Page 11 of Smooth Sailing

Not to mention, he was the man who ground my mother to dust.

But still, I couldn’t believe it.

I thought I’d learned how to deal. I thought I’d built appropriate walls that would keep the pain at bay. I didn’t think he had the capacity to hurt me anymore.

Every day you learned new things, though, and today, this was my lesson.

And it hurt like hell.

“Do you have any clue how terrified I was?” I whispered.

He softened, slightly.

But not enough. Not near enough.

He proved that with what he said next.

“You need to have a mind to keeping yourself safe.”

“I was safe. In my dorm room. With people right next door on both sides and across the hall. On a study date with some guy I barely know, so obviously, I don’t want him ripping my clothes off.”

“You barely know him, and you let him into your room?”

“I’m not on trial here, Dad,” I bit out. “Save the courtroom machinations for re-traumatizing assault victims your rich clients pay you to get off.”

Dad’s face got hard. “That was unnecessarily nasty.”

I stared at him.

He scowled at me.

He honestly didn’t see what was happening here, what had happened to me, his daughter, and what he was doing to me, his daughter.

He didn’t freaking see it.

But I did.

Oh, yeah, I so totally did.

Crystal freaking clear.

I shouldn’t have wasted time building walls.

I should have used that time to form an escape plan.

“I’m done,” I stated.

Dad nodded. “Yes, it’s done. We’ll have an early dinner and then I’ll head back to Phoenix.”

“No, I mean, I’m done.”

His brows drew down. “With what?”

“You.” I swung an arm out in front of me. “This. All of it.”

He released a heavy sigh. “Please make sense, Diana. It was kind Ms. Bainbridge allowed us to use her office, but we can’t stay in it all day.”

“I’m dropping out of college.”

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