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Chapter Eleven

Lana

Music played so for it Just before I twirled off a huge cliff and plunged toThe, I reached forto get a text from Sawyer but it never ca at seven-thirty in the ?

"Mom?"

"Hey honey, I’m sorry to wake you but I wanted to call you before your stupid father did You need to hear this from me and not him He has absolutely not one drop of co people and doing whatever his sorry ass wants to do Selfish man He hasn’t called you, has he? Because if he has already called, I’ to jump on a plane and fly to New York City and kick his--"

"Mo on please?" I’d pulledposition while my mother had rambled on aboutup with naot carried away," she sighed into the phone "Your dad is getting married Lana, to that nehore of his"

I was prepared for this, maybe not so soon, but I knew he had moved away to be near so to visit him one week this summer if he found ti he could pencil in time for me but he was my dad Up until last year, he’d lived in my house I’d hated him at first but eventually I’d wanted a relationship withcarefully to filterto my mother She went crazy if I ever defended hi me that he’d left me too, whenever I tried to take up for hiht He had left me too, but he loved ned the divorce papers that he’d stayed with her until I was grown He had been planning to leave her the s had happened and he’d had to leave a little early He’d said that none of it was because of me He loved me and was proud of ht when I lay in bed and heard s across her bedroom

"We kneas serious when hemarried?"

"I most certainly did not expect your forty-seven year old father to marry his twenty- three year old slut! What will people think? He’s ruining our reputation People in this toill find out and they will talk You won’t be able to walk around toithout people whispering behind your back This is going to RUIN us, Lana Just ruin us!"

Twenty-three? I cringed What was irl only five years older than ross My mother continued to rant and callat the wall in front of e ‘Ho and hung on the pale blue wallme Home? What was home now? My mother’s house where there was never any peace? My dad’s apartment in Manhattan? It was about 500 square feet and he was about tomy eyes as the smell of coffee wafted down the hall I could hearhappily in the kitchen and bacon frying on the stove This was a home One like I’d never really known

"Did you hear, I cleared my throat "Sorry Mom, as that?"

"He wants to fly you to New York City to be in the wedding Can you believe that? My baby in New York I told hi But he insisted that he’d talk to you first Be ready for that call today The little floozy wants you to be the maid-of-honor You haven’t evenon ht ainst the pillow as I ended the call

Could this get any and I heard my aunt answer it I didn’t have to pick-up to knoasshe’d just toldwith Ashton, I knew my aunt would cover for led down into the covers and closed my eyes For now, I could pretend this was my home That I had a safe happy place

~~

Walking into the kitchen several hours later the faint smell of bacon still filled the air Ashton stood by the counter in her paja herself a cup of coffee

"Morning," I said, stopping beside the cabinet to getrunning buddy," the teasing tone to her voice made me smile

"Uh, yeah, sorry about that I needed an excuse to get off the phone"

Ashton laughed and handed me the pot of coffee "No worries Mo to the note she left us" She pointed to the letter lying on the bar

I reached over and picked it up

Good irls,

I hope you enjoyed your earlyrun I have to say that when Caroline calledI was a little surprised I could have sworn I’d passed both your doors and they were closed tightly But do not worry, I didn’t share that information withrun before cos I fried up

Love,

Mom

I smiled to myself and laid the letter back down

"How does your e to be so cool anda sip of my black coffee

Ashton didn’t even deny ave ed

"Why’d your ?"

I rolled my shoulders and set my cup back down I didn’t really want to talk about this but I knew hashing it out with someone other than etting married"

Ashton’s eyes widened and she leaned forward on the counter resting on both elbows and studied ethis, right?" she asked hesitantly

"Yes, I was But not so soon and irl only five years older than ed to a twenty-three year old?"