Page 100 of The Rest is History

I think about how much it hurts to be told that I’m just like my mother. I don’t want to be like her. She abandoned her child. I would never have left Abby’s side. I don’t want to be like my father either. He stayed, but he was no better at being a parent.

Sliding my phone out of my pocket, I consider what would happen if I just ignored him forever. What’s the worst that could happen? He’s not God.

Still, I unlock my phone, scroll through my contacts and hit call.

He answers in half a ring.

“Reece.” It’s a bark. I flinch, because this is why I’ve avoided calling him.

“Dad. Hi.” My voice trembles, and I hate myself for it.

“You’ve been gone since March and I’ve not heard one fucking word from you.”

“Sorry.” I chew on my nail, hating myself even more that I’m not strong and confident like Asher and Sawyer.

“Where are you staying? For God’s sake, Reece. I don’t even have an address for you.”

“I’m renting an apartment in Linksfield—”

Wait. Maybe I don’t want him to know where I am.

“What the fuck are you doing there?”

It comes out of nowhere, this sudden anger boiling inside of me. Maybe it’s because no one has spoken to me in such a tone for months. I’ve been so cocooned by Ash and Sawyer I’ve almost forgotten what it feels like to be spoken to so harshly, and for no reason.

“Look, Dad. I’m okay. Okay?”

“Not good enough. You need to come back home.”

“You fired me, remember? I have nothing to come back to. And I don’t want to come back. I’m happy here.”

“Happy? Besides fucking Asher Cameron, who do you know out there in the middle of nowhere?”

“I know his husband—”

“So, you’re some kind of third wheel with a man and his fucking husband? Is this what I sent you to college for?”

My blood boils. “I’m not a third wheel. They want me here.”

“Want you?”

“Yes, Dad,” I seethe. “Yes. They want me. And I want them. I’m not coming back. There’s nothing for me in Arizona. Everything I want is here.”

He sputters on the other side of the phone and I’ve – I’ve—

I place my hand on my mouth. Fuck. I’ve fucked it up. This is the last person on earth I should have made such a confession to.

“You’ll fucking regret this, Reece. I can’t believe that this is the son I raised. Where did I go wrong?”

“Dad. Wait. I didn’t mean—”

The line goes dead.

Fuck. Fuck.

Chapter 48

Asher

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