Breaking The Rules: Book 2

Chapter 21: 50 Shades of Insanity

His tone makes the hair on the back of my neck stand on end. I grimace and grab the left wheel on the chair, then take the right one and rotate it so I'm facing away from the door.

Wasted potential. He speaks like I'm a goddamn invention that broke down. Fuck my personal and physical life that's blown up into my shreds. Instead, why not make football the priority here?

For the first time all summer, I can finally understand why Parker was so pissed a few months ago when Greyson was pushing the sport on him.

I strain to hear Dr. Gessels reply. He is too quiet, too level-headed. All I pick up is hushed whispering as they get closer to the door.

Dad reciprocates the tone. He speaks quieter now, except I pick up occasional phrases.

"... I don't give a shit about what the pictures look like... Pay what you want... Force him to go through the physical therapy... I've trained that boy to do..."

"Okay!" Ira walks out of the bathroom with the backpack thrown over her shoulder. Whatever happiness I felt for her a moment ago is zapped. If she'd shut up so that I can hear the conversation in the hall, that would be great.

"You're all set! I'm positive that I grabbed everything your sister brought a few days ago." She smiles at me as she comes around the bed, though I don't miss the way she glances towards the hallway in worry. It's a quick flash of her eyes, though I still see it. "If you get home and notice that something was forgotten, just call and I'll get it sent home with your mom."

"Sure. Thanks, Ira." I turn my head to watch as she comes over and hangs the bag on a hook on the back of the chair. I've never been good at putting the emotions on my heart into words, so I hope that my thanks says enough for all she's done over the past week.

It definitely does. Her smile widens and she shakes her head. "No need to thank me, Griffin. It's what I'm here for. Are you ready to go home?"

"Fuck no. But, also, sorta. I don't know what I want anymore." I pick at a bare thread at the bottom hem of my tshirt and watch it unravel.

Her smile immediately saddens. "Don't worry, you have plenty of time to figure it out. Life as you know it hasn't ended yet."

It maybe hasn't, but fuck, I wish that it would've.

The end of her sentence is punctuated with a knock, and the door immediately opens. Dad steps into the room. Smoke is almost ready to start pouring out of his ears. Gessel is on his heels, looking way more frazzled now than how he did half an hour ago. That will happen to a person if they spend a few minutes arguing with Greyson.

"Are you ready to go, kid?" Dad asks as he walks over. Ira barely jumps out of the way in time, before he can mow her over.

"Good morning to you, too. Yeah I slept great last night but I still feel like shit. How was your morning?" I snap at him. There's no room for sarcasm in my voice. Just anger.

Dad sighs and grabs the handles on the chair, turning it so violently that a new throbbing sensation races down my healing leg. "Don't start this shit with me now, Griffin. Ira, is that everything?"

Ira clasps her hands behind her back, her shoulders taunt as she watches the scene unfold. Her brown eyes are laced with concern. "Yes, he's all packed. Also, I put his medications and antibiotics in the zipper pocket on the left side. The instructions are on the labels, however I did want —"