The Enemy - Kelsey Clayton Page 0,79

means getting my dad back on his feet. Maybe if he has a son to be proud of, he won't be such a sorry sap.

I PULL UP TO my old house, realizing my dad's car is still in the same exact spot it was when I last saw him. Hopefully that means he just hasn't gone out to the bar recently, and not that he's somewhere inside, dead from choking on his own vomit.

As I step inside, the sound of a familiar laugh has me more confused than ever. I shut the door behind me and walk into the living room. My mouth drops open when I see Lennon sitting there, having a conversation with my somewhat sober dad in the middle of a disgusting mess.

"Uh, hey," I greet them both.

My dad lights up when he sees me. "Cade-man. Your friend here was nice enough to stop by and drop off the money you gave her." He gets up off the couch and comes over to give me a hug. "Thank you, son. You really didn't have to do that, but I promise I won't let you down."

Meeting Lennon's gaze from over my dad's shoulder, she gives me a sad smile. I pat my dad on the back and wait for him to pull away.

"Dad, do you mind if I have a minute alone with Lennon?"

He smirks knowingly and glances between the two of us before disappearing into his room. I look at Lennon and nod toward the hallway. She stands and follows behind me until we're securely behind closed doors.

"What is this? A pity present?"

Her face scrunches up angrily. "What? Is that what you think I feel for you? Pity?"

I shrug. "Isn't it?"

"No, asshole!" She looks away from me, and rolls her eyes. "Forget it. This was obviously a mistake."

Before she can get to the door, I step in front of it. "No, wait. I'm sorry, I just thought for sure you'd tell your dad about the money I stole."

"Well, I didn't," she sighs. "I thought about it, but you were only helping your father. He's innocent in all of this, and while I might not be on board with doing anything that hurts my dad, I don't agree with his choice to break up a marriage either."

Guilt simmers under the surface, brewing from every bad thought I ever had about her. I take a minute to get a hold of my thoughts and then give in, running my fingers through my hair.

"How much did you give him, anyway?"

She looks down at the ground. "Eighty grand. Enough to get him through a full year."

My jaw drops. "Lennon! You can't take that much! Your dad is going to notice." I start to panic. "Did you even leave any in there?"

Her hand comes up to rub her arm, showing she's uncomfortable. "I didn't take it from my dad. I took it from my own account."

My brows raise. "You have eighty grand just sitting in a bank account?"

She tilts her head back and forth. "Had."

I look up at the ceiling, debating whether I should kiss her or yell at her. "I know your dad is loaded, but please tell me you didn't drain your bank account."

"Don't worry about it. It's my money, and I can do what I want with it."

Just when I thought shit couldn't get any more fucked up, I've got Lennon taking all the money she has and giving it to my dad. Who even lets their girlfriend, or whatever she is, do that? Especially when their motives have been as unpure as mine have.

Why couldn't I have met her under different circumstances? Why does it have to be all or nothing with her? I clench my fist and hold it to my mouth, trying to reign in my anger but there's no use. This has become such a damn mess, I can barely see the ground I stand on.

"Come on," I tell her. "We need to leave."

She steps back, sensing my anger. "What's wrong?"

"I said come on!"

Gripping her wrist, I pull her with me through the house and out the front door. As if she knows what's best for her, she doesn't fight me on it. Instead, she gets into the car and buckles her seatbelt. I turn on the car and shove it into drive before pulling out onto the road.

With every second that passes, I grow more and more furious. There's only one person to blame for all of this. The one person who took my