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“Who is this man?” She cast a suspicious eye over Dad.
No one was on the tip of my tongue, but I didn’t say that. It seemed too harsh. My shoulders slumping, I turned to Mrs. Gold. “This is my father. And he was just leaving.”
The indecision was clear to read on her face as she tried to decide if she should step in or leave it alone. Then Rhys decided for her.
“Come on, Astrid, I’ll put your bag in your car.” He slipped my bag off my shoulder. Jonah steered me around my dad. And of course, this was the one day I’d actually wanted to drive myself.
The crowd had started to disperse, thanks to Mrs. Gold shooing people away with a wave of an elegant hand and a hard-eyed look. Rhys opened my driver’s side door to Freda as my dad stood there, watching us with zero emotion on his face.
“Rhys, son—” he started, probably trying his chances with his lover’s son.
“I’m not your son. I never will be,” Rhys snapped back. “The best thing you can do is not put up any roadblocks as we shift everything of Astrid’s over to her name. In fact,” he held out a hand. “I’ll take the phone. We’ll transfer her number to our plan, you’ll just have to give permission when they call you.”
Reluctantly, Dad handed it over, his usually steady hands shaking.
“And just so you don’t have any disillusions about what’s going on, our family doesn’t have any money right now. The government froze all of Dad’s assets. If he’s found guilty, he’ll lose everything.”
Dad nodded. He must have at least suspected that, because there was a lack of surprise in the deep groves of his face.
Just as Jonah climbed in his car and Rhys was stepping back to shut me in Freda, Dad spoke again.
“Is it true? Did he really work with Noel Warrick?” The break in Dad’s voice both saddened and angered me. That was what had upset him? Was that the reason he’d gone off the deep end, afraid and disgusted that his lover could have worked with a child trafficker? May have even feared he was one?
That must have been too much for his hypocritical morals.
“He did work with her. If you’re asking if he had any other association with her or crimes, I have no idea. And I never want to know.”
Rhys shut the door and walked to his Rover, completely ignoring Dad as he turned to watch the only link to his lover leave.
I didn’t want to give him a chance to try and hold us up, so I started Freda and reversed out of my spot.
Like a bad movie, he was in my rearview mirror until I turned out of the lot. But once he was no longer in sight, I couldn’t help but feel like another disappointing string in my life had been trimmed away.
And that felt great.
“Astrid!”
I searched the crowd for the source and found Trinity waving animatedly from the concession stand. She must have been standing on something because her head towered over everyone else as she tried to get my attention.
“Over there,” I said to the guys at my back but they were already staring in Trinity’s direction.
Rhys took the point position as he navigated the happy, sweaty crowd. Beck and Jonah each took a side position.
I would never understand why they’d have graduation in Colorado at one in the afternoon. Outside. With the unforgiving sun glaring down at us. I at least had a floppy hat. The other parents and families here were wearing sunglasses and that was it. Hopefully, they had sunscreen on.
“Hey, glad you guys made it!” Trinity jumped down off of a crate of waters when we got close. “We have reserved seating. Decent too, thanks to Dan.” She blew a strand of hair that had fallen out of her braid away from her forehead.
She looped her arm through mine, and we took the lead. Apparently, the pair of us was more intimidating than me on my own because the people parted effortlessly for us as we moved to the stands.
“Why did you bring your bag?” She asked, glancing at my bag. I’d swapped out my boho for an elegant oversized black bag. It was something Mother Dearest had tried to throw out years ago and I’d taken it. Her style wasn’t my own, but I loved this bag. It was practical.
“Snacks. And waters.”
“They let you past security with that?” Her brows shot us as she pointed at an empty row of seats.
“Umm. We didn’t go through security. Was there security?” I turned to Jonah who had taken the seat next to me.
“We came in through the staff entrance. Beck knew one of the attendees. Otherwise, we’d still be waiting in line.” He dropped a hand on my thigh.
