His phone vibrated on the bedside table, the caller ID flashing up.
“Dickhead?” I asked.
“My dad.” He sent the call to voice mail.
“Shouldn’t you get that?”
“Probably, but I don’t want to talk to him.”
Bzzzzz. Bzzzzz. Bzzzzz.
“He seems like he wants to talk to you.”
Ash grumbled as he picked up his phone and swiped to answer it.
“Hi.”
He was quiet for a moment. Then all the color drained from his face, and he went white as a sheet.
I grabbed his arm and gave it a quick shake, fear rushing through me.
Ash pulled the phone from his ear and pressed Speaker.
“…unacceptable behavior. No respect for anyone. You never think about anyone but yourself.”
I glanced at Ash as his father ranted, his voice booming and angry.
“And inmyhouse?”
“It’s my house too,” Ash cut in.
“Not when I’m not home, it isn’t,” his dad snapped.
I slipped my hand into Ash’s free one. He squeezed it so hard my fingers cracked.
“I’m sorry I went to your house when you weren’t home,” Ash said in a small voice. “Things at Mom’s were—”
“That’s not my concern or my problem.”
Ash hung his head, his shoulders stooped.
I already hated his father, but this ratcheted my hatred up by one thousand.
“I won’t do it again, Dad.”
“No, you won’t. I’ve erased your code from my system now that I know I can’t trust you.”
“I didn’t do anything wrong—”
“You broughthiminto my home.”
Ash snapped his eyes to mine as two spots of color appeared on his cheeks.
“We were just hanging out.”
“Stop lying. Isawyou.”
“But I turned the cameras off.”