“You don’t mean that,” she whines. I stuff my hands into my pocket, feeling for my phone. It’s time for me to call Noah. I walk away from her, until she grabs my arm. “Liam, what we had was special.”
“What we had was sex, nothing more.”
I leave her standing in the studio. I need to rein her in before she gets out of hand. Lately she’s been more possessive and it’s starting to scare me. I should’ve never mixed business with pleasure and she’s strictly business.
I walk down the hall until I’m far enough away from the studio. Crouching down, I pull out my phone and call Noah.
“Hey dad,” he answers before the first ring has completed. The sound of his voice sends warmth through my body. I want to record his voice so I can play it all the time.
“What’s up, buddy? How was school?”
“It’s okay. I have to do a history report, but mom said she’d help me.”
“That’s good. You know I’d help if I was there, right?”
“Yeah, I know.” When he speaks, I know he means it. I can’t detect any remorse in his voice at all. “Can I ask you a question?”
“Of course.” My knees start to cramp so I stand, leaning against the wall that holds my gold records.
“Do your mom and dad want to be my grandparents?”
I stiffen at the mention of my parents. I haven’t spoken to them since the night I left. My dad told me I was a disgrace and stupid for giving up football to pursue music. Said I’d never make it. My mom just stood there, a tumbler of vodka in her hand.
“What are you doing home?”
You always know you’re welcome in your home when you’re greeted like that. Sterling folds and sets his newspaper down, pulling off his glasses. Bianca stands in the foyer, her vodka glass permanently stained with her scarlet red lipstick.
“I need to talk to you.”
“What did you do, Liam? Are you in some type of trouble?”
“No, Sir. I…” I can’t look at him. He’s always looked down on me, making me feel two feet tall. “I left school.”
“Obviously, you can return in the morning.”
I shake my head. “I can’t go back. I quit.”
“What do you mean you quit?” he bellows causing my mom to jump, the ice rattling around in her glass.
“I thought it would be different and it’s not and I’ve been talking to Grandma Betty—”
“YOU WHAT? Do you think I’ve raised you to be a Westbury so you can associate with trash like that?”
“Trash? She’s your wife’s mother,” I point to mom who has no expression on her face. “My god, what is your problem? She’s family. I know what you did. What you both did. Mom, you gave up your dreams to marry him.” I point at my dad. “And you made her. Why? Why weren’t her dreams as important as yours? Look at her! She’s a damn robot.”
“Betty is clearly poison if that is what she told you. So tell me smart ass, what are your plans?”
“I’m going to go to Los Angeles for a bit to try my hand at music.”
Sterling starts laughing. A maniacal laugh. Bianca walks into the room and fills her tumbler. She must coat her liver with medicine in order to function. Typical.
“If you do not return to school immediately, don’t come back here.”
“You’re kicking me out for following a dream?”
Sterling picks up his paper and pops it open, crossing his leg. “No, Liam, I am simply instructing you of your options. You have two: you can go back to school, speak with your coach and secure your spot on the team, or you can walk out that door, lose your trust fund and forget that you’re a Westbury.”
“I don’t know, buddy. Let’s talk about it when I come back okay. My parents… they're difficult sometimes and we don’t always get along.”
“Okay. What are we doing to do when you get here?”
“Well, I thought we could look for a house. I don’t want to stay in a hotel when I’m there and I was thinking that maybe your mom will let you stay with me for the time I’m there, but I’ll have to talk to her about it, okay? You don’t need to bring it up. I’ll take care of everything. I gotta go though so I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”
“Night, I love you dad.”
“I love you too.”
I slide down the wall after Noah hangs up. I knew my parents were going to come up sooner or later, I was just hoping for much, much later.
My hand runs through my hair. I think I’ll grow it out to the way Josie liked it, maybe then she’ll look at me with different eyes. I’m not going to lie, I want my girl back.
“Did you knock someone up?”
I turn to see Sam standing in the hall, hands on her hips. She’s pissed.
CHAPTER 22
JOSIE