Page 285 of Forbidden Billionaires: Vol. 9
“Oh…yeah. Let’s do that. I’m pretty sure just the thought gave me a sugar orgasm.” She laughed again as we turned around. “Have you told J.J. about transferring yet?”
That was the weirdest segue ever. My mind was still stuck on syrup. “No, not yet.”
“What are you waiting for?”
“I haven’t heard back from admissions yet. Plus I need to talk to my dad about tuition. I’ve been putting it off because whenever I call him it always makes me sad. But I’m going to call him today, I swear. Right after I go into a carb coma.”
“Why does calling him make you sad?”
I splashed through a wave that had come up a little higher in the sand. “Promise you won’t judge me?”
“When have I ever judged you?”
“You always judge me.” I gave her a hard stare.
She responded by rolling her eyes. “Never. So spill it.”
“I don’t know.” I focused on my breathing for a minute. “He always seems so happy,” I finally said.
“And that makes you sad?”
I nodded, but I wasn’t sure she had seen it. “Happier than he was with me and my mom.”And he never asks how I am.Not once. Not even after the divorce. Maybe because he knew the answer. I missed him and he didn’t miss me back.
She didn’t say anything. “Well, I’m happy with you. And I’m certainly not looking to replace you any time soon.”
I smiled. “Thanks, Kristen.”
She nudged me with her shoulder. “Race ya back to our stud Swatch and pancakes!” She took off like lightning.
Kill me now.
***
I stared down at the cracks on my cell phone screen. It was easier to look at them then the string of missed calls from an unknown number.Probably Aiden. Definitely Aiden.And it was easier than finding my dad in my contact list and actually going through with the call. But I had to do it. I wanted to come home. I wanted to be less than three hours away from J.J. by car. Not a six hour plane ride away. Long distance was easier when you were closer, right? That had to be a thing. I could even take the train up to New York and do homework the whole time. It would be kind of perfect.
I took a deep breath and swiped my finger across the screen. Ignoring the missed calls, I pressed on my dad’s number and pulled my cell phone to my ear before I could chicken out. It rang a few times and went to voicemail.
There was no way I was leaving a message and then waiting around on pins and needles. I hung up the phone. I’d try his house phone. He’d told me before not to call their house phone. He didn’t say why, but I had a pretty good hunch. His wife Nancy hated being reminded that I existed. If she had her way, I would be completely erased from the family. More so than I already had been.
The phone rang a few times. I started drumming my fingertips along my thigh. Please, someone pick up. I hoped it was either my dad or one of my half-sisters. Then I wouldn’t be reprimanded for ruining Nancy’s day. Right before I thought it might switch to voicemail, someone picked up.
“Hello? Wilson residence,” said an overly chipper voice.
I could tell it was his wife. Every other female in the house had high-pitched children’s voices. And they weren’t quite as fake friendly as hers. “Um. Hi, Nancy. It’s Mila. Is my dad home?”
“Oh.” The chipper tone was immediately gone. “Mila. One second, I’ll get Dale.”
I heard her yell for my father, letting him know it was me.
“He can’t talk for long though, Mila, okay? He’s playing withourgirls.”
The way she said it was so snooty I wished I could reach through the phone and slap her stupid face.
“Yeah…I understand.” I did. She was telling me not to cross her. I just didn’t understand why talking to my father bothered her so damn much. He was mine before he was hers. And she clearly won. My dad hated me as much as she did now. I wasn’t a threat to her perfect little family.
There was a muffled noise as the phone switched hands. And then I heard my father’s voice. “One second, pumpkin.”
I put my hand to my chest. I couldn’t even remember the last time my dad called me that. But it was definitely sometime before he moved out. Maybe I’d been too hard on him. Maybe he did miss me too. I was about to say, no problem, Dad, but he started talking again.
