Page 51 of Face Me Off

MADISON

“Stupid, stubborn, overbearing”—Islam the door behind me as I storm into our apartment. My hands shake with pent-up rage as I fling my bag onto the couch, not caring where it lands— “Asshole!”

“What the hell is wrong?” Amanda’s voice jolts me from my outrage. That’s when I finally noticed her curled up on the couch, reading a textbook just inches away from where I flung my purse.

“Oh, shit. I’m so sorry. I didn’t see you there.”

“Apparently.” Her shoulders shake as she closes her book and sits upright. “What’s wrong?”

There’s a moment when I stare into Amanda’s green eyes, and I want to confess everything. It kills me to keep this massive secret from her. But I can’t get her involved. Not now. Not after talking to my dad. Not only does she have enough to worry about with her internship and dating arrangement, but I can’t have her anywhere near the fallout if things go south.

It’s not that I don’t trust Amanda. She’s so reliable, but Blake isn’t. My father slammed me today over what Becky casually told her dad. I can’t risk having another hit if Blake accidentally spills our secret.

Nope. It’s best to keep her from knowing.

“I just got back from my dad’s office. He heard about my entering that art contest and warned me against pursuing it.” That’s not a complete lie. The subject came up after he yelled about me helping Ryan with his studies. But oof, walking into his office was torturous...

Dad was on the phone when I entered his office. He greeted me by snapping his fingers and motioning me to sit. His sharp voice was clipped, and I felt sorry for whoever was on the receiving end.

I feel you, buddy, having been there myself a few times too many.

I tried slowing my breath, but my heart still pounded rapidly. Glancing around at the sterile, white walls Dad stared at daily, I refrained from shaking my head. It was no wonder the man was grouchy. He had no color in his life.

But once the phone call ended, his interrogation began.

“What am I hearing about you hanging around that Sorenson kid?”

My eyes widened. How the hell did he hear about that? We’d been discrete. But I wasn’t sure if he was talking about us studying together or our extracurricular activities.

I proceeded with caution.“Ryan’s in my physics class. We had to partner up.”

“Well, dissolve it. Do you need me to make a phone call to the professor?”

“No! God, Dad. What are you thinking?”

“I’m thinking that my daughter doesn’t need to be hanging around slime-sucking vermin who wants to seize an opportunity.”

My teeth clenched. “That isn’t fair.”

“Why are you helping that boy? He’s the last thing you need to be hanging around. Don’t you know what his family is doing to us?”

“They just want retribution for making him go on the roof when it wasn’t his job.”

I’d never seen my father’s face tint to crimson before. I kept waiting for the steam to blow from his ears; he was so angry.

“Do not speak to me that way again. I don’t need you filling your head with the desire to get close to someone beneath you. You need to do the family right.”

“We’re not royalty. Ryan isn’t a commoner.”

“Isn’t he? His father was our landscaper. I doubt his son does anything spectacular.”

“Wow.”

“Watch your tone. Do you know how embarrassing it was to have Clippenger tell me my daughter was hanging with this filth?”

So it was Becky’s big mouth. She must’ve said something to her father. Son of a bitch. I guess I should’ve been worried after seeing her that first night.

Stupid. Stupid. Stupid.

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