Page 43 of Searching for Sadie (Mystic Falls #5)

SADIE

S adie nervously fiddled with the napkin on her lap as they waited for her parents and her sister.

Lucas' hand slid into hers under the table.

When she looked up at him, he was looking down at her with those kind hazel eyes.

When he'd shown up yesterday, she was so surprised, but so incredibly happy.

She'd been pretty sure she loved him for a while, but something had shifted for them last night.

"Sadie," her father's voice boomed from behind them.

"Daddy," she said as she got up to hug him.

"How are you button?"

"Good."

"Sadie, come here," her mother said as she pulled her into a hug.

"Mom, Dad, I want you to meet Lucas."

"Lucas," her father said as he reached out a hand.

Lucas took it and they shook. "It's nice to meet you, sir. Mrs. Dade, it's nice to see you again."

They all took a seat around the table and there was one open for her sister, who she had yet to speak to.

"So, Sadie tells us you live next door."

"Yes, sir."

"What do you do?" her father asked.

"I'm an electrician. I've owned my own business for the past five years."

Her father gave an impressed nod.

"Sorry I'm late. I was caught up at work," said her sister who joined them in a whirlwind.

Sadie tensed and if he was able to sense it Lucas put a calming hand on her thigh.

"Tricia, this is Lucas."

"It's nice to meet you," she said with an easy smile.

Now everyone was here and surface level nice, it would be an enjoyable dinner.

Only Sadie found herself not wanting to keep it surface level, but that just wasn't the way things worked in her family.

They all just smiled and nodded at each other and went about their lives never addressing any hurt or discomfort. Sadie was just over it.

"How is work?" Sadie asked her.

"It's going well. We were finishing up a studio session, that's why I'm late."

Sadie just nodded.

"Sadie, tell us about the show. How are things going?"

"It sucks. It was the worst mistake I ever made. But at least something good came out of it," she said looking up at Lucas who just squeezed her hand and smiled back adoringly.

"So, when are you moving back?" her father asked. "We've missed you, and now that the show is over, we’re excited to have you home."

"Oh ummm... I think I might stay in Mystic Falls."

Lucas's brows creased as he watched her squirm in her seat.

"Why button? We miss you."

Thankfully the waiter came and took their order and gave Sadie a moment to catch her breath.

She had been all set to say what she meant when it came to her sister, but her parents were another story completely.

They loved her. She knew that. But they never understood her.

Truly understanding someone is messy and full of contradictions and they just couldn't abide mess and contradiction.

After the waiter left Sadie tried to steer the topics back to more neutral territory.

"How's work dad? Any fun new clients?” Her dad was a financial advisor and in Nashville he'd had a few famous singers on his roster.

A deep chuckle rumbled from deep inside of him, "You know I can't tell you that. But I will say it's been a Rodeo," he said with a wink.

"Denver Green? Really?" Sadie perked up. He was a hot new rising country star.

"Dad, where is your client loyalty?" Tricia said.

"Oh, it's fine. It's just family."

"Well, I would never break the trust of our clients," she said. "And it's not just family," she said, shooting Lucas a glare.

Sadie was fuming. Her sister had taken her job when she was at her lowest and now that she was actually happy, she was still trying to keep her down. Well, fuck that.

"Don't act all holier than thou. You stole my job in a field you know nothing about. I know you’re not an assistant producer. You are an assistant period. You get coffee, you don't make music."

"Sadie, I didn't raise you to think that workers were beneath you," her mother warned.

Sadie huffed and turned to her mother. "There is nothing wrong with being an assistant and getting coffee. But I'm not going to sit here and listen to her tell me about ethics in my dream field that she took away from me."

"You took it away from yourself by embarrassing us all on that awful show."

"Embarrassing myself?! Screw you, Tricia."

She gasped, and something about it spurred Sadie on. "Oh stop. You did this. Well, it doesn't matter. I'm going to make music anyway."

"Oh yeah, I'm sure Mystic Falls is just full of music opportunities."

"You have no idea. At least I have talent," Sadie shot back.

"That's enough," her father stated.

"Of course, it's enough. It's getting real and whenever things get real in this family we shut it down. We say ‘go be hurt over there because your pain is making us all uncomfortable’."

"Sadie, is that really what you think?" her mother asked.

Sadie nodded.

"Button, let's just get through this and get you back home. There are other labels to work for."

Sadie looked around at her family. From her father's stern expression to her mother's plain concern, she just couldn't with her sister who sat there looking all too pleased with herself.

"No. I'm staying in Mystic Falls."

"Sweetheart, you're young. You don't want to throw your life away in that little town all because of some boy..." her eyes flew to Lucas. "Man... You know what I mean," her father said.

Lucas bit his lip. His hand left her leg, and it felt like a chasm cracked open in her heart.

"Stop. It is not about him. I mean, he's a definitely perk," she said looking up at him, but he was just looking down in his lap. No. She could not let this stand.

