How to Stay Afloat

~16: Where He Asks a 'Friend' For a Favor~

So why do I suddenly feel so angry when she has done exactly that?

I've been crushing on Caroline for ages so why does the thought of going out with her make my stomach churn in an unpleasant way?

"Not to mention when I told you I was planning on betting on Fallon you told me it was okay, so I thought maybe I was wrong about you guys liking each other," Colton continued, "but then you beat the shit out of that asshole who insulted her and now I pick you both up from the beach where you both clearly spent the entire night together. So what the fuck is actually going on between you two?"

I swallowed.

The truth was I had no fucking clue how to answer that question.

I just knew that Fallon made everything better. I felt like I'd been seeing the word in shades of grey until I met her. Everything was more vibrant, and more colorful with her around. I didn't quite understand what this thing was between us. Maybe we were just two messed up people drawn to each other. I just knew that she was the first person in my life who made me feel seen.

But I didn't know how to put all that into words so I just said,

"We're . . . friends."

For some reason, the word sounded bitter on my tongue.

The truth was, when he told me he planned on betting on her I'd felt a hot wave of jealousy and had the wildest urge to punch him in the face but I'd resisted. Fallon wasn't a piece of property I could just stake my claim on. It wasn't my place to tell someone that they couldn't go on a date with her. That was Fallon's choice. I knew Colton, even though he acted like an asshole, I knew he was a decent guy inside. So even though it had pained me, I'd told Colton to go ahead.

When that motherfucker Chase Michelson showed up I'd lost my shit. The fact that the asshole actually believed he deserved to be anywhere near her after everything he'd done had my blood boiling. And when he insulted her, I didn't even remember reacting, I just remember the uncontrollable rage I'd felt. It had been pure instinct. One second I was standing in front of the stage the next I was on top of that douchebag and my fist was slamming into his face.

I shook my head trying to clear my thoughts

"Why did you bet on Fallon at the auction? I thought you didn't like her?" I asked Colton, suddenly curious.

He just shrugged, "I have my reasons."

He stopped the car and unlocked the doors and I noticed that we were parked outside my house. I got out of the car and turned to thank him only to find him staring at the house.

He let out a slow whistle. "Sometimes I forget how rich you are man." He gave me a sly smile, "Probably because it's hard to believe that you actually choose to dress the way you do."

I rolled my eyes at him and gave him the middle finger before heading inside. I couldn't stop the smile that tugged at my lips when I heard him chuckling.

~~**~~

"Where the hell were you?" My father's voice boomed as soon as I stepped inside.

"Out," I muttered as I took off my muddy sneakers.

"Why weren't you answering your phone?" He demanded. I could hear his footsteps approaching.

"Because I didn't want to," I told him evenly.

His expression was dark, his eyes bloodshot. His hand clamped down on my shoulder, hard.

"If you think I'm going to let you throw away your future for this rebellious phase then you are mistaken."

I shook his hand off me. "Except it isn't my future it's yours. Your name, your legacy."

His eyes narrowed. "You will write a formal apology to David Michelson for physically assaulting his only son. I don't want your childish outbursts to cost me one of my biggest clients."

I shrugged nonchalantly, "Sure I'll do that." My eyes met his bloodshot ones, "As soon as he gets his asshole son to write a formal apology to Fallon for spewing shit about her."

I could see his eyes widen in shock briefly before they filled with rage. He shook his head and chuckled coldly. "I should have known she was the reason behind this. You've been behaving irrationally ever since she entered the picture. And now she's made you assault someone."

My hands curled into fists. I could feel the anger and frustration coursing through me. "She didn't make me do anything. I'm eighteen not fucking eight years old Dad! So how about holding me accountable for my own actions?"

I walked past him my entire body stiff with pent-up rage and sadness.

"You are not to see that girl again." I heard him call out. "You are forbidden from seeing her. I'm your father I know what's good for you and I can see that she is turning you into someone you're not."

I let out a humorless chuckle.

"You have no idea about what's good for me." I turned and looked at him with disappointment,

"Because if you did, you'd see that she's the one person who actually makes me feel like myself."