"Then of course I support you, Camelia. I love you. Just let me know when I can formally meet them, yeah?" Carson chuckled. "I think it's in the dad handbook that I have to threaten them if they hurt you, right?"
Camelia giggled, shaking her head. "Yeah, maybe." She paused, and then, softer, "Thank you. I love you daddy."
"I love you too, sweetie." Carson sighed. "I wish that your mom could see this for you. I know that she would be proud."
The familiar sadness that came from talking about her mom tugged at Camelia's chest, and there was a comfort there, too. Like her mom was watching over the conversation, giving her blessing.
"I think she would be too, daddy."
Chapter twenty-nine
James
James was studying in the quad for finals, Camelia sitting close to his side with a notebook and Evan across the table scrolling on his phone, when he got the call.
His phone vibrated, and James almost didn't answer. The essay that he was working on was worth a full third of his grade, and he was fucking close to being done. Another hour or so, and he would be finished.
But then he glanced at the readout, and his stomach clenched at the sight of his father's name on the caller ID.
Camelia noticed too. Her hand landed on top of his thigh, and her voice was soft when she spoke. "Do you want to ignore that?"
More than anything. Evan's gaze was piercing when James glanced his was, and James swallowed. It had been surprisingly easy for Chris to get things rectified for him with admissions and the Dean once the issue with his new trust was sorted. They had even removed James' father as first contact for the school, instead putting Chris in his place so that James didn't haveto worry about Drake being informed about his comings and goings from class.
Evidently, it wasn't normal for a parent to be so closely informed when their adult child missed a college course, especially when it had no affect on their grade, but James hadn't even been able to lie to himself and say that he was surprised that his father was so fucking paranoid.
"I do," James finally said quietly. He picked up his phone. "But I'm going to have to face him sooner or later." He took a deep breath, then swiped across the screen and put the phone to his ear. "Hi, Dad."
There was a brief silence, where James could practicallyhearhis father grinding his teeth, but then Drake bit out, "Why haven't I heard from you?"
Camelia glanced at him, shutting her notebook with her free hand. She squeezed the top of his thigh, and James put his hand on top of hers, appreciating the support.
"Because I haven't wanted to speak to you, Dad, I should have thought that was obvious." Evan raised his eyebrows, a tiny smile playing on his lips, and James couldn't stop himself from smirking a little at the furious sound that his father made.
"Well, that's irrelevant, son. I was simply calling to inform you of your flight plans..."
James interrupted him, suddenly furious and so, so,sotired. Of the bullshit, of the way that his father felt that he was entitled to control every single aspect of James' life. "I don't have flight plans, Dad. I have finals, which you are interrupting my studying for."
Another furious sound, and then Drake bit out, "I pulled you out of school, James. You don't have finals."
Evan's smile widened, and the devious gleam in his eyes fueled the fire inside James. "And I figured it out, since you gave me no other fucking option, Dad," he snapped back. "I don't give a shitwhatever you told your fucking supervisor or whatever private plane that you rerouted to come and get me. I'm done. I'm not playing your games anymore. You can take your money and your opinions and shove them up your own ass. I'm going to live my life the way I fucking want to."
Drake spluttered, and the thought of his face getting redder at James' defiance soothed something deep inside of him, something that had been broken a long time before. "And don't bother trying to call the school. I've informed them that you will be having no part in my education moving forward, and you are no longer authorized to any of my information."
"I am yourfather..."
"You're an asshole and bully, and I'm done with you," James said. His shoulders practically slumped at the weight that was lifted with those words; he had been waiting to say them for sofuckinglong.
"You can't..."
James shook his head. "I can, I did, and I fucking will continue. Goodbye, Drake. Lose my number, I won't be speaking to you again."
James hung up the phone before his father could do more than make another spluttering sound of anger, and he set his phone down on top of the table, letting out a shaky breath.
"That was intense," Camelia said softly. She squeezed his leg, and James looked at her. "Are you okay?"
Was he okay? James felt lighter than he had in...in years. Since his mom died, if he was being honest. But there was something inside of him that still coiled tensely, as if his subconscious hadn't accepted his new reality. As if he were still waiting for the other shoe to drop.
"I don't know," he finally admitted. "That was...a long time coming."
