Page 99 of Unspoken Rules

Shit. I forgot all about the email. I pull out my phone and check them. There it is. I open it up and read through the proposal. Hopefully they don’t take my lack of responding right away as anything other than forgetfulness.

“Says if I accept, they want me to start a week from Monday.”

Cole puts his hand on my thigh, squeezing. “I’m proud of you, Bryson. You’ve come a long way with not much support. You follow your dreams instead of listening to what others want. You do you.”

I smile, loving how comforting his touch is and how good his words make me feel about myself.

“I did have support. From you and Chris.”

“Bryson?” The bitter tone of that voice has me looking up. Cole too. I don’t miss the way he subtly removes his hand from my thigh at the sight of my father.

Fuck.

“Dad.” There is no emotion to my voice, besides the tiniest hint of surprise.

What the hell is he doing here?

He looks from me to Cole, then back to me. He’s standing on the sidewalk just a few feet away, his girlfriend hanging on his arm. The same one he was with when I was staying with him. Well, at least he doesn’t go through women as often as he used to.

“I didn’t expect you’d still be in town,” he says, looking down his nose at me.

“Well, I have friends here who don’t mind helping me out, which is more than I can say for you.”

My father grits his teeth, straightening up. “Had you done something more with your life, maybe I’d have helped. But I can’t find it in me to help those who can’t help themselves.”

He looks from me to Cole again, mutters something, then he and his girlfriend start walking.

I hold my breath until I can no longer see him. I want to chase him down and scream in his face. Tell him how angry he makes me. How terrible of a human he is. If I thought it would work, I’d do it. But my words hold no meaning when it comes to him.

“Why is he such a douchebag?” My head falls back on my shoulders.

“Ignore him. He’s an asshole to everyone.”

“But he shouldn’t be an asshole to me. I am his flesh and blood. He literally made me.”

Cole nods. “You’re right. I’m sorry this is how it is.”

“Why is he even in town?” I ask. Cole sighs again, and I glance at him, frowning. “What do you know?”

He blinks a few times, then turns his attention to me.

“He has a place here.”

I nearly choke. “He has a place in Lynncastor? Still?”

Cole nods. “After he updated the house he fired me from, he sold it and bought a small condo. He comes here now and again for who knows what. Belittle people, probably.”

I grit my teeth, my anger reaching an all-time high. So not only did he refuse to let me stay with him, but he had an entire place here I could have used, but he forgot to mention that part.

My anger quickly morphs into something else.

Hurt.

I hate that I still allow him to make me feel this way.

I push it away, swallow, and focus on my ice cream—something that makes me happy and will never betray me.

Once we pull into the driveway, it’s late and I’m tired. Running into my dad really took a toll on me. It got to me more than it should have. There he is, taking a pleasant stroll with his girlfriend like they’re normal people. He runs into his son and insults me instead of being nice. Why couldn’t I have been born to a father who gives a shit about me? It shouldn’t be a request. Everyone deserves loving and supportive parents.

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