“None of my concern? None of my fucking concern?!” Something else crashes to the ground, and I hope it’s her antique porcelain collection. The little dolls and figurines that cost more than our mortgage payment every month. “She is my daughter, Debra, and I don’t care what you do to me, but I will not allow you to treat her like this anymore. She is coming with me.”
I expect Debra to balk at his statement. I expect her to rant and rave, stomping her heel down onto the floor. I expect so many things to transpire, yet her reaction is none of those things. What I don’t expect is the maniacal laughter—the grating screech—that reverberates off the surrounding walls. It goes on for several minutes, and the longer it does, the more my heart thuds against my ribs.
Besides it being just how she is, there is something a little extra off about her reaction to my father’s demands. Like she knows something that neither myself nor my father are privy to, and she’s getting extreme satisfaction out of it. It doesn’t bode well for either of us, and when I go to get up from the stairs and tell him so, that’s when she hits us both with a bomb of catastrophic proportions that stops me from rising.
“You can try to take her, but you, Mr. Savoy, will go to jail.” She cackles more, loving the wrench she’s throwing into his plans. “While you were worried about getting your shit together, I was fortifying my future.”
“What are you talking about?” he growls.
“You haven’t been here since May, darling. So, who did you think the courthouse believed deserved parental rights?”
“Debra, what the fuck did you do?”
“I filed for full custody back in August, of course. As of September, the twenty-seventh to be exact, they approved it. So, I should actually thank you for being a self-depreciating dick. It’s because of you that I now own her. I can say where she goes, who she goes with, and if I don’t approve, then she doesn’t go. Period.”
She realizes on New Year’s Day I will turn eighteen, right? That’s only three weeks away. Literally, twenty days and some change before I can wipe my hands clean of her—the right way, with my fist—and walk out of this house for the last time. It’s not like it will hurt me, either. This house holds nothing but painful memories, so much so, they overshadow the ones that used to bring me happiness.
My father must think that as well, because he says, “Debra, what do you hope to gain from this? Holding out in mediation? Fighting for something you have no right to fight for? We signed a prenuptial agreement, or did you forget? Also, you realize Jessalyn turns eighteen in under a month, don’t you? So, she either goes now or she will in three weeks. I can assure you she will come whether or not you like it. You are just prolonging the inevitable, and quite frankly, it’s pathetic.”
I snort out a laugh which draws their attention. “Get your ass in here, whore!” Debra screams.
Oh, my father really doesn’t like that. Before I can even rise to my feet, he’s already yelling at her again. Surprise is the only liquid in my veins, because I am stumped he hasn’t hit her yet. Especially with all that rage filtering through his system. The father I remember wouldn’t raise a hand to a woman, but to be frank, I don’t necessarily believe Debra is a woman. She’s a beast with tits.
“You are one to talk! How many times have I caught you with other men? Ten? Fifteen different instances?”
My eyes round. This conversation seems like it’s entering a territory where it’s not fit for me to be here. Earlier, it was hilarious because my father was reaming her for being such an abusing bitch. But now, they’re getting into their personal matters. This is not something you should subject your child to, even if that child is almost a legal adult.
“Like you’re not shacked up with some slut across town.”
I expect him to balk at her insinuation, because that would mean he took the time out, to not only meet someone, but get into a relationship. He didn’t even take the time to get in touch with his daughter. But I get none of that. All I get is the cold, stark reality of truth.
“Whitney is not a slut, Debra!” my father bellows in rage.
“Who’s Whitney?” I ask, no longer able to keep silent.
When I come through the archway to the living room, it looks like a disaster zone. There are books, glass, and porcelain bits lying all over the floor. Holes in the walls, and my father standing off against Debra. But the moment his eyes meet mine, I see it. Pure guilt wracks his body.
He sighs. “She’s my girlfriend.”
“T-That’s it?” I ask, forcing a laugh through the lump in my throat. “In all the time you were gone, you thought to pick up some woman, but forget all about me.”
