Page 154 of Soul Mates: Hercules Valentine and I

I set my jaw. “Yes.”

“You should watch your tone.”

“Mom, I’m not ten—or twenty-one. I’m a full-grown adult capable of making her own decision and choosing her tone, and managing her own damn bank account.”

Now they’re staring at me as if I’m a car wreck they’re viewing.

“The Valentines are off limits to you. Got it?” Xander says with clenched lips.

I open my mouth to say something.But what?Screw you, Dad?I can’t say that to him. However, the truth stabs me like a sword through the heart. “You don’t have to worry about me staying away from Hercules. He’s keeping his distance from me. After all, he caught me trying to steal from him.” The thought makes me want to whimper, but somehow, I manage to hold myself together. “Goodnight. I’m going to bed.”

I turn my back on their dumbfounded expressions and race down the broad hallway as fast as I can. I’m bawling by the time I reach my room. I hate that we fought like that. And I know neither one of them is going to come after me. That’s not how this works. Xander and Heartly wait until the tension passes, so they can easily reset our dynamic. I’m the daughter, who seeks to please them and follows their rules, period.

Finally, I stop crying and kick myself for not inquiring about the silly feud between the Groves and Valentines. And I didn’t even win the argument—because there’s no other option than to do what exactly what they commanded me to do. As I said, there’s no getting close to Hercules Valentine again. He’s done with me.

After showeringand packing the one suitcase I arrived with, I lie on top of my bed, staring at the steel-bladed ceiling fan above my bed. I’m unable to sleep. I was surprised to see that my mom dropped by while I was in the shower and left a note on my pillow. It said,We love you.

I love them too.

I recall something Greg said to me during our drive to the estate on the night I had dinner with Heartly and Caroline. No matter what, they will always love me.

I think they will.

Unlike most young people who rip themselves out of their parents’ grasp and dive headfirst into independence, I’ve given them total control of me. I should’ve graduated college on my terms, not theirs. And now look at Eden and Jillian. They have a certainje ne sais quoiabout them—a demeanor that I lack but want for myself more than I want to sleep tonight.

I toss my legs over the side of the bed, then I’m quickly on my feet. I’m leaving—tonight.

Two Hours Later

I merely called Jillian to ask where she’s staying so that I could book a room in the same hotel.

“Getting the hell away from your parents’ tonight is the best idea you had since making a snap decision to buy that apartment. I’ll be there soon,” she said.

Two hours later, I meet her at the community gate entrance. And she’s speeding up I-95 with me in the passenger seat as we race to Manhattan. The heater is brewing; my seat is comfortable, and even though exhaustion has caught up to me, a giddy sensation flutters in my belly. It’s as if I’m on the verge of starting the life that was always meant for me.

I’m aware of how excitable I sound as I finish recounting my argument with my parents and how I had to shut off the security system for five minutes while I made my escape.

“Wow, you’re like MacGyver.”

“Mac-Who?”

She chuckles. “He’s a character in a TV show that used to come on a long time ago. He could make a solution out of a paper. Of course, his cracked ideas worked on TV because the producers made it work, but your shit works in real life.”

I snort as I sink deeper into the warm seats. “Well, a girl has to do what she has to do.”

“It’s insane that you had to go through all of that just to leave your parents’ house?”

Eyes closed, I raised my eyebrows. “I guess it’s kind of crazy when you really think about it.” And I’m trying to not think about it too much, or else I’ll crack.

“Has your family always been that bad? Oh, wait. Never mind. Momentary memory lapse over here. They have. But they're not as bad as your brother. He’s stark raving mad.”

Head still resting on the seat, I turn to look at her with heavy eyelids. “That sounded personal.”

Watching her, I wait for a snarky comeback. However, Jillian’s jaw remains tight as she scowls at the road.

Concerned, I sit up. “What is it?”

Suddenly, her frown is gone. “What’s what?”