It was almost midnight by the time I pulled into the driveway and walked through the house. Dropping my bag and keys on the round ornamental table, I frowned. Three small suitcases and an overnight bag sat propped against the stairwell.

Wow. Had my parents actually decided to make an appearance?

I approached the living room with caution.

My father pulled his reading glasses down and peered up at me when he noticed me enter the room. “What time do you call this?” he said in that stern voice of his. I’d almost forgotten what he sounded like. It had easily been three months since I’d heard him speak. When my parents were home, I usually made myself scarce and went to Frankie’s. I only really came back when I was certain they were away.

I swallowed the lump in my throat. “Sorry?”

“A bit late to be out when you’ve got work in the morning, don’t you think?”

“No. Not really. Besides, tomorrow is my day off. You’d know that if you stuck around long enough to notice.”

“Watch that smart mouth of yours, Melanie. I’m not one of your friends that will let you get away with it.”

Funny that, considering I had no friends.

I shook my head. “No, you’re not. You’re my father. A father who has barely acknowledged his own daughter in God knows how long.”

“Maybe not, but things are about to change. We’ve been too lenient on you. And that’s changing. Now. No more strolling in at midnight. No more living here rent free. You need to learn some responsibility and some respect. If you’re living here, you live here. If you’re staying out, I want to know. And while we’re on the subject, I don’t want you hanging out with that Knight boy.” When I frowned, his icy-blue eyes flicked to mine, then back to the paperwork in his hand. Did he really think he could show up after months of avoiding me and play the dearest daddy card? Well, it wasn’t going to work. I didn’t need my parents. Not anymore.

“People talk, Melanie,” he continued. “Did you really think I wouldn’t find out?”

“Actually, I didn’t. And for the record, I wasn’t hiding it from you, or anyone else for that matter. Hiding it from you would mean you actually being in my life to hide it. You’re not. You haven’t been. And if you think I’m going to stop seeing Jake, you’re wrong. I’m twenty-one, not eleven. You don’t get to tell me what to do. Not anymore.”

“That’s where you’re wrong.” He sighed. “While you’re living in my house you will do as I say. We’ve turned a blind eye to what’s been going on but it ends now. I mean it, Melanie. End it with him.”

My breath caught in my throat as I looked pleadingly at my father. The stress over the years had taken its toll on him. I could see the worry lines etched across his forehead and under his eyes. His dark brown hair was now streaked with thick, silver strands. Still, my father was handsome. When he walked into a room, people stopped what they were doing to acknowledge him. His stern features weren’t something you ignored. He commanded attention until it was dismissed. No one ever backed down to him. No one ever said no to my father. Ever. Until now.

A bubble of laughter tore from my lips and I chucked my head back before meeting his stone-cold glare. “No.”

“Pardon?”

“I said no. I’m going to be with Jake and there isn’t a damn thing you can do about it.”

“Well, if that’s the case then you’re on your own. I will not have my leadership or my personal life tainted by that family. If you won’t do as you’re told, then you can leave.”

I scoffed. “Excuse me?”

“End it or go. It’s your decision.”

My hands trembled in anger as I felt my heart hammer painfully in my chest. My father hated not getting his own way. It was something he wasn’t used to. But fuck if I was going to back down to him. I had spent so many years avoiding my parents while wishing for them to come back to me. But I knew now that they wouldn’t be coming back at all. The man and woman who brought me up to be kind and caring were no longer around and they no longer cared about me, and that was fine. I wouldn’t spend another second of my life worrying over whether I was good enough for them. From now on I would only worry about myself.

With a final shake of my head, I stormed out of the room, reaching for my bag and keys on the way out.

“You’ll regret this, Melanie.” His words followed me as I stepped out onto the porch and held back a sob before I finally closed the door.

The following morning, I found myself staring down at the card Jake had given me yesterday. I was still spinning it between my fingers absentmindedly when the couch dipped beside me. I glanced up at Bessy and offered a tight smile.

“How are you feeling this morning, dear?” she asked, her cold hand falling on top of mine.

I shrugged. “Honestly? I don’t know. I feel so silly for missing them these past few years when really, they didn’t miss me at all. I don’t know how he can show up and demand all this stuff from me. Who does he think he is? He’s hardly said three words to me in four years and he chooses now, when I’m finally getting my life together, to try and play the dad card. Can you believe it?” I laughed sarcastically.

“Look, I don’t know what his intentions are, but I do know that he loves you. They both do. They haven’t been around for you like they should have been, and maybe in their own way they think they’re doing the right thing.”

