Charlotte stares in confusion. “So, what exactly will you be doing?”
“I’ll be traveling around Europe.”
“Then, when you’re done, say, in a year? You’re going to enroll?” Charlotte pushes.
In slow motion, Alexa’s bitter eyes lock into mine. “No.”
Her stare weighs heavily, and it’s more than teenage angst.What the hell have I done to raise such an ungrateful child?Alexa’s head tilts away, unable to look at me any longer. The contempt she has for me leaves me speechless, but of course, the anger swirling within me refuses to subside.
The skin around my eyes tightens as my jaw sets.
“You have one year to travel,” I state in an arctic tone, strangling my voice to control my temper. “Then, you will return and enrol in college.”
Alexa stands up in a rush, crossing her arms with a defiant stare. “You don’t get a say in my life anymore. I’m almost eighteen.”
“As long as you live under this roof...”
“Well, guess what,Lex…”she drags my name in a condescending tone. “As soon as I graduate, I will no longer be living under this roof. You can control what you want, but you will never control me.”
And as quickly as she drops this bombshell on us, Alexa runs into the house and out of sight.
I bury my head into my hands, unable to shake the animosity from what just happened. In the blink of an eye, I’m sitting here counting my blessings to being disrespected by my own daughter.
I thought I’d experienced the worse when I found out Will and Amelia were lying to me and sneaking behind my back. The anger toward them was unparalleled. I’d never experienced such contempt as I had when I discovered the man I’d mentored was ultimately fucking my daughter.
As for Ava, her pregnancy with Austin was a surprise and at the time, a disappointment. Yet, I soon learned how mistakes equate to blessings. Many said I became soft and treated Ava differently, but I argued the circumstances were entirely different.
Addison has never put me in a position ever to get mad at her. So, perhaps, I thought the worse was over.
But rainbows don’t form until after the storm.
The storm known as Alexandra Adriana Edwards has just made landfall.
And she’s ready todestroyeverything in sight….
To be continued in Craving Love…
SNEAK PEEK
CRAVING LOVE
“I’m guessing Daddy didn’t see you leaving the house like this?”
Cole grabs my hand as we enter the crowded house for Mikayla’s eighteenth birthday party. Considering it’s a school night, everyone from senior year is here. Apparently, the reason behind the Thursday night party is because Mikayla’s parents are taking her to Europe tomorrow. If only we all had such relaxed parents.
“He didn’t see me,” I say over the loud music. “I left before he came home.”
Cole leans in, brushing his lips against my ear.“You look fucking hot.”
I force a fake smile as we walk into the large living room, pretending the compliment makes me happy. Cole looks handsome tonight, dressed in a white tee with a gold chain around his neck. His white sneakers are brand new, standing out against his dark denim jeans.
He runs his hand through his black hair, nodding to greet people but then stops and says hello to his friends. Most of them are from the football team, jocks just like him.
Hanging out with the boys can get tedious since all they talk about is chicks they want to screw. Half the girls wouldn’t touch these guys for the life of them. The newest challenge they set upon themselves is trying to take the virginity of some new girl. All I know is that she’s quiet and keeps to herself. She does come across as nerdy with her thick black glasses and weird obsession with wearing plaid, but nevertheless, his friends have no chance.
Five minutes into hanging around the guys, and I’m already bored. I excuse myself to walk around, saying hello to a few friends before making my way outside to the pool. I’m surprised by how many people are in the water and not so surprised when I see a guy throwing up on the side.
It’s a warm enough night to swim. I’m not exactly dressed for it, already pushing my limits with the dress I wear. It dawned on me a pair of jeans would have been much more comfortable, but I wanted to prove a point to myself.