Page 136 of Cruel Elite (Princes of Ravenlake Academy 3)

He bites his lower lip and nods. “I suppose I deserve that.”

“I didn’t say it to hurt you. I said it because it’s the truth. My new motto these days is to be more honest about how I’m feeling.”

“That’s a good motto,” he says, obviously nervous. He shifts from his heels to his toes, hands shoved in his pockets. “I came today because… well, it seems like this might be my last opportunity to apologize to you for everything. I don’t like the way we left things, and I don’t want you leaving town with this unsettled between us.”

“Okay.”

My dad looks at me, expectant. “Well?”

“Well, what?” I ask.

“Do you accept my apology?”

“I’m sorry, I didn’t actually hear one. You said this might be your last opportunity to apologize, but you never actually apologized.”

“Noah, be fair,” he says through gritted teeth.

“Standing here and listening to anything you have to say is more than fair,” I say. “If you don’t recall, I found out about your affair and your child and that you were moving through my bedroom wall. You never even came and spoke to me. And I didn’t find out who you’d cheated with until Penny told me.”

“And I’m sorry for that. It was a tough situation and—”

I wave him away. “You don’t need to apologize. I’m not angry any more. I used to be, but I’m not anymore. I don’t need to hear your excuses or rationalizations. You made your choice, and now I’m making mine.”

My dad lifts his chin. “What decision is that?”

“I’m letting you go,” I say simply. “I do not respect you, and I don’t want or need you in my life.”

He scoffs, his brows pinching together in anger. “That’s hardly fair. Every boy needs a man’s influence in his life.”

“A real man stands by his woman,” I say. “A real man protects his family and cherishes them, and you didn’t do any of those things. You aren’t capable of them. You abandoned a good woman and your son to live with an abusive, manipulative bitch, and that’s all I need to know about you.”

“That’s my wife you’re talking about.”

“And God help you for that.”

I extend my hand, and, surprisingly, my dad takes it.

I look into his eyes, shake his hand, and say the last words I’d ever care to say to my father: “Now fuck off.”

* * *

The party at Finn’s is an all-out rager.

J.C. insisted it would be a small gathering of people, twenty or thirty, but there are at least one hundred people in Finn’s house.

Caleb spent twenty minutes taking pictures to send as proof to Finn.

“You’re such a snitch!” J.C. says.

“I’m the one who’s supposed to be house-sitting,” Caleb argues. “I don’t want to be held responsible for your ridiculous party.”

Penny twines her fingers with me. “They fight like a married couple.”

“I don’t understand that phrase. Is that supposed to be a good thing? Should we be fighting more?”

Penny shakes her head. “No, I think we fought enough at the beginning of our relationship that we can get along for the rest of it and be fine.”

I notice her take a long drink after that, clearly not wanting to elaborate on how long “the rest of it” might be.

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