“I need to leave,” I murmur.
“Running away, Violet? You’re just like every other girl in Black Mountain. I’m good enough to fuck, but not good enough to keep,” he snarls, turning his anger directly at me.
I don’t know what I expected, but this wasn’t it. I’m used to getting hate from people that are close to me. Somehow, it hurts more when it comes from Mike and I get mad at myself for allowing that. I feel everyone’s gaze on me. That’s nothing new, but in this setting it hurts. I can handle ignoring how others treat me normally, but here it makes me feel raw. I walk off, just needing out of there. I rode here with Mike, but I’m not against walking. It will do me good and be just another reminder of why I should never let my guard down. I go toward the front door and there’s one set of eyes on me that sticks out above all the others.
Mike’s father.
He’s gloating. He doesn’t even try to hide it. Normally, it wouldn’t bother me, but right now it does. I haven’t felt this alone since my last confrontation with my mother.
“You can’t leave,” Mike says when I get outside.
I turn at the bottom of the steps that lead up to the Huntington home. It’s a strange thought to have, but when I look at the stone structure—because there’s no way you could call it a home—it’s grand and probably as beautiful as the homes you see in magazines. It’s also cold and suddenly the large walkway and grand stairs remind me of an entry into hell. It had to be hell living here, but I don’t feel pity for Mike. Parker apparently lived here too, and he’s not a big fat jerk. He’s standing behind Mike, Ida Sue beside him and they look worried.
Mike just looks drunk and pathetic.
“Watch me, Mikey,” I huff, turning around to continue walking away. I also slam my walls back into place. For some reason, and now I can’t even begin to understand why, I had been letting them down around Mike. That was a mistake, one that I will never repeat.
“Remember our deal, Violet,” he gloats. “You leave and all your dirty little secrets will be spread through BMA before you even show up Monday morning.”
“Fuck off, Mikey,” I snap, sick of him even as my stomach churns at the possibility I’m going to have to make different plans on going to college. I don’t have to go to Ivy League, but I know in rich circles—in the circles I want to have a career in—that it means more. In that moment, I hate Michael Huntington and I’m inwardly cursing myself for imagining that I kind of liked him. I should have remembered that day when we first met, or the night when I danced for him.
“Where are you going? You forget that I drove you here?” he yells, but that doesn’t even slow me down, because his voice is closer, and I need away from him.
I resist the urge to scream at him I’d rather walk naked over hot burning coals than be around him. I know it wouldn’t do any good. Chances are he’d say something that hurt me or pissed me off even more than I already am. Plus, I really want away from him.
I hear someone jogging behind me and I turn around preparing for battle.
“Stop this, Violet,” he says, reaching out to me and I back up really quickly so he can’t touch me.
“I didn’t start this. You did.”
“I got pissed,” he says, like that is the only reason he needs to act like a total ass.
“I’m done,” I counter.
“Angel—” he starts, but I don’t want to hear it. I didn’t want to come here tonight, but I did because he seemed to want me here. Then, he proceeded to leave me alone most of the night and only show back up drunk and insulting me.
“I’m going home,” I tell him, suddenly feeling really tired.
“Vi—”
“Parker and I will take you home, Violet,” Ida Sue interrupts, and I’d forgotten she was around.
“You will?” I ask, confused, and worried.
“Sure will. I could use a break anyway,” Parker replies joining in.
“I’ll be fine,” I argue, wishing I could just blink my eyes and disappear.
“Nonsense. I’d like to get to know you better,” Ida Sue tells me, confusing me.
“Why?”
Instead of answering me, she smiles at me—making me feel like I’ve fallen into some kind of alternate universe.
“You have a very pretty name. I’ve always believed you could tell a lot about a person from their name. Don’t you agree?”
“Uh… I don’t know…”
“Violet, stay here. You’re here for me,” Mike growls and I blink at his words.
He sounds like a spoiled child.
“Let’s go,” I tell Parker and Ida Sue, because I notice some others have come out. So far his father isn’t here, but I want to leave before that happens.