Shit. This is a bad sign. I mean, she said she wanted to be with me, but her actions say otherwise. I get back into my car and drive off, heading to my own house, where I can shut myself in my room away from the world. Yes, I need this.
Chapter Thirty
Sarah
I slept with him. Not that I didn’t want to—but not this quickly. Jesus, he probably thinks I’m a dirty slut. Or a crazy, dirty slut. Who sleeps with someone right after they find out their mom tried to kill herself? A crazy dirty slutball, that’s who!
Now I’m at school. I plan on taking my exams today, and tomorrow’s, then I’ll head out to see Mom. I feel like everyone is staring at me and thinking how skeevy I am.
What’s worse than feeling like a shameless floozy, as my nana would say, is feeling like a liar. I told Graham I’d call. I’m not going to call. I can’t.
I need to stick to the plan. First thing is first—I gotta get through this math exam.
***
I plow through my two exams and head home. Auntie Heather is waiting for me in the kitchen.
“Oh, thank God!” She wraps me in a hug and then pulls back. “What were you thinking? I’ve been worried all day! I couldn’t call the police and file a missing person report because you weren’t gone for twenty-four hours. I called the hospitals and your work to see if you were there. Your phone was off.”
“I’m sorry. I was … I was with Graham.”
She frowns. “Sarah … I like Graham, I do. But the boy has some things he’s working through. I don’t think it’s a wise idea to keep seeing him. Especially now, since the reporters are calling the house again.”
I glower. “She did this to herself. Why should I always be punished for what she does?”
“I know it feels like that, honey.” She pulls me into a tight hug again then sighs. “Life sucks sometimes.”
Yeah. It does.
“What do you want to do?” she asks.
I shrug. “I’ll have to go see her. Give her exactly what she wants.”
“Sarah, you don’t have to do that.”
“I do, though. I have to.”
We both know I’m right. We also know I’m going to have to give the reporters my story. They won’t quit until they have it. So, two birds with one damn stone. But I’m not going to tell Auntie Heather this. She’ll try talking me out of it. And I would let her.
Saying no isn’t enough. These people will ambush me. I have to protect my family. Kyle, Madison, Heather, Paul, they don’t need this. They don’t. Their lives were fine without me crashing into them. They don’t need my parents’ mess destroying their lives.
I have a flashback of camera crews littering the front lawn of my parents’ house. Following me to the airport. I was worried that maybe they’d follow me all the way here. And I was thankful when they didn’t. My phone was free of harassment. My life seemed partly normal.
It’s not going to be normal. If I continue dating Graham they’ll dig through his past and smear his name through the mud with mine. I can’t have that happen either. I love him. I can’t believe I said that, but it’s true. That boy owns my heart and soul.
I leave my auntie in the kitchen and head up to my room.
My laptop waits for me on my bed. I pick it up and Google my mom. Sure enough, the site is full of links to breaking news stories about her latest and greatest stunt. Fantastic. I shouldn’t see her. She’s only doing this for attention. My attention.
I close the windows and finish my paper.
***
After my exams, I sneak into the house like a criminal. Maddy would call me a coward. And, okay, maybe I am. But here’s the thing: I don’t want Auntie Heather or Uncle Paul worrying about me. I also don’t want them telling me no, convincing me I don’t have to do this.
So I grab my suitcase, change my clothes, and leave them a note. The last thing I do is call into work and tell them I’m not going to be in for the week. Michelle, thank goodness, isn’t the one who answered the phone. She would have picked up on my BS about being sick.
I sneak back out of the house and drive to the airport.
While I’m waiting to board my plane, I call Maddy.
“Hello?”
“Maddy. It’s me. Listen. I need you to know it’s going to be okay. I’m going to fix this.”
I hear something clank in the background. “Sarah, what are you fixing? You’re not making any sense.”
“If Auntie Heather calls, tell her I’m okay and I’ll call her when it’s all done.”
