Unleashed (A Bad Boy Stepbrother Romance) (61 page)

It is so good to be off that damn plane!

Luckily, because of the last minute booking, Chance and his mother were seated elsewhere. I finally got some peace and quiet, some time to think.

But, the truth is, I would have very much preferred to sit next to him for the whole flight instead of Dad.

Dad just wouldn’t stop talking about Vegas, about how we should go sometime, about how it was his first time.

And I just really don’t care.

He has no idea how much it hurt me for him to not come to my graduation. Surely they would have understood… his own daughter’s
graduation!
I gave a speech, everything.

I haven’t forgiven him for that yet. I can remember the whole conversation like it was yesterday…

His face is beet-red, but not with anger or indignation, even though that’s what he wants me to believe.

“Cassie Shannon, you will watch your mouth!”

“Why should I,
Dad?
You are going to miss my ceremony!”

I’m breathing hard, and I’ve got my hands on my hips. I mean, this is it? This is just final? Why the hell did I even bother waiting for him to come back before eating dinner?

Why doesn’t he understand just how much it upsets me?

“Oh, for heaven’s sake, Cassie, it’s just high school. I didn’t even graduate, and look where I am now.”

I roll my eyes. “Yeah,
just
high school. I’m Valedictorian! I’m giving a speech. I finished top of my
year
. And I’m one of the only students
in the state
to be accepted into any of the top universities in England. London School of Economics, Dad! Do you know how hard it is to get in there? It is the
leading
university in the
world
for social sciences, including political science!”

He sighs. His brown hair is ruffled from all the times he’s run his fingers through it. “I’m sorry, Cassie. It’s all fully booked already. I have to go. I can’t very well back out now. Do you know how important appearances are?”

“What about your appearance to me?”

Again, he just sighs. He looks at me, palms up, shaking his head. “I don’t know what to say.”

“It’s a
holiday
, Dad. Can’t you postpone it? For me? Can’t you come and see your only daughter graduate? Can’t you come and listen to my speech?”

“I’ll see it all on the DVD the school will send out.”