39. Drew

THIRTY-NINE

drew

A cloud of black exhaust coughed from the tailpipe as Bellamy drove off, and I stood on the front porch, staring at the door. My dad had called my mother, and not only did they hate each other, but he'd never admit his failings to her willingly. And that was enough to tell me whatever I was about to walk into was going to be bad.

I slowly closed the heavy wooden door. The click of the lock echoed into the tall foyer.

"Drucella. Come here."

The force of my heartbeat sent a nauseating feeling churning in my gut as I followed the sound of his voice. My dad sat at the breakfast bar, a glass of whiskey in front of him. "Hope you enjoyed yourself." He stared into the glass, swirling the whiskey before he polished it off.

"I'm sorry I had a party and the house got trashed." From the look on his face, I needed to apologize, or he might kill me. "It was my birthday."

"And, I assume that should excuse your behavior?"

"You forgot."

He pushed up, grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge and a small paper bag from the side of the counter, then handed both to me. The fact that he totally ignored my comment made me resent him so much.

"Do us both a favor and take those." I peered inside the bag at the little white box.

"The morning after pill? Are you serious?"

"The fact that you know what that is without even looking at the packaging says it all, Drew."

A slow fire built in my chest. The way he looked at me was not much different from the way he'd looked at Bellamy. And I hated him.

I hated him for judging Bellamy. For judging me. For thinking nothing was ever good enough. All the resentment and feelings of inadequacy bubbled to the surface.

"Well, you know, I do have daddy issues. That being said, I didn't fuck Bellamy." Not on Saturday night, at least. "Despite my being a ‘ whore .'"

On a heavy sigh, he swiped a hand down his face. "I shouldn't have said that."

That wasn't an apology, though.

"That boy is no good for you, Drew," he said. "Trust me on this." He moved toward me, attempting to take hold of my arms, but I backed away. "I only want what's best for you."

"Really, Dad? Because it seems like you just want to make me miserable. You put me in that school. Practically threw me to the wolves after I begged you not to. I didn't even cheat at Black Mountain." My voice cracked slightly, frustration making me emotional. "And now you're mad I'm dating a Dayton guy."

"You're not dating that boy!"

Defiance rose over any premise of tact. "I am. I'm eighteen. You can't stop me."

He slammed a fist over the island, the boom echoing into the tall ceilings. "He has nothing to offer you, Drew. He's Dayton. His best prospects are jail time and a string of dead-end jobs. And I'll not allow him to drag you to his depth."

"What are—"

"I sent you to that school to try to teach you some discipline! To show you what life could be like if you didn't get your act together, not to wallow around in the dirt with its scum."

My temper spiked violently. "He's not scum!"

He inhaled a deep breath, closing his eyes like he was willing calm. "Give me your phone."

"What?"

"Give me your phone. Right now!"

"No!"

He practically ripped my bag from my shoulder, taking out my phone and holding it up. "I pay for this, so if I deem it fit to take it away, I will! You are not to leave the house, and you will not go to school tomorrow. Test me, and I will lock you in your room."

What the hell? "You sound insane!"

His jaw ticced. "I'm done with this conversation." He snatched his whiskey glass from the island and placed it in the sink. When he turned around, he pointed an angry finger at me. "And you're done with that boy." Then he stormed out of the kitchen. Seconds later, the door to his study slammed shut with finality.

He hadn't listened to a damn thing I'd said. He hadn't even apologized for forgetting my birthday. And now he'd taken away my phone, isolating me further in this house.

Bellamy would try to text me, and what would he think when I didn't respond? That I was ghosting him? That I didn't like him?

The thought had my stomach twisting and knotting. I went to my room and opened my laptop, thinking I could get to him on social media, but the second I tried to pull up the sites, a message from the internet provider popped up, saying they'd been blocked.

My dad was an absolute dick, and there was nothing I could do.