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“Shit,” Hollis curses, his panicked eyes meeting mine. I pass him my phone so he can see the messages. He quickly taps over to my Twitter app, and that’s when the video pops up. It’s grainy, but there’s no mistaking it’s us kissing on the rooftop of the hotel. It has to be from a staff member. Who else could’ve gotten up there? “Jesus Christ,” he mutters, dropping the phone back to the bed.
He gives me a look that’s a cross between panicked and resigned. He has every right to be mad at me, though. This is all my fault, because I was too scared, too weak, to woman up and tell my dad. I’m an adult. He has to respect my choices, but I just … chickened out.
My dad is one of my favorite people in the world and I couldn’t stomach the thought of him being mad or disappointed in me.
But now, I realize, by doing that I let Hollis down.
I shouldn’t have hid him away like some dirty secret.
And now this is how my father finds out.
I tumble out of the bed, tripping over the sheet, but Hollis is already there giving me a hand to help me up.
My lower lip trembles. “He’s going to hate me.”
“No, baby, he’s going to hate me,” Hollis says, giving me a sad, resigned look.
I tighten my grip on his hand, but he pulls away, refusing to look at me.
I can feel him slipping through my fingers, literally.
He’s shutting down. Pulling away. It’s all my fault. I have no one to blame but myself.
“DO NOT MAKE ME COME IN THAT FUCKING ROOM!” My dad yells. “GET YOUR ASSES OUT HERE NOW!”
I’ve never in all my life heard my dad sound so …livid. Irritated, sure. Mad, sometimes. But so angry he sounds like he’s ready to commit murder? Never.
Hollis swings open the bedroom door, and immediately falls back into me, both of us crashing to the floor. He cradles his jaw and I look from him to my dad standing in the doorway.
His face is red, purple in places like he’s forgotten how to breathe and is close to passing out. His shoulders are bunched nearly to his shoulders and one hand is still raised in a fist.
“Youpunchedhim,” I shriek, horrified. “What is wrong with you?”
His eyes are wild, like a rabid animal, and in this moment, I don’t know him. Not at all. He’s certainly not my dad, the man who has raised me as his own.
“I told you to stay away from my daughter,” he shouts, pointing down at Hollis. “I warned all of you she was off-limits. But especially …especiallyyou.”
“Why?” Hollis asks. “Because she’s too pure? And I’m what? Fucked up? A loser?”
“You’re auser. You use people to get what you want and then you go on your merry fucking way. I was young once, fame went to my head, and you might think you’ve gotten a taste of it … but you don’t knowanythingyet—and I will not let my daughter get drug down a path pining for some asshole musician who will only use her for sex and God knows what else.”
“Dad—”
“Shut up, Mia!”
I flinch.
“I want you gone,” my dad tells Hollis. “You, your band, the contract is over. I’m done with all of you. Get out of town. I never want to see any of you ever again. I warned you what would happen.” He wags a finger, jaw clenched tight. “I fucking warned you.”
Hollis stands, helping me up. He opens his mouth to speak but I push past him.
“How dare you.” I shove a finger into my dad’s chest. “How. Fucking. Dare. You.” I punctuate each word with another jab. “I know you weren’t a saint in your past, butyouchanged—so I guess no one else can then? How fucking hypocritical are you?” I seethe, anger making me shake. Hollis gently holds my elbow to steady me, thankfully my dad doesn’t notice. “Hollis is the best man I’ve ever met. He loves me, and I love him, and I refuse to let you of all people belittle our feelings. I’m not that little girl anymore that you need to watch over all the time. I’m an adult and I’m free to love whoever I want.”
“Mia,” Hollis begins softly from behind me.
“No,”I tell him. My eyes glued to my dad’s I continue, “You have no right to be angry. You havenoright to tell Hollis or anyone else they can’t sleep with me, or date me, orfuckme,” I add and he winces. “Because that’smychoice. I choose who I share my time, mybody, with. Not you. Never you.” I take a breath. “You busting in here like a mad man is beyond ridiculous. If I have dragons needing to be slayed, I can do it my damn self. If I needed your help I’dask. I don’t need you marching around, barking orders, like some Lord or King from the dark ages. You storming in here like this, unannounced, because you saw some things on social media proves how unhinged you are when it comes to your kids. I get it, Dad, I know how protective you got after what happened when I was a kid, but you have to learn to let go.” I clasp my hands together, pleading with him to see reason.
He glowers, his jaw working back and forth but I can see the hurt in his eyes from my words. Did he really think I was going to side with him in this situation? I will not be told who I can and cannot love, like my virginity is up for auction to the highest bidder or something.
