Chapter 10
Chapter ten
Camryn
Astrip club.
He took her to a strip club. My thirteen-year-old niece.
Sam was never going to win any parent of the year awards, but at least she never took Syd to a fucking strip club.
Anything could have happened. What would she have seen if I hadn’t shown up?
God, I don’t even want to think about it.
But here I am, obsessing over the colossal fuckup and what Barrett said when I went to get Syd.
I have no choice. He’s her father and I’m…
nothing. Not in the legal sense anyways.
With Sam, I had to walk a fine line between taking care of Syd the best I could and not offending Samantha.
I’d been doing it all my life, so it wasn’t particularly challenging when I wanted to stay on her good side.
But Barrett is different.
Or maybe I am.
I don’t want to have to tiptoe around anyone where Syd’s safety and well-being are concerned.
But that’s what I’ll always have to do, isn’t it?
Barrett was right. She’s his daughter. I’m the aunt.
He told me he appreciated the fact that I’ve uprooted my life to be with her, that I gave up the fight for custody before it really began.
Because I saw what was best for her, and she needed protection from my parents and their insane idea of her coming to live with them.
Guess I’m just the glorified babysitter in his eyes.
And just when we were getting along so well.
I’ll admit that barging in and yelling may not have been the best reaction, but I was completely taken off guard and freaked out that Syd has been having issues at school.
She’s always told me everything, so hearing from Lucy that Barrett was on his way to pick Syd up because some girls were harassing her made me feel like absolute shit that I wasn’t the one she called.
“Don’t be mad at Barrett, Aunt Cam,” Syd says to me in the truck on the way to Betsy’s. “He did what he thought he was supposed to.”
“I’m trying really hard not to be. But he should have never taken you to that club, Syd. That was a huge mistake on his part.” I grip the wheel of the truck even harder trying to rid myself of this anger.
“They weren’t open or anything. And I went straight to the office and started working on my homework.
” Syd has been trying to catch up with the work she missed while she wasn’t enrolled.
Not because she has to, but because that’s the kind of kid she is.
“He’s trying to be a good dad. I see that. Don’t you?”
“I do,” I concede. “But that was a bad move on his part.”
“It’s not like my mom didn’t do worse. She used to bring some pretty sleazy people around.”
A lump forms in my throat. I know Sam had terrible taste in men, but I’ve asked plenty of times if those men were ever around or tried anything on my niece. Syd always said no, and I’ve always believed her.
“Did any of the men that your mom had around ever try to touch you or say anything inappropriate to you?”
Syd shakes her head. “No. I would have told you.”
“But you didn’t tell me you were having a hard time in school with some of the other kids. What did they say to you?”
She’s silent for a few moments looking out the window while absently picking at her thumb nail. I rest my hand over hers, and she stops.
“You can talk to me, Syd. You always have before.”
“They were saying I was trash, like the club kids. I guess there’re some people in this town who don’t like the Black Roses, and they make that well known. Some rich kids who live on the outskirts in big houses. I think it’s close to where Mia’s grandmother lives.”
I’ve heard Mia’s grandmother is loaded and that she also spends quite a bit of time with the club’s founder, Ozzy’s grandfather. I guess I assumed that meant the club was welcomed by everyone in the community. It looks like I was wrong.
It reminds me of how I grew up and was taught that if someone didn’t come from a family with money—didn’t live in a big house or drive the latest model luxury car—they were less than.
Then I think about how the look on Barrett’s face today was so similar to the look he wore the first time I met him.
As though he views me as some spoiled rich bitch who looks down her nose at everyone else.
The fucked-up part is I can see how he would think that.
There have been times I have acted like that.
A big part of Barrett is still dealing with where he came from and people like my family who made him feel the way those kids made Syd feel.
And now he’s seeing it from his daughter’s perspective, and I hate myself for being so hard on him.
“I feel like this whole not telling me things is becoming more and more common between us. When you came here without telling me, then promised not to hide things from me again, I thought you understood that meant everything that’s going on. Including when stuff at school is happening,” I say.
“I know. I just…I was scared if I said something to you, you’d blame Barrett for making us stay here.
