Because of Ellison (34 page)

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When we finally reached the houses in midafternoon, Ellison
ran inside her house to get a shower and I went over to Bill’s to grab some
clean clothes. Even though I was spending every night with Ellison, I still
tried to keep up the appearance that I lived at the other house. Walking in, I
waved to Bill and turned to meander down the hallway to grab my clothes. I
decided to jump in the shower while I was there, and when I got dressed and
moved back into the living room, the front door was open and Bill was nowhere
to be seen. My curiosity was piqued so I stepped out the front door and my eyes
fell on the sleek black paint of a restored 1970 Mustang. I could tell that a
lot of time and money had been put into the car and I knew whoever drove it
here wasn’t a local.

“Fuck.”

Bill was talking to someone who was sitting in the vehicle
and I groaned wondering who from my former life had just shown up. There was
only one person I could think of that would be driving that particular car.
Walking around the side, I stopped suddenly when I saw my father. As soon as I
came into view, their conversation stopped and my father and I stared each
other down.

“Why are you here?” My voice was an octave lower than normal
and rattled against my chest from anger.

He blinked, but the bored expression on his face didn’t
change. He stepped out of the car and I noticed that he was dressed in a suit
as usual. The sunlight streaming through the trees glinted off the solid gold
watch on his wrist. “Good to see you too, Hunter.”

When he stepped towards me I stepped back. “I didn’t say it
was good to see you, I asked why you’re here.”

“Now, Hunter. That’s no way for you to speak to your father.
He came all this way to see you. The least you can do is be cordial.” Bill’s
low voice boomed out, but I didn’t look away from my father’s face to
acknowledge what he’d said.

My father waved off Bill’s warning. “Save your breath, Bill.
Hunter has spent 19 years treating me like I’m not worth his respect.”

“Why. Are. You. Here?” I didn’t care to hear anything come
out of his mouth other than the purpose for coming. I wanted to settle whatever
score he had, deal with whatever bullshit he was about to start, and get him
the fuck out.

“I came to talk to you. I think you’ve made a big mistake by
dropping out of Harvard and coming here. I was hoping I might be able to
convince you to fix that mistake before you throw your life away.” He took a
step towards me and I didn’t step away this time. I was fucking livid and I
wasn’t backing down. I hoped he’d take a few more steps and be within my reach
so I could toss his ass back in the car and make him leave.

“I don’t care what
mistake
you think it is that I’m making. I haven’t asked for shit from you since I’ve
been down here and you need to get in your car and drive away. If you have
something you need to discuss with me, you can text me.”

“You mean, on the phone that I pay for?”

Shit. I hadn’t thought of that.

“And how would you suggest I take the BMW away with me?
Since you’re not asking for anything from me.”

“Fucking
tow
it for all I care. I
haven’t been driving it.”

“Hunter?” Ellison’s voice called out from the front of the
car and my dad turned to look at her and froze. His entire body seemed to tense
for a second and his eyes were glued to her.

Bill went to say something to her, but she pushed past him
and offered her hand out to my dad. “Hi. I’m Ellison James. You must be
Hunter’s dad. You two look just alike.” Her smile was genuine and when my
father didn’t extend his hand to shake hers, I was glad that he hadn’t touched
her, but at the same time, pissed because I wondered if he’d instantly judged
her unworthy.

I moved to stand next to El and looked up to see that my
father’s eyes were opened wide and he looked like he’d seen a ghost. Bill
walked up and put his arm around my father.

“She looks just like her, don’t she?”

My dad’s response was so faint you could barely hear it.
“Identical.”

Ellison leaned into me and I could tell by the way she held
herself that she was spooked out by my dad’s reaction.

Eventually, he seemed to snap out of it. Clearing his throat,
he offered her his hand. “My name is John McCormick. I’m sorry I reacted that
way. It’s just that you look exactly like your mother.”

Shit!
I’d
forgotten all about what Bill had told me about my father and El’s mom when
they were younger.

