I pull back from him. “Who is here for you?” I ask, looking up at him.
His face softens, and he reaches out his right hand. I see someone walk around me and take it, but I don’t pay the person any attention.
“Honey, remember how I told you that I need to tell you something,” he says slowly.
Does he know I’m drunk? That my head is spinning? That I’m about to lose my fucking shit. I nod but am confused what that has to do with part of our house blowing up.
“James, I don’t think now is the time.” I hear a feminine voice say, but my watery eyes stay trained on my father. He’s finally going to tell me what the fuck he’s been trying to tell me for over two weeks. Just took an explosion to get to it. I wish I was sober for this.
“It is.” He straightens his shoulders. “Henley, you already know Lisa, but what I’ve been trying to tell you is that we’ve been dating. And just recently got engaged.”
My wide and blurry eyes go to the woman who stands next to him. His hands in hers, and I don’t miss the massive rock on her ring finger. “No,” I whisper, taking a step back from them.
This isn’t happening.
“I told you,” she whispers softly toward him.
He pulls her in for a hug and speaks to her softly. “We’ve hid it long enough, darling. It was time.”
“But it shouldn’t have been this way,” she argues.
“No, no.” I shake my head. I’m drunk. More than I’ve ever been. Maybe I’m passed out in my bed and dreaming this.
“Especially now that we’re going to be living with you while the house is being fixed,” he adds.
“Dear God, no.” My chest tightens, restricting my air.
My father’s eyes narrow on me. “Henley, that kind of attitude is not going to be tolerated.”
Did I say that out loud? “Dad.” I lick my numb lips. “I can’t …”
“You can,” he orders.
“I won’t,” I argue. He can’t make me. I refuse to be in that house.
“You will,” he states. I open my mouth, but he continues. “And I don’t want any argument from you about it, young lady. Lisa was nice enough to open her house to us during this time, and I won’t allow you to be disrespectful.” With that, he turns and walks off with her hand in hand.
This is the worst possible outcome that I never saw coming. How could he? When did he?
I spin around to run the other way but come face-to-face with the last person I want to see. He crosses his arms over his chest and smiles down at me, making my heart stop. “Hello, sis.”
GRAYSON LAW
This isn’t how I wanted Henley to find out my mother is engaged to her dad, but I am glad that I got to see the exchange. Watching the ground ripped out from underneath her was a nice touch to an already satisfying night.
She looks like she’s seen a ghost, and it makes me even more excited. Having her under my roof is going to be the best fucking gift anyone could give me.
“Hey?” a man calls out to my right.
I turn to look at him. He’s got his head sticking out of the driver side window of his Prius. “Yeah?”
“She owes me money.” He points at Henley, who still stands there like the doll she is—motionless and beautiful.
Pulling my wallet out, I throw him some cash, not even bothering to count it. “Thanks.” And I wave him off.
I grab her hand and pull her over to my Aston Martin One-77. She doesn’t even try to fight me when I place her in my passenger seat and close the door. Walking around to the driver’s side, I get in and start it up.
My mother called me after I dropped Lacey off at the Millers. She told me what had happened and asked me to come pick up Henley. I was more than happy to do it.
I pull out of her driveway and give her a quick look. “I’ve always wanted a sister.”
She looks over at me, and she has tears in her eyes.
“You know …” I reach over, placing my right hand on her bare thigh, and she stiffens as I squeeze, digging my fingers into her soft flesh. “Of course, we’re not blood, so …”
She reaches over and grabs the steering wheel, yanking it to the right.
The car veers off the side of the road, and I slam on the brakes just in time before it hits a fucking tree. “What the fuck!” I shout.
She opens the car door and jumps out.
I do the same, running after her. She’s drunk, and her stumbling slows her down in her five-inch heels. Wrapping my arm around her stomach, I lift her up off her feet. She begins screaming at the top of her lungs, so I place my free hand over her mouth to shut her the fuck up.