Page 142 of Late Nights & Love Lines
Stella, Tabby, and Seren all lean in. “Go kick some history’s ass,” Tabby says, then whoops. “We’ll all be waiting for you when you get home.”
And I know they will. For all my todays and tomorrows, these crazy people will be my home.
“Do you want me to knock?”Beck asks on my right. I’m sandwiched between him and Seb, with Leo and Alexei flanking the rear as though I’m the president or something.
I shake my head. Pappy opted to remain in the car because he couldn’t promise to keep his hands to himself, and the last thing we need is for him to break a hip or something trying to protect my honor.
“Take a deep breath,” Leo says in his calming yogi voice. I follow his instructions and feel Beck and Seb’s shoulders rise and fall with the exercise too.
“Ready?” Leo asks, squeezing my shoulder in support.
I nod, and before I can talk myself out of it, I thump the door three times, then jump back and allow Beck and Seb to close the gap, partially hiding me from view.
A few moments later, the door opens, and my entire body goes into lockdown as if I’m ten years old again. White noise fills my ears until Leo places a hand on my shoulder, offering silent support.
My stepfather’s face morphs from irritation to excitement when he faces Sebastian.
“Sebastian Walker?” He turns to Beck. “And Becker Hayes? My lord, what a pleasure to have you boys here. Sebastian, I used to work with your father.”
“That tracks,” Seb growls, but Tony Ford is too enamored by the collective wealth on his front porch to notice.
“This is quite the shock. You two are something of celebrities these days. I was reading the article on you boys in theWall Street Journaljust this week. Come in, come in. We weren’t expecting company, but my wife can whip something together. Is this about the Westford deal? I thought you boys might want in on that.” Tony’s still a slimy bastard out to make a buck on the backs of others.
“What a jackass,” Leo grumbles behind me.
Seb and Beck move as one, and then I’m face-to-face with Tony. His expression immediately hardens.
“What’s this about, Rowan?” The tone of his voice gives away the evil he hides behind careful masks.
When I don’t answer, he slips on another mask, this one with a too-charming smile, and says, “If she’s done something, it’s on her. I’m not claiming responsibility for anything that monster has done. Vicky,” he shouts to my mom. “Get me Hayley’s number.”
Shutting me out of the conversation completely, he turns his venomous grin on Seb. “I’m sorry to hear about your divorce. I really think you’d love my daughter, Haley.”
My mouth falls open.
“Are you for real right now?” Alexei asks.
When I peer up at Seb, I find his jaw straining, the muscles in his cheek twitching as if he’s grinding his teeth.
“I wouldn’t touch your pathetic narcissistic spawn if she were the last woman on earth.” Seb growls the words like a rabid dog.
Tony’s head is on a swivel, looking from one set of eyes to another. “Are you… What’s the meaning of this?”
“Tony? What’s…” My mother stops talking when she enters the foyer. “Rowan?” Her hand flies to her mouth, but a second later, she drops it and stands with Stepford-wife precision.
“What are you doing here, Rowan?” Tony shouts, and this time, I meet his angry glare with one of my own.
He’s still so much taller than me, but he’s older, frailer.
“You know, in my nightmares, you have actual devil horns.” His hands twitch the same way they did when I was a child. He wants to backhand me. He might even try before I leave.
Instead, I enter the house. Seb and Beck follow until we’re all standing in a circle in my childhood home. The double staircase my father used to chase me up and down is aged and no longer filled with happy memories.
The air is stagnant and stale.
“Rowan, what are you doing?” my mother asks in the monotone voice Tony prefers.
“I used to break myself in half to get one ounce of your love. But you never loved me, did you?” I ask her.
