I didn’t feel like going home after I left Alan, though I didn’t know where else to go. It was late, and I was cold and angry, and still crying. I couldn’t stop. Because what I’d just learned had shattered me, as if the argument with my father hadn’t been bad enough.

Finding out that Alan, my lover, fucking lied to me hurt so much more than what my dad was doing. I was used to him and his overreactions, but I was new to relationships.

I’d left the house because I wanted to talk to Alan, but who could I talk to about Alan now? There was always Marc, but I didn’t want him finding out either, because he’d probably tell my dad, not to mention blow everything out of proportion.

“Erin,” I breathed to myself.

The others I usually hung out with weren’t the kind of people I could go to with problems like this, so maybe she was the way to go. She was the most sympathetic person I’d ever known, in any case.

I pulled out my phone and sat down on a sidewalk bench. I sent her a quick email, and waited a few minutes, frowning when no message came back. Was she busy? It had been a few days since I last talked to her, thanks to being so preoccupied with Alan, so I didn’t know her current plans.

Eventually, I grew tired of waiting.

Maybe I should go home, I thought reluctantly. It wasn’t like I had anywhere else to go.

I didn’t bother “sneaking” back in when I got home. Since I was already busted, there’d be no need to keep up pretenses, and really, I wasn’t sure I could in the state I was in. Thankfully, I didn’t run into my father.

I ignored everyone as I made my way to my room, thinking how much better I would have felt if I hadn't left right after the argument. Then the truth about Alan would have remained a secret. He would have done whatever he needed to do and left, and that would have been the end of it.

By the time I reached my bedroom door, I’d stopped crying. Instead, I felt the urge to scream at everything, at how unfair the world was. Because if I told my dad about how Alan had tricked me, he’d probably be over the moon. The situation basically proved him right. But I didn’t want him to think locking me up was justified. And I didn’t want to tell on Alan and get him arrested either… if he was really doing it for someone, for his brother.

“Arielle!”

I groaned, so not in the mood to deal with my father. Of course, he wasn’t nice enough to take the hint and leave me alone, calling for me again when I didn’t immediately turn around.

“Young lady, you will listen to me when I talk to you. Arielle, tell me where you went—actually, forget that. Tell me why you left in the first place!”

I scowled. Above everything, I didn’t need to be berated for understandably freaking out at my dad’s unreasonable demands. But before I could open my mouth to call my dad out on his bullshit, Marc stepped in between us.

“Sir, I think that’s enough.”

We both froze and gaped at the gentle giant.

“Excuse me?” my dad spluttered after a few seconds. “Marc, do I need to remind you who you work for?”

Marc stood his ground. “No, sir. But you do need to remember that Arielle is your daughter, and she’s growing up into a woman. She’s going to want to see the world, have friends. Eventually she might even get married. But none of that is going to happen if you keep her locked up in here. Eventually, she’s going to resent you for that.”

“But I give her all she…” His voice trailed off, like he remembered our argument from before, when he’d said he got me everything I could possibly want, and I told him just how wrong he was.

“I know it’s not my place to interfere, but I have little sisters, so I understand what you feel. But you can’t continue to act like this. Please don’t alienate your daughter more than you already have, or she’ll leave some day, and you might not get to see her again.”

We were both stunned at his boldness, but my dad got over it quickly. He was furious, I could tell. I didn’t give him the chance to think too much on it, though. I moved to stand beside Marc and glared at my father so we presented a united front.

“I suggest you listen to his words, Dad, because he’s not wrong. You’re not the only family I have, and I don’t think they would refuse to take me in. I’m of legal age now, if you hadn’t realized.”

The implications hit him then, and he stared at me in abject horror. I could leave whenever I wanted, and he couldn’t detain me over it. And if I called someone to take me away, especially family from my mom’s side, they would surely come.

He was reluctant, even as he backed down, and something occurred to me just then. I realized that though my father loved me, he would never truly change his ways for my comfort or happiness.

Unlike Alan. A guy who didn’t know me all that well, and yet was willing to blow a heist and endanger himself and his brother in order to tell me the truth.

He had lied, but maybe he wasn’t as bad a guy as I’d thought at first. Maybe I could consider forgiving him.