It took her a minute to compose herself, but I took her other hand and squeezed it. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you. I just wanted to keep it to myself.”
“I’m being silly,” replied Jade. “I feel so unlike myself at the moment, and it’s driving me crazy. You’ll tell me about it sometime right?”
I smiled weakly, and gave a brief nod. I had no intention of telling her that story, but she’d forget about it in a day or two, and never think of it again. Appeasing her with a lie was all I could do.
Our bonding was interrupted when my phone rang, so I bent down, and grabbed it from my purse. I smiled when I saw it was Lucy calling. We hadn’t spoken in days, which was too long by my standards. I slid my finger across the screen, and pressed my phone to my ear.
“Hi, Luce.”
“Kennedy, sweetheart. Are you busy?”
She sounded flustered, and somewhat nervous. My brows furrowed.
“Not right now,” I replied. “Is everything okay?”
“Your father wanted me to call you, and invite you for an early dinner. Him and Shelly have something he needs to discuss with you.”
Those simple words made my stomach drop through the floor, and likely into the apartment below us. My father never contacted me, let alone invited me for dinner. Not that I would willingly go if he had extended an invite. The man was, for all intents and purposes, a complete stranger to me. I couldn’t imagine what he could possibly have to talk to me about.
“Uh,” I hesitated, unsure of what to say.
“It’s quite important, sweetheart.”
The pleading in Lucy’s voice was unmistakable, and it only made my sudden anxiety ratchet up a few notches.
“O-okay” I stuttered dumbly. “What time?”
“Can you be here by five?”
I checked my (new) watch, noting it was already two in the afternoon. I’d have to leave at four to be there on time since my father and his wife lived an hour away in Brighton.
“Okay.” I was starting to sound like a broken record, but who could blame me? This request was completely out of left field.
“I’ll see you then, sweetheart. Drive safe, all right?”
“See you, Luce.”
I ended the call, and stared at my phone.
“What’s wrong?” Asked Jade. She knew I was talking to Lucy, and could probably see by the expression on my face that it wasn’t good.
“My father has invited me to dinner. Apparently him and the stepmonster have something to discuss with me.”
I chanced a look at her, and found exactly what I’d expected. Real shock. Not the kind she expressed when she saw my new hairstyle. But real, ‘knock-me-on-my-ass’ shock.
Grady chuckled, completely oblivious to the wordless communication happening between Jade and me. “Stepmonster?”
When we didn’t reply immediately he leaned his elbows on the counter, and waited. Luckily it was Jade who responded.
“Yeah, that’s putting it mildly. What do you think they want to talk about?” The question was directed at me, but I couldn’t answer, so I just shook my head.
“Do you want me to go with you?” Offered Jade. I was so tempted to say yes, because going alone terrified me, but I had to do it.
“That’s okay, but be on standby in case we need to call in the reinforcements.”
With my mood suddenly in the toilet, I got up, and made my way to my bedroom. I needed a moment to give myself a mental pep talk. Instead, I found myself wishing my brother were here.
THE HOUR DRIVE to my father’s house went by quicker than I’d hoped. Before I knew it, their driveway stretched out in front of me, and I stopped in front of the door. The last time I was here it was easier because my father and his wife weren’t at home, but the thought of seeing them now made my stomach twist painfully, pushing bile up my throat.
“I can do this,” I muttered into the silence of my Jeep. I took a deep breath, and mustered up as much Dutch courage as I could. There was no one to greet me at the door, so I didn’t bother with knocking. I let myself in, and nervously glanced around. Nothing about the place felt familiar anymore, despite having spent more than half my life in the confines of these walls. It was still as cold, and unwelcoming as I’d remembered.
Lucy walked out of the kitchen, wiping her hands on her apron. “Kennedy, you made it.”
She took my hand, and I followed her into the dining room. She stopped just outside, and gave my hands a gentle squeeze. “I’ll be here when it’s over, don’t forget that.”
I didn’t have time to ask her what she was carrying about. She scurried away, and left me to fend for myself.
“Kennedy.” My fathers’ voice crawled over my skin, and I suddenly wished I’d had the foresight to accept Jade’s offer to come with me. I had a terrible feeling in my stomach that this wasn’t going to be a pleasant visit. Still, I straightened my stance, and walked through the doors leading to our dining room with an air of confidence I didn’t possess. I had to keep myself together because if there was one thing my father could do it was smell fear.
He was seated at the head of the table dressed in a business suit looking every bit like the predator he was. People feared him, and they had every reason to. His exterior was so well put together, with his dark brown hair perfectly combed, his angular face freshly shaven, and his physically intimidating stature. He was designed to lure people in with all those things, and when they were trapped, he took full advantage.
My stepmother sat to his left, dressed in her usual designer digs, her blonde hair extensions perfectly curled, and her perfectly plastic boobs in the air. Her make-up was caked on, and it immediately made my think of the girls on that show Jade loved. What was it called? Oh yes, Jerseylicious.
“Anthony.”
I called my father by his real name because to me he’d never been anyone else. I sure as hell couldn’t call him ‘dad’, and calling him ‘father’ meant I had to acknowledge that I was his offspring. So I stuck to ‘Anthony’.
“Thank you for coming,” he said, gesturing for me to sit down. “Don’t you greet your stepmother anymore?”
I took a seat opposite the wicked witch herself, and gave her the same bored expression she was giving me. “Shelly.”
“Kennedy, so nice to see you.”
Liar. It was no wonder my father married her. If her blowjobs were anything like her acting then it finally made sense.
Lucy came in, and deposited a roast chicken in the center of the over-decorated table, and left to bring the rice, and steamed vegetables. Whatever my father had to discuss must’ve been important if he’d asked Lucy to make such a meal, especially considering Lucy was the only one who ever ate at home. My father preferred eating out, as did Shelly.
“Thank you, Lucy. You may leave us now.”
I ground my teeth together at his dismissive tone, but refrained from talking. The sooner I got this over with, the better.
“I’m sure you must be curious as to why we’ve asked you here.” My father smiled as Shelly put food on his plate. He’d never smiled at me. Not once.
Shelly dished up for herself, eyeing me across the table. I didn’t touch the food. I was too keyed up to eat, not to mention that I hadn’t planned on staying here long enough to eat anyway.