Page 76 of Falling for Fury

Everyone knows what’s going on except you.

What, did they all just have their own little meeting to prepare for me to arrive? Am I really so volatile they couldn’t have waited to tell me with the rest of the family? No, because the emotionally unstable get handle with care stickers and caution signs slapped to their heads.

Breathe.

Fury laces my throat as I try to breathe through my rapidly spiraling thoughts. Five seconds. I saw a family member for five seconds.

I swallow and return Riley’s hug before she withdraws, noticing Noah. She gives him a soft smile before returning her expression to me. “Ads, this is a family meeting.” She gives Noah side eye.

“Rude, Riley. He is a guest. He can come in, Jesus.” I try to push past, but she lifts a hand to stop me. What the fuck?

“I’m serious. You don’t want him here right now. This is just… family stuff.” My rage is hitting its limits, and before long, I’m not going to be able to keep it under the appropriate ‘woosa’ levels before it explodes. “Riley. Stop being a brat and move out of the way.” Her eyes plead and she doesn’t move.

“Addison, it’s fine, really.” Noah grabs my elbow to pull me toward him, and before I can protest, he slams a whopping kiss on my lips that catches me off guard. “I love you. You know that, right?” I nod quickly, but I’m confused by his words and his facial expression. I don’t get to ask before he continues. “Text me when you’re ready. I’ll come back for you.” His words are soft, but they hit me right in the chest, making me lose my breath.

It feels like a weird goodbye, his eyes communicating so many things I don’t understand, but I lean in to kiss him again, whispering back, “I love you, too. I won’t be long. Thank you.” He winces, then nods and heads back to the Uber as I turn to Riley. Ignoring us and not caring that we just said I love you, but my family have no idea I’m even seriously dating someone.

“Okay. Now that that’s sorted, will you let me in the fucking house, or is there some other bullshit you all need to put me through before someone tells me what in the fuck is so important?” Okay, yeah… so I blew past the ‘woosa’ level.

“Alright crazy, calm down.” Ava’s melodic voice sails out through the front door as she appears, her stupid words only making the rage grow. I really need to do a PSA for people who have never had to deal with an anger problem before; calling them crazy and telling them to calm down does not a relaxed situation make. In fact, you’re essentially asking for a shit storm. How, in all the years she has known me, has she not worked this out? I shove past both her and Riley and storm my way into the living room. Mom is on the couch, crying, while dad paces the floor between the lounge and the kitchen. The mood feels very Armageddon. What the fuck did I just walk in to?

“Where are Matt and Mia?”

“Home.” Ava’s voice is pained as she struggles to make eye contact.

“And Jessie?”

“He’s on his way.” Ava’s voice is soft and sad, and I feel guilt for being so brazen, but also furious that this is dragging out so long.

“For the love of god, someone tell me what is going on.” I practically shout the words as I make my way to the couch to sit next to Mom, Dad giving me guilty eyes and bad vibes. The kind of vibes where my intuition tells me I’m going to punch him in the face because whatever the fuck this is, I’m almost certain this is his fault.

“Mom. Please, what is it?” She looks over at dad, resigned, and shame flooding her face.

“Your dad—”

“Lillian!” Dad growls from across the room.

I snap my eyes to him, ready to tell him to shut it, when Ava surprises me and scolds him, “Dad, enough.”

Mom straightens her shoulders, a confidence boost from Ava’s support.

“Your dad has been involved in some… questionable behavior… and… the money is just…” She shakes her head and tears spill down her cheeks. Is it just me or is that sentence just not that sad?

“What am I missing here? Because Henry behaving questionably doesn’t seem to warrant that many tears.” Mom looks at me accusingly, and I feel like asking her if perhaps this situation is just all a bit too much for her. See if she likes that backhanded sympathy.

Riley has had about enough and decides to be the mature woman of the group. “Our idiotic father was involved in insider trading and has embezzled funds over decades at his firm. The police have been tipped off, and there is apparently a warrant for his arrest. Our trust funds, my college fund, all our bank accounts, everything is frozen. The house will probably be taken and any other assets tied up with it… I don’t know… I’m not a fucking lawyer, but there. The truth.”

My whole world spins on an axis as I make my eyes travel across the room to my father. The man who spent his life berating me. If rage wasn’t slowly taking over my mind and body, I’d probably laugh. I was right. It was his fault.

“And how did all of this come about? If there is a warrant… how long have you all known about this?” And lied to me and kept secrets from me.

“Ava found out first.”

“Riley!” Ava silences her and then looks at me guiltily.

“Addy, before you flip out—”

“Flip out? Are you kidding me? You guys are harboring all this fucking information, and instead of treating me with respect, and like a normal fucking human, you coddle me, hide things from me, and lie to me, to what? Avoid an implosion. I’ll give you all a hot fucking tip if you want to avoid pissing me off—stop fucking lying,” I seethe at the people I am related to by blood, the people who don’t feel like my family, not in this moment. The way they treat me, walk around me, lie to me, is making me angrier than the actual crime. Ava sighs and sits on the couch next to Mom.

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