The walls feel like they close in on me. It’s hard to breathe; hard to think. My chest feels tight, and my lungs burn. But none of that hurts more than the knowledge I wasn’t enough. That he met someone new yet forgot all about me. His daughter; the person he’s supposed to love most in this world. Because that’s what this is. I don’t care what he says. He didn’t even check in on me. That one fluke was back in August, and even then, he was hiding from Debra in the last place she’d look for him. Here.
“I didn’t forget about you, baby girl.” He looks so torn; so, beaten down.
“Then what would you call it? You started an entire life without me.” The more I think about his actions, the more anger settles into my bones. “You got a new house, new girlfriend—probably a new kid, too, right?”
When he says nothing, and drops his gaze to the floor, my heart cracks. “You did, didn’t you? You fucking replaced me!” I cry out.
He looks between Debra and myself, then cautiously walks toward me. He’s treating me as if I’m a vicious animal trapped in a corner, looking for a way to gain its freedom. I’m not looking for that, per se, but a little heads up would have been nice. A little warning that I’m not as important to him as he likes to say I am would be enough to pacify me, even though it would hurt to hear the words come out of his mouth.
The only reason I’m even standing here, instead of running, is because my entire body doesn’t seem to want to move of its own accord. The only thing I can equate it to is shock. I’m shocked at hearing that my father is living this entirely different life, without me, like I don’t even exist.
Is that why he’s changed so much? Why his anger is quick to surface, and he’s a shadow of himself?
“I didn’t replace you, baby girl. I’d never do that.”
I try to muster as much confidence and courage as I possibly can. It’s hard, when all I want to do is pretend this never happened. Tuck my tail between my legs and beat feet out of here.
“But she has a child, doesn’t she?” I ask, my voice nothing more than a whisper. “Is it yours?”
He shakes his head. “No. We haven’t even officially met yet, Jess, but Whitney has shown me pictures of him. He’s your age. Goes to your school and everything, so you’ve probably seen him.”
“I wouldn’t know who he is, anyway, because until now, I didn’t even fucking know you were dating anyone, let alone that they have a teenage son!” I rage out.
A soft knock on the door immediately stops all animosity between the three of us. I’m prepared to ignore it until I realize what time it is with a flick of my gaze toward the clock, and when I do, I can barely suppress the groan. That has to be one of the guys coming over for dinner. That’s all I need right now. One of them to walk in and see just how dysfunctional my family is.
“That’s one of the guys,” I murmur.
“What guys?” my father asks, and he sounds a bit defensive about it.
Staring daggers at him, I snarl, “None of your business. If you’d been here—even some of the time—then you’d be able to have a say.”
Exhaling, I toss a look at both Debra and my father. This isn’t where I thought I would be at seventeen. I imagined having parents that care about each other. Having a father that spends his weekends chasing me through the yard, playing hide and seek or camping. H
aving a mother that wants to be a mother, fawning over me and having girl’s nights. But I got none of those things. Instead, we’re about as dysfunctional as dysfunctional can get.
Making my way to the door, I pull it open, and can’t manage the polite smile Debra keeps harping I should present myself with. When I see who it is, I refrain from rolling my eyes. It’s not even him I’m upset with at the moment, but it seems my bitch switch is flipped, and everyone is getting a dose.
“So, it’s you tonight, huh?”
“The other guys are in the car, but I figured I would get out first, so you’re not taken off guard.” I’m glad Callum takes it into account I hate that shit. He didn’t before, but now, it’s kind of sweet and makes me think he cares.
What he’s trying to keep me from feeling is exactly why I hate the situation I’m in right now. Both of my parent’s caught me off guard, with the mediation news, the girlfriend, and custody papers—I’m about as far from okay as I can possibly be. At least, Callum thought of me, unlike my parent’s, and he’s the one that’s hurt me the most—besides Debra and her abusive ways.
