Take Me On by Katie McGarry Read Free Book Online Page B

in this hospital. She wouldn’t be fighting for her life.
    Mom’s heels click across the wooden floor toward me. When she raises her hand, I tilt my head away. I don’t deserve Mom’s forgiveness or her comfort. Persistent, Mom gently lays her hand on my jaw and moves her thumb as if her touch could erase the bruises. “Why do you do this to yourself? Why must you always fight?”
    “I don’t know.” I step back, forcing her to drop her hand.
    Mom puts distance between us and pours herself a cup of coffee. “Have you visited with Rachel?”
    “No.” A sweep of the room confirms the guy with the dying wife vacated. No wonder Mom’s being open about family business.
    A gruff clearing of a throat draws our attention to the doorway. Dad stretches to his full six feet and sets his pissed-off dark eyes on me.
    “Miriam.” He softens his tone when he addresses Mom. “The nurses need you.”
    Mom nods, and as she hurries out, Dad gently wraps his fingers around her wrist. She lifts her gaze to his and he bends down to kiss her lips. They do this. My parents love each other. Dad worships her, and it’s why he’s a control freak with us. If everything isn’t about business, it’s about Mom’s happiness.
    When Dad releases her, she leaves. Not once peeking in my direction.
    I stand taller when Dad enters, as if preparing for a physical fight. We’ve yet to come to blows during an argument, but the fire in his eyes says that day will happen. Sooner now than later, and I hate it. When I was a kid, Dad and I used to be close.
    “You didn’t come here last night like I asked.”
    I stay silent. The truth won’t help my case. I’ve been in detention more than any kid at my school and have been suspended more days than we’ve had off. Dad, in his own way, takes my shit, but he made it clear months ago that he’d be done with me at expulsion.
    “Did you go home or did you pass out at a party?” he asks.
    “Does it matter?” I’ve seen that expression before. He’s already made up his mind on me.
    “No,” he answers. “They’ve expelled you.”
    I utter something I’ve never said to him. “I’m sorry.” I am. For Rachel. For the fight at school. For making this horrible situation more complicated.
    His face remains emotionless. “I don’t care.”
    I blink and my shoulders fall a half inch. “I mean it. I’m sorry. I’ll apologize to the principal, to the guy I hurt, his family, whatever. I screwed up this time.”
    He points at me. “Damn right you screwed up. But not just this time. This is one of many mistakes, and I’m done with it. I told you months ago that I drew the line at expulsion. All you had to do was stay out of fights and stay out of trouble until you graduate and you couldn’t even do that. What’s worse is that you chose to cross this line with your sister in the hospital. What is this? A cry for attention? You don’t think that your mother has enough to deal with?”
    “Fine. Tell me what you want me to do and I’ll do it.”
    “Your sister is in agony and from what I understand you had a hand in this nightmare.”
    My eyes snap to his. “I tried to keep her from Isaiah.” That’s where I failed, and I don’t care for the reminder.
    “You never bothered telling me she was seeing him in the first place! I’m her father, not you. I’m the one who makes those decisions.”
    I throw my arms out to my sides. “That would have required you to be home and not on your goddamn phone!”
    A muscle in his jaw jumps. I drew blood and I don’t fucking care.
    “Care to tell me about the money you took from your sister?” I don’t like the way his eyes slice through me, as if he shoved a blade into my chest and he’s enjoying watching me bleed.
    “I told Rachel I’d pay her back.”
    “Tell me about the money you took from your sister.”
    “I told you already. Gavin owed money to a bookie and I came up with the amount needed.”
    “You never told me you stole that money