“Money. Status, their kids doing what they say. Cameron gave up trying to keep them happy young. I decided to take on all the pressure so he could be free.”
“Do you have any happy family memories?”
“Happy? I don’t know. I think each memory is laced with unspoken burdens. Each birthday was a chance for them to invite their friends over and try to impress them. Each family vacation was to show off what we could afford. We didn’t eat dinner as a family unless we had to for a party or function. We don’t share stories about our days. We barely talk at all to be honest. Most conversations I have with them are just full of instructions. How they want me to act, how I should behave. What they need me to do for them.”
“That’s really fucked up. I’m sorry,” he says softly. “My family was close. My parents loved each other a lot. Shining example of a happy couple. They wanted more children, but my mom lost her parts due to an early bout of cancer. And so, they settled on just having me, and taking in Wes eventually. But we talked, we went on vacations, had dinner together. I have more happy memories with them than sad. I’m really sorry you missed out on that.”
“But they don’t know what happened to you?”
“No,” he says. “Only you do. And I’d like to keep it that way.”
“I won’t say anything,” I whisper.
“I believe you. I think even you have a line when it comes to hurting me.” He laughs. “Probably would kill me before you would spill that secret.”
“You make me sound evil.”
“You are a little evil, but I like it.” He laughs. “Did they really disown Cameron?”
“Nothing official or whatever, but they cut him off. Well, he more or less told them to. They expected him to go to collegeand straighten up, but when he didn’t graduate, they came home ready to strangle him but he was gone. Left a note and all his credit cards, saying he was done being their puppet. He has more guts than me.”
“He left you to the wolves, Prue. That’s not having guts, that’s chicken shit.”
“He would’ve taken me with him if I asked, but I stayed. It kept my parents from going insane. At least they had one child to parade around. And if I stayed, I could help Cameron survive. I give him money sometimes.”
“Jesus. Prue. You are far too selfless for your own good.”
“This is a bad idea.” I sigh. “They aren’t going to like seeing you with me.”
“Oh, come on. They are going to adore me.” He laughs. “What is there not to love? All the tattoos, the bruised face, the fact I made their daughter cum her fucking brains out. I’m a fucking catch. They would be so lucky to have me on the arm of their only daughter.”
I laugh. He has no idea what he is walking into, but something tells me he doesn’t care.
“You know how people think some girls have daddy issues?”
“Oh no. Prue, do you have daddy issues?” The amusement in his voice makes me roll my eyes.
“No.” I glance at him. “But my father has issues. He doesn’t take well to anyone who doesn’t worship the ground he walks on. After disowning Cameron, he more or less pretends he doesn’t exist. They will invite him over, but it’s only a formality. Cameron knows better than to come. As far as my father is concerned, he only has one kid. I know the reason Cameron hasn’t gotten signed yet is because of him. He can’t live in a world where his son is a famous rock star. It would look bad for business.”
“Woah. Wait a second,” Ben says. “There is bad parenting and then there is crushing your kids’ dreams out of spite. That is beyond fucked up.”
“He has issues. They both do. My mother, she has impossible standards. She loves Char?—”
“Don’t say his name.”
“My ex, but that was all because of what his family could bring to the table. She’d hand me over on a silver platter, wrapped in a bow, if it meant my family could double their money. She pretty much told me to give up my virginity to the boyfriend before him. I was 13, and he was a senior, but from a very wealthy family. She said if I didn’t fuck him, he’d leave me. He left anyways, off to college on the East Coast. But she blamed me for not keeping him interested. She tracked what I ate all throughout my youth. If she found out I ate anything not on her list of approved items, I’d have to run five miles on a treadmill. She hates me but can’t afford to lose me.”
“Prue,” Ben says, and I steal a glance at him. “If we do this, you’ll have to fully embrace the change. I won’t be able to contain myself when I know how shitty these people are. There will be no going back.”
“They are my family.”
“Sorry, baby, but your family is horrible.”
“Besides Cameron.”
“I like Cameron, but he let you carry the burden of your parents’ pressure too fucking long. If you take me to meet them, I will be a wrecking ball that destroys it all.”
“And after? Will you still be my friend?”
