Bending Under Pressure (32 page)

“Seriously?” he asks, sitting up. “That means I can’t go see Jess! Damn, Keelan, way to mess up everyone’s life. How long am I grounded with you?” he mumbles.

“I don’t know. They didn’t say.”

Cameron groans. “Haven’t you learned anything in all the years I’ve been dating Jess? You gotta be careful, Keelan.”

“Get off my back, Cam. I said I was sorry.” Before he can reply, I bundle everything in my arms and then drop it off in my parents’ bedroom. He’s disappeared into his bedroom and closed the door by the time I make it back.

Great, not only am I grounded, but I’ve pissed off my brother too. The only positive I see is this could be my excuse to not see Natalie for a while. I like Kiera and Frances, but not Natalie. She hasn’t done anything but stress me out since she re-entered my life. I don’t want her in it anymore. Or, I only want limited contact with her. Maybe this month will give me time away from her to figure it out.

With all my free time, I do my homework, plus work ahead on some papers and presentations we were assigned. I eventually get sick of schoolwork. I’m bored out of my mind with nothing to do. How am I going to survive a month of this?

I
t takes only two days into being grounded for my parents to let Natalie know why I was “ignoring her phone calls.” It takes two weeks before my parents realize I am using being grounded as a way to avoid her. Luckily, I’m able to avoid her for another week before giving in and agreeing to have dinner with her one Saturday evening.

The plan is to tell her that I would like it if all communication initiation is left to me. Then I won’t have to dodge her calls or answer them and I can control how often I talk to her. I feel like I need more control where is she concerned.

As usual, we meet at Elsie’s. I wish Keira had come with her, so it wouldn’t be just the two of us, but I didn’t get that lucky this time. Natalie is already seated at a booth, and I walk over and sit across from her.

“How’s being grounded?” she asks with a smile.

“It sucks.”

She laughs. A waitress comes to take our orders before leaving us alone for the moment. “Well, I’m sorry to hear that even though I can’t blame the Sandersons for their reaction. Are they still allowing you to date that girl?”

“Yes, Haley is still my girlfriend,” I confirm, though it doesn’t feel like it. How can she be when I barely see her? Seeing her during school doesn’t count at all.

Natalie frowns. “Oh.”

“Is there any particular reason you wanted to see me?” I ask, trying my best to keep my annoyance out of my voice. She doesn’t get a say in what I do or whom I see. She doesn’t get to show her disapproval either.

“Actually, yes.” Surprise, surprise. “Have you changed your mind about visiting your father?”

“No.” The short word quickly comes out of my mouth. “I don’t want to see him.” It’s bad enough that I’m seeing her. I don’t want to visit a man in prison.

“C’mon, Keelan. He’s your father and he would love to see you and talk to you.”

“I don’t care,” I interrupt before she can continue her spiel. “I don’t want to. I don’t know him and I don’t want to know him. Don’t push me on this.”

“If you’re worried about the Sandersons—”

“I’m not worried about my
parents
getting in the way.
I
don’t want to. Why do you want this so much?”

“Because he’s your real family. We are your real family and you don’t want to know us. It’s not fair that you aren’t giving us a chance.”

“It’s not
fair
?” I scoff. “Being in foster care because you have shitty parents isn’t fair. Being adopted by my parents was the best thing to ever happen to me. I don’t have to be here at all. I don’t want to be, if you want me to be honest. I love my life just the way it is. My real family is the parents who raised me and the brother I grew up with. I don’t want to visit someone in prison, even if I’m related to him by blood. I don’t even know what he did!”

Natalie’s eyes harden. “You don’t know anything about any of us because you don’t ask.”

“No, I don’t know because
you
went to jail when I was a kid and I was put into the system and then adopted. It’s your fault you lost your son, not mine. I’m not your son anymore, and you’re not making me want to be.” She opens her mouth to respond, but I beat her to it. “This isn’t going to work for me anymore. If I want to talk, I’ll call. I’m sorry.” I stand and hurry out of the restaurant.

My parents wouldn’t even let me drive my own car, so I had to borrow my mom’s. I wish I could punch it, let the speed calm me, but I can’t. Instead, I have to drive responsibly. When I get home, my main goal is to go straight to my room.

“What are you doing back so soon?” Mom asks when she rounds the corner and sees me.

I hand her the car keys. “I don’t want to talk about it. Can I go to my room?”

“No, let’s sit down and talk.”

“Mom,” I groan. “I don’t want to.” Quickly, I add, “Not yet.”

She eyes me for a moment before nodding. “Okay, but you will as soon as you’re ready?”

Yeah, I will. Just not today.

T
orture.

Grounding like this should fall under cruel and unusual punishment. For a long, long month, I’ve only had lunch during the week with Haley at school and our one class together. Five extra minutes before and after school to talk and kiss her, thanks to Cam being a good brother. Other than that, I haven’t been with her. It’s been torture.

I also never realized how much I loved driving my car. While it’s been fun picking on Cameron by calling him my personal chauffeur, I miss my car as much as I miss Haley. I can’t wait to drive and race it again. The short drive to Haley’s house won’t be enough.

