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“How are you, love?” She leans forward, kissing the man in question on the cheek. She drops an arm along my back, guiding me to face the newcomer. “You remember my daughter, Fallon, of course?”
“Of course,” he repeats, leering at me with a feral sort of grin on his face. “Sweetheart, how are you?”
Too wasted to be dealing with a creepy old man like you.
There’s something predatory in his expression as he holds my gaze. His eyes run over the length of me, taking in every inch of my body. I fiddle with my hands, ignoring the way my mind buzzes, telling me to run. I couldn’t even if I tried, thanks to my mother’s hold on me.
“Good, thank you,” I finally answer when he returns his gaze to mine. His mouth quirks into a smirk that he aims at my mother.
“She’s lovely Caroline and so grown up now.”
My spine straightens, something about his words put me on edge, but I’m too far gone to the haze of alcohol and weed that I can’t figure out what it is.
“That she is,” she replies, smiling in satisfaction. This whole thing is weird. The woman that hates me more than anything in the world is suddenly singing my praises?
There’s something so wrong about this interaction, something unnerving, but I can’t put my finger on what it is.
My father comes over then, clapping the man on the back. The two men couldn’t be more different. Dad is tall and lean, with a full head of dark hair, peppered with greying streaks, but Gregory is short and round, with grey hair that is balding slightly on the top.
I know they say not to judge a book by its cover, but I’m judging—and I don’t like what I see.
“Robert, you never told me your daughter would be here,” he says the words, keeping his tone light. Though they sound more like an accusation than the innocent comment they’re worded as.
“I didn’t know,” Dad says, turning his face to my mother. He doesn’t look happy, though, I’d already figured that out when I spoke to him earlier. She says nothing, her lips pursing as she stares at the two men. “Fallon was supposed to stay at university this weekend. You know what it’s like. First-year and all, a very busy time.”
“Of course, and how are you finding the academy Fallon?” Gregory asks, facing me once again.
“It’s good, thanks.”
I offer nothing more, what else could I say? It’s a bag of shit? I doubt that’s going to go down well. Apparently, I have some semblance of self-preservation left in my muddled brain.
“Fantastic, that’s what we love to hear.”
“Fallon,” Dad says, pulling my attention to him. “Did you want to find your friend now? The entertainment will be starting soon.”
Nodding, I send him a grateful smile. Whether he’s done it intentionally, he’s bought me some freedom from this weird situation the four of us find ourselves in. My mother hesitates to loosen her hold, but when she locks eyes with my father, a wordless conversation happens between them and she finally lets go.
“Nice chatting,” I tell them all. Sending a finger wave, I move away quickly, heading straight for the bathrooms again. Perhaps that’s a perfect place to hide out all night. “See you.”
EIGHTEEN
Fallonslipsoutofthe room, heading towards the bathroom. I didn’t miss the interaction with her parents and Gregory, nor the way her mother and him had a hushed conversation once both Fallon and Robert had left.
“Where are you going?” Dad asks when I stand and walk away from our table. His eyes follow where I’ve been staring for the last minute, and he sighs. “Theodore.”
“Leave it, Dad, I’ll catch you later.”
I don’t bother waiting around to hear what he has to say next.
I don’t care for any of it.
I trace Fallon’s footsteps, stopping outside the ladies room. I’m too buzzed to give a shit about the fact that she’s in a place no man should enter. Shoving the door open, my eyes rake over the room.
Tucked away in the corner, a bottle of wine to her lips, Fallon rests her head against the wall. At this moment, she looks nothing more than a lost child. I twist the lock, moving towards her. She looks up at me, her eyes glazed and a sad look on her face.
“What the fuck do you want?”
“Well hello to you too,” I tell her, sliding down the wall to join her on the floor. “What’s got your panties in a twist, Casper?”
