Page 53 of Fall onto me
“Listen to me clearly,” I seethe. “I’m not returning, so don’t try to manipulate me.” I look him square in the eyes. “I know what you do, and because of this I can take you down. I have a question for you.”
He looks amused and leans back in his leather chair. Flashes of the keeper dawn in my mind.
I snarl, “Are you the Keeper?”
He doesn’t react, aside from the vein in his neck that pulsates. “What do you know of the Keeper?” he asks, folding his hands on the table.
“Answer me.”
When he stands, I nearly flinch. It’s hard to keep control of the situation when he’s been in control my entire life. I imagine Foster seeing me here, wondering why in the hell I would ever come here.
“You first.”
“No, I’m not,” he responds flatly, and I don’t think I would believe him either way.
“Did you help plant the drugs on the yacht?”
“I heard about that. What a shame. What will that charge be? Twenty-five years? Probably more.”
I nearly spit in his face, never admitting that Foster will be out soon. “So, it was you?”
My father splays his hands with a cocky smile. “I wish I could take credit for putting that leech in jail, but it wasn’t.”
I don’t believe a word he fucking says to me. “Tell me who the Keeper is.”
He rolls his eyes. “Skyler, honestly. Your dramatics have ruined this family.”
Mom walks beside me, and for the first time, I see a look of protection in her eyes. She curls her fingers around the wood of his desks, and sneers. “She didn’t ruin anything, Kent. You did.”
I only pause to send her a small smile, because I know that must have taken a lot of courage. I nod my head, looking back at Kent. “You will help me, or you will fall.”
“I can’t fucking fall, Skyler. Don’t you get it yet?” He zips his lips with a finger and sits back down, ignoring my existence until I finally leave.
16
The days since Thanksgiving have dragged on with reckless abandon. Consisting of me distracting myself by babysitting Sophie, but it’s time to divert my attention to dance.
I was hoping Foster would be out by the time this dance was happening because now everyone else is taken. I would even go for Callum, but he’s Ava’s partner. I don’t want to leave the girls hanging, but what else can I do? Maybe I could be of service behind the curtain, helping Grace to get the girls ready.
“Want to go with me to get Ryder?” Kate asks as we walk out of our last period.
I nod and fake a smile. “Sure.” The last thing I want to do is go to shop class, to see the lonely bay where Foster normally works, covered in a crooked grin and grease.
Ryder is fixing up a worn-down Hyundai, and he’s looking under the hood with Wes as we walk up. “Hey, baby,” he tells Kate, without glancing at her.
She sighs, “Honestly, I’m going to quit doing my hair and makeup. He’ll never check me out like he does cars,” she teases.
He looks at her with a smile. “You’re impossible.” He kisses her. “And you look fucking gorgeous.”
“Thank you.” She curtseys.
“Merry Christmas Eve, girls,” Wes drawls while turning a wrench.
“Thank you!” we both sing, although I hardly feel like celebrating anything at all.
Kate puts her hand on Ryder’s shoulder. “You about ready? We need to get going.”
He nods. “Yeah baby, just five more minutes,” he grunts as he leans further in. “Are you excited for tonight, Sky?” Ryder asks me, not thinking. “Shit, sorry.”