“Well, thank you. I considered my mom to be very beautiful,
so I’ll take that as a compliment.” Her smile could have melted glaciers it was
so warm. “It’s nice to meet you, I’m Ellison James. I’m Hunter’s girlfriend.”

“Fiancé.” I corrected.

Dad’s eyes shot to me almost instantly and I couldn’t
determine by his expression what he was thinking. I rolled my shoulders back
and looked at him in a way that dared him to say anything. Bill interrupted
before he had the chance.

“Fiancé? When exactly did that happen
?!
”
Stepping closer, he grabbed Ellison’s hand and looked at the ring. “Well, I be
damned … ”

“Why don’t we all just go inside and talk about this.
There’s a lot going on and I think we’d be more comfortable if we weren’t
standing out in the driveway.”

I hated Ellison’s suggestion. There was no way in hell I was
letting my father in either of those houses.

“I don’t think that’s … ”

“Actually, son. I think Ellison’s right. Let’s go John, it
seems like we all have something to talk about.”

My dad grudgingly followed Bill inside his house and I was
left out by the car with El. I narrowed my eyes at her and she scowled at me in
response. When she didn’t back down I rolled my eyes and reached out to pull
her to me. “Why did you invite him in? I want nothing to do with him.”

“Tsk. Whatever, Hunter, obviously, he’s here for something
and there’s no point not hearing him out.”

“I already know why he’s here. He came to tell me that I’m a
fuck up for having moved down. It doesn’t matter what I do with my fucking
life. To him, if I don’t attend Harvard, I’m a failure. So, I don’t see why I
need to take the time to listen to him say it again.”

Her expression remained impassive when she replied, “Because
he’s your dad. The fact that he came down at all tells me that he cares for you.
And maybe he is a fuck up —
but,
so were you
when you came down. I didn’t hold it against you and eventually you turned
things around. Why can’t the same thing happen with him? You’ll never get
anywhere if you avoid people in a stubborn refusal to resolve your differences.
All that gets you
is
a bunch of pissed off people
sitting on opposite sides of the earth that are miserable. Give him a chance,
Hunter.”

Technically, I could have kept arguing, and if it had been
anybody else, I would have. But looking down into her concerned blue eyes, I
had nothing else to say. Well, except for one thing.

“If even one harsh word about you comes out of his mouth … ”

She placed a finger on my mouth to silence me. “Then I’ll
handle him. I’m willing to work out differences, Hunter, but I’m not somebody’s
doormat. You, of all people, should know that’s true.”

I allowed Ellison to lead me inside the house and we sat
down at the kitchen table with my father and Bill. At first the discussion was
strained. My father was still startled by Ellison’s presence and I was on the
edge of my seat, waiting for him to say one wrong word about her. Yes, I knew
El could handle herself, but I still refused to let anybody speak badly of her.
I made my case for living in Florida by explaining my intent to go to medical
school. I didn’t go into detail as to why. My reasons weren’t as important as
the fact that I was determined to do it. It was a long conversation, one in
which I talked the majority of the time and, surprisingly, my father sat back
and listened. By the time it was done, he didn’t respond. His eyes flicked back
and forth between Ellison and I and, after a few minutes, he nodded.

“If you’re that determined to stay here, Hunter, I realize
there’s nothing more that needs to be said about it. So, I won’t argue.”
Breathing out a long breath, he sat back in his chair and admitted, “To be
honest, I’m surprised, and somewhat proud to see this side of you. I never
thought you’d straighten up your act and I’m glad to hear that you’ve finally made
a decision to do something with yourself, regardless of how I disagree with the
manner in which you’ll accomplish it.”

I was stunned and Ellison hit my leg under the table when
I’d failed to respond. It was the first time my father relented to anything I’d
said and I didn’t understand why. However, I wasn’t going to press him about it
so I nodded and thanked him for understanding.

