The thread snapped. Ross’s hands gripped into tight fists. “I’m not the one here who forgets things. And how would you know, Mia? Are you there in the courtroom with him? What do you know about any of this? All I can tell you is I was a poor kid with failing grades who made a mistake and ended up behind bars to be forgotten by everyone but my family. By the time I got out, continuing with school seemed like a huge waste of time since I wasn’t going to graduate anyway. That’s why I dropped out. So, yeah, I was foolish, and I paid the price. Your dad made sure of that. If there’s anything more to the story, you’ll have to ask him.”
Mia’s insides were hollow. “I don’t believe you.”
His jaw tightened. “Well, you already believed I was a cheater, so now you can add thief and liar to the mix. I don’t care.” Ross yanked open the door to his truck, slammed it shut, and peeled out of the driveway. She remained rooted in place as a mist of rain began falling from the sky. With a heavy heart, she returned to the house.
Mia put away the extra lasagna and started the slow process of getting the kitchen in order. She was standing at the sink when she heard footsteps behind her. She glanced at the blackened window and saw her father’s reflection watching her.
She continued washing dishes. “Do you only hate him because of me?”
“I don’t appreciate the accusation, young lady.”
She faced him, wiping her palms on a nearby dishtowel. “Well, he told me the most fascinating story.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“You told me that he was kicked out for cheating!”
“No. I told you he got in trouble.”
She tossed the towel on the counter, her hands snapping to her hips. “You said—”
“You need to calm down. You’re obviously not remembering things correctly. That kid—”
“Stop it. I’m not a kid. Ross is not a kid.”
“That’s even worse. He is, and will always be, a distraction and not worth your time.”
“Uh-huh. So is that why you did it?”
“I didn’t do anything but follow the law. That’s my job as a judge. And protecting you is my job as a father.”
Oh god.Mia gripped the countertop to keep herself from crumpling to the ground. Everything Ross said was true. Their friendship altered his life in a way she hadn’t known. No wonder he was angry.
She narrowed her eyes. “You always told me the law was only one part of your job. The rest had to be made of common sense and heart. What happened to that, Judge?”
Her father’s expression tensed, his face coloring. “He broke the law, Mia! Was I just supposed to ignore that because you liked him or because your mom thought he was a good kid? When you break the law, there are consequences in this society. Do you expect me to give your friends special treatment? I thought I raised you with better ethics than that.”
“No, not special. Fair treatment. And I would like to believe you can put your personal disdain for a person aside instead of purposely using your power to crush someone.”
“You think you can be a better judge than me? I’ve been doing this for over twenty years. I think I can see people, read them, and know them better than you can. You can give people second chances, even third chances, and they still end right back in the same spot. Not everyone gets out, Mia. You don’t know. You’ve been protected, and maybe that’s my fault, but in the real world—”
“No, don’t you turn this around and try to make this be about my issues. This really had nothing to do with me, until you made it that way.”
“The problem is you’re too emotional. Like your mother. You can’t see this from a logical point of view.”
Mia scowled, her own frustration coming to the surface. “Oh, so the only one who gets to be emotional when they make decisions is you? Because what you did to Ross was nothing but emotional.”
Her father’s face burned red with anger. If she were to come closer, her skin was sure to blister. “You don’t get to talk to me like this.” The words were hard and unyielding.
She glared at him as her own temper flared around her like flames. “This is not a courtroom. You are not a judge here. If you don’t like that I’m not blindly accepting your explanations, maybe they’re not as logical as you think. Is that the real reason you didn’t tell me ten years ago?”
“The kid was a troublemaker!”
“He took afuckingDVD for his grandpa’s birthday!”
“You don’t understand. That kid—”
“Did he skip school? Was he poor and didn’t get good grades? Spare me. What am I missing?”
