Page 122 of A Home for Harmony
“No. There are parts of my life I keep private. You know what it’s like. Not everyone did that when we worked together.”
“You always did,” Danielle said. “You never even said much to me and we hung out together.”
She smiled. “Everyone has to make those choices in life and live with them. But you still have to do what you love. One piece of advice. People online aren’t always truthful and honest. Know who you’re with and what you say or open yourself to is worth your time and it doesn’t come back to make you regret it.”
Danielle frowned. “I never thought of that, but now I will. Have fun tonight.”
“I will,” she said, hanging up.
She grabbed a change of clothes to get out of her leggings that she’d been in all day and then was out the door in five minutes.
“Thank you for coming over,” Scarlet said. “I’m so mad at my mother and now I’m in trouble.”
“Don’t blame your mother,” she said. “Your father is part of this too and you know he is only looking out for you. And you shouldn’t be mad at either of them.”
Scarlet frowned. “Does my father know you’re here?”
“He does,” she said, putting her hand up. “First, you should know that I’m aware of what is going on. I don’t want to be in the middle, but your father was upset and came to see me.”
“I’m glad he has you to go to.”
She smiled. “I’m glad he does too. I reminded him he was a teen once too. He actually asked me to come over tonight for dinner so that I could be here when he talked to you. Then you texted and asked me to come. Maybe you both had the same idea.”
Though Scarlet only wanted Harmony to stop without her father knowing. Harmony wasn’t playing those games and made that clear.
Scarlet gave her a hug. “I don’t know what I’d do without you to talk to.”
She returned the hug. “You’d be just fine. I want to be your friend, Scarlet, but know that I love your father. I don’t want to be your parent and I’ll consider both sides, but I can’t start fights or have to pick a side either.”
“I know that,” Scarlet said. “But you said you didn’t get along with your mother either, so you understand.”
“I’m getting along better with my mother now. It took me years to realize that I should have been more honest with her about my feelings. Do you know who told me to tell my mother how I really feel?”
“Erica?” Scarlet asked.
“No. Your father. I listened to him and tried it and it’s working. He’s a pretty smart guy.”
“He is,” Scarlet said. “But I’m in so much trouble. I know it was stupid.”
“Everyone makes mistakes,” she said. “But listen to him and why he was angry and concerned.”
“I know why,” Scarlet said. “He worries about me. He has to know all my friends and doesn’t know Colby. I’m only really friends with Colby because of Eli and that’s wrong. Colby is in my class, but Eli is a year older.”
She nodded her head. “Do you not like Colby? Have you not given her a chance to be friends? Or you feel guilty because you think you’re using her?”
“I felt guilty. She’s nice and all, but we have nothing in common. I’m trying to get along with her because I like her stepbrother.”
“Maybe your motivation in the beginning wasn’t the best, but no one says you have to be best friends with the sibling of the guy you’re interested in.”
“I know,” Scarlet said, sighing. “Dad said he’s bringing pizza home. He didn’t want me to cook. It’s because he doesn’t want me distracted when he wants to talk and I’m cleaning up.”
“You know your father well, don’t you?”
“I think so,” Scarlet said. “Are you two going to get married?”
She grinned. “This isn’t about your father and me. It’s about you. You’re trying to distract things now.”
She knew those tactics, she’d done them herself.
