Page 86 of Puck with Karma
“Where do you think you’re going, young lady?” Mom yells after me when she realizes that I’m leaving.
“I don’t know yet,” I admit. “But I’m sure there’s somewhere I’m welcome.”
“You can’t take the car,” she snaps at me. “If you do, that’s stealing. Your name is not on it.” Her voice is shaking.
Wesley comes from behind and places a gentle hand on my back.
“Come on, I’ll take you to where you want to go.”
I hear my mother’s gasp of disbelief, but I don’t give her more of my attention. When we get close to the front door, I spot my suitcase against the wall. I grab it and pull it behind me as I prepare to leave the only home I’ve ever known.
“I can’t believe I’m doing this,” I whisper to Wesley when we get in the car.
I’m scared. This is different than when I left for Minnesota. I knew that would be temporary and that I’d eventually come back here. Now, I managed to throw myself out of my parents’ house. And I have nowhere to go.
“Am I taking you home with me, or am I dropping you off anywhere?”
I chew on my bottom lip, not saying anything while he starts the car and gets us on the road.
“I have no plan and I don’t know what I want to do. I have nowhere to go.”
He stares at the road for the longest time, then brings his eyes to my face for a brief moment. Just when I think I can’t deal with any of this, he busts out laughing.
“That was fucking awesome.” He is laughing so hard, I can barely make out the words.
“I’ve been dying to tell your mother off for months now. Grandma Trudy hates her, and she never hates anyone.”
“Yeah, well, my mother is special like that,” I comment. “She brings out the best in people. And bythe best, I meanthe worst.”
He laughs again, and, this time, I join him. We laugh until we can’t laugh anymore.
“I meant it, you know,” I say once I calmed down. “I have my trust fund. My parents can’t touch that. I never had to use it before. I will invest in your business.”
Wesley shakes his head in awe.
“I can’t believe I got myself tangled in that mess instead of just being straight up with you.”
“My mother has that effect on people.”
We drive in silence for the rest of the way. I don’t ask where we’re going, and he doesn’t say. When he pulls into his driveway, I smile.
“I’ve been in contact with your brother.”
The smile dies on my face.
“Which brother?”
“Jonathan,” he clarifies, and disappointment gets to me. I have no idea why I thought he’d be talking to Brandon at all.
“Oh. About what?”
“About everything, we’re friends.”
“I didn’t know that,” I murmur. Then again, I don’t know much about either one of my brothers.
“He advised me against giving in to your parents’ demands, and just find another way. I didn’t think I had options.” He laughs in self deprecation. “I guess I was wrong.”
“Why are you telling me all this now, Wes?”