Eventually, the conversation moved on to more casual topics
and as the sun started to set, Bill and my father walked outside. Ellison and I
remained at the table and she smiled over at me, tapping her foot against the
side of my leg. “See? Told you that if you just talked it out, you could
resolve it. You two still have stuff to work on, but at least you’re
communicating again. It’s a start.”

I playfully grabbed her hair at the back of her head and
pulled her to me. My mouth brushed across hers and she immediately pressed
herself against me, kissing me in a slow and seductive way. I heard the engine
of my father’s car start and she pulled away from me. I responded with a
frustrated groan to the loss of contact.

“Would he just leave without saying goodbye?” Her eyebrow
quirked in an adorable way and I laughed.

“Yep. That’s pretty much how it works.”

Her lips puckered and her face scrunched up. She was mad and
I was inwardly laughing at her reaction. She stood up and moved to the window.
Pulling the curtain back to look outside, she turned to me with a smirk on her
face. “Maybe you should come take a look.”

My brows furrowed in confusion, but I got up to stand beside
her. When I finally turned my attention outside, my jaw dropped to see Bill and
my father standing in front of the Mustang, toying around in the engine and
laughing with each other. I’d never seen my father appear even the slightest
bit carefree and it was unnerving to witness it.

“Looks like two other people had some making up to do as
well.”

All I could do was nod my head in response.

Ellison slipped her arm around my waist. “Well, come on. We need
to fix dinner. It’s rude not to offer him something before he has to make the
drive back.”

 
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When dinner had finished, my dad stood up and apologized
that he had to cut the night short. We said our goodbyes and Bill walked him to
the front door. He was halfway through when he stopped and turned back to look
at me. “Hunter, could I talk to you outside, please?”

Just fucking great …

I somehow knew his acceptance was too good to be true.
Ellison nudged me to follow him and I sighed when I stepped outside. We
approached the car and he turned to me, before briefly looking towards the
house and back in my direction.

“I’m surprised to hear that you are engaged so young. I
won’t say it doesn’t worry me, but … ” A deep breath escaped him and his shoulders
dropped in resignation. “ … I understand. Ellison has a unique vibrance in her,
much like her mother had. I know how infectious and life altering someone like
that can be.” He frowned while remembering back to a girl he’d once loved. “I
didn’t chase after her and I didn’t put up much of a fight when I lost her. I’m
not saying I don’t love your mom and I married her as a consolation, but I will
say that I know there aren’t many people in this world as open and alive as
Anna was and as Ellison appears to be. That’s something that is difficult to
find and have to let go.”

I listened to what he said, shock settling along my spine to
hear him admit something so … human. My entire life, the only things I’d heard
him say to me were the mechanical words expected of a parent towards a child.
Even his posture seemed different; it was soft rather than rigid.

“How are you paying for school?”

“I don’t want … ”

He held up his hand to silence me. “Hunter, I know you want
to do this on your own. I get that. But school, especially graduate school is
expensive; and you’re about to have a wife to worry about. I’d rather you focus
on your classwork than pay for rent and tuition. I have the means to put you
through college, and I plan to do just that. I also offered the same to Lily.”

The surprise must have been apparent on my face, because he
laughed to see my expression.

“Bill has been on his own with her for too long. I held a
grudge that I shouldn’t have. I guess it’s time that I make it up to him.”

He clapped me on the shoulder and climbed into the car.
Looking back out at me, he said, “Please have the school financial office call
me. I want to take care of this for you.”

I nodded and stepped back so he could shut the door.
Starting up the engine, he waved before he pulled out of the driveway and
disappeared down the road. I heard the door to the house open and close and
Ellison’s footsteps as she approached me from behind.

Wrapping her arms around my waist, she rested her head
against my back and held me. My hands came up to hold hers and I absently toyed
with the engagement ring on her finger.

“See? I told you to give him a chance. I don’t think he’s as
bad as you thought — just misunderstood. Everybody has a story, Hunter,
and that story will cause
them
to act in ways that
other people won’t be able to understand. But, you give a person enough time,
eventually, they’ll open up, and it will all make sense.”