On The Rebound (Steinbeck U #1) - L.A. Cotton Page 0,87
back when I was a kid, and he didn’t get it now. It was sad really, that the man responsible for half of my genetic makeup didn’t give a shit about me.
Sad, but true.
My heart cinched.
“I have two tickets,” his tone softened, “and I’d really like you to come with me. I’ve barely seen you since you arrived, and it’ll be nice for you to support your brother—”
“Are you kidding me?” I breathed, the weight of his words coiling around my heart like thorns. “Support him? You do realize that he hasn’t spoken two words to me since I arrived here? He didn’t even tell the team his sister was starting at SU. What kind of person does that?”
“Callum is hurting, Calli. He’s been through a lot...”
“You just don’t get it, do you?” A rush of tears overpowered me, and I fought to keep them in.
“Get what?”
“You abandoned me, Dad. You both just left me like I was nothing. I spent my entire childhood trying to get you to notice me. Do you have any idea what it feels like to be so... so invisible?” My chest heaved as the words spilled from my lips.
“Calli, I—”
“Let’s not do this, Dad. You didn’t care then and it’s crystal clear you don’t care now. I’ve got stuff to do. Goodbye.” Tears exploded from my eyes as I hung up.
God, he was so clueless. So blinded by Callum and his hopes and dreams and aspirations.
“Calli?”
I spun around to find Josie standing there. “I heard shouting,” she said, “and the door was unlocked so I...” Concern shone in her eyes.
“It’s fine.” Sniffling, I dried my eyes and took a shuddering breath.
“Your dad?”
“Yeah. He wanted to invite me to Callum’s exhibition as a peace offering.”
“He sounds like a clueless idiot.”
“Oh, he is.”
“Hey, want to get out of here? I’m sure Xavier won’t mind us hanging at the bar.”
“It’s a school night,” I said, eyeing the stack of course reading I had to get through.
“So? It’s college. You can skip morning classes or throw on some shades to hide your hangover eyes.” Josie gave me a warm smile and it settled something inside me.
I’d lucked out meeting her. Sure, the fact she was Joel’s sister was a slight issue, but I could be her friend and still avoid the team.
It was working out okay so far.
“What?” she asked.
“I’m really glad I met you, Josie.”
“The feeling is entirely mutual. Come on, I’m starving.”
Steel ‘n’ Thunder was quiet, but it wasn’t even six on a Wednesday evening.
“You two keep coming around here and I’m going to start thinking you ain’t just coming for the beer.” Xavier chuckled at his own joke as we slipped onto the stools at the bar.
“My girl needed to get out of her dorm room, and you do some of the best beer in town.”
“Damn right, we do.” He grinned proudly. “So whose face do I need to rearrange for hurting you, Calli?”
“I...”
“Relax.” Josie snickered. “He’s joking. Mostly.”
“Any guy who makes you cry isn’t worth your time, sweetheart.”
“What about fathers who make you cry?” I asked, managing a weak smile.
“Shit,” a dark expression crossed his face, “for real?” I nodded. “Then he definitely ain’t worth your time. Let me get you both a little something to drink. You hungry? I could have Munster rustle you up some food.”
I didn’t know who or what Munster was, but my stomach growled all the same. “I could eat some fries.”
“Calli, girl, we don’t just serve fries here, we serve the best damn fries you’ll ever eat.” Xavier winked before stalking off down the bar.
“Thank you,” I said to Josie. “You were right, this is just what I needed.”
“Well, duh.” She grinned, but then her expression sobered. “Do you want to talk about it?”
“I don’t know what there is to say. He just makes me so... so angry, you know?” I curled my fist against the bar, relishing how the cool surface felt against my heated skin. “When he had the affair, I was hardly surprised. He and Callum were away a lot for training camps and traveling for the game with his team. I can’t ever remember him and Mom being a happily married couple. They didn’t fight or argue a lot, they were just never very warm to one another.
“She let him go without a fight. But when Callum announced he was going too, she was devastated. I begged him to stay. I think I might have even hugged him, and I never did that.” Tears