Page 19 of Reverse Perspective

“Nonsense. We don’t want to disrupt. We can just meet you all wherever you normally eat.”

“It will be everyone, Dad,” I say.

“Okay? Is that bad?” Dad asks.

“No, Dad,” I say. “I’ll send you the address of the diner.”

“Have you found a church yet? You haven’t been to a service in a while,” he says.

“No. You already know I don’t go to church anymore,” I say.

“I really wish you would, Sadie. Maybe you and the guys can come with us next Sunday. Your aunt suggested one for us while we are there,” he says. I drape my arm over my eyes and sigh.

“Dad… Can we talk about this later? I have everyone waiting on me.”

“I really wish you wouldn’t always hang out with those guys. People get the wrong impression that way when you do nothing but hang out with men and work.”

“Jesus Christ,” I sigh. “What are you implying, Dad?”

“Do you understand how difficult it is for us to explain that our daughter is unmarried and lives with three men?”

“Then maybe tell people to mind their own business for a change. Or better yet… You mind your own business,” I say and Lance smirks at me. “I own a company with them. I’ve known them since I was five. Twenty-three years, you think you’d gather that they’re not going anywhere.”

“Don’t you get an attitude with me, Sadie. I am your father,” he says sternly.

“Then act like it. Show up more than twice a year and holidays and do more than shove your fucking religion down my throat,” I say, raising my voice. He goes to say something but I hang up and turn my phone off.

“Well damn,” Mason says.

“I shouldn’t have done that,” I sigh.

“What’s wrong?” Dean asks.

“Oh, I don’t know, Dean. My parents, who are disappointed in my existence, are going to come to our home. They are going to figure it out so fucking fast that something is up between us,” I say. “Then I’m going to get lectured on how being a whore will land me in Hell.”

“Girl… They sent you to an exorcism camp,” Todd says.

“I hate that y’all call it that,” I laugh. “It was a camp to help get rid of evil spirits in children and to cleanse them of wrongdoing.”

“That sounds like a lot of fancy words when you could just say you were molested by a youth pastor who told you God would forgive you if you serviced him,” Billy says.

When I don’t say anything Todd grabs my hand and pulls me to sit up. “Sadie,” he says.

“Todd.”

“Are you going to deny that or do we get more context to your silence?” he asks.

“Uh…” I say with a shaky voice.

“You don’t have to,” Dean says.

“Oh, fuck,” Billy says. “I was right, wasn’t I? I only guessed because my youth pastor diddled me too.”

“It uh… He was in the process of becoming a youth pastor, but…” I stop talking.

“If anyone wants to know why I fucking hate her parents, this is why,” Mason says.

“Your parents knew?” Todd asks.

---