I figured it would stop eventually. That I was just the new kid they could pick on, but they’d back off.
He’s really trying. And it’s been nice having a dad.
I don’t want you guys fighting about me staying here. ”
Fuck. That’s exactly what happened when I stormed into Midnight Rose.
“I’m sorry, Syd. I should have held my temper better.
That was uncalled for on my part. And…I don’t blame Barrett for reacting the way he did.
I still don’t think it was okay for him to take you there, but you were both right.
It was closed for business, and you would have been gone before it opened.
I think I was more scared for you than anything.
” I pull up to the curb a couple of storefronts down from Betsy’s because there’s plenty of room to park Barrett’s giant truck and turn to Syd.
“You can tell me anything. I’m so happy you like having him around, Syd.
Truly. My saying I made a mistake in keeping us here was out of anger.
I don’t think this is a mistake. His life, his job…
it’s so different than what I would have ever envisioned.
But he’s your father, and his number one priority is you. Same as me.”
Syd smiles, and it punches me in the gut.
She was afraid to tell me something was wrong at school because she didn’t want me to blame Barrett for making her go there.
God, I need to do better when it comes to showing her that I think Barrett is a good dad.
Because when I look past all my own hang-ups, I know he is, and I need to give him the credit he deserves.
“Now, as far as those girls are concerned, fuck ’em. Some girls are little bitches at that age and wouldn’t know a sweet, funny, caring girl if she hit them in the face. And if you do decide to do that, you have my full support.”
Syd barks out a surprised laugh. “I think Barrett is rubbing off on you more than you think.”
“Maybe. But no one messes with my favorite person on the planet and expects to get away with it.”
“I think I’ll just show them that they can say whatever they want, but it doesn’t matter to me. I know who I am and who my family is. And I couldn’t care less that they’re bikers or mechanics or whatever. They’re good people.”
My shoulders shake with silent laughter. “How did you get so mature?”
“I have no idea because you two are hopeless. Barrett looked about ready to burn the whole school down when he showed up. He even revved his motorcycle so loud I’m sure he rattled some windows.
It was actually kind of funny. Now those girls know who they’re messing with.
” There’s laughter and a certain pride in Syd’s voice that I’ve never heard before.
Barrett came to the rescue for her, and my generally reserved thirteen-year-old niece is happy about it.
None of the oh my God, my parents are so embarrassing nonsense from her.
She’s happy that she has a new start and a new family in Shine.
That she has more than just me. And I’m fucking thrilled she does, too.
We’ve been home for less than an hour, and Syd and I are stretched out on opposite ends of the couch—she’s watching videos from her favorite band on her phone while I read. It’s calm and relaxing, kind of reminiscent of the weekends we used to spend in my old apartment.
A knock sounds at the door and I hear, “Open up. The pregnant lady has to pee.”
Syd and I look at each other, surprised our quiet day is being interrupted. Neither of us is used to anyone knocking on the door without calling to tell us they’re coming over. Not that it happened particularly often in New York.
I get up and open the door, finding Lucy and Charlie on the other side with bags in their hands.
“Heard Syd had a rough day. Thought we’d come cheer her up. Mia will be here in a little while; she’s still stuck at work. And oh-ho, what a day it’s been since Sydney left,” Lucy says, shoving past me. “I’ll tell you all about it in a sec.” She pads toward the bathroom and shuts the door.
Charlie smiles as she steps inside the house. “I hope it’s okay that we’re barging in on you. I told Lucy we should call first, but…”
“I have a feeling your first mistake was listening to Lucy,” I say, returning her smile. “And it’s totally fine. Syd and I were just catching up on some couch rotting.”
“I can get behind that. School has been kicking my ass,” Charlie says as she walks into the kitchen and sets the bags on the counter. “I’m almost done though.”
Last time we spent time together, having a mani-pedi day at Charlie and Linc’s house, she told me about the classes she’s taking and her plans to become a therapist. Hell, maybe I’ll be one of her first clients, and she can help me unpack all the ways I feel like I’m screwing everything up with Syd and Barrett.