Page 69 of Fake Engaged to the Enemy

June Hart’s daughter indeed.

As I’m sitting here, I realize how much time and energy I’ve put into wanting to prove I’m not like my mother.

And I’m not.

I’m June’s daughter. I’m Lynn’s granddaughter.

If Edwina and Jason Callahan want to throw my mother in my face, I’ll take it.

I know who I am.

And I’m going to apply for George’s job. Because I don’t need to work with pop stars to prove my worth.

I can just be me.

Chapter nineteen

George

When I get home, I find a letter from my parents. It’s a brief, handwritten note apologizing for their pushy behavior.

In the letter, they say they’ve talked to my landlord. They will be covering the cost to fix what they have damaged.

Relief washes through me as I read those words. Maybe things are taking a turn.

Maybe my relationship with my parents is on track to get better.

Catherine phoned me at some point during the day, but I don’t have the heart to call her back yet.

My fridge is nearly empty since I dropped the leftovers off at my parents’ place.

I make myself some eggs. As I’m eating, the silence of the house weighs on me

I grab my pillows, a sleeping bag, and a camping cot. I’ll sleep at my new place tonight. It will be the first night I spend there.

The drive is peaceful. The familiar sights of the drive flood me with nostalgia.

My new house stands empty and dark, but when I enter it, it feels like home. I wander through the rooms, deciding where my bedroom will be. It’s all a blank canvas, ready for me to create a home out of it.

I wish I could make it a home for Catherine.

As I set up my bed, I consider our past.

Catherine and I had quite the rivalry in high school. I remember the times when I followed her from one class or another, teasing her that I’d won something we’d both been going for.

I was a pill to her.

I wouldn’t consider my behavior bullying. I teased her, yes, and I sometimes went out of my way to go for the same award as I knew she was going for it too. But whenever she mocked me for missing out on something, I was still happy for her.

I defended her when anyone would talk badly about her.

Now that I look back, though, I should have behaved much differently. What I thought was lighthearted teasing hurt her more than I realized.

By pulling away from her like I did, I made her life harder than it should have been. And I did pull away.

There were times when I was embarrassed by her. She wore hand-me-downs that were a decade out of style. She was a class know-it-all. She got into verbal fights with the popular kids.

If I knew then what I know now, maybe I could have made more of a difference. Made things better.

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