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I felt my tears falling down my face.
“Dad, you’re wrong. She regrets she had me.”
“No. She regrets she screwed it all up,” he wiped my tears away with his thumbs. “Ask her why she named you Clementine. Let’s call her now.”
I shook my head violently.
“No. I don’t want to.”
“Clem. You both need this.”
“No,” I removed his hands from my face, stood up, and walked over to the door. “I don’t want to talk to her,” I was already in the hallway, going back to the living room. “I don’t want to see her. The mere thought of her coming back is making my skin crawl.”
I saw the condemning look on Madison’s face. She didn’t like my outburst. Too bad for her, because I wasn’t going to hide it.
“You were old enough to remember,” I told her. “She didn’t want me, did she?”
My sister swallowed hard. She hesitated, but then she replied.
“She spent the whole nine months repeating that.”
“Madison!” dad yelled. “What are you doing?”
“Stop protecting her from the truth,” Madison raised her voice. “You don’t give her a chance to accept it and deal with it,” she attacked him.
“Why did she call me Clementine?” I asked her and she shrugged.
“I have no idea.”
“I can tell you that,” dad started, but I cut him off.
“No. I don’t want you to lie. I want someone who will tell me the truth.”
“Your mother will.”
“I’m not calling her, dad. Is that the reason you wanted me to come so much? To bully me into calling that bi…”
“Stop it right now!” dad yelled. “She’s trying. She’s suffering because she understands now that she did horrible things to you.”
“To me?” I snorted outraged. “You think she did it only to me? What about the two of them?” I pointed at my siblings. “Open your eyes, dad.”
I turned my back on him and went upstairs to my room. No one came after me. Not even Tyler.
I took a long shower, then dried my hair. Why did my sister get the pretty name and got the grandma name? There was only answer to that. Because my mother wanted to show me in yet another way she hated me. I was already used to it, I still didn’t like it, but I was used to it. But I wasn’t ready to let my mother off the hook.
I opened up my suitcase to find the pajamas I packed. I left Tyler’s tee back at the Coles. I didn’t want to look weak for wearing it to bed.
On top of the clothes there was a small box. I immediately recognized the wrapping paper. It was from Elizabeth. Her Christmas presents were ready and under the tree from about a week now. She must have put mine in here when I wasn’t looking.
I was gone for a day, and I already missed Elizabeth. I missed them all. I couldn’t bring myself to think about the fact that I was leaving them soon.
I sat on the bed and wondered if I should wait until tomorrow morning to open the present. But I was feeling down and Elizabeth was exactly the kind of person to give the best presents.
I tore the wrapping paper, and I found a jewelry box. I opened it and with one look I knew I was wrong. Elizabeth didn’t give the best presents. Her son did.
Chapter Sixteen
Lucas
