we are, too. And you can't get mad at us for caring about you and being concerned. We're your family, we're supposed to care.”
I looked at my mother, and then my father, as hot rage boiled the blood in my veins. I heard my heartbeat, pounding in my ears, and tempting me to detonate right there in the kitchen. But I forced myself to stay calm and pulled in a deep breath.
“I'm not mad at you for caring,” I said, my voice eerily controlled. “I'm mad that you all saw one stupid picture on his Facebook page, from years ago, and have decided that's how he's going to be forever. None of you would be treating him like this if he was wealthy or if he was a Harvard graduate—”
“You're being ridiculous. We didn't—”
“Let me finish,” I shot at my mother, and she clamped her lips shut. “I've been over at his apartment all week because he's heartbroken, and that's what you do when you love someone. You don't abandon them when they need you. And I'm sorry that I haven't thought to call you in the middle of helping him mourn. I'm sorry you haven't been the first thing on my mind while I've been washing dishes and making sure he eats. I thought you'd understand all of that, but I guess not.”
With that final word, I hurried from the kitchen and went up the stairs to my bedroom, where I closed the door behind me and threw myself on the bed. Jamie was there, of course she was. Sitting on the chair at my desk. I ignored her and wished I was at Vinnie's place, where there weren't any ghost or static. Where I could live my life and just focus on us, on him and our relationship, without them getting in the way.
I closed my eyes and pretended she didn't exist. But when I opened them again, there she was, standing in front of me, with a look of curiosity and concern on her face.
“Leave me alone, Jamie.”
But she wouldn’t leave me alone. She stood there, standing over me and watching with her deep brown eyes.
“What?” I asked, abruptly sitting up. “What do you want?”
She pointed at my face, at the tears welling in my eyes.
“You want to know why I’m pissed off and sad?”
She nodded.
“Fine. I’m pissed off because my family treats me like a child. They treat me like … like I’m incapable of making an educated judgment about someone.”
She cocked her head.
I sighed frustratedly. “I’m talking about Vinnie. They hate him. They don’t trust him. But they hardly even know him, so how the hell can they judge?”
She pressed her lips in a firm line and looked off to the side, shrugging. The look said, “Well, maybe they have a point,” and it only fueled the flame in my gut.
“Oh, stop,” I groused, rolling my eyes. “You have no idea either. You’ve only seen him once.”
Looking back to me, she raised her brows and pursed her lips. “You’re getting defensive,” the look said, and I shook my head.
“You know what? I don’t even know why I’m talking to you about this. You’ve never even been in a relationship. You have no experience to speak of. You’re just a jealous little girl living vicariously through me, so just … just drop it and leave me the hell alone.”
The words came too quickly for me to stop my stupid mouth from saying them, and by the time they were out, it was too late. The damage had been done, and I saw the hurt written plainly on her face.
“Jamie,” I began, wishing I could pull her into my arms and give her a hug, “I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean it.”
But she wasn’t listening. She moved from the side of the bed, out of my line of sight, and when I turned to find her and beg her to stay, she had already disappeared.
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
VINNIE
Two weeks.
That’s how long it had been since Pops died.
It’s incredible how quickly two weeks can float by when you’re busy trying to keep yourself from diving off the deep end.
It’s incredible how everybody else just seems to keep going, as if nothing had happened, as if they’d never even existed, while you’re struggling just to get out of bed.
Zach hadn’t been back to the city since the funeral. He and Greyson had their appointment at the adoption agency, and while it had gone well, they had made a definitive decision with