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“Well, I need money, Ems.” He shrugged again, holding out his hands, palms upward, in insincere innocence. “And you’ve been living in my place, without paying rent, for far too long.”
“I have paid every bill for this place since you left!” She clenched her hands into fists at her side. She’d known her father was a jerk, but this took the cake. The very audacity of him… yet she couldn’t be completely shocked, as sad as that was.
Of course, that was how he’d view things. Everything they had was his, and the whole world owed him. Including his daughter. It didn’t matter that he’d disappeared for years and hadn’t put a dime of his own money toward holding on to the trailer or keeping the lights on and the water running. He thought she owed him.
“Yeah, thanks for doing that, but you still owe rent. Tell you what, you can keep staying here, and I’ll give you a discount on the rent. You don’t have to pay me back all at once, either. Let’s say, two thousand dollars a month to stay here, and that will go toward current rent and paying me back.” He crossed his arms over his chest and flashed a smile at her, as if he was doing her some kind of great favor.
Emily’s nails dug into her palms, the small bite of pain helping her focus on something other than her seething emotions. Losing her temper wouldn’t help. It never helped.
Her dad fed off making people lose it, like some kind of emotional vampire.
“You wouldn’t even still have the trailer if it wasn’t for me. I do not owe you anything.” Saying the words felt freeing, even as a sick tendril of fear curled through her. So much for placating him. She knew it was the smarter move, yet she couldn’t bring herself to do it.
She didn’t even know how to placate him right now because if she said she’d give him rent, he’d surely be back.
It might be time to go get a new place to live. Especially if her dad was going to be coming around. That wasn’t how she wanted to spend her money, but she could. Her new job meant she’d be able to afford it. The idea of moving away from the place she’d always called home was terrifying, and she hated not having it here for her mom, but she knew what her mom would want for her—and it wouldn’t include dealing with her dad.
The thunderous expression creeping over his face made her take another step back. She was even with the door now, and she felt her muscles tensing up, getting ready to run… wait, shit, the cat!
She couldn’t just leave the kitten here with her dad, even if he had made himself scarce. There was no way she could leave a helpless, vulnerable animal within her dad’s reach.
“You owe me everything. I’m the one who raised you, who put food on the table, who clothed and housed you?—”
“You and mom, and she didn’t gamble all our money away. You haven’t fed, clothed, or housed me for years!”
“You will talk to me with respect!” Her dad advanced on her, shaking one fist up in the air.
Bile crept up the back of Emily’s throat. Anger at her father and fear for the kitten kept her feet firmly planted where she stood.
“Respect is earned.” She lifted her chin, her heart pounding in her chest at the pure fury that lit up his eyes. They were no longer cold; they were now hot with his rage. “If you don’t want me here anymore, that’s fine. I’ll pack up and go, but I’m not giving you one cent of rent.”
She probably should have lied rather than poking at him, but once she’d gotten started, it was hard to make herself back down.
“Damn right, you’re gonna go.”
“Fine, just let me go pack up…” Her mind was already whirling. She didn’t have any suitcases, of course, but she could get everything into some trash bags and then… Mrs. Martine? No. Mr. Elliott.
Or she could just go to a hotel?—
As she stepped forward, intending on going around her dad to her room, she got the shock of her life when he shoved her back. Her arms flailed as she stumbled, just barely managing not to fall, but her leg banged against the chair.
“Ow!”
“Get out!”
“I need my stuff!” She needed her kitten. She managed to retain enough sense not to say that because letting her dad know she cared about something was never good. Stuff she could abandon, though it would make her heart ache, but she could not leave the kitten there.
“It’s my stuff now since you’re not going to pay rent.” Her dad started walking toward her, menace in every line of his body.
Emily’s mouth went dry… but she couldn’t leave without the kitten. Her eyes darted around, trying to figure out where he’d gone, but there were so many shadows and dark corners he could be hiding in, and he was so tiny…
“Fine, I’ll pay rent. Let me get my stuff.” Whatever she had to say to get past him.
Her dad paused, his eyes narrowing.
“You have fifty thousand dollars you can give me right now?”
“No,” she said quickly. “I’ll pay it back to you. Whatever. Just let me get my stuff.”
