Total pages in book: 27
Estimated words: 25885 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 129(@200wpm)___ 104(@250wpm)___ 86(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 25885 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 129(@200wpm)___ 104(@250wpm)___ 86(@300wpm)
He stares—actually, it’s a glare—at me for a long moment of silence and then he says, quietly but fiercely, “Fuck.”
CHAPTER 6
FISCHL
“Can you just drive?” Sadie pleads with me.
“Honey—”
“Please.” She gives me those big gray puppy dog eyes. I’ve never seen eyes like hers before.
Sebastian says the shade belongs to her birth mother. It really doesn’t matter, though. When it comes to the kids, I’m a giant softy. It doesn’t take them much to convince me to do what they want. I’m only grateful that they are good kids and don’t take advantage of it.
“Okay,” I give, taking the key back from her. Van had to go into school early today, so I’m taking Sadie.
Sadie’s seventeen but still doesn’t have her license. The girl is going to go her whole life with a permit. We actually had to renew her permit because she wasn’t ready to take the driver’s test.
That’s because she never wants to drive. It’s crazy to me because she got a hundred on the written test, but that’s as far as we’ve gotten her to go. When it comes to actually operating the vehicle, she does whatever she can so she doesn’t have to.
I don’t know if I’m supposed to push her to face the fear or give her time. My own mother was so strong in her ways that I find myself doing the opposite, wanting Sadie and Van to take the path they want. I don’t want to force any of my stuff on them.
Sure, I want them to have the core things that make them good humans, but I also want them to have free will. Sebastian and I agreed early on we aren’t making human clones as our parents tried to do with us. They are who they are, and we can only give them a safe area to find themselves.
“I don’t even know this area yet,” Sadie says when she drops into the passenger seat. “I could make a wrong turn and run into something.”
I know it’s just an excuse, but I let her get away with it. She will drive when she’s ready. And if she never gets to that point, then there are enough options out there that she can easily get around.
“That’s not really how that works.” I hit the button to open the garage and pull out.
“I know.” Her shoulders drop. “I don’t know why it freaks me out so much.” She pulls on one of the loose strings of her jean shorts.
“We’ll get there,” I reassure her. “We could go back to a parking lot and practice some more.”
“And go in circles?” She rolls her eyes, and I know it’s at herself.
“It’s fine. We never get alone time anymore.”
“You and Dad have been busy.” She’s not wrong. Before we moved to River Oaks and Sebastian expanded the business, we had more time together.
“It’s been a lot, but I think we’re all catching our stride. How about you? You like it here?”
“Yes,” she says without hesitation.
“Make any friends?” Sadie shakes her head, but I think that’s more than fine with her.
One of the reasons it was a no-brainer for me when Sebastian suggested we move to open the new branch was because of Sadie. I knew she needed a new start.
Sadie was struggling with some of the other girls. Ones that had been her friends for years but all started being cruel to her. I’m not sure what happened, but I could tell she was unhappy. I do know that some of those girls made it a point to come over to see Van.
Van doesn’t take too kindly when he thinks someone is taking advantage of his sister. He ended up in a few fights with some boys that had joined in on teasing Sadie. I could never get the full story out of Van or Sadie about what had happened, but I think some lies had been spread around. A few of them even suggested that she and Van were too close.
“Everyone has actually been nice.” Her response is genuine, and it fills me with a sense of relief. It makes the uprooting of our lives worth it.
“How nice?” I peek over at her. No way did I forget what she and Van were bickering about when Sebastian and I walked in.
A boy has caught her attention. That is new. I want to be excited for her. She’s never shown interest in a boy before. I was the same way until one knocked me off my feet before leaving me pregnant. I was so sure he’d come save me, but he did the opposite.
“It’s nothing.” Sadie knows what I’m talking about. This is far from nothing, but I won’t push for now.
“How about you? Are you and Dad going to do this fake marriage, or will you both actually find love?” Sadie challenges.