Total pages in book: 88
Estimated words: 84075 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 420(@200wpm)___ 336(@250wpm)___ 280(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 84075 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 420(@200wpm)___ 336(@250wpm)___ 280(@300wpm)
I head inside and go straight to Grandfather’s office.
Like always, he’s in there, reading a book in front of the fire. I stand in the doorway and clear my throat. The asshole doesn’t even look over.
“I gave the ring back,” I say loudly and he finally turns. The biography of Napoleon lowers down to his lap.
“You did… what now, Katherine?”
“I’m not going to marry Matthew. I’m not going to marry anyone. Sorry, Grandfather.”
He looks confused at first. Then he looks amused. “If this is a prank—”
“No, this isn’t a joke. I’m going to pack my bags and I’ll be out in the morning.”
“You’re serious?”
“I’m very serious.” I take one step into the room. “I’ve spent my whole life trying to live up to your standards, your impossible standards, and I’ve failed every single time. You’ve done nothing but rub my face in my shortcomings, you turned your back when everyone else in the family bullied me and mocked me and hurt me, and you have the audacity to command me around like I’m a dog. You even use my mother’s addiction against me. But I’m through with it all, Grandfather.”
“Katherine,” he says, his voice low and angry, and he slowly stands. The book slides down onto the floor with a loud thump.
“No, don’t bother. Save your breath. I don’t give a damn if you refuse to let me have my trust. I don’t want your money and I don’t need anything from you anymore. Mom will be fine and I’ll be okay. I’m only stopping in here to tell you that I’m through, that you’re an awful person, and that I deserve better.” I turn to leave but his voice keeps me pinned to the carpet.
“You always were an ungrateful little child,” he says harshly, his voice quivering with rage. “How dare you march in here and act as though I’m the enemy? Your mother ripped my heart out and spit on it a dozen times or more. I’ve done nothing but give you a place in our family, treat you as my own, try to offer you every opportunity—”
“God, just listen to yourself,” I say at him, my voice raising to the point of nearly shouting. “You’re so full of shit, you miserable old bastard.”
His face pales. His eyes go wide. His hands come up to his throat as if I’ve stuck him. “How dare you—”
“Goodbye, Grandfather.”
I finally tear myself away. His rage-fueled shouts echo after me, but I’ve tuned him out.
I don’t care what he has to say anymore. His approval is meaningless; his rage is impotent.
I’m free. For the first time in my life, I’m free.
I’m terrified and I don’t know what I’ll do, but at least I’m free.
Still willing to have me? I text to Tina.
Girl, get your ass over here, I’ve always wanted a roommate.
I grin to myself and start to pack.
Chapter 30
Ford
Three Months Later
Jackie stares at me over a cup of coffee while a cigarette curls smoke up into the air. She drinks, takes a drag, and I have no clue how she manages to do both at the same time without choking.
“You know Ford, I’ve come to a conclusion,” she says and puts down the coffee. She jabs the cigarette at me and crosses her legs. “You want to hear it?”
“I’d love nothing more.”
She gives me a look like I’d better not give her bullshit, but she goes on. “I’m going to make this sobriety thing work this time.”
“I’m willing to bet you’ve said that before.”
She cackles and takes a drag. “You’re not wrong.”
“What’s different this time around?”
She blows smoke into the air. It swirls and fades, and I watch it go. The sun’s bright and warm on my skin and it’s a beautiful day out back. Nearby, Jonathan’s doing his addict yoga, and the Director is leading group in the shade of a huge oak tree, and I have to admit, for a rehab clinic, it’s actually kind of nice here. I’ve been visiting a lot over the last three months and I’ve actually struck up a real friendship with Jackie, and even though I haven’t seen or heard from Kat since the day she came to tell me to leave her alone, I still keep showing up here and talking to her mom.
Kat’s the one topic we never discuss. Whether it’s because Jackie doesn’t want to hurt me, or because Kat asked her not to, it doesn’t matter and I don’t want to know. We talk about everything else except for the one thing I really, really want, and I have to be okay with that.
“I’ll be honest with you, Ford. This time’s different because of you.”
I arch an eyebrow. “Why, little old me?”
“Don’t be fucking cute.”
“I’m never cute.”
“Right, whatever, just listen.” She takes a breath like she’s steeling herself. “It’s always been my family. For as long as I can remember, my father’s been in control of everything. Money, resources, whatever, it always came from Daddy, and when things got bad for me, he could use his influence to push me into doing whatever he wanted. That’s how the cycle always went: I’d fuck up, he’d swoop in and fix things, and I’d end up in rehab for a while. But I never wanted to get clean.”