Page 63 of Crash
Ruth rolled her eyes at her, which only made her feel ten times smaller.
“Look. Dad doesn’t have much time left. I’ve already talked to his lawyer and made sure that everything’s taken care of. If you’re looking for a fat check, you’ll be sadly disappointed, so you don’t need to stick around anymore.” Ruth paused, hands adjusting the thin scarf loosely wrapped around her neck. “I only found out about you a few years ago, you know.”
Quynh’s brows pinched together in confusion.
“Dear old dad tried to find you for years. Hiredmultiple private investigators too, but it was like you vanished into thin air.” Ruth brought her fingers together and threw her hands up dramatically. “Poof. Gone.”
Hearing someone cared enough to look for her should have filled her heart with joy, but what she felt was the complete opposite.
“He was obsessed with finding you.” Ruth curled her lip up in distaste. “Couldn’t be bothered to care for the daughter he actually had.” She sat back with a huff of annoyance, blonde hair swaying with the movement.
At a complete loss for words, Quynh tucked her cold hands between her thighs.
“I’m sorry you feel that way…”
“Yeah, whatever. I mean, I get it. Mom was a complete bitch.” She let out a dry laugh. “I didn’t even know I had a sister until a few years ago, so I’m sorry if it’s hard to welcome a new family member with open arms.” Ruth turned her head, looking off in the distance, chewing on her bottom lip in a familiar gesture.
“Sure…”
“He only found you because you started searching for him, you know. If you hadn’t put your information in the ancestral thing, he never would have found you.” Ruth leveled Quynh with a withering glare. What was left of her hope for a happy reunion shriveled under her gaze.
“I’m sorry.” The words were whispered under herbreath. There really wasn’t much for her to say at this point.
Ruth glanced at her cell phone on the table. “Yeah, well, I have to get going.” She got up to leave while Quynh sat glued to her seat. “Oh, and let’s keep this between us girls, yeah?” Her hand moved between them. “Dad doesn’t need to know that his girls aren’t besties. Probably would kill him.” Ruth rolled her eyes and turned away.
Quynh’s lips parted, aghast at the implications. She watched helplessly as Ruth turned her back and left the cafe without a backward glance.
Fighting back tears, Quynh slumped in her seat. Her cheeks heated as she overheard people whispering about the encounter. Their harsh criticisms sliced her like a thousand paper cuts. For the first time since she arrived in Willowbrook, her heart felt heavy. Like heavy chains wrapped around the bleeding organ tied to a cement block weighing her down. It threatened to drag her under her waves of despair.
Sniffling, Quynh covertly wiped away the tears that escaped despite her best efforts, breath shallow as she fought for control over her emotions. She couldn’t break down. Not now, and certainly not in a room full of strangers.
Strangers she was so hopeful of calling friends one day.
You’re a fool, Quynh.
That was the thing about hope. It was a dangerous emotion. One she wished she never had, but the illusion of a happy life here in Willowbrook was so irresistible. One where she lived in a town where she could plant her roots. A family to call her own. A man to call hers. But it was all an illusion.
Now, all she had left were the broken fragments of her dreams.
Escaping from the cafe was harder than she thought possible. Trying to ignore all the curious glances and keeping her head held high was a testament to her strength. It was embarrassing enough to have witnesses to her family drama. She didn’t need to add letting complete strangers see her cry in public to the list.
The walk to the bookstore helped Quynh’s mood. When she opened the doors, the scent of books lifted her spirits. Just a tiny bit. Enough for her to forget about the last twenty minutes. As she browsed the latest romance books on the shelves, she almost jumped with joy at the new fantasy book she requested, yanking thethick book off the shelf and hugging it tightly to her chest.
There was nothing a good book couldn’t solve.
Usually, she limited herself to one book at a time, knowing her pile of unread books was hopelessly longer than her lifespan, but today, she needed a pick-me-up. An instant mood booster. There was no way she was going back to Griffin an emotional wreck. He’d notice the change in her mood immediately, and she wasn’t quite ready to divulge any of her family drama quite yet.
She wanted to stay in the happy bubble just for a while longer.
The universe owed her that much.
So, she went up and down every aisle of the romance section, picking up books she had been eyeing for weeks until she held a stack so large she couldn’t see over it.
The bookstore owner, Lana, was more than happy to see how many books she picked out when she rang her order up. She barely resisted the urge to plug her fingers in her ears as she handed over her credit card. Her happy mood didn’t need to be ruined by how much she spent.
It was a problem for future Quynh.
Present Quynh was as happy as she could possibly be in this moment, and it was all she needed.
