Page 29 of Raise 'Em Up

No, sorry, it's not a house. It's a fucking mansion. I knew he had money, but damn, this is…a lot.

I shouldn’t be surprised. Most of the kids at my school come from money. Hell, two of my guys are loaded.

“Yes, but I don’t mind hearing it again.” I grin. My phone pings and I glance down at it, relief filling me when I see it’s not from my dad.

He texted me the other day, but I didn’t open the message, so I don’t know what he wanted. I’m not there yet when it comes to talking to him, mentally or emotionally. I’ll open it when I am. If it was something important, I'm sure he would call. Not that I can be certain I’d pick up though. This whole thing is still all really weird.

When we step inside, my eyes are instantly looking all around, taking in the elegance of the place.

“They should be in the dining room. I’m a little late, but that’s fine. They knew I had to pick you up,” he tells me as we walk through the house.

“Why didn’t you tell me? I could have gotten ready a lot earlier.”

“It’s fine.” He chuckles. “It’s just a supper we have every week. There’s no special occasion. I often miss them lately anyway. Life has been pretty busy with school and football.”

I nod my head, taking a deep breath.

“There you are,” a woman’s voice says in a cheerful tone when we step inside the dining room. “Come in. Sit. Supper is ready.”

I smile over at her. She’s pretty. Well, more like gorgeous. She’s got long hair—black, like Trevor’s—and kind eyes. I can tell the smile on her face is genuine too.

“It’s nice to meet you,” I tell her as we sit down.

“Trevor can’t stop talking about you. Hi. I’m Lucy.”

“Where's Dad?” Trevor asks.

“He’s just grabbing the chicken.”

A door on the other side of Lucy opens, gaining my attention. It takes me a few moments for my brain to register what the hell I’m looking at.

“Rylee.” The man smiles, looking surprised. “I’m so glad you took me up on my offer for supper.”

“Wait, what?” Trevor says. “Rylee, what is he talking about?”

The man looks down at Trevor. “You two know each other?”

“Yes.” Trevor looks confused. “This is my girlfriend, I told you I was bringing her.”

The smile falls off of his lips and we just stare at each other. His face is a mask of confusion, and I’m freaking the fuck out.

This cannot be happening. What the fuck did I do in another life to keep having all this fucked up shit happen to me? This is a dream—no, a nightmare. And a sick one at that.

“Rylee, are you okay?” Trevor asks. “What did he mean when he said he invited you? Do you know him?”

“Yeah,” I say, my voice coming out hollow. I blink a few times before meeting Trevor’s worried eyes. “He’s my father.”

CHAPTER NINE

“I’m sorry, what?” I ask her slowly as I gape at Rylee. “I don’t think I heard you right. Did you just say he’s your…dad?” I look over at my step-dad and watch as all the blood drains from his face. “She’s joking, right? Please, tell me this is one big got you, haha moment?”

He looks between me and Rylee before turning to my mom. The two of them share a look before he brings his attention to me. His face falls as he lets out a heavy sigh.

“I’ve been meaning to talk to you about all of this, but I didn’t know how. I only found out a few weeks ago. And it was a lot to take in. I also had to talk to your mother about everything first.”

“So, it’s true. Rylee is your daughter?” I ask him. “Is that why you didn’t come skiing?”

“My father called me up, said he needed to see me. With him getting older, I wanted to make sure he was alright. I didn’t expect to see Rylee’s mother there. But, my father felt like it was time to tell me all about my long-lost daughter,” he says, then looks to Rylee.

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