I loved my family, more than words. But I was finally out on my own. Finally living life. And I couldn’t give that up.
Granted, I had made mistakes. Transferring here after a semester at U of Madison was a huge mistake. Why I thought my high school sweetheart was going to work out for me, when I knew he was a sleazebag in high school was beyond me. Plus, that move got me right back under the watchful eye of Becket and Grayson.
And then there was the housing fiasco where I actually asked Tara to move in with me.
And then of course Colton cheating on me…
Things were already bleak. Adding my parent’s anxiety and overprotective assertion into my life would just perpetuate my problems.
I could do this. I could fix this.
On my own.
Fin Hunter promised what he was asking me was not that much. He needed some help and I could give it to him. I could also ignore the six week deadline he gave me to come up with the money. Six weeks left some time to figure that part out.
Ok, no cops.
Besides what was a couch from my Aunt Grace anyway? Or a matching set of end tables and suede recliner from my Grandpa Benton after he went to the nursing home? I didn’t even want to think about the fifty-two inch flat screen from Lennox for my housewarming present.
He was going to be so mad at me.
Maybe I could replace it before he got back from China?
Probably I could.
And come up with seven thousand dollars. No problem.
Well, some problems…. but where there was a will, there was a way and I had a will.
A stubborn, determined, freaking pissed off will.
If nothing else.
I stood back up and brushed invisible dirt from my jeans. I assessed my room that was mostly more hand me downs and a matching Ikea desk and bookshelf from my mom for my last birthday. With a long sigh, I left my bedroom and trudged back to the empty living room. I couldn’t remember if the tiny dining table from my Uncle Fritz was gone or not.
Yep, it was.
Shoot.
When my large family descended this year for any of Beckett’s games or Gray’s graduation they were going to want to see their passed down, expensive, occasionally antique, furniture on display.
What was I going to tell them?
I stood at the island that separated the living room from tiny kitchen and worked on my breathing.
I would think about that later too. Right now, I needed to eat some dinner, go to bed and get ready to face tomorrow.
Tomorrow…. when my deal with Fin Hunter started.
----
The next morning, I slammed my hand down on my alarm as soon as the first sounds started coming through. I shot up into sitting, breathing rapidly.
I shoved my wild, bed-head hair out of my face and mumbled out loud, “That was close.”
Not that I would fall trap to anything Kelly Clarkson ever sang again. But what if Christina Aguilera would have come on? Or heaven forbid…. Beyonce?
No more false hope.
