Page 98 of Take My Heart
‘Let me handle this,’ I whisper to him.
‘How can you live this way?’ my mom asks, stepping over a box of tile. ‘It’s filthy! And a complete mess.’
I hurry over to her. ‘Brody and I are fixing up the house so he can sell it. It’ll look great when it’s done.’
My dad glares at Brody. ‘How much are you paying her for doing all this work for you?’
‘He’s not paying me,’ I say, going up to my dad. ‘I wanted to do it. I practically begged him to let me help.’
‘Get your things!’ my dad yells. ‘We’re leaving! We’re getting you out of this hellhole and back home where you belong!’
‘She’s not leaving,’ Brody says, coming up beside me. ‘She doesn’t want to.’
‘Stay out of this,’ my dad snaps. ‘This is a family matter.’
‘Dad, I’m not going home with you. I like it here. I like what I’m doing. I haven’t had this much fun since .?.?. I don’t know when.’
‘You’re having fun living in a run-down house in the middle of fucking nowhere?’
‘Yes.’ I take a breath to calm my shaky voice. It’s shaky because I’m so afraid to stand up to my parents. Other than calling off my wedding, this is the only time I haven’t done what they wanted me to. ‘I want to stay. I’m not going back with you. I’m an adult. I don’t have to listen to you.’
My dad looks at my mom, then back at me. ‘If that’s what you want, to be treated like an adult, then you can contribute money to the lawsuit. We’re being sued because you chose not to marry Cam. As an adult, you should help pay for the damages caused by your behavior.’
‘Oh, Drew, you’re being ridiculous,’ my mom says. ‘Kate’s not paying for that.’
‘Why not?’ my dad says. ‘She’s the reason we’re being sued. Why shouldn’t she have to pay?’
‘I don’t have that kind of money,’ I say.
‘I’m sure you have some money saved up after living rent-free at Cam’s place for almost two years. You can use that money to contribute to what we’ll owe Cam’s parents if they win the lawsuit, which I’m sure they will, given the connections they have in the courts.’
Maybe he’s right. Maybe I should be the one paying for the lawsuit since I caused it. I don’t have enough to pay for all of it, but I could pay for some. Like my dad said, I saved up a lot of money not paying rent. I’m surprised Cam isn’t asking me to pay him back for living there. I could totally see him sending me a bill for that.
‘Oh, and you should also be paying for this.’ My dad hands me a piece of paper. It’s a bill for the tow truck that took Cam’s car.
I hold it up. ‘This is $1200. How could it cost that much?’
‘They had to drive here from the city and tow it back there. That’s a lot of miles.’
My mom walks up to my dad. ‘Honey, this seems a tad extreme, don’t you think? Kate’s just starting out. We can’t take everything she has.’
‘She has a job,’ my dad says. ‘She can earn it back. Unless .?.?.’
‘Unless what?’ I ask, eyeing my dad. He’s got an idea brewing in his head. I can tell by the crease forming between his eyes.
‘Unless you pack up your things and come home with us. If you do, your mother and I will cover the lawsuit, but you’ll still need to pay the towing bill. We’re not letting you off the hook completely.’
‘You’re saying if I go back with you, I won’t owe you anything for the lawsuit?’
‘That’s correct. So what’s it going to be?’
I look over at Brody, then back at my parents. ‘I need a minute.’
‘Hurry up. We’ve got a two-hour drive back.’
‘Brody, can I talk to you?’ I ask him.
‘Yeah. Let’s go in my room.’
