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That feels more like acknowledgement of this whole thing than I’m comfortable with, so I glance down at my lap, a faint smile tugging at my lips. “Believe me, I know.”
“Don’t let him get away with anything.”
That advice surprises me so much, my gaze snaps up to his.
I might have expected Landon’s father to advise me to be patient with him, to be forgiving while he figures out how to behave in a relationship he actually values. Especially considering how many times Hayden has bailed his son out of trouble.
But maybe that’s why. Maybe he has learned the hard way, and he wants to spare me the troubles he has had to deal with over the years.
He’s giving fatherly advice onmybehalf, after all.
“He may push your boundaries to see where they are, to see how far you’ll let him roam past them. That’s his nature. He’ll have to learn to control it the same way I did. Sometimes, we can mistakenly think it’s an expression of love to let someone traipse all over us and everybody else without consequence. I can tell you from regrettable experience, it is not. Let him know your boundaries early, and then stick to them.”
Last night resurfaces in my mind.
Maybe Hayden picked up on trouble brewing from the way his son stormed out, or the fact that I went out looking for his car not long after.
His voice drags me back to the present.
“The moment you start letting Landon get away with things he shouldn’t, you start down a path you can’t turn back from. It is not what’s best for him, and certainly not what’s best for you. Landon needs to improve his self-control and learn how to treat people if he wants them to stick around. He needs to learn his actions have consequences, and regrettably, I let go of the reins a long time ago, so I’ve failed to impose that upon him. It may be too late for me, but I thinkyoustill have a chance.”
I think so, too, but I don’t say that.
“If you enable him, even if you think you’re protecting him, all you’ll really be doing is encouraging his bad behavior. If you don’t like something, do not hesitate to tell him that. Communicate what’s important to you so he knows where you’re at, and then, if he deliberately ignores your boundaries, cut him off immediately. If you tell him there will be a consequence, you have to impose it. One warning is all you can give him. If you continue to warn him, your words will turn into empty threats, and he will learn not to believe you—and consequently, he will not respect you. If you let go of the reins long enough for him to slip away, you’ll never get them back. Eventually, you’ll have to leave him wandering and walk your own path. It will be the only way you find peace.”
I’m looking down by the end of that, but when I look back up, I see the sincerity on his face.
“You’re a fantastic girl, Parker, and you have a fresh start with him. If you love him inanycapacity, hold him to a higher standard than I have. Make him behave like a man who deserves you, or leave him and find one who does.”
Chapter Forty-Four
Parker
“Hey, can you talk for a minute?”
I look at the text on my phone for Hannah, then I shoot her a text back. “Sure. What’s up?”
A few seconds later, my phone rings. My eyes widen because we don’t usually call each other, but I answer quickly in case it’s urgent.
“Are you okay?” I ask immediately, ready to spring into action and grab my car keys if not.
“Yeah, I’m fine,” she murmurs, but she seems to be keeping her voice low. “Is Landon back yet?”
My brow furrows. “No,” I say slowly, a bit uncertainly. Why does she even know Landon isn’t home?
“Good.” She sighs, then lowers her voice a little more. “Listen, I don’t know what’s going on, but some weird stuff is happening today, and I think you need to be looped in.”
My stomach drops. “Okay. What kind of stuff?”
“Landon approached me earlier at school. He wanted to ask me to do something for him. I told him I would and then he went on his way and I went on mine, but as soon as he walked away, I realized I forgot to ask him a question. So, I went looking for him. And I found him. Talking to Anae. I wasn’t close enough to hear what they were saying, and I didn’t want to be seen so I couldn’t go closer, but the conversation looked kind of intense. It looked like they were arguing.”
Scowling in confusion, I sputter a bit, trying to find words and failing. “Why would he be arguing with Anae?”
“I don’t know,” she says. “But since I didn’t want to jump to any conclusions and I didn’t hear what they were arguing about, I figured I wouldn’t say anything.”
Yet here she is, saying something.
“So… what else happened?”
