My stomach drops to the floor. “Wh-what? But school ...”
Easton...
Bridget’s eyes narrow. “I know you well enough by now, Eva, and I know my son better. You are both stubborn. A quality I can admit will serve you well later in life, but that can easily turn reckless. In case you haven’t noticed, this family is hanging by a thread. One more event or rumor will snap it for good.”
My knees shake. My chest constricts.
I was so sure I’d get to see him again.
Bridget glances at her phone, and a long, red fingernail slides across the screen. “I would move if I were you. The only available flight options are immediate or twelve hours from now, and those airport chairs are painful when you have to wait for a new flight.”
Desperation stabs me, sharp and cold. “I can’t just leave. My schoolwork, my transcripts—”
“It will be taken care of.” Bridget’s thumb pauses on the screen, eyes lifting to mine. At my expression, she sighs, her gaze flicking to the door before it returns to me.
“Eva.” She sets her phone on my bed. “Darling, listen. I know this has been sprung on you so abruptly, but it’s for the best. My brother, Perry, is ...” She runs a finger along her pearl necklace. “We’ve both come far considering where we started. He worked hard to make a name for himself in LA. He has the means to provide a very cushy life for you until the timing is right for you to return.”
Cynicism seeps into my lungs like smoke.
I know by now, no thread count is high enough to smooth the sharp edges that hide behind acushy life.
“Until the timing is right?”
She places a hand on her hip. “Easton graduates this year. We can discuss ... options once he leaves for university.”
A hot wave of frustration pushes against me, and for the first time, I don’t bother to train my expression. What’s the point in hiding my resentment now? I’ll never see this woman again. I’ll never see any of them again. Pain flares in my chest, but I try to ignore it.
“You’re angry,” Bridget says. “It’s understandable.”
“Maybe a Xanax and some brandy will make me feel better. It works for you, right?” It should feel good to be candid, but all it feels is too little too late.
Her eyes flash. “You may not believe me, but I know what it’s like to raise yourself. I came out stronger because of it, and so will you. Now, pull your shoulders back, gather your belongings, and leave, or you’ll only make things worse for yourself and Easton.”
I choke back the impulse to spew out another retort. I can take whatever she throws at me, but Easton doesn’t deserve any punishment she may have in store for him.
I grab my backpack from beside the nightstand, grip the suitcase handle, and pull it upright. Before I leave, I look over my shoulder. Bridget’s phone is already back in her hand, thumb flying across the screen. Guess it’s time-consuming to organize shipping one of your “children” away.
“Perry’s assistant will pick you up from the airport once you land,” she says without looking up. “She has your picture. She’ll text me once she’s acquired you.”
“Must be a relief. Wouldn’t want your cargo to get lost.”
“Also, I’m having her put a lock on your new bedroom door. Just a standard precaution.”
I stare at her in disbelief. Only someone who hasn’t met a monster would believe a lock is all it takes to keep them out.
Her thumb hovers over the screen, and she clears her throat before she looks up. “You have my number, Eva. Use it if you need me.”
That’s the most motherly offer she’s ever given me, and she’s wasting it on the wrong kid.
“I won’t need you,” I say, an ache throbbing in my chest. “But I’m not the only one who lives here.”
She arches her brows. “Excuse me?”
“You said it yourself, this family is falling apart.”
“I suppose you expect me to just snap my fingers and fix everything?”
“All anyone expects of you is to be a parent.”
