Jensen starts up his truck, wiping the condensation off the glass with the sleeve of his shirt. He doesn’t seem scared, but I know better. He should be terrified.
We endure the silent drive across town, neither of us saying a word until we pull up in front of the main house.
“Okay,” Jensen says. “Here’s what we’re going to say.”
My mouth is dry, my tongue smacking against the inside, but I can still taste last night’s beer. “Let’s just be honest and truthful.”
“That’s the worst fucking thing we can do right now.” He shakes his head, shutting off his engine. “I coerced you into hanging out with Liberty last night. We watched a movie. We fell asleep. Liberty will cover for us.”
“Yeah, but we smell like cigarettes and alcohol.”
Jensen pops his glove box, and mists me with some kind of body spray neutralizer before handing me a pack of gum.
“They’re not going to believe us,” I say, shoving the mint gum into my mouth.
“This is the best shot we have.” He peers over my shoulder, looking into the house. “And there he is.”
I turn around, seeing my dad standing in the front door, his hands on his hips, and his face wearing the chilliest expression I’ve ever seen. My stomach drops clear to the floor, and I’m two seconds from telling Jensen to just drive. I wish more than anything we could just stay in the car, drive away, and never look back.
“Let’s do this.” Jensen has a warrior mentality. He’s fearless. Always ready for battle. He saves people. He defends the defenseless.
But I’m positive he can’t save me right now.
Any hope I had of redeeming myself, any optimism I held for my future… gone.
We climb out of the truck and death march toward the front door, following my silent father inside. It’s past breakfast and the younger kids play quietly in the family room. Without saying a word, we head straight to the dining room.
Mom, Summer, and Kath are seated in the dining room, their hands folded neatly, their faces bleak and their eyes holding fear. They’re not afraid for my punishment, though—they’re afraid for my soul. Whatever retribution my father deems appropriate is going to be okay with them. I can see it on their faces.
The fact that my father has said zero words is an alarming testament to the fact that he’s beyond his breaking point. His anger subsided long before we arrived home, and it has evolved into a disturbing, quiet rage.
“I’m not going to ask where you were last night.” His statement throws a slight wrench in our plan. “It doesn’t matter. All that matters is you disobeyed me. You disrespected the house rules, and you disgraced Heavenly Father.”
My mothers are silent, judging us like a jury bred to side with the prosecution.
“From now until graduation, Jensen, you are to stay in Kath’s house. You will eat, sleep, and shower there. You are not to set foot near the main house, or Waverly, ever again.” My father’s voice booms, echoing through the dining room. I peer over his shoulder for only a moment to see Bellamy hiding around the corner, listening in. “You will look me in the eye at all times, Waverly.”
My eyes dart to my father’s, which are intensely stormy and send an uncontrollable shake to my fingers.
“Jensen, you are to pack your things and leave within the next forty-eight hours. You cannot stay here any longer. We have shown you kindness, hospitality, and generosity, and you have repaid us by leaving a squall in your path of unrighteousness and demonstrating blatant disrespect.”
I pull in deep breath after deep breath. This isn’t so bad. We’re both adults. We’ll figure out a way to be together again. I’m quite positive Jensen’s silently plotting how to carefully extract me out of the house along with him. Forty-eight hours from now, we’ll both be long gone.
“Kath, kindly take your son to your house,” my father grits. “He is not to set foot in this house ever again. Is that clear?”
“Yes, Mark.” Kath stands up, tapping Jensen’s arm and motioning for him to follow.
Jensen’s dark eyes lock in mine, and then his lips curl into an arrogant smile, one that assures me he’ll absolutely defy my father’s wishes.
Jensen loves me, even if he can’t say it, and I think my father knows. I think he knew long before either of us did. He saw it written on our faces before we had a chance to acknowledge any of it.
The click of the sliding door tells us Jensen and Kath are gone. I miss his presence already. He grounds me, gives me something to cling to when I’ve nothing else.
“And as for you.” My father’s words come from a dark place, his hands splayed on the table before me. He lowers his face to mine. “There’s only one solution for my wayward daughter.”