The Perfect First (Fulton U, #1)(62)

“That’s beyond control freak, Seph.” He jabbed his finger toward the door.

“It’s how he is. He’s always been that way.” I shivered. Small flakes floated on the air around us; we were in a snow globe with the tiny pieces of ice suspended inside our bubble.

“That doesn’t make it right. He shouldn’t speak to you that way. No one should.”

“I’m used to it.” Shrugging, I ran my hands over my arms. “Let’s go back inside. You forgot your coat.”

His shoes crunched on the newly formed ice patches on the sidewalk. “You shouldn’t have to get used to it. That’s not how someone who cares about you talks to you. I’ll go get our coats and we can go.” He grabbed my hand, massaging his fingers along the back of mine.

“I can’t leave. My mom’s still inside. I haven’t gotten to spend much time with her or even talk to her since I left.” Dad had been running interference almost like he knew that would get me back there to see her, and it had worked. Abandoning her with my father after leaving unannounced—no, I couldn’t do that to my mom. “This is my family.”

“Persephone.” My father’s warning tone sent another shiver through me and my back went straight. My hand slipped from Reece’s hold.

Reece stared over my shoulder. His hands bunched in front of him. “Let’s go. We can find a place to get some food. You can ride the team bus back with me, or if Coach won’t let you, we’ll take the train or I’ll rent a car. I don’t care.”

He reached for my hand, but I snatched it back. “I can’t leave.” Leaving Mom was hard enough during the school year; I couldn’t abandon her to having Thanksgiving on her own with him.

“The hell you can’t.” His hand touched the back of mine, but I took a mini step away. Hurt flashed in his eyes. “I walked out because I was a split second away from jumping over that table and knocking your dad out. He’s an asshole.”

“Persephone.” I glanced over my shoulder. My dad stood on the front step of our brownstone with his arms across his chest. His gaze locked on the two of us with his disapproving glare set to stun.

“He only wants the best for me.” It was the same excuse I’d said over and over on the nights I cried myself to sleep because of him.

“He’s the reason you made your list, the reason you feel like you’re never good enough.” Reece jabbed an angry finger over my shoulder.

“You don’t understand, Reece.” He didn’t. He couldn’t know when he had the perfect family. “We don’t all get to have a Disney sitcom family.”

“My family has their problems too, but I always know they’ll be there for me.”

“Everyone doesn’t get that funny, affectionate group that loves them no matter what. Sometimes things like that come with conditions.” He was so lucky. He didn’t even realize it. That kind of family was one in a million. Yes, my family was different, but every family was. I wanted to go with him, wanted to say screw it and leave without my coat too, just jump in a cab and go wherever he wanted me to go—but I couldn’t.

He shook his head, and the sadness in his eyes brought tears to mine. “But they shouldn’t.”

“That’s not always how it is. Yes, going to Fulton U was my bit of rebellion and so was my list, but this life was never one I thought I’d be able to escape forever. It’s not a life I want to escape. You’re going to have your big shoot-for-the-stars-life too, and…well, this is mine.” Anger bubbled under the surface. He got to do whatever the hell he wanted and answered to no one. Not everyone lived that kind of life. Some of us had people to protect and expectations to fulfill.

He stared up at the sky, a snowflake landing on his cheek, soaking up his warmth and dissolving into him like I wanted to. I wanted to run into the shelter of his arms and never look back. More snow gathered on his lashes and his head dropped, his gaze locked on mine.

My throat tightened at the emotions swimming in his eyes. Resignation? Disappointment? Hurt? Maybe a bit of all three.

“Please, Reece, come back inside. It’ll be okay.” We didn’t have much time left. I wanted to spend this time with him, even if it was under the cloud of my father. We could salvage this. Dad would head into his office not too long after the meal and we could all relax a bit more. It had already been two days without Reece, and that was two days too many. What happened when I wouldn’t see him again? My chest tightened, and it was hard to suck in a full breath with Reece in front of me and my dad’s oppressive gaze on my back. “Please.” I held on tighter to his hand.

“I want to, but I know what’ll happen if I go back in there.” His jaw clenched. “I can’t, Seph.”

I nodded, blinking back my tears. “I understand.”

“I don’t think you do.” He shoved his hand into his pocket. “This is for you. I thought I’d save it until Christmas, but I want you to have it now.” With his fist wrapped around whatever it was, he placed it in my hand, his warm touch melting away some of the biting cold. He pulled me against him like a final touch standing on a train platform.

Kissing the top of my head, he rested his cheek there for a second before letting me go. I watched him walk away, the stark silence of the street punctuated by my name being called out every few seconds. I stared down the street until Reece’s retreating figure disappeared from view.