time for us to put away the petty bullshit,” I tell the boys, “and work toward our future together.”
Maybe I shouldn’t have said that, but I’m tired of pretending I can’t make up my mind when I know what I want. If they hadn’t bullied me, I might not have noticed all three of them. If I hadn’t challenged Silas, maybe I would’ve dated Dom. If Chase hadn’t lip-synced with me, maybe I would have been with Silas. They wanted me, and now, I want it all. I want everything to work out in my life, so I can have the reward.
“What do you mean by ‘our future together,’ Vicki?” Dad asks calmly.
I swallow as my bravado quickly dissipates into the stillness of the room. At first, Dad wasn’t thrilled about Troy’s personal life choice, but he came around when he saw how much Natalie grounded Troy. And when Rory was born, he lost his heart to that cute little baby—his first grandchild. The DNA test confirmed it. But he may not be okay with that choice again, and it doesn’t look like I have a lot of support. Silas’ lips are pressed into a thin line. Dom’s face is flushed as he glares at me. And Chase has that blank expression that masks his turmoil completely.
I start second guessing myself. “People know our secrets and they want to own us. I want to graduate, but a lot of shit is happening.”
Dad points me toward the couch, and I sit down on the farthest end. Everyone is seated around the living room except for Dad. He stands above us as we look in all directions. But when he speaks, all eyes go to him.
“You are children playing with matches in a room full of gasoline!” His voice is hard and demanding. “You think you’re adults because you’re doing all the things adults do, except thinking. You’re going to take down that school and yourselves along with it, trying to handle a situation that is out of control. I want all of the truth. Even the stuff you haven’t told one another. I’m not hearing about it on the news.”
Dom speaks up first. “Chase’s parents are going to jail because they sell porn.”
“You SOB,” snarls Chase, “What about your dad? He’s the one buying it, you prick.”
Silas crosses his legs and starts chuckling as their argument escalates into name calling. Silas makes eye contact with me and winks. Dad made a deep speech that should have shaken up and dragged us down the right path. Nope. Instead they’re acting like the children, which he called us out on. I’m burning up and seething all the way to my core. How dare Silas play innocent? But we can’t tell everything, and he obviously won’t, but someone tells too much.
“How did this girl find out?” Dad asks.
The arguing abruptly stops as Dom and Chase look in every direction but mine. Dad is far from stupid, and he’s known me since birth. With a hard look on his face, he looks directly at me. Dad doesn’t bother to ask the question a second time.
“I told her because of Luna,” I reply, sinking into the chair.
“Well, you shouldn’t have,” Dad answers. I stare back at him, and no one dares to say anything. It’s the first time someone has told me I was wrong for telling. I slump down farther and hold my arms. I’m too ashamed to look up.
“It wasn’t her fault,” says Silas. “People spread gossip around the school. I know firsthand. If you trust the wrong person, you’re screwed. People are always pretending to be a friend so you’ll talk to them.”
Dad lets out a ragged sigh of frustration. His face is drawn, and he’s visibly shaking. He holds his hands in tight fists that turn his skin white. “None of you understand how things are done in business. There are other ways to expose a problem without taking down all the people surrounding it. I want to talk to Vicki alone. Chase, there’s a guest bedroom off the basement, and the two of you should go back to school.”
“I’m going to head back to class with them.” Chase follows Silas and Dom to the door. He gives me an apologetic look for leaving, but I understand why. Dad is rarely like this, and they are making it worse. Just like Dad said, we’re kids with matches in a room full of gasoline. And now, Dad’s preparing to put out our fire. I watch the door shut and wish I was on the other side.
“Vicki, what the hell is going on with you?” Dad explodes the second we’re alone. His hands clenching and unclenching in frustration. “I told you to stop with this destructive nonsense. Those boys are insane. What are you doing?”
My mouth drops open because Dad has never yelled at me like this before. Not in furious anger, not in a rage, maybe to warn me, or in exasperation, but his eyes narrow as he shows his teeth, and I’m actually terrified.
“It’s not our fault.” My voice is an unconvincing whine.
“Oh God, not that old song again,” he shakes his head. “It’s everyone’s fault. Even the person who watches. Everyone makes choices, and there are moments when the smart choice is to walk away, but you run right for it.”
