Page 16 of Pedal to the Metal

My mother huffs on the other end, “Really Londynn Faith? You hardly ever see your brother. You will both be here besides Ryce will be here. Your sister insisted on bringing some criminal so I’m expecting you and Duke to keep all the eyes of them. See you at eight.”

Before I can say anything else my mom has ended the call. I shake my head while I stare at the phone in my hand. We didn’t even get asked, we had been told we’d be there. She hadn’t asked if I was okay or where I had been for the past week. Hell, I doubt she’d even noticed I hadn’t been home all week. Tonight was all about appearances for them, and I would be expected to play the perfect daughter for them and the prefect girlfriend to Ryce who I wasn’t even dating anymore. However, I didn’t even get to tell my mother that because she had cut me off so quickly. I couldn’t figure out why Farrah would even want to subject Connor to our family and this dinner tonight.

****

By the end of the session, I could tell that Dr. Thorton was worried about me and my wellbeing, he had made that much clear more than once. Sadie had insisted on walking me out to my car but by the time we had reached it I could tell she was concerned too. Sadie could read people well especially since she didn’t know anything I had just confessed to Dr. Thorton.

When I got back to Farrah’s she was stomping around and throwing clothes around her room. “Wow did a tornado hit while I was at therapy?” I ask, joking with her might lighten her mood.

“No! Our mother called and is insisting on us being at dinner tonight for our brother," she whines.

“I know, she called me too.”

She snorts, “Seriously? She doesn’t call all week when you don’t come home but Duke returns and suddenly, you’re worth calling. I swear our family is the definition of dysfunctional.”

I just shrug. “So, you’re really going to take Connor there?”

“Yes, he was with me when she called, and he offered, and I don’t know I thought maybe it would make them avoid trying to talk to me.”

“Maybe.” Connor is either brave, stupid or just really into my sister because no one is willing to sit through a dinner with my family unless it’s one of those three. I’m sure it will turn into a nightmare and that my parents will treat Farrah and Connor like they are below them. It makes me sick how they think but I can’t change their minds. “So, what are you wearing? Mom said to dress appropriate.”

Farrah gets this evil looking grin on her face and walks over to her closet. She pulls out a super short, super tight black dress that has a crisscross design down the entire arm as well as cut outs on either side of her abdomen that showcase the same crisscross design. All that is enough to make my mom cringe, but the neckline is cut down into a V that stops right above her belly button and again the crisscross design will be the only thing holding my sister in the dress. She holds up a finger to tell me to hold on and bends down to pull out a pair of black heels with at least a five-inch sparkly heel and matching sparkly ankle strap. Hooker heels comes to mind, that’s what my mom is going to think when she sees them.

“Farrah, you can’t be serious. You’re not seriously going to wear that are you?” I ask sounding shocked.

“Of course, I am. She’s insisting I come but she forgot I don’t play by their rules anymore. I’m not going in there playing the perfect daughter tonight and neither should you," she says before she disappears into the bathroom. I get up from the bedand walk out to the living room. I know she’s right I shouldn’t conform to what they want tonight but I’m just not as strong as Farrah.

****

A few hours later we pull up to the house we grew up in, parking Farrah’s Range Rover in the driveway. As we all slowly get out, I take the time to notice that Connor isn’t in his normal muscle or t-shirt instead he has on a pair of khaki dress slacks, dress shoes and a black button up shirt. He cleans up really nice and for a moment I let myself imagine what Jagger would look like dressed up like that. Farrah walks around from the driver’s side. She looks great, but my parents are going to die of embarrassment. Her outfit is definitely not my mother’s idea of appropriate.

As we make our way to the door Connor tells me I look nice. I look down at my white and gold checkerboard dress which hits at my mid-thigh and the sleeves fall right under my elbows. I added a pair of three-inch heels that have a white strap over my toes and a gold strap around the ankle. My hair is curled but I pulled half of it back, Farrah’s on the other hand I curled and teased as much as it could be.

We haven’t even made it to the door, and I already feel the anxiety of the night setting in, I don’t have a good feeling about this. We step into the house and follow the sound of voices to the formal dining room. As soon as we enter there is a hushed silence that falls over the room and I see my mother’s eyes bug out when she takes in Farrah’s outfit. One of the servers comes up with a tray of champagne which Connor and I both wave away but Farrah grabs a flute and throws her head back to drown it in one swallow like it’s a shot.

My mother is now standing in front of us. “You look lovely Londynn,” she says while kissing me on each cheek. “Farrah,"she whispers sourly before kissing both of her cheeks as well. She extends her hand out to Connor and tells him how nice it is to meet him and how much she’s heard about him. She’s playing the act of perfect mother and wife to the hilt tonight. I’m sure my mother has never even heard Connor’s name before tonight because that would require her to talk to Farrah, which she doesn’t.

As we all take our seats to eat my mother insists that Ryce will sit beside me. I mentally cringe but plaster my fake smile on my face. Ryce keeps placing his hand on my thigh and trying to move it up, but I keep slapping it away under the table. By the time the main meal is served my nerves are frazzled, I’m irritated, and I feel like I’m about to lose it. I try to take deep breaths like I was taught but right now it’s no use.

Mrs. Lawson starts speaking to me, “Londynn, how was studying abroad over summer? I bet it was amazing.”

“What?” I ask, unsure what she’s talking about.

My father clears his throat and my mother chimes right in, “Oh, Londynn loved it, Joyce. I’m sure she hated to even come back home. Sadly, though it made her miss registration for the fall semester of college.”

Mrs. Lawson waves her hand, “Oh, there’s always next semester besides how much college could she need. She and Ryce will be married soon enough. What are you doing until next semester or the wedding, whichever comes first," she says laughing.

I feel my lungs contracting and my throat closing up and I feel myself start to sweat. I can’t answer her I can barely talk. My mother takes over once again. “Oh! She’s volunteering down at the rehab facility on the beach called Spirit Rehab facility.”

“Oh, that’s fantastic! Ryce you really have yourself a keeper here," Mrs. Lawson tells him.

That’s my undoing, my mother starts talking again but I cut her off. “Just stop! Mrs. Lawson I wasn’t studying abroad and I’m not volunteering at Spirit Rehab facility. I was a patient there for three months. Oh! And Ryce and I aren’t together because he can’t keep his pants on around other girls. There I think that covers everything," I say then go back to trying to clear my throat. I thought if I was honest the anxiety would subside but instead my breathing is becoming more labored and difficult.

Farrah’s eyes go wide, and she shouts, “Were there any nuts in the food?” I’ve been allergic to nuts all my life but surely my parents know this. They wouldn’t have served me food knowing I’m allergic to it and even if they didn’t know surely Ryce did, and he would have warned me. I’m starting to get lightheaded and dizzy from lack of oxygen. My tongue feels triple its normal size. I hear one of the servers tell Farrah that the dressing had almonds in it. Farrah runs to my side and tells Connor to go grab my purse. My parents are complaining about me acting out for attention.

Connor returns with my purse and Farrah grabs my emergency injection for an allergic reaction in case I ever ate the wrong thing, like tonight. She slams it into my upper thigh. Connor scoops me up in his arms and heads for the door but not before Farrah tells my parents off. “You seriously don’t even know your own daughter is allergic to nuts. She has been her entire life! Maybe you two need to lay off the bottles of pills and alcohol! And Ryce you call yourself a boyfriend! You dated my sister for how long? You know what’s sad, had I not come tonight, your pathetic asses would have let her die.”

“Why would we know she was allergic?” I hear my father ask.

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