Even though I know that I won’t see him until the end of the school day, I still wait for him.
I wait and wait and wait.
Until I’m climbing down the stairs at St. Mary’s, switching to my next class, tired and achy and so in love with the guy who I haven’t seen in hours now, that I slip.
My foot slips.
And I stumble.
I try to hold on to the metal banister but I can’t.
I can’t hold on and I fall.
I roll down the stairs and a blinding pain grips me, my back, my ankle.
But more than that, a blinding pain grips my abdomen.
Where my Halo is sleeping.
Mine and his.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
The Hero
Iopen the door to my father’s study and enter the four-hundred-square-foot space that I’ve always hated.
He’s sitting in his throne-like chair and I know I’ve shocked him with my sudden intrusion.
I’ve actually never seen him shocked, now that I think about it.
I’ve seen him happy and gleeful and furious and in the fucking throes of passion but no, I’ve never seen him shocked. His gray eyes, so much like mine, flare slightly.
And I realize his eyes are too big for his face.
Thank God or whoever the fuck is responsible for these things that I didn’t get this trait from him, cartoonish eyes.
He opens his mouth to say something but I’m not interested. And I’m not staying long anyway.
So for the first time ever, without reservations or hesitations, I stride over to his desk and throw something at it. It skids allthe way over to my father’s side, loose papers spilling across the polished desk.
It’s the file he gave me.
Like before, I put both my hands on his desk and look him in those eyes.
Eyes that have never been warm or affectionate.
“You wanted to teach me a lesson about keeping secrets, yeah?” I begin. “Well, here’s a little secret for you: I’m good with cars. Pretty fucking good. Fantastic, actually. Have you ever wondered why I love my Mustang so much?”
His features tighten up but I don’t give him a chance to speak. “You probably haven’t. Given how amazingly self-absorbed you are. I love it so much, Dad, because I built it myself. With my own hands. I didn’t buy it at a showroom, didn’t buy it with your money. It’s completely mine. Surprised you, didn’t I? Yeah, me too. Never thought I had that sort of talent. I mean, soccer’s easy. Soccer’s a piece of cake, but this stuff takes some real genius. And as I said, I’m pretty fantastic. So I’ve come to a conclusion: If I love it so much, building cars I mean, I should probably do it for a living, don’t you think?”
His malice-filled eyes narrow. But again, I don’t give him a chance to speak.
His speaking days are over.
“So here’s another little surprise for you: I bought the garage. On that piece of land that you wanted. That’s mine now.ThatI unfortunately had to buy with your money, or the money I earned working for you so technically it’s mine, but still. It made my skin crawl. But I guess it was for a good cause, huh? And now I think congratulations are in order, aren’t they? Because you’re never getting that piece of land.”
NowI give him a chance to speak. And he does, with clenched teeth. “You’re a little piece of shit, aren’t you,son?”