I back away, keeping my eyes on him. “We’re friends, and they’re loyal. I don’t abandon people when their lives implode then explode. If people were perfect and expected me to be the same, I’d have no friends.”
Dad scoffs. “You’d be better off running in the opposite direction. Are they your
only friends?” He shakes his head when I don’t reply. “Great. Another one determined to make trouble for herself. You can’t continue to do this!” Dad’s mouth contorts as he shouts. “I will not stand by watching you throw your life away again. I will pull you out of that enabling institute someone mistook for a school. I’m not having you fuck up again.”
There it is. How he really feels about me is out in the open. I look at this angry man, and I don’t see my dad. I see the ruthless businessman who’s cruel enough to break his competition and take on my insane mother. I’m slowly starting to realize that Dad was a match for Maya. She didn’t trick him to the altar; they were made for each other. Forged on that altar, a perfect match.
“Why are you yelling at me like she did?” I scream.
I don’t wait for his answer. I want him to know how I feel. That I know what he’s really like. I run up the stairs to my room and lock the door. Leaning against it, I hear his heavy footsteps barreling up the stairs. The doorknob rattles, and I back away from the door, watching the knob turn.
“Vicki!” he shouts. “Open this door this instant!”
“No!” my voice breaks apart with heavy sobs. “I won’t!”
The doorknob stops moving, and the sounds outside the door stop. I creep closer, and I can still hear Dad. He must’ve been leaning his head against the door. His ragged breaths gradually come through the wood.
“I’m sorry, honey,” he speaks softly, “I would never hurt you. I just hate seeing someone else think they can.”
I bite my lip. Dad would never touch me, not the way Maya has. The memory shakes me of how her nails dug into my scalp when she dragged me around by my hair. She’d get so angry that she’d only focus on the beating. She tore my ass up and then forgot why. Dad never did that, and he’d have freaked if he had ever known.
“They don’t know how I feel,” I speak against the door, “and I don’t want to feel this way on purpose.” I reach for the doorknob and pull it open, just in time to see Dad wipe his eyes. Shit. What have I done? I leap into his arms and squeeze him tight, pressing my face into his soft shirt.
“I’m so sorry,” he whispers, “I didn’t mean to hurt you.”
“I didn’t mean to hurt you,” I reply solemnly, “You’re the only person who’s never given up on me. I won’t mess up this time. It’ll be worth it in the end.”
Chapter Eight
Vicki
Last night, I waited up for Chase until 1 a.m., but he didn’t return to my house. I listened to every freaking wild animal creep by my window until I fell asleep. When I wake up in the morning, I check the guest bedroom in the basement. But when I come back upstairs, I notice his bags untouched and still lying by the front door. I look in each guest room, including those upstairs, but none of the beds have been slept in. The covers are neat, and he isn’t, so I know he wasn’t here.
I kiss Dad on the cheek, say goodbye, and head to Redwood for class. Jagan sent out an email late last night. He’s cracking down on attendance, and he’s the only one who can excuse an absence. I drive through the checkpoint without a hassle. Not that any is being given. The guards have lost interest now that the news crews left.
I sent Chase a text late last night, and there was no response. Then I sent one to Dom, nothing. And Silas also ignored my text. I’m worried about Chase, but there isn’t enough time to check the town house. They must be ignoring me because of yesterday. And they think I’m the difficult one. I just want to know he’s okay. By noon, I’m going mad, fidgeting in my seat in class. No one has texted me since yesterday. Finally, a text pops up as I’m watching the screen.
Theo: She’s out of control.
I know who he’s talking about, and I don’t want to look at the dirt she’s flinging today. When my lunch hour starts at one, I sprint out of class and run across campus, heading for the town houses at top speed. I don’t stop running, not even when my ribs start to ache. I stop when I reach Dom and Chase’s suite and start banging on the door. Dom gives me a bewildered look after he swings it open.
“Where’s Chase?” I ask. “What’s going on? Why didn’t you answer my text?”
Dom shrugs and sits down on the couch with the television on. I can’t tell if he doesn’t care or wants to taunt me. “Chase decided to crash at Adrian’s because your dad looked pissed off. I thought he was going to physically toss us out.” Dom makes a face. “I would’ve helped him. You date some real losers.”