Tossing a look back over my shoulder, my eyes trail between Debra and my father one more time. Debra’s eyes narrow in anger, as if threatening me to walk out, and my father’s is wide and filled to the brim with remorse. I know he wants me to stay and have this conversation with him, but I just can’t bring myself to care. It’s clear he didn’t care about my opinion. Otherwise, he would have been here sooner and there would be no talk of this Whitney person.
Also, I would much rather be around people—no matter how frustrated they make me—that want to be around me. They don’t see my presence as some chore or obligation they have to perform. They enjoy spending time with me if their actions can be believed.
They could just be doing it to get into my pants or for another set of laughs. But right now, I don’t care. I’m still hurt by their actions, but not more so than the two people standing behind me in the living room. In fact, if you put the situations right next to each other, what Debra and my father did is so much worse. At least, with Callum and the guys, I saw it coming.
So, I’m going to leave; with all four guys. And my father and Debra are just going to get over it, because I can’t handle any more of this right now. It’s too heavy. It’s not someone my age should have to deal with. They can’t bring me into their problems and hope it magically fixes itself. It takes time, effort—both of which, the guys have been mastering in spades.
My entire life is nothing except a mess, and at least the guy standing in front of me, and the three inside his car, are trying to make up for their wrongdoings. Albeit, in a messed-up way, but that’s just them. And if they’re trying, then so will I.
I’m going to take a chance. I just hope and pray I’m not wrong.
“Do you want to get out of here?” I crane my neck to look Callum in the eyes.
He smiles softly, then nods. “Sure. That’d be great.”
Peering back into the house, I pin both Debra and my father with a silencing glare. “I’m done speaking about this. You, Debra, had no right to do any of it. My phone. The custody papers. None of it. Quit being a snooty bitch and sign the divorce papers, because we both know you’re getting nothing. And you, dad, had no right to start a new life without a second thought about me. You had no right to think you can come back in here and try making everything better. Debra has you by the balls, and I’m the middleman. So, both of you, kindly, go fuck yourselves.”
With only my phone in my pocket, I pull the door shut behind me. I’ll probably regret giving the guys this “in,” but I can’t find myself to care. If it blows up in my face, then it’s my fuck up. I’ll take full responsibility for it. Unlike Debra and my father, I, at least, know how to own up to my mistakes.
CHAPTER 15
We’ve been driving in silence for close to ten minutes now, and Callum isn’t attempting to stop. During the ride, silence is our best friend as we all mull over different things. Quinn, Asher, and Ellis know something is wrong with me, because I’ve never willingly went anywhere with them before. Callum—he knows all of it. He was standing there when I told Debra and my father off.
Embarrassment should wrack my body in waves, knowing he got a peek into the pathetic life of Jessalyn Savoy. However, I can honestly say, it doesn’t. This is the best I have felt in a while, possibly ever. I’d like to say it’s because I finally told Debra and my father off, but that wouldn’t be the whole truth. Nope. Dare I say, a bit of it is the company I have in this solo mission of freedom.
Slipping forward in my seat, Callum glances at me from the corner of his eyes. When he sees what I’m doing, a subtle smile tilts his lips. He’s probably remembering when he would take his father’s vehicle and pick me up. We would go out at least two or three nights a week, and this is something we’d always do. He would drive, albeit illegally, and I would be the person to choose the music we listen to.
I push the switch on the radio. Music blares through the speakers within seconds and I cringe, hurrying to turn it down. It’s some god-awful mix between country and rap, and I flick a horrified expression toward Callum. Seeing my reaction, he can’t help it, he laughs. The sound reduces the tension in the car by a million, as if that’s what we needed to break out of the subdued silence that settled between us.
Soon, all four of them are laughing openly. Hoots and hollers ring out through the car, Quinn and Ellis punch at each other in jest. Their laughter is deep, various levels of timbres that seem to meld together in perfect harmony. I stare, wide eyed, silently watching all of them. Before long, a ridiculously large smile morphs my own features.
