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“Scarlet,” my mother coos, “there you are.”
“Mother.” I don’t bother to hide the disdain in my voice. I’m not putting on a show. I don’t give a shit what anyone thinks about me or my parents. They might be high society back in Chicago, but here their name holds no clout.
“Where are your manners, dear? Aren’t you going to introduce us to your date?”
No. Yes.
I’d rather not put him through all this, but he’s not giving me a choice, tightening his hold on my hand.
“This is my boyfriend, Colt.” When she doesn’t say anything or make a move to greet him, I continue. “What are you doing here?”
“We bought tickets from you at Christmas, Scarlet.” My father doesn’t bother to make eye contact when he addresses me. Instead, his eyes are locked on Colt, who’s staring right back at him. Unflinching. Unaffected. Unimpressed. “We made a commitment to support your event. Did you think we wouldn’t come?”
In Chicago, my father is considered an intimidating man. But here, he’s nothing more than a parent. He holds no rank over anyone. And his money means nothing.
I doubt he realizes that.
“I hoped you wouldn’t.” My honesty surprises my mother.
“Scarlet Renee, watch your tongue.”
Looking to Gia, her eyes bouncing between me and my mother, I silently beg her for a moment of privacy.
“I’d like to speak to my daughter. Alone,” my father states as soon as Gia is out of earshot.
“He stays. Whatever you have to say to me, you can say in front of Colt.”
My parents share a look, and then my father turns his attention to me. “Scarlet, it’s time to move past this. You’re graduating in a few months, and you need to start making plans for your future. You can’t keep acting like a child and expect things to fall in your lap. It’s time to grow up, and part of that means accepting your role in this family.”
“My role in the family?” I’m seething. I know where this conversation is headed, but I’m going to let him speak anyway. He’s going to dig his own grave.
“Yes, and at the magazine. I’ve made arrangements for you to keep the office and changed your title. You’ll still be working in the design department, but you’ll have a smaller role until you take the necessary classes at Northwestern to complete your degree.”
“You signed me up for classes?”
“Yes. You have two this summer and two in the fall. That should be all you need to obtain a degree in graphic design as we planned.”
“As you planned,” I state, my voice raising and drawing the attention of a few people standing nearby.
“You agreed to this when we let you come here for school. It’s time you hold up your end of the deal. Otherwise…”
His voice trails off, and I realize he’s threatening me. Again. To take everything. And I don’t care.
Straightening my shoulders, I wait until my father’s eyes lock on mine before I speak. When they do, I notice the moment he realizes I’m not backing down. “No. I was a naive teenager when I made that deal. I don’t want the life you planned for me. I don’t want to work for you. And there’s nothing you can say or threaten that will make me change my mind.”
“Nothing?” he challenges, his eyes flicking to Colt.
“Don’t bring him into this.”
“You brought him into this,” he says, lowering his voice as he steps toward me. “And you’re still acting like the spoiled brat that we dropped off here three years ago. It’s time to grow up, Scarlet Renee. Part of being an adult is doing things you don’t always want to do.”
Colt pulls me away from my father and steps between us.
“Mr. Newton, with all due respect, you can’t force her to accept the job. Scarlet is smart and driven and talented. She is going to do amazing at whatever she sets her mind to. But it won’t be working for you. She’s made herself clear, and I think it would be wise of you to accept that.”
“Are you threatening me?” Colt shakes his head but doesn’t say a word. I can feel the anger radiating off him. He’s trying to remain calm for me. “She’s my daughter. I think I know her better than you do. What she wants. What she needs. She didn’t act like this until recently, and I can only imagine it has something to do with you. She won’t act like this anymore after she’s done with you. You’re a passing fling, young man. It’s best you wise up and realize that. My daughter can do better than some punk with no future. If you care about her at all, you’ll let her go now before you drag her down the path you’re on. It leads nowhere.”
I’m stunned into silence. I want to tell my father where to shove it. To stand up for Colt. To start listing off all his accomplishments. The words don’t come before he walks away, leaving me staring at my father with disappointment in my eyes.
