Page 66 of The Other Half

I can’t help but chuckle. “I don’t feel beautiful. I feel like a rat that just went for a swim.”

He doesn’t join my laughter, instead he lightly grabs my hand and pulls me onto the bed next to him, enveloping me in his arms tightly. “I’m so in love with you, Oakley. I’m never not going to be in love with you. From now on we’re in this together, like we should’ve been the entire time. I’m sorry that I ever let you doubt how much I care about you.”

My heart palpitates and my limbs turn to mush instantly. “I love you, too,” I reply lamely. I know my response doesn’t measure up to his confession but I’m too exhausted to come up with anything else right now.

My phone rings loudly in my purse, breaking the moment. I dig through my purse until I find the phone. I’m relieved to see it’s my mom and not my dad calling. “Hello?”

“Oakley, where the hell are you?” She yells angrily. I flinch at the harsh tone of her usually soothing voice.

“I’m at Oliver’s.”

I hear her scoff on the other end of the line. “Seriously?”

“Yes? What is the problem?” So now she’s going to do a 180 too?

“Oakley, this is bigger than you sneaking around with a boy. You don’t understand how much is up in the air right now.”

“Then tell me, what is it? Help me understand.” My resolve is thinning, I have no more patience for their bullshit.

“Your father could ruin me financially. You need to follow his orders for now while we’re still living under his roof. He’s still your father, you can’t just do whatever the hell you want.”

Ruin her? “How? I’ve seen how much you charge the tenants for rent, you have so much money, Mom.”

She pauses. “All of the rental properties are in his name, Oakley.”

She has to be kidding. “W–why?”

“Because that’s what he wanted. He made it sound like that was the way to make the most money off of them.”

Damn it. I want to yell at her for being so stupid and trusting him like that. But I can’t. At the end of the day my mom is just as much a victim of domestic abuse as I am, and I can’t blame her for doing what she thought was right at the time. “But you have a job…” I argue.

“That hardly brings in enough to cover rent.”

I find that hard to believe, too. She works for a successful law firm, I know her salary should be enough for a basic two bedroom apartment at least. “Okay, fine. I’ll head home.” I tap the end button before she has a chance to say anything else.

I look over at Oliver and watch as he shakes his head with an irritated look on his face. “What?” I ask.

“You have to stop letting them live your life for you, Oakley.”

“She’s my mother. What do you suggest I do? Leave her to fend for herself?”

“Yes!” He nods. “She’s your parent, you’re the child. Her bullshit isn’t your responsibility to clean up.”

I open my mouth to respond, but promptly close it again when I realize he has a point. She is the parent, and for so long it’s felt like I’ve been the one comforting her instead of the other way around.

“Look, I know you love your mom. I love mine, too. But at some point you have to look out for yourself, you can’t put everyone else’s needs above your own.”

I scoff, “You’re one to talk. You always put your family’s needs above your own interests.”

He shoves his hands in his pockets and nods solemnly. “You’re right… And that’s why I said fuck it and applied for college.”

“You what?!” My head snaps over to him in surprise.

The corner of his mouth turns up into a grin, “I’m going to UT next year.”

I run over and wrap my arms around his neck, squeezing him tightly. “Oh my gosh, Oliver, I’m so proud of you.” Our lips meet and he kisses me the way he used to, it feels sweet and joyful, and I never want it to end. “How are you going to pay for it? Do your parents know?”

He shakes his head. “Not yet. I’m gonna have to take out loans. I know it’ll be hard to pay them off, but I’ll figure it out. It’s what lots of people do.”

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