Page 82 of This Much Is True
Tom sighs. “Two weeks and you have such a filthy mouth.”
“You should hear the things I say to Luke,” I say, smirking.
The fury on Tom’s face is worth every problem myfilthy mouthwill cause me.
Dad wraps his hand around my arm, making me yelp.
Troy suddenly grabs my father by the back of his shirt with such force that my father loses his footing. He stumbles down the stairs backward, swiping wildly for the railing. The only reason he doesn’t fall on his ass is because Troy has a hold of him.
“Touch her again, and you’ll die,” Troy says, his face inches from Dad’s.
Luke jumps out of his truck, his eyes wild with confusion and fury. He runs across the driveway, making a beeline for me.
Tom’s laugh is loud and obnoxious. His eyes are filled with humor.
“You left me forthat?” he asks. “Oh, Laina. Don’t do this to yourself.”
“What the hell is going on here?” Luke asks, storming up the steps and placing himself between me and Tom. His body ripples with unbridled fury beneath his purple feed store shirt.
I place a hand on Luke’s shoulder, tears filling my eyes.
Troy releases Dad, shoving him away from the steps.
Tom makes a show out of looking Luke up and down. “Wow. Interesting choice, Laina. It seems when you go low, you go to the bottom of the barrel.”
“Get the fuck out of here,” Luke says, not at all intimidated by Tom’s overconfidence.
Tom ignores him. “Isn’t it humiliating to be caught at your boyfriend’s house when you were supposed to be on yourhoneymoon with me right now?” He shakes his head. “Don’t you have any shame?”
“Oh, I’m ashamed of a lot of things, Tom. But none of it has to do with Luke.”
“Luke, huh?” Tom smirks at him. “Nice to meet ya,Luke.”
“Is this the life you want?” Dad says, straightening his shirt. “Why would you choose this? Tom can give you the best of everything—access to anyone, anywhere you can dream. What’s this guy gonna give you? Fleas?”
Luke bristles beneath my touch.
“You realize that I don’t need Tom, or you, or anyone for that matter, to give me anything money can buy, right?” I ask, grinning at him. “Because Dad—I have a lot of it. Granted, you have a lot of it because you stole it from me.”
“Tread lightly, little girl,” he says, narrowing his eyes.
“Or what? What are you possibly going to do to me? Record this and sell it to the tabloids to try to further whatever fucked-up agenda you have?” I laugh. “Fine. Do it. I don’t care.”
Troy places his hand over the top of the phone, making the redhead jump. He squeezes the phone so hard that something inside it crunches. The redhead’s eyes widen, and he steps back, leaving the phone in Troy’s hand.
“It looks like we took care of that,” I say, stepping beside Luke. He takes my hand and squeezes it, and the warmth of the contact spreads through my veins. “The only thing I need from anyone is love, Dad. And you and Tom are incapable of that.”
“We’re capable of what’s important. We have our priorities straight, Laina,” Tom says. “Life isn’t about a stupid emotion meant to make businesses money and provide a source of entertainment for simple-minded fools. Don’t be a sheep.”
“My God. Will you listen to yourselves?” I ask. “Go. I never want to see either of you ever again.”
“You’re coming with us,” Dad says. “We aren’t leaving you here when it’s clear you need a mental evaluation.”
I look at Luke. He watches me for a sign that I need his help. The fact that he realizes I need to do this on my own and that all I need is for him to be here beside me means the world.
“How can you want to be with this guy?” Tom asks, jamming a finger Luke’s way. “He just stands there like a bitch.”
Luke chuckles angrily, licking his bottom lip. “She’s doing just fine on her own. That’s the thing that neither of you understand.She doesn’t need to be saved. Laina is strong and smart, and she can make her own decisions. She can certainly handle the two of you. If she needs me, I’m right here, ready to kill a motherfucker.”
