Page 49 of Truck Up
“Where … where did we … go wrong?” Mom asks through several sobs.
I roll my eyes and sigh. “Don’t be so dramatic. You should be excited. You’ve been saying you want grandkids for years.”
This only makes her cry harder.
“Not Mutter grandkids,” Dad says. “Why couldn’t you have found yourself a good man? Someone like Badger. That man wants nothing more than to be your husband. Now that’s a smart match.”
Just the mention of Badger’s name has my body shaking. I hate that my family can’t see him for what he really is. Then again, that’s partly my fault for never telling them what he did, and still tries to do to me.
I take a deep breath and look my dad in the eyes. “Badger is not a good man. I hate him.”
“He is too!” Dad yells.
“Don’t talk about my friend like that.” Linden steps toward me and points his finger in my face. His expression is feral.“He’d give you a good life. Still will, even with this monstrosity growing inside you.”
I pull myself free from the security of my friends and get in Linden’s face. “I will die before I have a life with Badger. I. Hate. Him. And don’t you dare ever refer to your future niece or nephew as a monstrosity. Do you hear me?”
Linden stares at me in shock. I can’t blame him. I don’t think I’ve ever talked to any of them like this before. “Why do you hate him so much?”
His question surprises me. Not once has he ever asked me why I dislike Badger. He’s only ever pushed him on me like he’s the prize husband in three counties.
“He’s a piece of shit who doesn’t know how to take no for an answer.”
“That’s enough!” Dad stomps his foot in anger. “I will not listen to you bad mouth good people while you go behind our backs and sleep with trash like Christian Mutter. He’s a drug addict, Lia.”
“Recoveringaddict, and you don’t know what you’re talking about.”
I don’t wait for a response. I run upstairs to my room to grab some of my belongings and get the hell out of here. I can’t stay in this house as long as they’re this angry with me. It’ll be far too stressful.
“Don’t walk away from me when I’m talking to you,” Dad yells as he follows me upstairs.
“You’re not talking, Dad. You’re yelling and ordering me around like I’m a toddler without a brain.”
“Well, you’re acting like one.”
I spin around and face him, tossing my balled-up fists in the air out of frustration. I really want to hit something, but I know that won’t solve anything. “Do you hear yourself? I knew you’dbe furious about this, but come on. You know me better than that.”
“I’m beginning to think we don’t know you at all.” He sounds angry and hurt at the same time.
I open my mouth to yell at him, but snap it shut just as quickly. There’s no use defending myself against him right now. He won’t hear reason until he’s had time to process this. And who knows how long that will take? Instead, I grab my suitcase from the closet and start tossing my clothes in it.
“Where do you think you’re going?” He grabs my suitcase and pulls it out of my reach.
Growling, I pull my suitcase back and move it out of his reach. “I don’t know, but I’ll figure it out.”
“You’re going to stay right here!” He points at the ground like that will somehow glue me to this spot. “You will not be moving in with that man.”
That command makes me laugh. I square my shoulders and rest my hands on my hips as I address him. “You should know that Grams is excited about this baby. She didn’t seem to care one bit that I’m a Koch. You could learn a thing or two from her.”
“I don’t give a damn how that woman reacted. You’re my daughter and you will not live with those people.”
“I’ll live wherever the hell I please!”
“No!” He shakes his head and waves his arms in front of him in an X motion like that will somehow make all the difference.
I start to respond but Nova speaks first. “She’s staying with me.”
“The hell she is,” Dad barks. “She’s staying right here where we can keep an eye on her.”