Now all I need are the puppies Asher had with him the last time I was here and I can call tonight a win.
“Mom, where’s the bathroom?” I ask when I’m practically dancing in my chair.
“Down the hall, second door on the right. Want me to show you?”
I shake my head as I stand, pressing my legs together. Stupid tiny bladder. “No, it's good, Mom. I’ve got it.”
I dash out of the dining room and down the hall, but the sound of shouting makes me pause before I reach the first door.
“—you couldn’t even get that right! Fucking pathetic, Travis. How am I expected to trust you when you fuck up something so simple? All I wanted was a smart, ruthless son to take over my empire, and what a disappointment I’ve ended up with.”
“Dad—”
“Don’t bother, Travis. I’ll just do it myself, and work it out with Theodore like I should’ve in the first place. I should’ve known you weren’t up to this. All you had to do was encourage her. Push them together. You’ve been a let down your entire goddamn life, I don’t know why I’m even surprised. Get out of my sight.”
I freeze for a millisecond before frantically looking for somewhere to hide, but before I can move, Travis is there, staring at me like everything his dad just said was my fault.
He doesn’t say a word, just stares at me like I’m a poison in his life that he wants to eradicate. Gone is the small peace treaty from earlier, and in its place, a white hot abhorrence that I have no idea how I earned.
“Travis—” I start, and he sneers at me.
“Shut your mouth, whore. I’m leaving in five. If you’re not in the car, I’ll leave without you.” He storms past me, knocking into me with his shoulder, and I stumble into the wall, my back hitting something hard and sharp, making me wince in pain.
What the fuck just happened?
CHAPTERTEN
To say the drive home last night was silent and uncomfortable is a major understatement, but that discomfort was nothing compared to how sore my back is today. When I checked the mirror after my shower this morning, there was a very prominent blue-purple stain on my skin, which I promptly covered with a hoodie.
Thankfully, I woke up to what felt like the start of fall.
Leaves are turning, the air is cool, and it's the perfect day for a hoodie, leggings, thick socks, and hot chocolate.
Downsides of the day: I had class first thing this morning and Penn jumped on me as soon as I was home last night about the football game this evening. I know Asher said that Cole is the quarterback, but I had no idea that my fiery roommate was a huge football fan—which apparently means my attendance is mandatory, despite the fact that I have no iota of a clue how the game works.
Plays.
Whatever.
Regardless, I’m being dragged to this game tonight, no matter what.
Which is exactly why I’m standing here, staring into my closet like it has the answers to all the world's problems.
I’ve never beenthisgirl.
The one who struggles to pick what to wear.
But I’ve also never really been the girl who has friends either. Go figure that they go hand in hand for me. I’ve never worried about fitting in until now.
Plus, Penn told me we’ll be going to a party after the game, either a celebration or commiseration, so I need to dress appropriately—mostly because I’ve stopped trying to fight her about dragging me to parties—both for the game, the party, oh, and the gnarly bruise on my back.
I grab a pair of ripped jeans, a new set of black Converse, and a black crop top covered in tiny tears that's ridiculously ‘gothic cute’. Since my first foray into crops, I’ve decided I actually kind of like them. Go figure.
I’m just about to start changing when Penn bounces into the room and launches a top at me.
“For you,” she coos and I pull the black, blue, and silver material from where she flung it onto my head.
“What is it?”