I quickly wipe away my tears with my knuckles. “If after I move into this new house with my…my new family, I realize I can’t do it…if I still want to live with you—you’ll let me.”
“Mia, I don’t think your mom?—”
“I don’t care.” I stomp my foot. “She didn’t think about me when she married Allan or when she bought a house, so why should I think about her?” I clench my jaw, holding his gaze. “Please, Dad. Promise me.”
With a long sigh, he dips his chin. “You have my word.”
I bury my face in his chest and wrap my arms around his torso. “Thank you so much.”
“Anything for my little girl.”
Dad side-eyes me,though he doesn’t turn my way as he navigates our street. He called Mom first thing this morning to inform her I was at his place. The yelling I could hear clearly through the phone wasn’t a surprise at all.
Neither was the additional punishment, I guess. I’m grounded for one more month, which means any plans I might have made for my fourteenth birthday have gone down the drain.
Dad pulls into the driveway and kills the engine. “Ready?”
“To be yelled at?” I shrug. “Whatever. It’s nothing new.”
“Sweetie.” He shifts to face me. “She loves you. She just got scared, that’s all.”
“I was with you. Why would she be scared?”
“You snuck out of the house. Anything could’ve happened?—”
“If it weren’t for Dominic, I would’ve gone back to my room.” I roll my shoulders, trying to get rid of the tension that’s made its way to my bones. “She’s being overly dramatic, as always.”
“Who do you think you got it from?” Dad chuckles.
Groaning, I climb out of his car with my backpack pressed to my chest. “Are you coming in?”
“Sorry. I have a lot to do before my trip…”
So much for relieving the tension. “Yeah, your trip to Phoenix.” I shake my head and turn away. “Bye, Dad.”
“See you, sweetie. I love you.”
I wave without looking back. “Love you too.”
My feet feel like lead as I make my way to the front door. This is literally the last place I want to be, but for now, I don’t have any other choice. During their phone call, Mom insisted Dad bring me home immediately.
Probably so she’d have more time to torture me.
As I step into the house, I’m instantly surrounded by empty moving boxes. They’re littered all over the foyer and down the hallway.
“Mia, is that you?” Mom yells.
“Yeah.”
There’s a shuffle of cardboard and some footsteps, and then she appears in the doorway of the living room. Eyes narrowed, she studies me. Then, she sighs.
“This behavior is unacceptable. I hope you know?—”
“I’m grounded till the end of October. Dad told me.” I rock back on my heels, looking at my feet instead of her. “I’m sorry for what I said. It was wrong, and it won’t happen again.”
“And?”
I raise my eyes to look at her. “And I won’t run away again. I promise.”
