Total pages in book: 65
Estimated words: 65429 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 327(@200wpm)___ 262(@250wpm)___ 218(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 65429 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 327(@200wpm)___ 262(@250wpm)___ 218(@300wpm)
“Dad,” she answered. “Yeah, no, I know. I know, Dad. I’ll be home soon. Okay, love you too.” She hit end and sat up, and our eyes locked from the short distance between us.
Neither one of us said anything. Our intense gazes spoke for themselves.
“I have to go,” she stated, breaking the silence.
I nodded.
“Okay.” She got up first, and I quickly followed.
She walked her bike back to her house while I walked next to her. We were dead silent on the long hike to her home.
Once we were in front of her house, I announced, “I’ll pick you up in the morning for school.”
She nodded, not meeting my eyes.
I got my driver’s license a few months ago, so I was basically her new chauffeur.
“You don’t have to.”
“I want to,” I simply stated. “I’ll see you in the morning.” Stepping in, I kissed her cheek. “Sweet dreams, Livvy.”
She half smiled. “Yeah, you too.”
She made her way up the steps to the front door, and at the last second, before she opened it, she spun to look at me again. I nodded for her to go inside, and I didn’t realize I still stood there when she looked out her bedroom window. I remained there with all the emotions and confusion wrapped around me like a vise.
Consuming me.
At that moment, I understood…
Livvy truly was my girl.
Chapter
Five
Livvy
Eighteen Years Old
Guys asked me to go to prom left and right, but I turned each one of them down. I decided I didn’t want to go, so I didn’t even bother buying a ticket. Something held me back from wanting to attend and enjoy the special night of my senior year. Something was missing, and I couldn’t figure out what it was. The night every senior had been waiting for all our lives was finally here, and I’d be spending it on the couch, watching a horror movie.
Ethan just happened to be out of town, so I was alone for the evening. Our friendship was the same as always, nothing changed between us after we kissed. Throwing on one of his hoodies, I walked into the kitchen and ran into my dad. Not saying one word to him, I went to the fridge instead.
“How long are you going to continue the silent treatment toward me, Elizabeth?”
“Why does it matter?” I turned to face him. “You got what you wanted.”
“I didn’t want the silent treatment from my only baby girl.”
“I’m not a baby anymore. I’m an adult who you still want to control.”
“Wanting you to have the best education is not control.”
“I could have the best education at South Carolina University too.”
He narrowed his stare at me. “You really want to compare Stanford to SCU?”
“As a matter of fact, I do.”
“You need to watch your tone, young lady.”
I crossed my arms over my chest in defiance as he made his way over to me. When he stood in front of me, he rubbed the side of my head.
“I’m not going to apologize for wanting the best for you.”
“And I’m not going to apologize for my attitude because of it.”
He deeply sighed, cocking his head to the side. “One day, when you have your own kids, you’ll understand where I’m coming from.”
“I’d never force my child to go to a college they didn’t want to attend.”
“I guess time will tell, and we’ll see about that.”
I shook my head. “You don’t understand me at all.”
He stepped back, leaning against the kitchen island. “You think I don’t understand you?”
“I know you don’t.”
“Alright…” He crossed his arms over his chest, mirroring my stance. “So if Ethan attended Stanford, you’d still have this objection of not wanting to go?”
I looked away. I had to.
“Yeah,” he sternly replied, calling me out. “That’s what I thought.”
“You think I don’t know he’s the reason you want to send me away?”
“Send you away? Sweetheart, the last thing I’m doing is sending you away.”
“Doesn’t feel that way to me.”
“Because you can’t see further than the obsession you have with that boy.”
“Let me remind you for the millionth time that boy is my best friend. Not an obsession.”
“Elizabeth, you’ve never been on a date. Not. One. Single. Date. You’ve never had a boyfriend. I’ve never seen you around another guy who isn’t Ethan Carter.”
“You don’t have to say his name with such disdain, you know?”
“I have no hate for a man I barely know.”
“Exactly! You have never taken the time to get to know him, and last I remember, you didn’t let me date until I was seventeen.”
“That was over a year ago, and I have yet to see anyone show up to pick my daughter up for a date.”
“You’d rather I date random guys than hang out with my best friend?”
“Don’t twist my words, Elizabeth.”
“You want to know about other guys, Dad? I’ll tell you about all the other guys. All guys want is sex! That’s all they think about. That’s all they’re into. Ethan is nothing like that. He’s never been like that. You think just because he wasn’t born with a silver spoon in his mouth that means he’s not good enough to be in my life… News flash! All those country club boys who were born into pedigree families, they all suck even more!” I paused to catch my breath. “They don’t think they’re going to get laid, Dad. They expect it. All because of that damn silver spoon.”