“Yeah, I don’t know. I’m gonna text Lucy and let her know he’s on another level and also check in, make sure they’re good.”
I nod. “Sounds good. He’s an idiot,” I say, shaking my head. “Oh well, I’ll meet you inside.”
“Okay. Hey, Claire,” he says, and Claire smiles as she waves.
“Hey, Jayden,” she says and then he heads inside, saying that he’ll get me a beer.
“Can we go by my car? I don’t want people hearing us,” she says, but before I can agree or disagree, she heads toward her car and I follow. Something inside my stomach clenches because something isn’t right. I don’t know why I feel that way, but I do. She doesn’t ever just walk away from me; she takes my hand or leans against me. Something is wrong and soon the hairs on my arms are standing at attention.
When we reach her car, she turns and I ask, “Why are you wearing so much makeup?”
She waves me off. “I just left the club. Remember the investors?”
“You wear that much makeup to meet some investors? It’s caked on.”
“I know. Just let it go okay? I need to tell you something,” she says, flustered. “One of the investors was your dad.”
My lip curls up. “Huh?”
“One of the investors planning to open a new burlesque club in New York was your dad,” she says and something isn’t clicking right.
“My dad is a lawyer for hockey players,” I say. “Are you sure it was my dad?”
She nods. “Yeah, he threatened me,” she says cautiously.
Shocked, I ask, “He did what?”
“Yeah, but it gets worse,” she says, looking everywhere but at me.
“How?” I ask and somehow I think I know what is about to come out of her mouth.
“After I turned down his deal, I went to get my purse and he walked up with one of the dancers from the club. She informed me that he was her boyfriend. Then he sent her to go to the car, and when she was gone, he tried to buy me off so that I wouldn’t tell you guys. When I said hell no, he threatened me but he never got his hands on me because the bodyguard stopped him.”
I must not be processing what she’s saying, but I know it’s the truth. I’ve always thought my dad was fucking around on my mom. He’s always such an ass to her and always gone and shit. For some reason though, my heart aches. It must be because my mom is going to be completely broken. She loves my dad for some fucked-up reason, and this isn’t going to go well. Taking in a slow breath, I clench my hand into a fist, my nails biting into my palm as I let out the breath in a whoosh.
“Wow, I need to call my mom,” I say almost like I’m in a trance.
“I’m sorry,” she says, and I shake my head.
“It’s not your fault,” I answer, reaching for my phone in my pocket. When I hit the screen, I see that I have four text messages and five missed calls from Jace.
“Shit. Jace has been calling and texting me.”
“I didn’t hear your phone ring,” she says and I nod.
“I had it on silent,” I say and then I open his messages.
Littler Bro: Dude, shit is going down over here. Mom and Dad are screaming at each other and Lucy left with Angie cause she doesn’t want her around this.
Littler Bro: What the hell is wrong with your phone? I’ve called you five times.
Littler Bro: Shit, Dad’s cheating on Mom with some slut from a strip club. I didn’t know that Claire is a stripper. She’s the one who found him with someone.
Littler Bro: Fuck, will you call me!
I didn’t know that Claire is a stripper.
No. Surely I’m reading that wrong. Looking up, I see that Claire is looking down, messing with her nails. She’s stiff, her shoulders back and tight and she’s working her lip, something she does when she’s nervous. My stomach turns and I feel like I might hurl everywhere.