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I sigh. “I figured as much when I woke up and realized he hadn’t come home last night. Any other charges?”
“Resisting, but just come get him and we’ll call it even.”
“Thanks, Bar. I’ll be there soon.”
“Sure thing, Savannah.”
Out of the two options, I would’ve much rather preferred him to be at the hospital. They at least give him fluids, so his hangover isn’t as bad and he’s a little easier to deal with. I glance down at the time and notice it’s already 7:05. So much for getting to school on time.
I make quick work of brushing my hair and getting dressed into my uniform. I run out the door, and Brady is already waiting for me at the curb. I smile as I climb into his car.
“Hey, can you do something before you take me to school?”
He eyes me suspiciously before realization sets in and he puts the car in drive. “Do you need bail money, too?”
“Not this time.”
At this point, Brady knows better than to try to talk to me about this. The first couple times, he tried to pry information out of me as to when my dad went from father of the year to a worthless drunk. If I’m being honest, I don’t even have an answer for that. All I know is that over time he changed, until he became this. A mean, ruthless, disappointing mess of a man. Now, it’s all I know.
We pull up to the police station, and Brady waits outside while I go in and get my father. I follow the officer back to the cell, watching my dad wince as the sound of his name echoes throughout the room.
“Montgomery! Your ride’s here.”
Officer Patten unlocks the door, and my father stumbles through it. It’s easy to figure out he’s still at least partly drunk, but mostly hungover, if the way he shields his eyes from the light is anything to go by.
“What was his BAC when you brought him in?” I ask.
The officer’s frown shows his pity at how numb I am to all of this, but I’m not looking for his sympathy. I wait patiently for the answer as he pulls up the report.
“Point 235.”
Almost three times the legal limit, lovely. I wish I could say this one takes the record, but it doesn’t. The record was when he was a .462, and the hospital needed to pump his stomach to avoid liver damage. This is a walk in the park compared to that day.
“All right, Dad. Let’s get you home and in bed.”
I lead him out to the car, where Brady opens the door and helps me get him in. My father grumbles something inaudible as we child lock the back seat and shut him in. I mumble another thanks to my friend and get in the passenger side.
The ride back to my house is slow, no doubt because Brady doesn’t want the back of his car covered in vomit—again. It smelled like a dumpster in here for a week before he could get an appointment to have it detailed.
Once we pull up, the two of us drag my dad into the house and to his bedroom. To my relief, he only calls me a piece of shit once before he passes out face down on his bed. I place a bottle of water and a couple Advil on his nightstand for when he wakes up later. Then, I grab my stuff for school and lock the house up.
“Just another day in paradise?” Brady jokes as we get back in the SUV.
“You know it.”
INSTEAD OF GOING STRAIGHT to a class I’d inevitably be late for, we decided to grab something for breakfast first—or more like he decided and I had no say in the matter because “my car my rules.” So, I arrive at Haven Grace Prep just after first period lets out.
After the morning I had, my patience is minimal when I get inside. I push my way through Paige and Becca to get to my locker, not even giving them a chance to move first. Pulling my phone from my purse, I throw the bag inside and grab my book for second period.
“How nice of your royal highness to join us,” Carter says with a smirk, but I’m hardly in the mood for it.
I let out a sound of annoyance. “Don’t you have better things to do than focus on my whereabouts, Trayland?”
As I turn
around, I notice someone new standing between Carter and Jace. My gaze starts at his chest and works its way up. When my eyes meet his, my breath hitches. No, it can’t be. The dark blue eyes I remember, the same ones I’ve dreamed about hundreds of times over the last eight years, stare back at me.
The last time I looked into that night sky gaze, I was ten years old, before he and his family completely disappeared. My father said they moved away, but I didn’t want to believe it. He would’ve told me. He would’ve said goodbye. However, when I ran across the street and into the empty house, I realized he was right. My best friend, my everything, left me without a word.
