“Yes.” The word comes out in almost a whisper, but loud enough that I know they all hear me.
“Oh, for fuck’s sake,” Matthew curses. “But you went to see her the next day, right?”
“No, there is more,” I admit, and his head goes back, and he lets out a hiss. “My friends were there telling me I didn’t need her. She was holding me back. She had no right to be pissed at me, it was my night.” I wish I would never have listened to them. “So after she stormed away from me, I went into my room and packed up all her shit.” I swallow the lump in my throat. “And dumped it at her door that night.”
“You fucking idiot,” Matthew says, “you fucking, fucking idiot.”
“I know!” I shout “You don’t think I fucking know this? I got up the next day and it was all a blur. Like, I remember bits and pieces, but when I sat up in bed, I saw all of our pictures gone. I saw my bedside table where she kept all her stuff on it empty.” I want to vomit, just like I did that day two years ago. I got up out of bed and I was going to go over to her when the doorbell rang. I ran, thinking it was her, but instead it was one of her guy friends and he had a box in his hand. The box I left at her house. I thought for sure it was her stuff back, but he shoved it in my hands, and when I looked in, it was all of my stuff. I was destroyed, but when I turned around, all the guys were there.” I shake my head. “I let my pride win.”
“Oh, Matty,” my father says softly, and I look over at him and he has his own tears in his eyes.
“Your pride?” Matthew says, his voice going higher. “Have you met her family?”
“Yes,” I admit to him. “Only her parents.”
“You did her dirty like that?” he hisses, shaking his head.
“I didn’t do her dirty like that,” I finally say, and even I know I did her dirty like that.
“You threw away two years because you had shitty-ass friends, and you caved under peer pressure,” Evan states calmly. “Did you even love her?”
“More than anything,” I admit for the first time ever, my voice breaking. “I called her a couple of times, but her number was changed,” I also admit for the first time. “I tried to go see her, but she was gone by then.”
“Helena,” my father says, “did she know?” I just shake my head.
“No, when we walked into the room, she pretended she’d never met me, and I did the same.” I sit down, thinking about how fucking nuts this is. “She acted like I was a stranger.”
“You love her.” My father doesn’t even skip a beat. “You can say what you want about Helena and whatever bullshit excuses you want to tell yourself to make you feel better.” He doesn’t mince words. “You were dumb and stupid.” He looks down. “Trust me, if anyone knows anything about caving to peer pressure, it has to be me.” My father has been clean and sober since before me and he never, ever hid it from me or shoved it under a rug. “But, son, think about it. You are living your life, and the minute you see her again—your whole life is shaken.”
I want to tell him he’s wrong, but I can’t. I let his words sink in. “You have to admit your faults, and from the story you told me, you better fucking be ready to fucking beg her to talk to you again.”
“Dad, I tried,” I explain to him. “I was early one day, and I tried.”
“After what you did to her, you’re lucky she didn’t cut off your testicles and make potpourri out of them,” Evan says, and my father laughs.
“You have to stop listening to Zara,” my father urges. “You tried, and she didn’t listen. That doesn’t mean you are off the hook. Then you have to prove to her that you aren’t the asshole who broke her heart because you wanted to be manly.” I’m about to tell him I know, but he holds up his hand. “Whatever the outcome is, you have to close the book, the story is still waiting for an ending.” His words make more sense than I could have.
“You met her father?” Max asks, and I nod my head. “You’re lucky he didn’t come after you.”
“What’s her family name?” Matthew asks.
“Barnes,” I say, “Sofia Barnes.”
“Why does that name sound familiar?” Matthew says, earning a moan from Max, who rolls his eyes.
“You don’t know everyone on the planet,” Max declares.
“Casey Barnes,” Matthew says, and I look over at him.
“That’s her grandfather,” I say, shocked that he actually knows him.
“You fucking dumbass.” Matthew jumps up, then looks at my dad, who just stares at him. “CBS Corporation.”
“The security firm?” I ask, and he puts his hands on his hips. His jaw tightens, and I swear I see a tic in the vein on his forehead. “That’s her grandfather?” I ask.
“Holy shit,” Evan blurts from beside Matthew, his phone in his hand. “This guy is—” He looks up at Matthew.
“He could make you disappear, and not even I would be able to find you,” Matthew states, and I swallow down. “Everyone, calm down.” We all look at him, then look at Max, because he’s the only one who can reel him in. “You think I’m powerful?”
“One,” Max says, getting up, “no one thinks you’re powerful except for Karrie.” He holds up a finger. “And two, if she told him, he would have already been paid a visit.”
“Is he in the mob?” I ask, my hands going into my hair.
“You wish,” Evan says. “This guy trained with the Navy SEALs for fun.” He laughs and I look over at my father, I’m sure the blood has now drained from my face.
“Everyone needs to just relax,” my father says, getting up. “Max, please take him out of here before his head explodes.” He points at Matthew, who just shakes his head.
“I’m going to ask around,” Matthew comments, “put out some feelers.” He looks at us, and Evan just laughs at him getting up.
“Oh, Tony Soprano, time to get you home and in a robe.” Evan slaps him on the back before looking at me. “You better make this right.” All I can do is nod at them because I know if I don’t, I’m going to have these four kick my ass along with her family.
sofia
The wind blows my hair as I make my way down the single road that leads to my parents’ house. The sun is shining so bright in the sky that it’s like a welcome home hug. I put my hand out the window, moving it through the wind, just like I used to do when I was a teenager. The crunching of rocks under my wheels fills the silent car.
I don’t even have it in park before my father comes out of the house. I can’t help but smile as he stands there in jeans and a flannel button-down shirt, and his dirty-ass cowboy boots that I think he’s had since I was five on his feet. Our eyes meet, and he smiles so big his eyes light up. “My baby girl is home!” he shouts, coming down the five steps toward me. I have enough time to turn off the car before he opens the driver’s door.
“Hi, Dad.” I smile at him as I unbuckle my seat belt. He doesn’t even give me a chance to get my bearings before he literally pulls me out of the car and gives me the biggest hug I’ve gotten. Well, since the last time, when he said he hadn’t seen me in a year but was actually only a month.
“She’s home.” He lifts me off my feet, his arms still wrapped around my waist. “Hazel,” he yells for my mother, “she’s home!”
“Dad, you are acting like I’m returning from war,” I tell him as he puts me down and holds my face in his hands.
“You look tired,” he says, and I sigh at the same time that my mother opens the door and slams it shut.