I swallowed hard, flopping back on the bed. “I think I need to keep digging. I mean, right? I’ve been patient and waited around for years for my dad to let me in, and he hasn’t. I either need to be let into whatever he’s doing or move on with my life. Can I move on with my life? It’s not like I can leave when I know how sick he is, but I can’t stay locked up in this house just waiting for him to pass away. That seems so gross.”
“If I were you, I would dig and figure out what’s going on and why he won’t let you help. Or at least, that’s what I would want to do. But you should be careful. Your dad... I don’t mean to be a dick, but he freaks me out sometimes.”
“After yesterday, I get what you mean. He’s all perfect and powerful and it can be a lot. He’s definitely not someone I want to be pissing off. If he doesn’t care if I take over the business, he needs to tell me. I can’t waste any more time doing nothing, and if this is going to cause issues between us, I would rather spend the time we have left together doing things we both like doing instead of him avoiding me or making me parade around at parties for no reason.”
“Is that why you’re always doing what you’re told? You’re scared of him?” she asked.
It wasn’t like it was something we hadn’t talked about, but she had never asked me so bluntly. It honestly wasn’t even something I thought about so bluntly.
“I guess, in a way. Not that I’ve ever thought he’s going to hurt me or anything, but just make my life hell if I start going against the things he wants from me.”
“And the things you want from you?”
“I’m starting to think those two things are at odds with each other.”
We hung out for a few hours around the house after ordering food, but I was growing restless. The words my dad said to me could have been a knife to the chest. I had done the right thing, and now I had ruined something for him. I hadn’t been trying to. Rook had just been helping me get better at dealing with those situations.
“He really told me to not causemoreproblems?” I said for what felt like the hundredth time, making Harper’s eyes jump to mine.
“You good, babe?” she asked.
“No,” I demanded. “I’m not. He told me to stay home and not cause more problems. I rarely cause problems. I sit around here all the time doing nothing and not causing any issue, and the moment I stir things up a little, he freaks out. Not like gets a little mad, he full on freaked out.”
She grinned, sitting up more. “Okay, hear me out. What if youdostay home but cause problems? Is that acceptable?”
“I wouldn’t see why not,” I said, laughing. “What are you thinking?”
“A party?”
I thought it over. I wasn’t a huge fan of parties because of all the people, but it would be a way to have some fun without leaving.
It would also be a good excuse to see Rook.
Twenty minutes later, Harper walked into the kitchen with her phone in hand.
“Alright, we have, like, twenty people saying they are coming, which means forty because you know they are all bringing someone or an entire group. Did I miss anyone?”
I tapped my phone, the message to Rook sitting there unsent.
“I have someone I kind of want to invite.”
“Who?” she asked, a smile growing on her face.
“Rook.”
“Biker boy? I thought he freaked you out.”
“I mean, he does sometimes, but I don’t think he actually wants to hurt me. He seems to… care about me, maybe? I’m not sure, but he’s been almost sweet to me.”
“That’s almost hilarious. I’m still a little scared of him after the whole knife to the chest thing, but in a still laughing way, you know?”
“So, you would be okay if he came? He would probably bring his friends.”
“I mean, are they going to kill someone while they are here?”
“I don’t think so.”
“Don’tthinkso? Is there a way to get a guarantee?” she asked, fighting a smile.
