The Backup Girlfriend (Grove Valley High #2) - Emma Doherty Page 0,43

now.”

“You don’t think it looks good?”

“I never said that. You’re always going to look good, I just don’t think you should keep bleaching it if you don’t want to.”

“I do want to though.”

“Well that’s fine then, but it does look good dark too.”

“But Mom said…she’s always…”

She rolls her eyes. “Mom doesn’t know anything.”

“But she said—”

“Let me guess, she said guys prefer blondes and you look better like that? Said you’ll attract more rich guys that way?” She shakes her head, genuine disgust on her face. “She’s so screwed up. Mom lives in this messed-up world where she doesn’t actually know anything. You just need to think about what’s best for you and do what makes you happy.”

I stare at her for a second, she stares back, and I get the feeling she’s not just talking about my hair color anymore. She’s talking about everything.

I shouldn’t let Mom dictate my life like Ellie let her dictate hers. It’s on the tip of my tongue to ask her about the bartender, but something tells me she won’t share that information with me.

“I’m just telling you that you’re going to be amazing whatever your hair color is.” She lets out a long sigh. “I know you hate having to get your hair done all the time, and I know I haven’t always been the best example for you. I didn’t stick up for myself against Mom, and maybe my life would be different if I had.”

She’s never, ever said this to me before. “Ellie—”

“I’m happy,” she interrupts me. “I love Eric and he loves me, but I got lucky. I don’t want you to end up unhappy by just trying to make her happy.”

She’s right; ultimately, she did get lucky, and she met someone who actually makes her happy and also meets my mom’s standards. My mom didn’t. She’s been stuck in this hell of a marriage that she and my dad are both too stubborn to walk away from just because he has money in the bank. As I think about it, as I think about the fact that she doesn’t care that her own daughters dread their father’s return because of his behavior and the environment she’s built, I know it’s not what I want. I’m not prepared to run the risk that I might end up in a marriage like my parents by following my mom’s advice.

And besides, I’m eighteen years old—I shouldn’t even be thinking about marriage or any of that bullshit. I should just be out there having fun and doing whatever I want like a normal teenager. Maybe Ellie’s right. Maybe I should dye my hair. It’s just a small step, but it’ll lead me in the right direction.

I walk over to Ellie and bend down to hug her tightly.

“Thanks, Ellie.”

She hugs me back before pulling away. “This weekend is going to be fine, Dad is going to be fine, and if you want, you can come stay with me.”

This is why I love her. “I’ll be fine.”

She nods. “Come on, go get changed, and then we can go back to my house, get Eric Jr. settled, and head out to meet Mom and Dad together.”

I smile back at her. Sometimes, especially lately, it’s felt like I don’t have anybody.

But that’s wrong. I have my sister.

13

I know something’s wrong when I find myself actually looking forward to baking with Livy at 4pm for the sole reason that it gets me out of my house.

My mom’s been around the whole weekend, drinking, giving me her unsolicited advice and just generally driving me crazy while I try my hardest to study. But, actually, my dad has been in a really tranquil, chilled-out mood. I wouldn’t go so far as to say he was nice to me or actually interested in talking to me about anything to do with my life, but he only shouted at my mom once, just for a minute before retiring to his study, and then was nice again afterward, and by the time I get home from the bakery, he’ll have already left for his flight back to New York.

Honestly, the man is exhausting. I can never, ever predict his moods.

As I drive over to the bakery, I’m actually feeling a little nervous at the thought of spending the next couple of hours with Livy. We’ve never spent any one-on-one time together, never had a private conversation in our lives—not unless you count the one time in my life when I decided to be selfless