“Why do I need to tell her that? Where the hell are you?”
A voice booms, “Gate C, flight 1820, Nashville, Tennessee, to Phoenix, Arizona, is now boarding.”
“Sarah, are you at the airport?”
I chew on my lower lip. “I have to go home. I’ll be back by the end of the week.”
“What about your exams?” I can hear the concern threading her voice. “I’ll be home again at the end of this week. Just … wait. We’ll go together. You don’t need to see Auntie Catlin alone.”
“Exams are finished. Maddy, I know you mean well, but I have to do this on my own. I’ll see you next week. Promise. Love you.” I hang up before she can talk me out of this.
Then I board the plane.
Chapter Thirty-One
Graham
Maddy and Bryce arrived last night for Christmas break. Sarah … Well, she’s gone. She won’t take my calls. She’s not taking anyone’s calls, according to Maddy. But she’s all over the news.
I’d like to report that I’m happy to be rid of her. I can’t. The girl tore my heart out again, and the fucked up part is, I let her.
It seems like everyone wants me to stop moping too. Even grumpy Mrs. Mayberry knows I’m miserable. “Cheer up, Graham. It can’t be all that bad.”
I glare at her. She has no idea. The girl I love left. She didn’t even have the courtesy to tell me to fuck off or anything before she headed out of my life. And I should be pissed. Break something. Do something. But I have no energy to do a damn thing.
I draw the curtains in my room closed and head to my bed. I lay down face-first in the pillows. My door flies open, and I groan, “Go away!”
“Can’t!” Maddy snaps. “Come on. Get up.”
“Yeah, man. Come on,” Bryce says.
“Fuck off, both of you.”
My bed wobbles as the springs creak, and I roll over to see what the hell is going on. Maddy is hopping on the bed, dangerously close, I might add, to falling and landing on my balls. I shoot a glare at Bryce as he watches her bounce up and down. “Knock it off!”
“Not until you get up!” Her shoes almost land on my hand, which I move quickly.
This is what I get for being friends with two stubborn people. They’re absolutely annoying! I push off the bed while Maddy leaps off too. I scowl at her. “You’re an asshole!”
“You’ll thank me later. Shower. You smell.” Maddy smiles as she wraps herself in Bryce’s arms. I’m going to puke if they get anymore lovey-dovey.
I head out of my room and down the stairs.
At the kitchen table, I stare at a coffee mug, and I have no idea how it got here, let alone when it was placed in front of me. Madison and Bryce sit at the table with me. Neither of them says a word. Even when I pull at the tips of my hair. “She left, guys. It’s obvious. I’m not what she wants. I’ll get over it. You don’t have to babysit me. I’m not going to fall off the wagon or anything.”
“She didn’t leave you, idiot! She’s on the news. She’s been on the news for two days. But she needs you, Graham. Now more than ever. She’s going to visit her mom.”
I look up at Madison. “I’ve seen her on the news.”
“Graham, are you even listening to me? She did an interview with the people who worked for her parents. She did another with her dad. Now, her last stop is her mom. She needs you in her corner.”
I glare at her then over at Bryce. “And you agree with her, don’t y
ou?”
He nods. “You didn’t hear her talking to Maddy yesterday. I did. She needs you, man.”
“Oh,” I gripe. “So she answers your calls, but when I call she can’t fucking bother? That doesn’t sound like someone who needs me at all.”
Maddy frowns. “She doesn’t answer my calls. She called me after she talked with her dad. Here.” She slides an envelope to me. “Go get cleaned up. You’re cutting the window really close.”
“What window?” I open the envelope and see an airline ticket. “What the … ”
My mom steps into the kitchen. “Graham, what are you still doing here?”
I blink at her. “You didn’t.”
“Kind of. It was more of Bob’s gift to you. This doesn’t mean I think she’s good enough for you, because honestly, no girl will be. But she does push you, and that is always a check in my book. Plus, she makes you happy. That’s the most important thing. Now, get the hell out of my kitchen. All of you.”
