Finally, I pick up my phone when my mom calls me for the millionth time. It’s Wednesday, and I have unfairly punished her for too long. She’s not the one I have a problem with.

“Hi, Mom,” I answer.

“Sadie,” she sighs. She releases a breath. “Finally.”

“I’m sorry, Mom. I should have called you,” I apologize. For the first time in a while, I mean it.

“You should have or at least answered your phone. But, now that I have you, I don’t care about that. How are you?” Her voice breaks with every word.

“Okay,” I respond.

I give her the opportunity to say what she wants to say, so I can hang up.

“I put money into your account today,” she reveals. It’s her classic fix.

“You didn’t have to. I’ll manage, but…thank you,” I quietly express my appreciation.

“Yes, I did. Listen, sweetie, I’m coming out this weekend. Don’t try to talk me out of it. I have some things to talk to you about. I’ll be there on Saturday afternoon. I’m only staying one night, and then I’m coming back. Your dad thinks I’m going to the city with Audrey for the night.”

The fact that she has to lie about her whereabouts tells me that my dad is holding something over her head as well.

“Mom, really, it isn’t necessary. I’m going to get a job—”

“Sadie, I’m coming. You will not talk me out of this. Please be at your dorm around two o’clock,” she interrupts me.

“Okay, Mom,” I grudgingly agree.

“Great. See you then.” When silence falls over the line, she blurts out, “Love you, Sadie.”

“Bye, Mom.” I hang up.

The whole conversation was short and weird, and I can’t imagine what she possibly has to talk to me about.

My whole life has been about her fulfilling my dad’s wishes. He’s the alpha male and head of our household. You don’t dare cross him, and I did just that. He holds the checkbook and doles out the money to whom he sees fit. My mom has always been given an allowance every month and nothing more. I remember Theo and I sitting at the top of the stairs when we were little, hearing my parents fight over what she spent the money on.

My mom grew up with money. She was the heir to a multimillion dollar real estate company. But, when her father got sick, he had to assign the responsibilities to someone, and he ultimately signed the company over. Since her mother had died during childbirth and my mom was an only child, there was no one else to leave it to. My grandpa chose my dad, assuming he would be a better fit than his own daughter. That was ten years ago, and my dad has reaped the rewards ever since. Obviously, my dad was an educated, wealthy man, but after my grandpa left him the already established company, he turned filthy rich and instantly changed into someone I didn’t recognize.

Regardless of my dad’s personality shift, my mom has remained on his arm, always smiling and laughing at his jokes while following his directives, as though she were his employee. They would go on vacations, leaving Theo and me with our grandma on holidays, always buying us anything we wanted to make up for abandoning us.

So, I’m curious about why she is now so concerned about me.

I try to push that thought aside. I can deal with those feelings this weekend.

I have an errand to run. Jessa and I go to the thrift store, and I buy Vince a gift. It’s gotten cold, and I honestly can’t stand the thought of him sleeping outside without a jacket.

Walking up the hill, I spot him on his usual bench overlooking the field. When I get closer, I spot Grant seated next to him, talking.

Going back and forth in my head if I should stop or keep going, I decide to stop. Grant has given me no reason to feel uncomfortable with talking to Vince.

“Hi, Vince. Hi, Grant,” I say, giving a wave of my hand.

“Hi ya, Sadie,” Vince says in return.

“Oh…hey, Sadie,” Grant states.

“I just wanted to drop this off for you, Vince.” I hand him the things I bought—a parka along with gloves, a scarf, and a hat.

“Thank you, Sadie.” Vince’s voice sounds grateful, making me feel relieved.

I didn’t want to offend him.

“That was nice of you,” Grant adds, not looking straight at me.

“Take a seat.” Vince shrugs the jacket on and pats the seat next to him.

“I didn’t know you knew one another?” Grant questions.

I nod my head. “This is on my way to and from the dorm, so…” I trail off.

“Oh. Brady’s okay with it?” he whispers in my ear so that Vince doesn’t hear.

I briefly wonder why he cares.

“Probably not, but that isn’t going to stop me,” I reply.

“Brady’s really private, Sadie. I think you should tell him,” he says.

I quirk an eyebrow in confusion.

“So, Vince, I should probably get going, but I’ll be on my way back in a couple of hours. Can I bring you a coffee or anything?” I ask, ignoring Grant.

Since when does he care about what Brady thinks?

The whole dynamic between him, Brady, and Kara has been increasingly confusing me, which is getting on my nerves.

“I’m fine, Sadie. This jacket is more than enough.” He pats my knee in a fatherly manner, and I stand up.

I’m a few steps away when Grant hollers, “Hold up a second, Sadie.”

I turn around, finding Grant lightly jogging my way. “What’s up, Grant?”

“I didn’t mean anything back there. It’s just…I know you and Brady are together, and I know the way he feels about Vince.”

