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“Welcome to our lovely family,” she responds sarcastically.
I close my eyes and think. “What do I do?”
She laughs. “I don’t think there’s anything you can do. It’s already been done.” She pauses, then asks, her voice laced with surprise, “You really like her, don’t you?”
I nod before I respond, “I really do. She pushes me like no one has before. In a good way.”
I hear her let out a breath, but she doesn’t say anything for a few seconds.
“Then, you’ll have to prove to her family that you aren’t our dad. That you’re different.”
“And how do I go about doing that?” I ask, feeling helpless.
“I don’t know, but I do know you’ll figure it out. You always do.”
I plop back down on my bed. “Gee, sis … I called you to help me feel better and …” I let my thoughts trail off.
“And now, you know the truth. Hopefully, you understand Natalie’s thoughts more. If there’s one thing I’ve heard about her dad, it’s that he’s genuinely a really good man. He’s very liked in our community. I know it doesn’t faze us one bit to go against our parents’ wishes because of the assholes they both are, which we knowfirsthand. But that’s different for her. You have to respect that. Shit, we should be jealous of that.”
I nod even though she can’t see me. “Yeah, I hear that.”
“Sorry, little bro. I hate to say you’re stuck between a rock and a hard place, but …” She trails off, obviously trying not to laugh.
“But I’m fucked.”
“Yeah, pretty much.” She finally lets out her laugh.
“Well, thanks for your help,” I say sarcastically.
She laughs harder. “Happy to help ruin your day even more.”
“Talk soon?” I ask.
“Of course. Love you, bro.”
“Love you too, sis.”
I hang up, feeling even worse than I did before I called her.
How can I convince Natalie’s dad that I’m not like my dad and I shouldn’t be judged like I am?
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
Natalie
“Hey, Ashley,” I say unenthusiastically as I answer her phone call.
“Girl, what’s wrong?”
I sigh as I plop down on my bed, exhausted from the thoughts going through my head. “Everything.”
“Then, it’s a good thing I called. I’m coming to pick you up. I want to go get some lunch.”
“Okay …”
“Uh-huh. I need a little more enthusiasm out of you.”
I grin even though she can’t see me. “Fine. Yay!” I say, faking excitement.
