Why can’t they just confront me face to face if they have something to say?
“We were talking about a book,” I lie shamelessly. “I was just quoting a passage. You got a problem with my hobbies now too?”
It doesn’t matter that I’m lying through my teeth, I can’t stand any more judgement from the people who are supposed to love and support me. Furious tears prick at the corners of my eyes when Oakley scoffs and makes a show of looking around my room.
“Avid reader these days?” she asks drily. “Your shelves are just overflowing.”
I don’t have any shelves in my room. Don’t have the space for them, even if I wanted them. As the youngest, I got the smallest room, and I didn’t take over Oakley’s when she moved out. I want myownthings, not pity laced hand-me-downs, even if it means I get the bare minimum.
“I read on Kindle.” I haven’t read anything since graduating. “What? Can’t accept that I do things without you these days? I picked up something new. Get over it.”
Oakley’s annoyance fades into something closer to exhaustion, and she reaches up to pinch the bridge of her nose as she sighs. “I’m not trying to fight with you, Maggie. I’m just worried,” she says, painfully sincere. “From what I heard, you climbed into bed while the guy was sleeping. How is that any different from what Savannah did to Bo?”
I gape at her, my blood freezing. How fuckingdareshe compare me to that bitch? This is completely different—Bennettconsented, for starters, and I’m not trying to use him for anything more than a good fuck.
“Fuck you,” I snap, hurt and hate in my eyes.
Oakley’s face flushes with guilt and frustration, but Mom’s voice cuts her off before she has the chance to say anything.
“Girls! Dinner’s ready, come eat!”
I break our tense staring contest off and shoulder my way past Oakley to fling the door open. Before I step out of the room, I glance back at her in warning.
“I don’t care what you have to say about it,” I say quietly. “Butt out. My love life is nobody’s business.”
I storm down the stairs, forcefully clearing my head with every step. I don’t want to think about the hurt in Oakley’s eyes or how many times she stood up for me, both to my bullies and to our parents. There’s nothing I want from any of my family except my goddamn trust fund and a ride to the airport.
Short of that, I’m getting my fucking revenge.
I’ll prove that there’s not a single one of them that can stop me from doing whatever I want to, and then I’ll let them beg for my forgiveness after they watch me leave.
Time to put things into motion.
I bounce into the kitchen, the brightest smile I can muster plastered across my face. Mom’s finishing up the gravy while Dad cuts the meat, and Bo is busy setting the table, all of them wrapped up in easy conversation with each other. Dishes clinkagainst each other, relaxed laughter floating in the air. None of them look up when I enter.
My smile wavers.
“Dad!” I take the silverware out of Bo’s hands and take over setting the table myself, just to keep myself busy as I talk. “Yesterday was my last day at Dr. Mulaney’s.”
“I know.”
“I want to help out on the ranch now that I’m unemployed again.”
The whole room goes silent, the shuffle of Oakley’s boots as she joins us almost loud enough to be grating in the sudden tension. Dad glares at me like he’s expecting this to be the setup of some joke.
“Oh, sonowyou’re willing to get your fancy little jeans dirty?” Dad asks with a scathing arch of his brow. “I expect you to actually work, Magnolia.”
I meet his narrowed eyes with an innocent smile. None of his comments can hurt me, not right now.
“I know. I liked the structure that working at the clinic gave me, and this is way easier than trying to find arealjob,” I say with a lazy shrug.
“Still taking the easy road, aren’t you?” he says under his breath. “Fine. Bo can put you to work.”
Perfect.
I’ll have to figure out exactly how to make this blow up in his face, but either way, Bennett is just going to have to take the fall for me. It’s a shame, really, he seems nice enough, but I have to take care of myself first.
Oakley’s hand wraps around my elbow before I have time to gloat too much, and she leans in to whisper in my ear while everyone is distracted with plating food.
