Page 86 of Chasing Forever
This entire time, I thought I was helping Lottie heal. Thought maybe if I could rewind time, bring her back to who she was before Holden, everything would make sense again.
It’s not her past self that I love. It’s who she is now. Every scar, every bite of sarcasm, every guarded smile. I’ve only fallen harder for her with every year that passes.
But now she thinks I’m chasing a ghost. That I only love the broken version of her because I think she needs saving, and that’s so far from the truth.
I have my work cut out for me. But before I can fix things with her, I need to burn this bridge between my parents and me because they’re never going to accept us.
I pull up to my parents’ house and walk up the ridiculous brick walkway that’s lined with ten different signs about voting for him, as if it’s an endorsement when it’s your own house. I want to steal the Greg Miller sign two doors down and put it right on their front lawn.
When I try the doorknob, I find it locked, so I ring the doorbell, then knock and ring the doorbell and knock again until the door opens, and my dad stands there in his robe and pajamas.
“What the hell did you do?” I walk in without waiting for an invitation.
“Jesus Christ, Brooks, I’m not in the mood for this shit tonight.” He slams the door shut.
“You’re fucking with my life, and I’m not going to have it.”
My dad shakes his head. “I have no idea what you’re talking about. You’re the one fucking with mine. All buddy-buddy with Greg Miller. You might as well back him at this point. Now I’m behind in the polls. Tonight is not the night to storm into my house accusing me of bullshit.”
He walks away into the family room. I follow. I’m not leaving until this is done.
“You got to her, I know you did.”
“Again, I didn’t.” He slams a piece of paper on the coffee table. “According to this, he’s beating me.”
“I couldn’t give a shit about the election. Tell me what you said to her!” My voice keeps rising. I want it to. I want them to hear my anger.
“I didn’t see her. I don’t want to see her. I never liked that girl.” He walks over to the liquor cabinet and pours himself a scotch. Half a glass. Like always.
“Then who did?”
“I did.”
I whirl around to find my mom standing there.
“I told you she was trouble. She tricked you, and I won’t stand for it. She’s ruining our good name, and people are worried to vote for your father because of it. We can’t have that. So, I went to that pathetic country store.”
I inhale. Deeply. “When?”
“Yesterday. You can’t deny you see it, Brooks. First, she’s pregnant with Holden’s baby, and then you’re drunk and marrying her in Vegas. She’s manipulating you boys into these marriages.”
My hands squeeze into fists at my sides. “I thought I was clear when I left here that night. And when you came to talk to me.”
“You went to talk to him?” my dad snaps.
She looks at my dad. “What did you expect me to do? I can’t let her get her hooks into another one of our sons.”
“How are you not understanding that I love her?” I cut in, chest burning.
“Oh my god.” My mom shakes her head and throws her arms up as if I’m a lost cause.
I stand there, trying to think straight, but there’s nothing left. This—this is the end of my relationship with them. They’re not concerned with what I want, what’s best for me, or that their actions hurt me. It’s all about them. It always has been.
“Tell me what you said.” I try to keep my voice level.
My dad riffles through his campaign crap on the coffee table, ignoring me.
My mom’s face tightens. Her robe’s striped. I wish they were prison stripes right now. “I told her my thoughts and told her the real reason you’re with her.”
