“Baby, maybe I should tell your parents while you’re in New York. I can deal with the fallout of that and then when you get home, there won’t be this pressure about telling your parents on top of everything else.”

I begin pacing faster, my hands are sweating and I’m wondering if a panic attack is coming on. “They’re going to freak, JP. What happened to telling them together?”

“I always thought it might be best if I told your father by myself.”

My father, who rarely yelled. Rarely lost his temper flashes through my head. I can only recall a handful of times when he yelled. The time Mason crashed the car. One of the times I got caught sneaking back in at three in the morning, drunk as hell. The time I threw a party while he and Mom were out of town. It was rare but when he did it was scary. Run for the hills, scary. I can only imagine how he would react to this. “Okay but while I’m here?”

“I won’t if you’re really against it.”

“Fuck. I don’t know. I don’t know what to do.” My eyes are welling up with tears and they begin falling down my face rapidly. “What do I do, JP?”

“Please don’t cry, baby. I’m not there and it’s going to send me over the edge because there’s nothing I can do to stop it.” I wipe my face and let out a shaky breath.

“I can’t believe I did this.” I look up in time to see Laura rounding the corner and throwing her hands up when she sees me. “Chloe, I have to go.” I speak into the phone as I begin walking toward her. I hung up the phone without waiting for his reply.

“We’ve been looking for you.”

“Talking to my cousin.” I know she can see the tears in my eyes and the sadness on my face and I’m grateful that she takes it to mean it’s about this situation.

“He’s going to be fine, Whitney.” She wraps a hand around me. “I’m just glad you’re here now.”

Chapter Fourteen

The call drops and I realize Whitney must have had unexpected company to make her end the call with me so abruptly. A part of me is pissed she was forced to do that but I know she’s overwhelmed at the moment. I can feel her anxiety even across the country, so I just send her a text.

Me: Take a deep breath. I love you. Call me when you can.

I move back into the living room to see Trey on my couch with some of the leftovers I took with me from Kevin and Michelle’s the other night. “How is she?”