She starts shooing us out. I’m still in shock but leave just the same. Maddy pushes me up the steps and into the bathroom. “For the love of it,” I snap.
“Shut up. Get in and shower. I wasn’t kidding when I said you smelled.”
Bryce just shrugs as the door closes. What a pussy. I strip off my clothes and hop into the shower. I know. I know. I must be a pussy, too, if I’m doing what she tells me to. But she could be right. Slightly. Okay, okay, a lot. I reek.
I enter my room in nothing but a towel. Bryce grabs Madison and pulls her out of the room. “Sure you don’t want her to see what a real man looks like?” I tease.
Bryce glares at me. “Best friend or not, I’ll kill you if you ever try anything.”
“I’m kidding, man.”
“I’m not.” Bryce closes the door but not before I notice Maddy’s eyes widen.
God, he really would kill for her. And that shouldn’t make me happy, but it does.
There’s an outfit laid out on my bed beside a packed bag. Madison. I shake my head. She’s little miss prepare-for-everything. That’s what I love most about my best friend. I dress quickly and then grab my bag, ticket, and wallet.
Heading down the steps, I spot Madison wrapped up in Bryce’s arms at the bottom of the steps. Her ring glimmers on her finger. I catch the secret little look in their stare. I laugh. They look over at me. “Ready?” Bryce asks.
“Yeah.”
“Come on then,” Madison says. “You know you’re supposed to allow two hours before your flight. This way you have extra time to get through security and get through the airport in case they change your gates and stuff.”
I glance over at Bryce. “Is she like this when you all leave for trips?”
“Worse,” he whispers.
“What?” she asks.
He smiles at her. “Nothing, Smalls.”
She rolls her eyes. “You two are a load of trouble,” she says as she slides into the passenger seat.
***
At the airport, all I think about is Sarah. Being on TV. Doing interviews. For what, though? Why was she doing these now? And why didn’t she just tell me?
Madison elbows me as she drops me off at the check-in center. I didn’t think I voiced my questions aloud but Maddy says, “She needed to. She came to Tennessee to hide out. Not because no one in our family wanted her. She just didn’t trust them enough to not sell her out to reporters. The people she finally agreed to speak to, they agreed to pay her.” “But she doesn’t need the money,” I state.
“No. She really doesn’t. But she’s doing something good with it. You’ll see.”
“What aren’t you telling me?”
“I gotta go. I don’t want Bryce to get a ticket. Listen. No matter what she says, she loves you. I know she does. Be patient with her.”
She shoves me. “Go.”
I do. I reach the counter and hand the perky woman my ticket and driver’s license.
“And do you have any luggage you need to check in?”
“No. I’m carrying on.”
“Very well. Gate A is where you’ll be.” She points to the security checkpoint, and I make my way over to the line.
Chapter Thirty-Two
Sarah
This is crazy. I only planned on visiting my mom, but as soon as I step off the plane I’m bombarded with reporters. Jeez, do I have a tracking device on me or something?
Kelly Lane follows me to the women’s correctional facility. As soon as I step out of the cab she starts filming me.
“What the hell do you want?” I scream at her.
“Your story. Give me an exclusive. Please, Sarah.”
So she can have her name in lights while she smears mine in the dirt? No. I start to turn away, but she says, “I can pay.”
“What?” I whip back around and face her.
“You’ve got debt, right? I can pay.”
Of course she’d think I want money. Like mother, like daughter, right? This only pisses me off more. I’m about to tell her where she can go stick her funds, but then I think about the people my parents screwed over.
“Fine.”
There is a little gleam in her eyes. I snuff it out though as soon as I tell her where I want the money to go.
***
Why did I agree to this? I have to face my parents. I wasn’t made like most children, but that doesn’t mean they should have treated me like nothing. I was a gift. They should have loved and protected me from all this. I don’t want to be selfish like either of them.