"Sadie. Stop." Her sister said. "Please stop your temper tantrum just because you didn't get your way. These were your decisions. You decided to do that show, even though we all knew how it would end."

"Patricia," her father warned.

"No, if Sadie wants to be honest, let's be honest. She is running to hide because she's embarrassed, and now she's making it everyone’s problem."

"I was running away. You're right. I was 100 percent running away. But I ran to the place I was always meant to be."

“Can we all just calm down and talk about this? Figure out what’s best,” her mother said.

“We are what’s best. We will take care of her,” her father said.

Lucas finally looked up from his phone and smiled at her. "Sadie's found a really great community in Mystic Falls."

"Yeah, I have," she said, smiling up at him.

"I can appreciate that, but don't give up on your dreams," her mother said quietly.

"That's right button, I'll help you find another job. One your sister will stay far away from," he said glaring at her sister.

She scoffed but Sadie had to bite back a grin. It was about time someone finally started truth telling in her family.

"Hey, I just got permission to show this if you want it," Lucas whispered in her ear. She hadn't been paying much attention to him in everything going on, but when she looked under the table in his hand, he had a video of her and Liam playing guitar and singing.

Her mouth fell open as she watched Liam sing one of her songs. "When did you take this?"

"What is it?" her father asked.

"Oh, ummm. It's a video," she said as she looked up dazed.

"Of what?" her sister asked suspiciously.

"Of why Mystic Falls is the perfect place for me. Do you mind?" she said as she was just about to hand his phone to her father.

"Of course," Lucas said with a nod.

Her dad adjusted his glasses as he took in the video.

"Who is that young man? Is that?—"

"Sadie Lynn, is that Liam James?" her mother squawked.

"Yeah, he moved to Mystic Fall not too long ago. We've been playing music, and I might be helping with his next album."

Her sister snatched the phone out of her father's hand to look for herself.

"Liam James," her mother said, fanning herself.

"I totally forgot you have a thing for Liam James," Sadie said as she started to laugh.

"Oh, your mother got a definite thing for Liam James," he said with a deep chuckle.

"I don't have a thing for him... I just think he's handsome," she protested as her cheeks turned bright red.

"Gross, Mom. He's like twenty-seven and you're old," Tricia said with a wrinkled nose.

"You guys should come to visit. You can totally meet him," Sadie said with a smile.

"Mystic Falls, huh?" her dad said, seemingly settling into the idea.

"Yeah, I love it there," she said, smiling up at Lucas.

"Well, we will definitely come and visit. We support you, sweetheart, it just all seems sudden to us,” said her mother.

Sadie opened her mouth to protest.

"But I can see it's not sudden to you. Your aunt always loved it there, and you're so much like her, it makes sense it would be a great home for you too."

Things calmed down after that and they enjoyed their meal, but her sister had been quiet.

There was a part of Sadie that wanted to reach out to her sister and smooth things over.

But it wasn't up to Sadie this time. Maybe if her sister came to her and admitted that she had really damaged their relationship and wanted to make amends it might change things, but that was on her.

As they made their way to the parking lot her father clapped Lucas on the back before shaking his hand. "It was nice to meet you. When we come to visit, I just might take you up on the golf game in Glendale."

"Sounds good, just tell me when and I'll set a tee time."

"Give me a hug, button," her dad said as he pulled her into a hug. "Your mother and I will plan a trip up soon. We can bring the rest of your things that wouldn't fit in your car."

"That would be great," she said, reaching up on her toes to wrap her arms around her father's big shoulders.

Her sister stood off to the side, clearly, she wasn't quite as happy as everyone else.

"Bye Tricia," Sadie said.

"Bye."

While part of Sadie didn't want to leave it like that, she also wasn’t going to bend over backwards to fix a problem she didn't create. Tricia could fix this one herself and Sadie would talk to her, but not till then.

Lucas took her hand as they made their way began their walk back to the hotel.

"Well, dinner was lively," he said.

She looked up at him and couldn't help the wide grin that spread across her face. Yes, dinner had been a fiasco, but in the end, it had been just what she needed.

"Sorry if that was a lot," she said.

"What I saw was two loving parents making sure their daughter wasn't making a mistake. They came around."

"Not my sister."

"Yeah, I got nothing there. I support you."

"Thank you, I wish I knew what I needed to fix that relationship, but I just don't. I mean, I'm so happy with how it all played out, but that doesn't mean that what she did wasn't incredibly hurtful."

"Family is complicated," Lucas agreed as he gave her hand a squeeze.

He was right, family was complicated, but what she had with Lucas was blessedly simple.

And as they strolled hand in hand to their hotel she was finding she trusted what it was between them a little more.

When everything is based on keeping the peace it can be hard to trust what will happen when you decide to stand up and disturb that peace.

That mess of a dinner had proved that her parents and Lucas were here for an honest relationship, even if it was messy.

She didn't know how much she needed it until they had proven it was safe.

Yeah, it's been a good night. A shit show, but good night, nonetheless.