It’s never been like this. At school, it’s always them teasing me relentlessly with no other goal in mind. When they come to my house, I always walk around on eggshells, wishing I could get away from both them and Debra.
We’ve never just hung out without a reason. It’s … nice. It … Well, it makes all those feelings of animosity seem like nothing.
“What kind of music is this shit?” I finally find my voice, smiling as I watch Ellis wipe tears from his eyes.
“It’s called Crossroads, Jess,” Asher says, tossing a slight smile my way.
“Crossroads?” I deadpan. Is that, like, a band or something?
Quinn’s laughter quickly tapers off, a disbelieving look taking over his jovial expression. He glances over at Asher and Ellis, both quickly coming to the conclusion he did moments prior. “You’ve never heard of this song, and you live in fucking Georgia?”
My eyes lock on his and never break. Even when Callum flips on the turning signal. Even when the car slowly turns to the right and the car hits gravel instead of smooth blacktop. Even when the car comes to a stop moments later with a slight jolt.
“No. Usually if I listen to Country, then it’s Country. There’s none of this rapping shit involved.”
He laughs. “You’re missing out.”
When Callum gets out of the car, I finally turn in my seat and do the same. Since it’s a two-door sports car, I’m sure those long-legged guys in the back are itching to stretch their legs. Stepping out of the car, my boots crunch in the gravel under my feet. Night completely encompasses me; the only light is from the interior of the car and the moonbeams shining down on us.
A quiet, stillness echoes down into my bones. It makes the rest of the tension I felt earlier simply fall away. At first glance, a person would think they were in the middle of nowhere. However, once my eyes acclimate to the dimness, that’s when I see it.
A beautiful manmade pond, the top of the water glimmering under the moon’s pale light. A large forest rests just several paces away on three sides. But, upon closer inspection, I can see a house sitting just up a tiny knoll. It’s simply gorgeous, and I have a feeling that seeing it the moonlight does it no justice.
“This place is so beautiful,” I whisper in awe, taking a step away from the car.
I hear four sets of footsteps
crunch on the gravel behind me, then heat settles against my back. Without thinking, I allow myself to sink into the body pressing against my back. I care about nothing but the mesmerizing sight before me.
“I call this home,” Ellis says against my ear, then presses a kiss to the side of my head.
I surprise all of them when I ask, “Can you show me around?”
“Um, yeah, sure.” He slides my body until I’m under the curve of his arm, pressing tightly against his side. It feels normal to be here, not like it’s forced, which kind of terrifies me. “Parents aren’t home, though. They had some fundraiser to go to tonight, and they’re staying at the hotel.”
A particular burst of cold air hits me from the side, reminding me I didn’t think to grab a coat before leaving. Pushing closer to his side, I try to become small as possible. The air is crisper and fresher where Ellis lives, but it’s also cooler. More than likely because of the breeze coming off the water.
“Any way we can go inside? It’s kind of cold out here.” Like my body is agreeing with me, I release a full-body shiver.
“Oh, shit. Yeah, let’s go on in.”
Pulling me along, I try to burrow my face into the side of his jacket. Only, it doesn’t block me from the wind blowing off the pond and swirling through the trees. It makes it worse. His jacket is just as cold as the outside elements, providing me no warmth whatsoever.
Ever since it turned cold, Ellis has worn nothing thicker than a lightweight parka. It’s like he’s warm-blooded, and the frigid air doesn’t get to him as much as it does everyone else, especially me. I get cold entirely too easily. Even during the early spring when girls are wearing short skirts and tank tops, I’m still in my hoodie and jeans. I’ve always been that way, partially because of the cold and partially from the abuse Debra’s put me through.
But … this is nice. I didn’t think touching one of them willingly would be, but … I’m pleasantly surprised. That doesn’t mean I’m going to tell them that, though. Because the moment I utter a word about liking the feel of him, Ellis will get the big head, and I’m not talking about the one between his legs.
Tease Me, Baby: A Reverse Harem High School Bully Romance (Silver Creek High Book 2) Page 11
