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“Now, do you finally have the life you wanted?” My mother's words broke me out of my daydream as she stared in my direction.
I looked down at a beautiful Remy before cutting my gaze back to my mom.
“Fuck yea.”
* * *
Yes, Daddy: A Daddy Says Prequel
Chapter 1~ Pearl
“So,how does it feel to be eighteen?” Breonna wiggled her brows as she tossed a packet of popcorn in the microwave.
I sipped on my cream soda, which was brutally flat at this point. I’ve been waiting forever to turn eighteen, mainly for two reasons: One, so I could work full-time hours all summer and not catch shit about it from my dad, and two, finally losing my virginity.
“Hello? Earth to Pearl?” she joked before turning her attention back to the beeping microwave.
Before pouring it down the sink, I took another sip. “It’s great. I’m officially an adult with no money and a crappy car.”
Breonna did a little dance as she stood near the microwave. “Welcome to the good life, girlie.”
“You can buy porn now!” Amber shouted from the living room.
Breonna tossed the steaming bag onto the counter and ripped it open. The rich scents of melted butter made my stomach rumble, and I plucked a hot kernel from the bowl and into my mouth.
“Porn? You don’t need to be eighteen to buy porn, girl. It's free on the internet.”
I leaned on the counter and sliced my eyes between them as they bickered about porn and other crazy things that newly eighteen-year-olds could purchase. Dipping my hand back into the bucket of popcorn, my phone buzzed, and I tugged it from my back pocket.Dad.
“Hey, dad.” I plugged one finger into my ear and snuck around the corner, out of earshot of Breonna and Amber's conversation.
“Hey, sweety. How was the party?”
“Okay, everyone was there, well, almost everyone…” I let my words trail off and leaned against the wall. A beat of silence passed before he let out a breath and cleared his throat.
“I know, honey. I’m so sorry. I tried, but you know I’m trying to get a contract for us.”
I tapped the toe of my tennis shoe onto the marble flooring and bit the inside of my cheek. I hated seeing him defeated because he did everything in his power to make sure I had it all. The fact that he hasn’t had a construction contract in over two years started to take a toll on him and his savings. With the credit cards maxed out, and my college savings depleted to almost nothing, it's like we existed in a fragile bubble that could pop at any time.
“Dad?” I asked, forcing myself to ignore the clanking of the ice cubes in his glass of liquor.
“Yeah, sweet pea? We’re going to be fine. I promise you that. Don’t worry about it.”
It was always easy for him to brush off our problems and make it seem like the world wasn’t burning in front of our eyes when it really was. He tried to hide our situation for the longest time, but when you come home to find numerous envelopes with big red stickers on them, it’s pretty hard to turn a blind eye to that.
“But are we? Breonna’s mom is super nice, and I’m sure she wouldn’t mind giving you a small loan or—”
“Pearl, sweetheart, let me handle it. Please,” he interjected.
I rested my head on the wall and shifted. My dad had an ego bigger than the city of Stonebridge and hated handouts more than anything. Proud was an understatement when it came to him. I listened to the ice clatter in his glass as he took another sip. I didn't need to see him to know the state he was in. Disheveled hair, heavy eyes, and a stoic look etched into his features were pretty spot on. With more concern on the tip of my tongue, my sentence was interrupted by Breonna calling me from the other room.
“Go, sweetheart, enjoy your day,” he said as he set his glass down.
I leaned off the wall and started back toward the living room. “Okay, but promise me you’ll call if you need anything.”
The sound of his low chuckle warmed my heart, bringing back memories of when I used to hear it more often, accompanied by his wide smile and warm eyes.
“Sure. Love you, sweet pea.”