“How do you know that, Grant? I thought you didn’t like each other. Do you remember telling me to stay away from him?” I hammer question after question, mostly because I’m baffled by the whole situation.

“Like I said, Brady’s private. It’s his story to tell. I don’t want to interfere, but, believe it or not, even with our differences, I do care about him,” he admits with concern in his voice.

“Okay,” I draw out, clearly annoyed.

“Sadie, I wish I could tell you more, but”—he glances back at Vince, who takes a sip from a small flask—“I can’t.” Grant’s face looks truly pained.

For the first time since I met Brady, I’m mad at him. I’ve been letting all the secrets slide, believing that he’ll tell me when he’s ready. Now, I feel like I’m the only one in the dark, and the fact that Kara knows more about him than me is unbearable.

“Thanks, Grant. I’ll talk with Brady,” I respond as I start to walk away.

“I should never have told you to stay away from him. He really is a good guy. He just needs to be reassured of it occasionally,” he calls out to my back.

I don’t turn around because I want to run over to him, grab him by his jacket, and shake him until he divulges the secrets that Brady has yet to tell me.

I go straight to my class, and instead of meeting Brady afterward at the Student Center, I text him, telling him I have a meeting at the bank for a loan. I just can’t see him right now, afraid of what would come out of my mouth.

I walk to a coffee house off-campus. I just need to get away from everything. I’ve been shunned by my family, my boyfriend is keeping something huge from me, and I have no idea how I’m going to pay for next semester. I came to Western for a trouble-free life, and now, I have anything but that.

I order a passion tea and take a seat next to the window. Watching all the college students stroll by, I wonder if any of them have as many problems as I do. Then, I shake my head, knowing they must. These problems aren’t new or different than anyone else’s.

The biggest problem is that I miss Theo. He would have sat with me, brainstorming about what to do. He would have told me to stop wallowing in self-pity and do something about my situation. He would have told me to confront Brady and make him tell me what was going on. The longer I sit here, thinking of Theo, the more emotional I become, and the more upset I get with Brady.

Just as I’m about to get up from my seat and find Brady to demand answers, I spot him walking on the other side of the street with a woman. I squint my eyes to get a better look and realize it’s the same middle-aged woman I saw having lunch with Vince that day. She laughs at something he says as she gently touches his arm, and he turns back to her, smiling.

Rage starts to flow through my whole body. I toss my drink in the trash can and leave the coffee shop. Following them, I try to remain calm, but the more I see them laugh, the sicker I feel.

Is this what Grant was talking about?

They end up outside of Shubert Hall, the music building. The fleeting thought that she is his teacher vanishes when they embrace in a hug, and she kisses him on the cheek before they part. It’s all I can do not to run over there, screaming like some crazed psycho to stay away from my man.

I turn around, starting to make my way back to the dorm. Running away is what I’m good at. I’ll dodge him until he loses interest. By what I just witnessed, it will be soon.

The boiling anger rises and changes my mind. I’m sick of being pushed around. Brady will answer my questions now. Turning back the way I just came, I stomp around the building and stop abruptly. My mouth falls open as I’m speechless when I see whom Brady’s with.

Sitting on the same bench I just occupied a few hours prior, Brady is talking with Vince. Not wanting to make a scene in front of Vince, I sit down on the bench behind them across the parking lot. Their mannerisms toward one another appear comfortable yet standoffish at the same time. Brady sits on the far opposite side of the bench with his forearms resting on his legs. Even from this distance, I can feel the tension between them.

How did I never notice those same deep-set caramel eyes or long eyelashes?

Suddenly, I figure out something I should have a long time ago. I might not have all the answers, but I know one thing for sure.

Vince is Brady’s father.

Almost as soon as I come to the realization, Brady stands up and turns around to face my direction. I stand still, as though if I move, it will give me away. His eyes find mine, and he instantly realizes that I know his secret. He slowly closes his eyes, no doubt wishing I had found out differently, and I wish I had, too.

I’m not sure if he mumbles something or not, but Vince turns around and smiles my way. Brady touches Vince’s shoulder before he heads in my direction. I numbly watch him cross the parking lot. My heart races, and my breathing is erratic until he touches me. The minute Brady’s hand lands on my arm, my nerves calm.

How does he have this effect on me?

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you, Sadie,” he whispers.

“Why didn’t you?”

“I was embarrassed. I don’t want you to think I’ll end up like that.” He glances back over to Vince.

“I’ve shared everything with you, Brady. Why couldn’t you give me the same courtesy?”

“I was going to tell you. I just didn’t know how.”

“You just say it, Brady. You just spit it out,” I say, my voice escalating.

“Are you going to break up with me?” he asks.

My heart breaks because he thinks that could happen. If that’s the reason he kept it from me, I understand his worry now.

“Of course not,” I assure him, placing my hands on either side of his face. “But you need to start explaining some things.”