Page 10 of Twisted Collide

4

JOSIE

Once I walkthrough the door, everything in my life will change.

I stand outside the address I was given, but my feet won’t move.

There’s no choice but to go—I promised my mom I would—but no matter how many times I tell myself to walk, I don’t.

I’m not ready.

The moment I cross the threshold, I won’t be able to pretend that my father simply doesn’t exist. The evidence that he didn’t want me will be thrust in front of my face.

With my body weighted in place, I allow myself to look around the property.

From the corner of my eye, I can see a beautiful building on top of a small hill. The valet mentioned that it was the vineyard’s boutique hotel.

The original game plan for today was that once I arrived in town, I’d head to the party, and from there, I’d get the keys to the small guesthouse on my father’s property. The thing is, I’m notmentally prepared to meet him, let alone crash at his house. The fact that my mother even thought this was a good plan should be criminal.

A tiny piece of paper with the name Robert and a number is all she gave me.Talk aboutwalking into the unknown. I didn’t even have a last name to stalk him.

Not cool, Mom.

From where I’m standing, I can hear the loud music blaring inside the banquet hall. I have no idea what they’re celebrating, but lord, they’re having fun if the roars of laughter are any indicator. Then there’s the couple dancing in plain view from the large windows.

My stomach feels tight.

This is my father’s life.

All these years that I’ve been living with my mom, a woman who could barely make ends meet, a woman who had to work multiple jobs to pay the bill, and my father has been living a life of luxury.

I’ll never fit in.

I’m not like these people. They’ll take one look at me, and despite being put together, they won’t think I’m good enough.

Maybe I’m not.

Maybe that’s why he never came for me? None of that should matter now, but it does, because as I stand here by the door, it feels like a crossroads of life.

In one direction, the party . . . in the other, a hotel. An escape from reality for just a bit longer.

My body decides for me, and I find myself striding in the opposite direction of the party.

I take the winding street, and as I’m walking, I notice the vines are everywhere.

They line the drive. It’s hard to see them under the darkness of the night, but I see enough to know this is a smaller patch of grapes.

I wonder what type of wine these particular grapes make.

If I’m being honest with myself, a sort of excitement comes with the potential of this place and this job that was presented to me. My sperm donor aside, I’m already itching to know everything I can about this vineyard and the wine created here.

It would be fun to get a closer look. Maybe later. Right now, my main priority is to see if I can get a room for the night. Somewhere to buy me time before the inevitable.

It doesn’t take me more than five minutes to walk to the front doors of the hotel, and once inside, I walk straight up to the reception desk.

The beautiful young lady behind the counter could be my age—early twenties—with perfectly straight black hair and deep brown eyes.

“Hi.” I beam so brightly that my cheeks burn.

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