He’d promised himself he wouldn’t be that kind of parent. Then he’d become a dad and his perspective shifted. Parenting was hard—parenting a teen was terrifying. It was finding that right balance between giving them the freedom to make good choices and being there when they misstepped.
He wasn’t some out-of-touch dad. He’d known that Maddie and Liam were fooling around, and even though that had been an awkward conversation, they’d worked through it. But this? It was as if he was using the wrong playbook.
Dating guys who were age-appropriate? He didn’t like it but he accepted it.
Colin might hold the line a little closer than other parents, but for the most part he’d encouraged Maddie to explore her independence. Lately though, it was as if she was lying for the sake of lying. Sneaking around to get a rise out of him. Pushing him further and further away, which made decisions like this all the harder.
“Kade’s almost twenty, you’re a minor, but he was so up front and respectful about the whole thing, I was working my way up to a yes.” Then she’d blown right past lying into using someone, and if there was one thing Colin hated worse than a liar it was a user. “I raised you better than that.”
“You’ve raised me to be my own person and go after what I want. I want to date guys who aren’t from my high school.”
“Then date some guy from Monterey or Carmel High. Not some predator off a dating app. Does he know that you’re a minor?”
“He knows I’m almost eighteen.”
“State of California says that doesn’t come for another ten months.” He shook his head. “So you and this Oak guy are not going to happen.” He handed her back the phone. “You blew it, kid. Until I can trust you, no car, no friends, and no phone unless you’re on the home Wi-Fi.”
“But Shay’s eighteenth birthday is next weekend.”
“You might want to call her and unRSVP.”
Kim was going to chew his ass out for making Shay celebrate a milestone without her cousin, but Ethan would understand. If he didn’t, Colin might call Gary for some father-to-father support. Hell, maybe Colin and Gary could start a Daddies of Teen Daughters support group.
“What about school? How will I get to and from practice?”
“Better invest some of that birthday money in a bus pass.”
This time real tears ensued. A lot of them. Colin almost tried to convince himself that her tears no longer affected him—but then he’d be the liar.
“You just wait until I turn eighteen,” she threatened, her voice so loud, Ms. Jessup’s head poked out from between the blinds. “I’ll get a job like Shay and buy my own car. Then you can’t stop me from going wherever I want.”
“While you’re saving money for that car, remember that you’ll also need insurance and gas money,” he said calmly.
She fisted her hands and dramatically yelled, “You’re ruining my life.”
“I thought I did that last week.”
“Mom wouldn’t have been such a hard-ass.”
She was angry and ashamed for being caught in a lie, and she’d lashed out. Even though he knew the whys, understanding didn’t take away the sledgehammer to the chest.
“Maybe, but she’s not here. I am,” he said and,ouch,maybe she wasn’t the only one angry. Sure, Amanda hadn’t hesitated to take the money and run, then use her own daughter as a bargaining chip to clean Colin out. But his comment wasn’t cool.
Maddison’s tears spilled down her face and she took a small step back. He felt like an ass for using Amanda to get his point across. His heart ached whenever Maddison talked about her mom. He knew there was still a part of her that wanted her mommy to come home and come through on her promises.
Amanda might like holiday calls and school photos to show her friends what a beautiful daughter she had, but she was predictable when it came to her kid’s needs. Amanda would always be a no-show.
Something he refused to be. But that didn’t give him the right to act holier than thou. So even though Maddie had lashed out, that didn’t give him an excuse to bite back. He was the parent, and she was a cornered and emotional teen.
“That wasn’t my best moment,” he admitted quietly. “And I’m sorry.”
“It doesn’t matter.” Maddison wiped angrily at her tears. “This is just another reason why I’m going to New York after graduation.”
His heart stilled right there in his chest. “You mean UCLA.”
“Nope.” She popped that P so loud, Ethan probably heard it across town. “NYU.”
He shook his head even as she was nodding hers. “What about the plan? UCLA then Berkeley.”