“By forcing me to end things with Jake? How is that okay?”

“Oh, it’s not, dear. It’s not okay. But you knew when you got with Jake that your parents wouldn’t approve. Maybe a part of you rebelled against their wishes to prove a point. To get their attention.”

“What? No…” I frowned. “I didn’t even think about my parents when I started seeing Jake. It wasn’t about them; it was about me. I did it for me. Besides, that was years ago. Is a business deal gone bad a good enough reason to end things with Jake? It wasn’t even him. It was his father. I don’t see what that has to do with Jake and me.”

Bessy sighed and squeezed my hand. I hated putting this on her but I had nowhere else to go. Frankie and I were still avoiding each other and there was no way I could turn up at Jake’s. Not at that time of night. Although I knew that if I had he wouldn’t have minded.

“Parents are complicated. Take that from someone who had four of them.” She smirked. “I do think they are trying to do the right thing, though. Even if it doesn’t feel like it. I do believe they’ve gone the wrong way about it, and I bet your father is beating himself up about it as we speak.”

“Here’s hoping. Literally.”

“What have you got there?” Bessy asked, pointing to the card between my fingers.

“Oh, just something Jake gave me yesterday. He thinks it might help if I speak to someone. You know, like a therapist or something.”

“And what do you think?” Bessy said, raising her brows.

I sighed and tossed it on the table in front of me, tucking my knees under my chin. “I don’t know. I can’t think about it right now. I thought I had it figured out, ya know. Save up, move away and focus on my career. Now I don’t know anything.”

“You’re not moving away now?”

Lifting a shoulder, I said, “I honestly don’t know. Three months ago, I would’ve jumped at the chance to leave this place.”

“And now?”

“Now the thought of doing anything that doesn’t involve Jake makes me sad.”

“Melanie, love. You’ve spent the last few years trying to be someone you’re not in fear of rejection. That isn’t any way to live. It might have worked for a while, but avoiding who you really are is only going to last so long before it exhausts you. This past month I’ve watched you grow, open up about things that you struggled to open up about before. I’ve watched you fall in love and smile. A smile I never thought I would see again. I love you and it breaks my heart seeing you hurting like this, but I know you’re strong. If moving away is what you really want, then I will support you. I’ll miss you, but I’ll support you. But if there is any doubt in your mind then don’t go. Stay here. Ignore everyone else, because let’s face it, the only person that really matters in all this is you. The rest are just details.”

Swiping my fingers under my eyes, I brushed away the fallen tears. Bessy was right. I was stronger than I sometimes realised. But even admitting that to myself, I knew picking myself up after the last few years wouldn’t be easy. Maybe Jake had a point. Maybe I really did need to speak to someone.

I sighed and squeezed Bessy’s hand in mine. “Thank you.”

“Don’t thank me, dear. Just continue being you. The real you. Not the one you pretend to be because you’re scared of being hurt. Life is tough. It’s always going to be. Ain’t nothing we can do about that. You’ve just gotta ride out the storm and wait for the sun to come up. It will. I promise you that sun will come up. You just have to want it and believe it enough.”

“Sometimes I don’t feel like I can. Just when I think I’m strong enough to deal with whatever life throws at me, something comes along, reminding me how weak I am.”

“Oh, honey, we’re all weak to a certain extent.” Bessy smiled and continued, “So, what’s it going to be? Are you going to give up? Run away because you think it’ll make everything go away? Or are you going to stay and stare the ugly truth in the face? ‘Cause I can guarantee you, if you decide to stay, you won’t be alone. I know two people who will be there right by your side ready to fight with you.”

I blinked up at her and smiled. “Jake?”

Bessy nodded. “And me. Always me.”

“Thank you,” I said, hugging her. Bessy wasn’t a hugger. Her rough childhood had forced her into being that way, but she was the best person at letting you know she cared right when you needed it.

Bessy stiffened and laughed awkwardly. “Oh. Ooh,” she rushed out. Then she patted my shoulder like most people did when they’d had enough but were too afraid to let on.

Putting her out of her misery, I pulled back, but not before pressing a kiss to her cheek. “I think I know what I have to do,” I told her, jumping to my feet.

“You know where I am if you need me,” she said, following me to the front door.

“I do. Thank you. And Bessy?”

“Yes, dear?”

“You were right. I am in love with Jake.”

“I didn’t doubt it for a second.”

I flashed her a smile as I waved and hurried to my car.

This was day one of me fixing my life and I knew exactly what I needed to do.

And I was going to do it, even if it killed me in the process.