I was thankful to have his problems to focus on so I didn’t have to think about my own for a moment. “College isn’t for everyone. My parents didn’t even want me to go. I think they just wanted me to live off the trust fund they established for me and play around. Neither of them went to college, and look how successfully they turned out.”
“Yeah, but I just know my dad is going to throw a fit over all of this. He’s a hard-ass, Mia. He’s not going to be on board with me doing this.”
“Go to your mom first,” I suggested. Alexis, his mother, loved Jordan more than life. He was her miracle because the accident that had left her nearly unable to walk had almost completely robbed her of the chance to have a baby. Then when she did get pregnant, her doctors told her repeatedly she would never make it to full term. “She will back you no matter what you decide. She and Aunt Gabs would do anything for you.”
“I know,” he muttered.
“But please, promise me you’ll slow down with the drinking. I’m worried about you. You’re probably my only real friend other than Nevaeh right now, so I kind of need you to not kill yourself from drinking all the alcohol,” I tried to tease.
“I’ll stop, I promise.”
A beep told me I was getting an incoming call. Looking down, I saw Barrick’s face on my screen. Hitting decline, I replaced the phone to my ear.
“Who was that?”
“The man who deserves an Academy Award for the role he’s been playing in my life,” I told him, unable to keep the bite out of my tone.
“Want me to kick his ass?” Jordan offered.
The idea held some appeal, but I’d seen Barrick dominate in the cage too many times to want my best friend to even risk it. “No. I just want him to go away.”
“Just say the word, and I can make that happen. I have family in Sicily who have family in New York, who would be all too happy to do me a favor.” That had a small laugh bubbling up, and when the weak sound escaped, he let out a relieved exhale. “There she is. That’s the girl I love and adore. I knew she couldn’t be too far away, no matter how down she is.”
A light tap on the door had my laugh dying before it could really get started. “Yeah?” I called out.
The door opened, and Nevaeh poked her head in. “The food just got here. Are you hungry? I’ll bring you something if you don’t want to be around the a-hole extraordinaire out here.”
Was it really less than an hour ago I’d felt like I was starving? It seemed like days since I’d heard Barrick laughing in the background when Uncle Drake called. But now, I felt like I would vomit if I even smelled food.
“No. I really just want to be alone right now,” I told her. “I’m sorry for abandoning you out there with him, but could you make sure he doesn’t bother me?”
She gave me a grim smile. “Don’t worry about it. I got this covered. You just do what you have to do until Aunt Emmie gets here.”
“Thanks, Nev,” I whispered.
The door closed behind her, and I replaced the phone to my ear. “I’m going to get off here. I just got out of the shower, and my hair is still dripping all over the place.”
“You’ve been sitting there naked this whole time? Nice.”
Rolling my eyes, I stood up. “Shut up, stupid. I have to go.”
“Yeah, yeah. Okay. Call me tomorrow. I want a minute-by-minute rundown of what happens once your mom gets there. That should be entertaining. I love Emmie, but she scares the hell out of me.”
I walked into the en suite and frowned at my reflection when I noticed how pale I was and my bloodshot eyes. All the crying had made my eyes swell, and I looked washed out. “Jordan.”
“Yeah, love?”
“I really miss you.”
“I miss you too, Mia.”
???
It was nearly dawn before I heard my mother’s voice coming from the living area.
Jumping up out of bed, I was across the room and out the door in a matter of seconds.
After getting off the phone with Jordan, I had dried my hair and pulled it up into its usual knot on top of my head before tossing on a pair of pajama pants and a hoodie. Then I’d climbed into bed and channel-surfed for the rest of the night in hopes of trying to find something to keep my mind off Barrick and my dad.