My father enters, and I straighten to my full height. His dark brown eyes have their usual look of impatience in them. “Becky, I need to speak to Austin,” he tells her.
“Sure, sir.” She nods once and then ushers out of the room.
I turn to face him, giving him my full attention. We don’t speak much, and I prefer it that way. I still haven’t told Celeste that the thing I had been told was that Lilly was my half-sister. And after the secret she told me, I decided to keep my mouth shout about it. My father already tried to hurt Cole once. But no one knows the exact reason. We could guess all day long, but that’s not enough. There was a time I wouldn’t have cared what happened to Cole, but things change. People change. He and Lilly have become the most important people in to me, and I refuse to give him any more power than the bastard already has over people in my life.
“I wanna talk to you about your future,” he states.
“Can’t it wait until another time?” I ask, turning my back to him and toward the mirror.
“No,” he growls. “I leave tomorrow for New York and will be gone for a few weeks. I would like to get this out of the way before I leave. It will almost be graduation when I return.”
I refrain from smiling, knowing how close we are to graduation. How close I am to getting the hell out of here.
He doesn’t wait for me to give him the green light. “What are your plans after graduation?”
“I’m not sure,” I lie.
He sighs. “College?”
“Most likely.” Honestly, I have no clue what I want to do with my life besides be with Cole and Lilly. I’ve never been one to plan because plans never seem to work out. Life happens, and things get in the way.
“Well … where would you like to go?” he asks.
I slowly spin back around to face him. My eyes narrowed in suspicion. “I haven’t decided.” Another lie.
He nods as if he believes me, but his dark eyes say otherwise. “What about the University of Texas?” he asks.
My heart starts to pound in my chest, and I swallow nervously.
“It’s a great school,” he continues at my silence. “They’re ranked very high in swimming.”
How does he know? Cole and I haven’t told anyone except for Deke and Becky, and that’s only because we trust them. They would never tell another soul.
“Anyway.” He reaches into the pocket of his suit jacket and pulls out a folded-up piece of paper. It’s a check. “I decided since I didn’t get you anything for your birthday that I would help you out with college.”
I thought Celeste had said they got me a trip for my birthday? Doesn’t matter, I won’t be using it.
He reaches out his right hand. I just stare at the check in it. He shakes it a little. “Go ahead.”
I don’t move because I don’t know what he’s up to. The guys aren’t the only sharks in this town. They grew up in an ocean full of them.
“I’ll just leave it here.” He lays it on my bed and straightens his tie, then turns around and walks out.
_________________________________
It’s been two hours since my father gave me the check in my bedroom. I shoved it in a drawer without even looking at it. Afraid to see what he wrote on it. As far as I know, it could say anything from ten dollars to a hundred thousand dollars. Reading it would make him think I am actually considering his offer. I’m not.
“You okay?” Becky asks for the fifth time.
“Yes.” I continue to lie, running my hands down my dress.
“Red is your color,” she says, and I smile, knowing that’s how Cole feels.
“Thank you,” I say.
The doorbell rings, and Becky smiles. “I’ll go and get it.” She runs out of my room.
Closing my eyes, I take a deep breath. I need to clear my head. Forget about my father and this game he is suddenly playing with me. He hasn’t said more than ten words to me in three months, and now he is giving me money to go to college? The same college my boyfriend just happens to be going to? He knows. He has to. But how? Does he know that Lilly is going too? Would Liam try to stop her from going with Cole? I don’t see why he would.
I open my eyes to see Cole standing in my room. Those blue eyes running up and down my dress. Like before, they are still clouded, but I know what’s inside him. His heart. His soul. Cole and I may not have a traditional relationship, but I wouldn’t trade him for anything. He’s mine. And I’m his. It’s the only thing I’ve ever been sure of in my life.