“To what end?”
“He’s always been a bit of a control freak, but it got much worse after Mom died. I’m just trying to not rock the boat until I can move out.”
“That’s smart. And if you get your license, you could potentially start working before you graduate. Even part-time, to put some money aside.”
“Bodi says he’ll take care of me,” I say softly. “But it feels wrong. Like it’s too soon to take money from him.”
“Eh.” She shrugs. “I kind of felt that way with my boyfriend too, but when you love someone, money starts to feel less important. Don’t get me wrong, having your own money is important, but who provides the most money is secondary.”
“It’s been seven weeks since we met,” I say, meeting her gaze. “Is that enough time to be in love?”
“It was with Rome and me. I kind of knew the first night I met him. This guy was hassling me at a bar, so I dug the heel of my stiletto into his foot. But he still wouldn’t go away so Rome stepped in and…” She shrugs and fans herself dramatically. “He became my knight in shining armor and the rest is history.”
“How long did it take Bodi to come around?”
She grimaces. “He didn’t come around until I moved out and refused to speak to him. That’s when he realized he was going to have to choose, so he apologized. It took a little more time until he finally accepted that Rome and I are together for the long haul, but that’s why I forced the issue of therapy.”
“I’m ninety-nine-point nine percent sure my dad will never go to therapy.”
“Then it’s his loss. You have to do what’s right for you. Whether it’s moving in with Bodi or finding a roommate and doing your own thing. Either way, you shouldn’t be a prisoner.”
“I know.” I’ve had those same thoughts many times.
“Speaking of your dad…” She frowns. “Bodi said your dad’s new wife is Rome’s ex?”
“Yup.”
“Rome sent me this old photo of the two of them. Is it her?” She opens her phone and shows me a photo.
Sweet Jesus.
It’s a much younger version of Lourdes, but definitely her.
“That’s her.”
“Holy shit.” She stares at the photo. “Based on the timing, Rome is almost positive she cheated on him with your dad.”
I frown. “I don’t get it. If we take love out of the equation—I’m a million percent sure she doesn’t love my dad—why would she trade in a guy in the NHL for the head coach of a college team? Yes, he made decent money, but not the millions I assume Rome was making back then.”
“Because Rome wouldn’t give her a baby.” Billie’s eyes narrow. “He says she desperately wanted to get pregnant, but he wasn’t ready and for him, the writing was kind of on the wall. He saw fairly quickly that all she really cared about was money—he recently told me he didn’t think she’d be a good mother. Way too narcissistic.”
“My Dad didn’t want another kid, but she got pregnant anyway, and she definitely isn’t a great mom but it’s not my place to say anything.”
“That’s probably true.”
“Do you want kids?”
She grins. “I do, but not now. And he’s on board for a couple of kids. We just have goals and things we want to accomplish first.”
“That’s smart.”
“Think about your exit plan,” she says after a moment. “Get your license. Find a way to make some money of your own. Don’tallow your father to continue to control your life. At some point, it’s going to blow up in his face.”
“I have to get serious about my license. Bodi promised to teach me. I think that’s the first step.”
“Agreed. Give yourself some grace, but also don’t be too relaxed about it. Make some goals and stick to a timetable. Otherwise, you’ll just keep doing what’s comfortable instead of what you might really need.”
I hadn’t considered that, but now I’m going to.