I roll my eyes and stare at the ceiling until I’m calm. “And that’s all?” I start in on him for being a bitch. “You freeze me out to teach me a lesson?”
Dom watches the monitor as he talks. “So, we discussed your brother and his wife.” Dom tilts an eyebrow and stares me down. “The thing that they do? Is that called swinging? I think my dad used to do that before I was born.”
I look down at the floor, willing it to swallow me up so I can escape. Fuck. I forgot that my family had some juicy secrets hidden in our closet. What Troy does is his business as long as he’s not hurting anybody, but some people will get offended anyway. They don’t want to mind their own business, and they love finding out more.
“You should see your face,” he looks so smug, crossing his arms over his chest, “You could paint ‘stop’ on it and stick it out into traffic. You’re a greedy girl. Was that your plan all along? To share us?”
I dig my toe into the carpet as I edge back toward the door. “Maybe I should go. I only have an hour.”
Dom gets up quickly and steps between me and the door. “That’s enough time for us to talk.”
“What about?” I ask.
“Let’s talk about me for a while,” he says, “I had my own drama last night. My dad’s cut me off without a cent. I cannot return home to even get my stuff. He has no son, or at least, it’s not me.”
“Holy fuck.” Is all I can think to say. Luna was right. I do have my head so far up my ass I can’t see anyone else. I want to be with three guys with my life careening out of control. How am I going to juggle three when I can’t even keep myself together? “You want to talk about it?”
Dom smiles. “It’s a safe topic.”
I glare at him. “We don’t have to talk at all.”
Dom pulls me into his arms. He nuzzles up against me, but there’s something phony about it. The way he’s smiling as he wiggles against my body. Like he’s trying to prove something to me by fucking me. Our kiss isn’t the same; it feels forced, like he’s trying to make me want him like crazy, so I pull away.
“I’m not as good-looking now that I’m broke?” he frowns.
“Don’t be an ass,” I hiss. “Let’s go sit in your room before I start cleaning the place.”
Dom’s room isn’t as filthy because he’s rarely in here. The room would please a minimalist with its sparsity. He indulges in visuals and has a poster of an anonymous sci-fi babe on his wall above his bed. She has blue skin and blonde hair with boobs bigger than her head. Dom moves his textbooks off his unmade bed and tugs the comforter across it. I scowl at him because I want to and toss my bag on the floor before flopping onto his bed. He plops down beside me, and it’s weird. He’s not trying to touch me. His hands rest on his stomach as he stares at his poster.
“That’s obscene,” I tell him.
“It’s you. Your buddy Theo drew it for me. He embellished it a little.” He sighs, “It’s legitimate art. He is talented. Sometimes you’re wild, Vicki, and sometimes you’re a sheltered dork. If you studied harder, you could be a nerd.”
“You’re very feisty for a person who’s been disowned,” I reply, making sure there’s space between us.
“Have you met my father?” he deadpans. “The press went after the Evanses, but today it’s Mel’s turn. He’s been linked to the office through a joint venture filed with the court.”
“So why’s he taking out on you?” I ask. “He filed those papers.”
“Mel blames me because I carried Luna out of that place,” he replies.
“Barton told him after he figured out who I was. And the rumors started here, so he thinks I squealed.”
“Barton didn’t recognize you sooner?” I asked.
Dom shakes his head. “I don’t hang with those people. And to quote you, ewww.”
I punch his arm. “I don’t talk like that.”
He laughs, and then he sighs. “Not going to matter. The outcome will be the same. I was angry with you last night. That’s why I didn’t text, but starting over will be easier than trying to repair his seedy image.”
Dom yawns as he looks up at the ceiling. “I’m completely relaxed right now. I don’t care if I don’t have his dirty money. I don’t have to follow in my dad’s sleazy footsteps. I can leave Hollywood behind. I never feel this relaxed around you.”
I turn my head and look at Dom, and he has the expression on his face he had when we spent the day in Malibu with my dad. The boy I like is back, and I think he’s going to stay. “It’s bizarre,” I tell him, “I can feel the change in you just lying beside you. I never noticed before how much your body vibrates when you’re still. It’s not doing it now.”