Page 79 of Enticed
There was a knock at my door, but I ignored it. My mom waited for a moment before pushing inside. She approached with a plate of food in her hands. Placing it on my nightstand, she sat on the edge of my bed.
“You have to eat something, sweetie. Your sugar is going to drop,” she said, her eyes filled with concern.
“I’m not hungry.” It was true. My appetite had been nonexistent since the showdown between my dad and Gabe.
“Please,” she pleaded, “I don’t want you to end up in the hosp?—”
I cut her off. “I won’t. My pump is turned off.”
She sighed. “This isn’t healthy.”
I shot up in bed, ignoring the way my head swam, as fury lit my veins. “You know what really isn’t healthy? Trying to control your adult daughter’s love life.”
“The situation isn’t that black and white.”
“I don’t give a shit.” Mom’s eyes widened, and her mouth fell open. I’d never talked to her like that before.
“Jasmine,” she said, a hint of scolding in her tone.
“Get out,” I demanded. If she was going to take Dad’s side on this, then she was no better than him. For a moment, I thought she might argue, but instead, she left, shutting the door behind her. I forced myself to eat the food she brought me since I’d need my strength for what I planned to do next.
That evening, I came downstairs to find both my parents at the kitchen table, speaking in hushed tones. They quieted when they saw me.
“Can we talk?” I asked, and my parents shared a look, but relief flickered in their expressions.
“Of course,” Mom answered, and motioned for me to sit. I refused. This conversation would be short and sweet, and if it went how I expected, I wanted to be prepared to make a hasty exit.
“I realize that finding out about Gabe and me the way you did was quite the shock, and I don’t blame you for being upset. We had every intention of telling you when the time was right, but things are still new between us,” I explained.
Dad swiped a frustrated hand over his jaw and stood. He got restless when he was angry, and my guess was that bringing up Gabe made him furious. He leaned over the chair he’d just vacated and gripped the back of it so tight his knuckles blanched. “How long?” he gritted out.
“Officially, since Florida.”
His jaw ticced, and he pinched his eyes closed, inhaling a deep breath to calm himself. “Unofficially?” he asked, opening his eyes to pin his glare on me.
“Nothing physical happened between us until Richmond. We kissed after Varen’s game.” He growled and pushed away from the chair, showing me his back. He was doing everything he could not to lose control. “He felt so guilty about it, he refused to touch me again for weeks.”
Dad scoffed, “How noble of him.”
“Look, I get it. You’re angry. You have every right to be, but you’re treating Gabe like he’s some kind of criminal. He didn’t do anything wrong.” He spun around, and fury blazed in his eyes.
“He slept with my daughter!” Dad roared. “He was my best friend, and he took advantage of you.” Indignation swelled in my chest, and I straightened my shoulders.
“You act like he’s some master manipulator and I’m just a vulnerable, naive little girl he tricked into sleeping with him. Newsflash. I’m the one who pursued him.” He winced and his face contorted with discomfort, but I kept going. “He tried to keep his distance. He chose your friendship over and over again instead of me. And it broke my heart because I knew he felt the same way about me as I did about him.
“Neither of us meant for this to happen. We didn’t set out to hurt you. We simply fell in love.” He looked like he was going to be sick, and my mother had tears running down her cheeks. “And no matter how hard you try to keep us apart, it won’t make me stop loving him. I know it will take time to come to terms with this, but?—”
“I willnevercome to terms with this. You and Gabe cannot be together. End of discussion.”
“Dad,” I began gently, but firmly. I wasn’t trying to add fuel to the fire, but I would stand my ground. This wasmydecision,and nothing he could say or do would persuade me. “I’m not asking for your permission.”
His face reddened, and his voice trembled with rage when he spoke. “As long as you live in my house, you’ll live by my rules.”
“Then I won’t live in your house anymore,” I replied calmly, grabbing my suitcase and rolling it toward the door.
“Where are you going?” Mom asked, her voice filled with panic.
“Anywhere but here.”