I want to be like Madison. Forgiving. Caring. Selfless. I want to be like Auntie Heather. Sweet. Loving. Dependable. I want to be like Kyle. Funny. A good listener. Loyal. I want to be like Uncle Paul. Patient. Kind. Protective. This is what I learned living with my parents.
They are none of these things. Maybe in a small amount they show some of this to each other. But never to me.
I thought emotions would pour from me when I faced my dad. That I would feel something. I don’t.
A thick pane of Plexiglas separates us. His hair is longer and shaggier than I’ve ever seen, his skin pale against the orange jumpsuit. The same blue eyes that I have set on me then narrow slightly at the camera crew behind me.
“Are you ready?”
I nod once. There are no emotions in me. None. How can someone feel nothing? I can’t even muster a glare. That feels like more than he deserves. Especially when he doesn’t even look happy to see me. He hasn’t once tried contacting me. Unlike Mom.
“What the hell is all this?” he growls at me. As if he has the right to.
I ignore him. The camera guy says, “We’re rolling in three … two … one.” He points at me, and then Kelly, the girl taking me to each of these interviews, beams a smile.
“We’re here with the daughter of Aaron Morris, the man who corrupted Wording Corp Headquarters and stole millions from his employees and clients,” Kelly rambles. “This is the first time she’s seen her father since he’s been sentenced to a twenty-five-year sentence.
“Sarah, can you tell us a little bit about how you are feeling right now?”
Is she serious? Can she not see? I don’t feel anything. I’m not even mad. That’s flat-out disturbing, isn’t it?
A sigh escapes me, and I answer, “Nothing. I don’t feel sorry for you. I don’t feel disappointment. I can’t feel anything.”
“And Aaron, how do you feel?” she asks.
My dad stares at me. “I hope they paid you good for smearing our name through the mud worse than it already is,” he snaps.
That should trigger something. It doesn’t. Oh my God, there is something really wrong with me. Before Kelly can ask me another question, I say, “Money. It’s always about the money with you, isn’t it? I’ll have you know, no matter how they got me here, it’s not for me or for you. How could it be? I’m surprised you didn’t even ask who the hell I was when I sat down. You know I can only count about twenty times since I turned ten that I saw you or Mom? So don’t
look at me like you’re shocked or pissed. I didn’t create this mess. You and Mom did.”
“Sarah, did you have any idea your parents were stealing?” Kelly asks.
I glare at her. She knows this answer. I said it during the last interview for God’s sake. The one in front of my parents’ old office building. “No. I barely saw them. They just threw money at me and told me to have fun.”
Kelly smiles. “Aaron, how do you justify your actions?”
He rises from his chair and gets close to the glass. “I justify my actions in the courtroom. As for this one here, this spoiled little bitch, she never once complained about the money given to her daily. Did you? What teenager would? Grew up pampered and taken care of. What? Did you have to do some actual work when you went to Tennessee? Chip a nail? Boohoo.”
“You’re right. I was spoiled. I had no empathy for others. Treated people like they were dirt. Sneered at the poor. But here’s the thing, those poor people always had way more than me. They might not have clothes or a house. But they have family. They have integrity. They have heart. And I’d rather have all that than anything you ever gave me.”
“Sarah, we need to wrap this up,” Kelly says. “If you could go back to that night when your world was flipped around, can you tell us about the emotions you were feeling?”
I focus on my dad. That’s the person little girls are supposed to look at and see a hero. Someone who will always be there for them. When a boy breaks their hearts, he’s supposed to be there to tell them the boy was a fool. He would gladly hunt the boy down and hurt him. My uncle Paul does that, and I’m not even his little girl.
“At the time, I thought it was a mistake,” I say. “I was scared. I was alone. But then again I was always alone, so that was not a new feeling. But I think the feeling that really hit me hardest was confusion. Why would you do it? I still want to know why. Did you not think about the others?”
Graham (Scandalous Boys Book 2) Page 15
