Letting the door swing wider open, he stepped to the side. “Come in, kiddo. I was just having a cup of coffee.”
I nodded and walked over the threshold. My eyes swept over the room, and I swallowed back a sob. Nothing had changed. Every piece of furniture was exactly where it had been before Mom and I left.
Following him into the kitchen, I sat down at our secondhand table. A moment later he placed a mug in front of me, taking the seat directly across from me. “Are you going to tell me what is going on, Josie?”
I wrapped my hands around the cup, letting the heat warm my hands as I brought it up to my face and inhaled. No one made coffee like Dad. I took a sip and savored the sweet and creamy brew before answering. “I can’t stay with Mom. It’s not safe for me,” I said, dropping the bomb—at least, that was how it felt.
The kitchen fell silent. “You know it’s not that simple, kiddo.”
“Nothing ever is,” I mumbled, staring into my cup.
He cleared his throat. “I know you, and I can see that something is wrong. Did you and your mother have a fight?”
If only it was that simple. “Mom and I fight all the time.”
“So if it isn’t your mother, then is it Steven? Did he do something?” His jaw hardened a fraction.
“No.” I sighed, suddenly having a hard time finding the words to tell him what happened with Carter. I was embarrassed when I had no reason to be. None of this was my fault. And what could my dad do? He would confront my mother and Steven, which would cause problems.
Dad tapped the side of his coffee, watching me carefully. “You know you can talk to me.”
I gave him a small, reassuring smile that was for me as much as it was for him. “Yeah, Dad, I know. I just really needed to see you.”
His hand reached across the table to cover mine, squeezing it. “Well, I’m glad you’re here.”
The pressure clamping down on my chest since Friday night eased. “Is it okay if I stay for a while?”
He grinned, leaning back in his chair. “I’d like that. I can order us pizza from down the street, and we can watch movies all day, if you’d like.”
Just like old times. I desperately needed the familiarity of my old life. It gave me comfort I couldn’t find anywhere else. I nodded, trying not to get emotional. “Sounds perfect.”
If he heard the hitch in my voice, he ignored it. “You do have to go back though, Josie. As much as I want you here, we have to abide by the judge’s ruling, just until my lawyer can get it amended. I haven’t given up.”
It was costing him money he didn’t have to fight the arrangement, my mother’s highly paid lawyers bulldozing him. “Dad, you don’t have to do that. Really. It’s only a few months until I’m eighteen.” What was the point? I’d be free to make my own choices then.
“I know. Still, you’re my little girl. You’ll always be my little girl. I’ve missed you so much, Josie.”
“Me too,” I said, smiling, and sipped my coffee.
* * *
It was after dinner when Dad dropped me off at the end of the Pattersons’ driveway. I waved him off and punched the code into the security gate. Full on pizza and hours ofLord of the Ringsmovies, I dragged my feet down the driveway like I was awaiting my own execution. All that lightness I’d felt being with Dad disappeared, and the weight in my chest returned.
Angie was waiting on the porch for me, sitting on one of the rockers with a big glass of, surprise, wine. “Was that your father’s car I saw?”
I’d been dreading this moment, but I couldn’t avoid this house or my mother any longer. I sat down in the chair beside her and replied, “Yes.”
She lifted the sunglasses off her eyes, placing them on top of her head. It was too dark for sunglasses, which meant she was attempting to hide her bloodshot eyes. “Is that where you’ve been all weekend? With him?” Bitterness eked from her voice.
“No, I was staying with a friend. I just saw Dad for a few hours today. What’s going on?” Something was up. She had that look on her face, the one that said I had done something to displease her.
Lifting the glass to her lips, she took a long drink. “Carter is in the hospital.”
This was the first I was hearing of it. If the Elite beat Carter that bad, why hadn’t I heard about it? Did Mads keep it from me, knowing I would be upset? It wasn’t that I was concerned for Carter, but I was afraid of what he would do to me when he came home. Carter would blame this on me.
She saw the startled expression on my face. “You didn’t know. Hmm.” She pressed her lips together. “He was attacked Friday night after the game. Steven and I had to cut our trip short when we got the call.”
That explained the sour attitude. It had nothing to do with her concern for her stepson, but the fact that her precious trip with her husband had been interrupted. “Is he okay?”