Page 106 of Wayward

I wrap my arms around Sam, and the seat belt and armrest frustratingly keep me from getting as close as I want. Because it’s true I don’t have to wait for my dad, or play by his terms. It’s such a simple thing, but it’s not something I’ve accepted as truth before. Now it’s like a light has flicked on. My dad can take me or not. It might make me sad if he doesn’t want anything to do with me, but I’ll be okay.

“I love you,” I say.

“I love you too,” Sam says and squeezes my hand.

Chapter 45

Course Change

Calvin

For such a modern, open, Floridian house, there’s a lot of hallways. I inch around the corner to the foyer.

“Calvin,” Maya, the house manager, says. Though she’s less manager and more dictator. She stabs the last flower into a giant arrangement by the front door and turns to me. “Can I get you anything to eat? You should eat.”

“No, thank you. I’m good.”

“No, you’re not. I’ll make you a snack.” She fluffs the flowers one last time and hustles off toward the kitchen, leaving me and my no thank you in the huge foyer. That’s when I hear Haley and Emily in the living room. I pivot my way to the sprawling room with the floor-to-ceiling windows that overlook the Atlantic ocean.

“Hey.” I wave to Emily and give Haley a kiss on the cheek.

“You’re finally up. I thought I might have to call Dr. Titus.” Haley smiles. Dr. Titus is an overrated quack who charges two thousand dollars an hour to come out and treat yacht owners on their boats so they don’t have to leave the boat. “How’s your book?”

“Done. I’ve missed reading.” I sink down next to her, our legs touching. “Where’s everyone else?”

“Dante’s out at the market. Zane and Sam are visiting Charlie, who pulled into port last night. Easton’s . . . I don’t know where he is. Do you know, Em?”

“I’m not supposed to tell. But he’ll be back soon.” Emily stands. “I’ve got to get going to the airport.”

“Oh,” Haley’s voice drops. “Where are you off to?”

“I’m going to New York. I hope you don’t mind, but I’ve given Maya a vacation. And she promised me she would really take it. It’s been a whirlwind for you guys, and you could use some time alone. I better get going. My ride’s due in ten minutes.” She stands, and the leather swivel chair she was sitting in swings back around to face the ocean. Emily puts a small beaten-up backpack on. “Do you think I need a coat?”

“In April in New York? Maybe,” I say, and Emily dashes off down the hall to her bedroom. I put my hand on Haley’s knee. “You doing okay?”

Her nose crinkles up. “I’m okay. I’m resilient, remember?” She is, but it sucks that her dad is being an asshole. Haley had a long chat with him on the phone the day after we landed in Miami. He’s too busy to come to Florida. So she told him about all of us on the phone. He cut her off and now won’t return her calls. Easton had Rocky call Haley’s dad, but he hung up on Rocky too.

“You are.” I need to change the subject. She’s twisting the short hairs above her ear. I grab her foot and squeeze. “This is the longest I’ve not had a job.”

Her eyes widen. “A year?” she asks.

“Fuck, no. Two weeks.”

“Since you were eighteen.”

“No, like ever.” I shake my head.

“But when you were little?”

“Chores on the farm from the time I could walk. I started feeding the chickens when I was three. I suppose I was helping my grandmother feed the chickens, but still.”

“What type of job do you want to get?”

“I . . . I don’t know. It felt weird taking the back pay that Rocky put in my account, but it’s there, and with us living here for now, I don’t exactly need any money. How are you feeling about it?” I have an idea, but I need to wait for Sam.

“I’ve had at least one job since I was sixteen. I had two in college. Waiting tables and work study . . . Zane suggested we both take online classes together. Though I’m not far from graduating. I need a little over a semester of credits. But I don’t think I can take the level of classes I need online. Most of them are upper-division classes. And it would be hard for me to do. Unless I can get a waiver.”

“So we move to Pennsylvania to your old school until you’re done.”