Today, we’re going to her father’s wedding. I can’t lie and say I’m not worried about how it’ll go. She’s only spoken to her father three times while we’ve been grounded, and he hasn’t made any efforts to see her since he forgot about her. That can’t be a good sign, right?

I grab my phone, I’ve missed it as well, and text her.

Me: I can’t wait to see you in your dress. :)

My phone lights up with an incoming call from Haley.

“Hey, Hales.”

“Hey, it’s going to be just us. Mom and Walter are sick with the flu and can’t go. So, I need you to ask your parents if it’s still okay for you go with me and drive us back tonight.”

“Okay, give me a second.” My heart is beating faster now. I’ll have Haley all to myself
and
I’ll be able to drive my car for hours tonight? Best way to come off of being grounded. I race downstairs and into the living room. “Haley’s parents have the flu. If it’s okay with y’all, the new plan is for us to go and then drive home tonight.”

Dad’s eyes narrow. “Her parents are okay with that plan?”

“Do you want to talk with her mom?” I ask. I don’t know if they trust me again, so I’ll jump through whatever hoops I need to.

“Yes.”

“Hales, can your mom talk to my dad and let him know they’re okay with it?”

“Yeah, hold on.”

I wait with a baited breath as they talk and approve. “Thanks.” I take my phone back and run upstairs. “I’m almost ready, and then I’ll be there to pick you up.”

“Okay,” she says quietly.

“Nervous?”

“Yes, but we’ll have two hours to talk about it on the way there. Don’t be late, Keelan.”

“I won’t,” I promise. Once I hang up, I change into my black slacks, white dress shirt, and pink tie, which is supposed to match Haley’s dress. I grab my dress coat last. November has brought cold, windy weather and I’ll probably need it. Now I’m ready to get my girl.

A short drive and three knocks later, Haley opens the door. Her light pink dress falls to the floor. The three-quarter sleeves are sheer lace and the lace covers her shoulders as well. Somehow, it’s simple, casual, and dressy all at once. Her blonde hair is set in curls, framing her face.

“You’re beautiful,” I finally say.

She smiles widely. “Thank you. You look handsome yourself. Let me say goodbye and I’ll be ready.” She rushes down the hall, but returns moments later. She grabs her phone and then my hand, tugging me to my car. Haley starts talking the moment we’re in the car as she sets up the GPS. “I don’t know if we should go. We could skip, go somewhere else, and make up for the past month.”

I laugh. “No way. I’m not doing anything so soon to make my parents mistrust me. Besides, you’re just nervous.” I reach over, squeeze her hand, and then move it back to the gearshift. “It’ll be fine, Hales.”

“I’m trying to be positive, but I have a bad feeling about it. He hasn’t even called me this week, Keelan. And what’s going to happen when I get there? Where do I sit? Up front with the family or in the rows afterward? Do I try to find him or wait until the reception? I don’t know what to do!”

“Put your hand over mine.”

“What?”

“Do it.” She does. “Calm down,” I gently order her. “It’s a simple wedding. Forget it’s your father’s. Instead, we’re going to a wedding, and I’m your date. We have two hours there and two hours back all to ourselves. Maybe even more than that because who knows what’ll happen at the reception or how long it’ll last. We are going to have fun at the very least, I promise.”

Haley is quiet for a bit before she nods. “Okay.”

Her relative silence the rest of the drive proves she doesn’t quite believe me. That’s okay. I’m skeptical as well, but I can’t tell her that. It’ll probably freak her out even more.

The wedding is being held in a large church. There are tons of vehicles in the parking lot, but we’re able to find a space. Haley’s eyes are glued to the large wooden doors where people are walking inside. I turn off my car, waiting until she makes a move.

“Did you know that I only said I would come because I knew it would make him happy?” she says quietly, never looking away from the doors.

“No, I didn’t know that.”

“I thought it would help things. But then he forgot me again and barely talks to me. I don’t even know why I’m here.”

“Because he’s your dad and you wanted to give him another chance,” I answer.

“Well, this is his last chance.” She opens the door and steps out, so I follow. Haley grasps my hand when we meet at the front of my car; she is shivering.

“Where’s your coat?”

Her smile shows her embarrassment. “I guess I forgot it.”

I shrug out of mine and hang it over her shoulders before we continue on our way.

W
e’re a little early, which is normally a good thing, but all it’s doing is making me more anxious. Most of the people are milling around in the lobby until it’s time to be seated, I guess. Since I haven’t spoken to Dad, I don’t know if he’s in here as well or somewhere else. I assume somewhere else. I search the sea of people for someone familiar. There’s no time before the large wooden doors of the sanctuary open. Ushers seemingly appear out of nowhere to lead people to their seats.

Keelan and I are led to seats, answering my question that I won’t be in the front with family. That is until my grandparents spot me. My dad isn’t close to them and therefore I’m not either. However, it is apparently unacceptable for me to keep my current seat. So, Keelan and I have to move to where two seats were reserved for us. I drop my cell into Keelan’s coat pocket since I don’t have any and return it to him now that we’re inside and I’m warm. He shrugs it back on.