Page 41 of This for That (The Edge of Retaliation 1)
“You told me once I have to face what I’ve done. This is me facing that. Celia’s life wasn’t the only one affected by what happened that night. I owe it to them to at least apologize.”
Ethan studies me, then nods. “You’re right; you do owe them that. Just be prepared it might go really badly.”
“Oh, believe me, I’m preparing for the worst. There’s more . . .”
He raises his brows.
“My dad invited me over for dinner tonight . . .”
For a moment I can’t read his expression, then he murmurs, “Now that is a bad idea.”
He’s right, it probably is, but he’s my dad, and I haven’t seen him for a long time. At the very least, I want to hear why he gave up on me. I want to say what I have to say, and if I don’t see him again, then that’s fine. I will walk away and never come back. But I have to do this. I have to do all of this. No matter how hard it is.
Ethan purses his lips, then exhales and says, “You’re really diving into this headfirst. Next thing, you’ll be saying you’re seeing someone.”
I give him a guilty expression, and his eyes widen.
“How the hell have you met someone already?”
I laugh softly. “It’s a strange story, really. I got a flat and he was there to help me. We talked . . . I don’t know, it kind of went from there.”
“Do I know him?” Ethan asks, looking a little pissed off.
I get it, I do. He is protective. He got me through some of the worst times in my life. But he doesn’t need to protect me anymore. I can protect myself.
“I don’t know. His name is Tanner. He works at that garage in town . . . the big new one.”
Ethan’s eyes narrow. “He has a few friends that work with him, yeah?”
“Yeah.”
“I know of them. They’re trouble, Callie. Be careful. I’ve had a few encounters with some of them in lock-up. They’ve been involved in break and enters, drugs, and a few speeding fines with race cars. I’m not sure that’s the best kind of person for you to be hanging around with right now.”
I mean, I can’t say I’m surprised that Tanner and his group have had a few encounters with the law. They’re bad boys with a capital B. But I wouldn’t say they’re bad people. Not even close. They’re good in every way it counts. They may be trouble, but they’re not horrible—there is a big difference. I’m not a good person. I’ve done bad things, but does that mean I’d deliberately hurt anyone or do something horrible? Absolutely not.
At the very least, everyone deserves a chance. “Maybe that’s true, but they’ve been good to me. I’m not in the business of judging people without first knowing them.”
Ethan’s jaw gets tight, and he mutters, “That doesn’t mean you need to be stupid with your choices. Getting involved with a bad crowd could end you straight back up in that place. Is that what you want?”
He’s frustrating me now. I know he’s looking out for me, and I respect that, but sometimes I think Ethan thinks he has control over the things I do. He’s protective, which I adore about him, but he needs to understand that I’m not stupid, and I can take care of myself.
“I have learned a lot, and I use my brain. I’m not going to do or get involved in anything bad. If I see he’s doing something bad, I’ll remove myself from the situation. But I like Tanner, and I’m going to see where that goes.”
Ethan looks pissed, but he doesn’t say anything more. “I’ve got to get to work.”
He turns and walks out, slamming the door behind him. I exhale and my shoulders slump. I wish he could understand that I’m not trying to hurt or upset him. I just need to figure my own life out.
Starting with right now—going to my father’s house for the first time in over six years.
This could go well.
Or it could be very, very bad.
“IT’S GOOD TO SEE YOU, Callie.”
I stare at my father. The years have been kind to him. Of course, I knew they would. He looks just the same as he did the last time I saw him.
He told me he was moving away. Max said for a while he did, but he got a job and came back. Of course he didn’t tell me that, and he never came to see me. That hurt more than he’ll ever know. Because he owed it to me to be a supportive father. I never thought he’d let me down. When I was little, he was my everything.
Even the people you love the most can let you down when you least expect it.
