Mia Hill. College bound with an athletic scholarship. A go-getter with big dreams and a fully thought out plan to make sure they come true.
But with her father's release from prison looming and the inevitable stresses of adulting, everything she wa...
Ups! Tento obrázek porušuje naše pokyny k obsahu. Před publikováním ho, prosím, buď odstraň, nebo nahraď jiným.
What is it they say about holidays bringing out all the family drama? Or that quote about silence being loud?
I don't need to remember exact words right now because I'm living the reality of it.
I've never stood in a silence so fucking loud before and the family drama that led to it is like nothing I've really heard before. I'm trying to wrap my head around it all. Her dad being in prison, what he did to her mom...
I don't know much about this family, except that Tommy is Uncle Austin's brother-in-law and an old friend, or maybe acquaintance, of my dad's.
He and his wife, along with Mia and her siblings, have popped into family events at Aunt Sadie and Uncle Austin's house over the years. But, to be honest, the kids rarely ever hung around the adults, so this holiday has actually been my first one spending any real time with Tommy and Amber.
I wish it wasn't. Because as cool and down to earth as she's been, Tommy is sort of intimidating. I understand he's got his reasons, seeing as I'm now the boy his daughter brought home for Thanksgiving. But I think some of the tension in this room would ease up if we were all a bit more familiar with each other.
However, the fact is that we're not. And as much as I'd like to hear everyone out on their side of this conflict, all I can think about is Mia. That she just ran off, hurt, after spilling her guts about some pretty intense family shit.
I need to make sure she's okay.
Only problem is, when I take a step forward, Tommy takes a step forward at the exact same time. And, also at the exact same time, we both say, "I'm gonna go check on her."
The room goes quieter than a cemetery, and a couple of anxious seconds pass before we turn to face each other.
Tommy's staring me down, hard. His eyes are so fucking blue, it actually freaks me out for a second, but nothing compares to the challenge spinning behind them.
I guess he wanted to check on her, too.
We're standing shoulder to shoulder, and I calculate quickly that he's only got about half an inch on me. I'm filled with petty satisfaction at the fact that I'm probably not done growing yet. Which means I could be taller than Mia's dad. Fuck yeah. I can't wait to tell Brand.
As Tommy and I stare each other down, my eyebrows slowly inch up with a challenge of my own, hoping that my face is relaying the part of me that's innocently pleading, "Let me go see her."
Not the part that's saying, "Really, bro? You think she wants to see you after what just went down?"
I don't know which part Tommy is seeing, but I'm pretty sure his wife is catching the first sentiment, the one powered by my beating heart. The one aching to run outside and see my girl.
"Tommy," Amber mutters softly behind us, her hand sliding up Tommy's arm. "I think we can sit this one out."
He glances back at her and they seem to exchange a wordless conversation as I stand there in the awkward silence, my foot tapping anxiously on the fluffy carpet underneath me.
