Page 71 of Tied to You

And I leave. Hating myself for helping. Hating that Travis knows I come from money. But mostly, hating myself for using my dad’s power when all I want to do is be away from it. Travis and Dean can stop. It’s over. That’s the main thing. No more violence or force needed. It’s done.

My feet move surprisingly fast considering the heels I’m in and the terrain. I bypass the dancefloor, seeing my mum dancing with people I don’t know. Then there’s Sarah who’s clearly told Henry what she’s done. They’rearguing. I want to make sure he’s okay, but I can’t stop. I need to get the hell out of here before I’m seen.

It’s only as I head towards my car do I take a pause, searching my clutch for my keys. I hadn’t thought about waiting around for Travis, but when I hear feet crunching the gravel, I know it’ll be him. I swing around, stopping when I see my dad.

Shit.

He stands, facing me. What the hell is he doing in here? “Leaving so soon, darling?” He clearly doesn’t want me to go.

My hands shake. I grab my keys, holding them up. “Not feeling too good.”

“Did you say goodbye to your mother?”

I shake my head mildly. “She was too busy. I’ll call her tomorrow.”

Lie.

My dad looks to the ground. “I wasn’t joking when I said if you came home with me tonight, we could forget everything. I can get you a job working for me.”

My head drops. “I don’t want that, Dad.”

“You don’t know what you want.”

“You seem so sure.”

“You’re my daughter. I know what’s best for you.”

A small, incredulous smile raises. “And what about what I want?” His expression doesn’t change. Deflating, I close my bag, curling my fingers around my keys. “Do you realise, you’ve never asked me what I want. I’ve always just done what you’ve said to make you happy. I’d like to think about me for a while.”

The sound of feet coming to a stop behind me makes me suck in a breath. His smell has me closing my eyes at his poor timing. A million questions suddenly swamp me. Is Dean with him? Where’s Tim?

“Aren’t you with the DJ?” my dad asks Travis.

He takes a step closer behind me. I don’t turn to him. I can’t look at him. I’m angry and sad and confused. The concoction of emotions is so fucking overwhelming. I also know that it doesn’t matter what I tell my dad, I know he’ll put two and two together and make ten when it comes to me.

“I’m finished for the evening.”

Translated, we need to leave.

“Dad—”

“This is why you won’t come home? A boy?”

Travis moves to directly behind me.

I brace myself, praying to God he doesn’t try to get past me. No way I could stop him, but I don’t want him hurting my dad. After what I’ve just witnessed. I know he’s capable. I can feel his heavy breathing, the fast pace of his chest rising and falling. He wants to.

“I won’t be coming home because I don’t want to. It has nothing to do with anybody else except me.”

There’s a low grumble, but I ignore it, watching as my dad’s face drops before he turns and walks away. No words. No argument. It’s not anger, just pure, unbridled disappointment.

And it’s so much worse. An argument, I can fight back. But this? This hurts. It aches, deep within my chest.

I don’t turn around as a great wrench of sadness sweeps over me, sucking my energy with it. Hot tears begin to prickle my eyes. I tilt my head back, trying to keep them contained, not wanting Travis to see them. I hear him take a breath, so I turn, making my leaveagain, before he can say anything. There isn’t anything he can say that will make me feel better about this day, and I’m not in the mood to fight him anymore.

Making it to my car, I put the key in the door, turning it, only to see Dean appear, a light sheen of sweat coating his brow. I look at Travis. He’s the same. Both of them are looking at me. Watching. Waiting. I clock Dean looking over his shoulder towards the crowd.

It clicks what they’re waiting for. Furious, I get in my car, put the key in the ignition, then turn it as they both squeeze in in silence.