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“Sure is. He’s all yours. If you could just point me to my room.”
“Two doors down on the right,” my father tells her.
“Thanks so much, Mr. Wallace.”
“Richard, please.”
Lexie disappears into the hallway, a pleased smile on her face.
Grown adult or not, standing here in front of my father, I feel like a little kid again. While I wasn’t much of a troublemaker when I was younger, I certainly had my fair share of talking-tos, and they always ended up here.
My dad takes a seat on my bed and pats the empty space next to him. My head down, my eyes are trained on my shoes as I sit.
“This isn’t like you, kid.” Despite having every right to be, he doesn’t sound angry. Instead, his voice is filled with concern. “Drinking and driving, now, a sex tape. I don’t get where all this is coming from.”
Oh, fuck.
He’s worried about me, thinks that I’m fucking falling apart. Christ, I think I would prefer if he was angry. That I could handle. Having to dig myself out of a hole, I’m only in because of Cody—that’s not something I am up to at the moment. My predicament is of my own doing, though. I could have let Cody take the well-deserved fall, but I wanted to spare my parents the pain. This is the price I have to pay.
“Nothing is going on. I made a few mistakes…”
“You don’t make mistakes, Carter. You’re smart. You think things through. This isn’t like you.”
“I thought I was invincible.” As I speak, I allow my gaze to fall back to the floor. I can’t look him in the eye while I lie to him. “Plenty of guys do it, so I got behind the stupid wheel. I lost control. Then, everything started to spiral. My arm. The pain. The humiliation. I just can’t get my shit together.” I take a deep breath. “That’s why Coach sent me here. He thought being away from the city, from everything, would help.”
“Maybe you need more help than just coming home.”
This whole protecting Cody thing is really starting to backfire. It was one thing when the press made their accusations and assumptions.ThatI could blow off. My father insinuating I need rehab or a mental hospital? That’s not going to fucking happen.
Part of me wants to tell him the truth. I want to shout that I’m not the one who needs it. That everything spiraled because of his other son being such a fuck-up, but at this point, what does it even matter? Clearly, I haven’t saved him any grief, only redirected it onto myself.
“I don’t, okay? Let me… let me just try this my way first. If you don’t see me improving, we’ll figure out something else. Okay? I’m going to do this, Dad. I’m going to fix everything.”
“Yeah? Does that have anything to do with your therapist?” He raises an eyebrow.
I nod. “The sooner I get my arm fixed…”
“That’s not what I mean.”
“She’s just my therapist, Dad.” At least that part’s not a lie. That’s all Lexie is. All she ever will be. At least now.
“If you say so.” His words might be agreeing with me, but the look on his face doesn’t.
“I promise. I’m on the right track.” So far on it, I never fell off. Well, except for that whole little thing with Lexie and the tape. Fuck, I could kill Green.
“I hope you’re right.” He pulls me in for a hug, then pulls back and looks me in the eye. “But if you’re ever not, I’m here for you.”
“I know.”
Nodding, he gives me a tight smile.
“Get settled. Show Lexie around. I’ll let you know when dinner’s ready.”
* * *
I decided against my dad’s suggestion about showing Lexie around. I already spent the better part of the day with her and need a little break to clear my head. Hopping back in my truck, I go to visit the only person who will understand and help me clear the shit in my head, my sister. Char is the epitome of a big sister everyone wishes they had. Fun. Smart. Supportive. Strong as hell. She’s my rock. And if ever I needed her, it’s now.
Without bothering to knock, I step into the house and call out to her, “Sis?”
