Page 197 of Always Love You More

Well, fuck him.

I rip my gaze away from his, turning so I’m facing forward.

“You’ll be lucky if you’re not expelled.” He clicks his tongue. “It would be such a shame if you made it this far only—”

The door pushes open, and I snap my eyes up, locking with my father’s as he storms into the room.

Garcia steps forward. “Mr. Barlowe—”

“What were you thinking?” my father seethes, moving until he’s right in front of me.

“I—”

“No,” he cuts in. “You weren’t thinking, were you? You never do. I had to leave work for this, Samantha. Do you get that? The foreman was up my ass—”

“Mr. Barlowe …” Garcia tries again, but it’s like my father doesn’t even hear him.

“Have I not got enough shit to deal with, huh? Now you’ve gotta go and do this. It’s like you’re just asking for it. Just asking for me—”

Garcia drops a hand down on my father’s shoulder. “Let’s just calm down and—”

“Calm down?” My father laughs. “Yeah, okay, buddy. You try having her as a daughter and then tell me to calm down. It’s one thing after another with this one.” He turns back, pointing at me. “And you’ve really done it this time, haven’t you? What a set of kids I have, huh? All fuck-ups, the lot of you.”

“Mr. Barlowe,” someone else calls, and I see Principal Hansley standing in his open doorway. “If you could please step inside so we can discuss the situation at hand.”

My father nods. “Yeah, all right,” he mutters, starting toward the door. “Let’s hear it then.”

Principal Hansley’s eyes meet mine. “We’ll be just a few minutes. Mrs. Jacobson will be here watching you, so don’t try anything.”

“Oh, she won’t,” my father chimes in, looking over his shoulder at me. “Isn’t that right?”

I duck my chin before the door shuts behind them.

I sag forward as I exhale a breath and reach for my phone, pulling it from my back pocket. I start texting Jameson, telling him what’s happening when I hear Mrs. Jacobson say my name.

“No phones on school grounds,” she states.

“I’m just—”

“Getting written up is the last thing you need right now, don’t you think?”

I tilt my head, taking her in. Her blonde hair that’s clearly dyed is pulled back into a tight bun, her pink cardigan buttoned up to the top. For a second, I think about asking her what it feels like to have a stick wedged that far up her ass. Instead, I swallow the remark, making a show of tucking the phone into my purse.

She gives me a satisfied smile, as if she’s tamed some sort of beast.

I roll my eyes, shifting my attention to Principal Hansley’s door, waiting for it to open. The minutes drag on and with each that passes, my anxiety only worsens. I would kill for a cigarette right now. Or a drink.

As time continues to drag by, I think about asking to go to the bathroom and slipping outside for a smoke. Just as I’m about to ask, the door pushes open and Garcia steps out, crooking a finger for me to come join them.

I walk in behind him, my eyes finding my father’s, and when I see the fury in them, I dart my gaze back to the door.

I don’t want to be in this room.

“Please, take a seat,” Principal Hansley says, waving his hand to the empty chair beside my father.

I hesitate, feeling Garcia move in behind me.

“Sit down, Samantha,” my father barks.