After realizing that my dad is in town, I wasn't surprised that my mom came and picked me up from school. But what does surprise me is what she has to tell me.
"God, I hate that I have to tell you this," she mumbles as she drives toward the trailer park where we live. "But sooner or later you're going to find out, and I figure it's better you find out from me than him."
“Mom, I already know Dad’s back in town,” I tell her, scratching at one of my scars on my arm.
A scar put there by my dad when he shoved me onto a glass table. It ended up breaking and a piece of glass sliced open my arm. I had to get stitches, and my dad told everyone I fell. And me, I stupidly played along, too afraid to tell the truth.
But a cut on the arm was mild compared to some of the other things he did to me.
She swallows audibly as she glances at me. “How did you find out?”
I shrug. “Coincidentally, Clove and him almost got into a car accident earlier today. It was dad’s fault, but he came over and yelled at Clove, and banged on his car window.” I take a breath, trying to calm down my quickening heart rate. “I don’t think he’s changed at all.”
“No, he hasn’t,” she agrees with a frown.
“So you’ve talked to him?” I ask, a bit surprised she didn’t tell me until now.
Guilt reflects from her eyes. “I did a couple of days ago, and I know I should’ve told you, but I couldn’t figure out how and I…” She exhales loudly. “He’s moving back to town, Max. Supposedly his company transferred him here, but who knows if that’s the truth… With him, you never know.” She shakes her head. “I don’t like that he’s going to be living here. And I don’t like how he thinks he can just call me up and demand to see you after years of not being around.” She swallows hard. “And after how he treated us.”
I stare down at my lap, wishing I could tell her everything my dad did. Wishing I had a long time ago. But part of me still feels so broken about it, so afraid, so ashamed.
Keep your lips shut.
Don’t utter a word.
Don’t you dare make a noise.
“I don’t have to see him, do I?” I ask quietly.
“Of course not.” She turns into the entrance of the trailer park. “First of all, he doesn’t deserve it. And second of all, you’re old enough to decide whether or not you want to see him.”
“I don’t want to,” I say quickly.
“Then you won’t,” she promises me as she pulls into our driveway. Then she turns off the engine and forces a smile onto her face. “Enough talk about him. Let’s do something fun. I don’t have any plans until later so how about we order a pizza and we can watch a movie?”
I nod and force a smile. “Sure.”
She pats my hand. “Everything’s going to be okay. I won’t let your father come near you.”
I want to believe her, but deep down, I know she can’t keep my father away from me. Not when we live in the same town, and a really small town for that matter.
And while I know I’m older now and can defend myself better than I could when I was younger, I worry that just seeing my dad might rip open old wounds and the memories that are connected to them will seep out.
And I’m not sure if I can handle that.
About the Author
Jessica Sorensen is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author who lives in the snowy mountains of Wyoming. When she’s not writing, she spends her time reading and hanging out with her family.
Also by Jessica Sorensen
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The Simplicity in Ordinary
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The Coincidence Series:
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The Probability of Violet and Luke
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The Secret Series:
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The Secret of Ella and Micha
The Forever of Ella and Micha
The Temptation of Lila and Ethan
The Ever After of Ella and Micha
Lila and Ethan: Forever and Always
Ella and Micha: Infinitely and Always
The Shattered Promises Series:
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Fractured Souls
Unbroken
Broken Visions
Scattered Ashes
Breaking Nova Series:
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Saving Quinton
Delilah: The Making of Red
The Simplicity in Ordinary: (The Heartbreaker Society, #2) Page 9
