Save Me

Hold You To It

Chapter Four

Whatever Drake said to her, made her hysterical. They ended up sedating her and sending everyone home for the day. Peter wasn’t happy when he got home and his mood soured even more when he saw his mother’s suitcases by the door. He groaned internally.

Great, that’s exactly what he wanted to deal with in the wake of seeing the girl he loved locked up.

“Peter! Darling!”

Like she could sense his presence, she flocked to the entryway. Clark didn’t look happy about her being here and by the way no one was with her, Peter knew he was the first person home today. Just his luck.

“Go home, Mother. You’re not welcome here.”

“That is no way to speak to me,” she snipped.

“After everything you’ve done, I’ll speak to you how I like.”

He walked passed her and into the kitchen. His mother followed behind him, a poisonous presence if there ever was one. There was no way she would leave him alone until he talked to her. Well, if she wanted it that way, fine. He’d talk to her. Didn’t mean she’d like what he had to say.

“I just want to spend the holiday with my family. Why is that so wrong?”

“Because we’re not your family. Not anymore. Go back to Europe or wherever it is you came from.”

“Peter—” he opened the fridge to avoid looking at her “—don’t be angry with me. What I said…”

He slammed the door closed, a bottle of water in his hands and stared at her. She stopped talking when she saw the emotion in his eyes. He inherited quite a few things from his father, including the Marks signature glare. She knew she was on dangerous ground when that look was directed at her.

“Go ahead and finish, Krista,” his father said from the doorway behind her. “We’d all love to hear it again.”

Krista looked between them but finally settled on Peter with a grim determination.

“That girl…”

“Cass,” he interrupted.

“Whatever. She wasn’t good for you. Look what’s happened to you since she up and disappeared. You were kicked off the football team, suspended. Your attendance at school has declined…

“And yet I’m still on the honor roll. A miracle, surely.”

He twisted off the cap and drank it down without tasting the contents.

“Must you do that?” his mother asked. “It’s so ungentlemanly like.”

He ignored his mother and tossed the empty bottle in the recycling.

“Father, please remind your wife of our agreement. Again.”

Carter chuckled, rubbing his jaw. “He’s free to do what he wants as long as he gets straight A’s.”

“That is the worst agreement I’ve ever heard of!”

“And yet, it’s working. Now, if you’ll excuse me…”

“You’re never going to find her!” his mother shrilled. “Never.”

“Care to make a bet on that one?” he said.

“Peter. It’s been two months. She hasn’t written, hasn’t called. Just…give up this sad attempt of finding the girl. She obviously doesn’t care about you or wishes to speak to you. Her father doesn’t even know where she is. What makes you think you’ll do any better at finding her?”