Suck it up, Maddy. It’s for the best.
I square my shoulders and take the opposite path from Ryder, leading to the front door. Two uncarved pumpkins sit on each side of the entrance. Carolyn must have put them there. Dad never puts in any effort, but the effort is too minimal to have been Minnie. That woman loves Halloween.
I still need to prepare for the party my friends and I are planning to crash. My main concern is Ryder. If he’s there, I don’t know if he’ll try anything or if it’ll just be awkward as we give each other the cold shoulder. Or he could always take it a step further and make a huge scene in front of everyone because I invited myself to his party.
Shaking away the thought, I open the door and quietly shut it behind me. I squint so I can see through the tinted visor as I creep through the entrance, hoping my father won’t hear my arrival and confront me. My heart pounds harder with each step I take.
I can’t fucking breathe with this helmet on. Its straps dig into the underside of my jaw.
My hands tremble as I fumble with the straps. It’s hard to see what I’m doing. When I think I have it loosened, it still doesn’t come undone. I bite the inside of my cheek to keep from cursing as the strap refuses to budge.
“Why won’t you come off?” I whisper.
A door squeaks open, and footsteps stomp through the hallway that leads to Dad’s office and the gym. My hands fall limp to my sides, and I slowly turn toward the sound. I know Dad’s footsteps like the back of my hand. They’re always so loud and hard, like he’s stomping the marble deeper into the earth for insulting his dead mother.
Dad rounds the corner, a scowl already set in place, and his hands slip into his pockets. It’s Sunday, and he’s still dressed in a business suit. “And where have you been?”
I cringe, thankful he can’t see my expression beneath the helmet.
I didn’t realize I had to answer to you like I’m still a child,I want to say, but I don’t. It’ll only dig my grave deeper.
“Out,” I say.
Dad raises an eyebrow and looks me over with a critical eye. His frown deepens at whatever he sees. “Clearly.”
I wince. It’s not like I’m wearing anything different from my usual outfits. I glance down, suddenly self-conscious about my wardrobe. My eyes widen.
Shit. Ryder’s hoodie.
A cold sweat breaks out on my clammy skin as I wait for Dad to put two and two together. From glimpsing the clothing alone, there’s no way he’ll know what Ryder and I did last night, but if there’s a will, there’s a way for that man.
“Take the helmet off, Madison,” Dad orders. “I want to see your face when I’m talking to you.”
With stiff movements, I unclip the strap and raise the helmet from my head.
“What happened yesterday was disrespectful to your future husband,” Dad says.
Dad yanks the helmet from my hands and regards me with indifference. “It was disrespectful to me as well. Your misbehavior reflects on me, Madison, and I can’t have that.”
I fix my hair and glare at him. “Did Justin tell you what happened?”
His gaze sharpens into daggers. “He told me everything.”
“And you’re still taking his side?” My head rears back like he just backhanded me without a thought. He might as well have done so, because how the hell can he excuse Justin assaulting and almost raping me? I know my dad can be heartless, but I didn’t realize he actually lacks a soul.
“Don’t act like a child. It’s unbecoming of you.” He turns his attention to the helmet he’s still holding in a death grip. His lips curl in disgust as he shifts his focus to me. “It looks like you and your brother have a newfound friendship. How intriguing.”
I freeze, afraid he’ll see through me and learn all my secrets if I move in the slightest. I try to choose my next words carefully so Ryder doesn’t get dragged into this. “Not really. We can’t stand each other. I had him take me to my friend’s house.”
Dad tilts his head but doesn’t break the staring contest or his silence. His eyes that were once kind turn cold and callous, lacking any humanity. With each passing second, my chest constricts until it’s hard to breathe through the rising panic.
He knows what happened. He was just testing me to see what I would say. I failed.
“Stay away from him,” he says, finally breaking the silence. “Do you hear me? He’s nothing but bad news.”
I swallow around the lump building in my throat.
Dad widens the gap between us, taking the helmet with him. I reach for it, and he gives me his back, then strides toward the hallway leading to his office.
