58. Future FIXED!
FIFTY-EIGHT
FUTURE FIXED!
Hissing in pain, I settle back in the hospital bed.
I’ve been on the brink of tears for most of the day, ever since I was a dumbass and slipped down a couple of stairs at my university. One second, I was talking to a bunch of kids I’d gotten friendly with, and the next, I was flying.
Until I wasn’t.
One broken patella later, I’ve been waiting for Mom to arrive all day.
When the nurse brings me some pain meds, I try to focus on the TV in my room, but it’s hard. They’re kinda mean here with the whole pain management situation—
“BABY!”
I sag into the bed at Mom’s shriek and hold out my hands for her. “Mom,” I warble, relieved she’s here, relieved that I don’t have to be an adult, relieved— “Dad?!” I expected Mom. Hell, I only called her. “What are you doing here?”
He scowls at me as he strides in, already clicking his fingers at staff and making the nurses glare at him. “You’re my daughter, Denver. Where else would I be?”
Excuse me while I blink.
That only annoys him all the more.
“Where are your doctors?”
“Doing what doctors do?”
His eyes narrow upon me as they scan me up and down. Then, he storms off.
“Why’s he here?” I demand.
“I called him, of course. He speaks Spanish and I don’t, silly,” Mom chides, fussing with my blankets and handing me water I didn’t ask for.
I accept it and sip at it even though I’m not thirsty. “Yeah but… a call is one thing. A transatlantic flight is another.” Especially after our last conversation. “What about the baby?”
“Frankenstein isn’t due for another ten days.”
“Surprised you know that.”
“I—”
Before she can finish, Dad’s back with the doctor as well as the surgeon who’s going to be operating on my leg early tomorrow morning. From what I can make out, they’re arguing, and Mom tsks.
Mostly, I’m glad. Dad’s not happy about them making me wait for surgery, and because I totally want this over, I don’t hate that he’s throwing his weight around.
With the whole staff in an uproar, Dad gets his way for late afternoon ‘emergency’ surgery. Haughtily, he strolls into my room and takes a seat. “Now, how did this happen?”
I squint at him. “Are we really doing this?”
“Doing what?”
“The last time we talked was at Valdemingómez!”
“And?”
I huff. “There was a reason for that.”
“Perhaps, but emergencies trump all. You’re my little girl, Denver. You’re in a foreign country. You’re in the hospital, for God’s sake. Of course I’m here. Honestly, I’m offended you think I wouldn’t be.”
Maybe it’s the pain, maybe it’s only being handed acetaminophen when I’d love some morphine, but I mutter, “You only want me for what I’m worth to you.”
“Denny!” Mom’s surprise floors me.
“What? You know it’s true. He barely gets in touch and when he does, it’s to talk to Pecan or Zach.
I’m like his PA or something. He forces me into a major I’m shit at and that I’d fail every class without my friend tutoring me, and all so that I can take over his agency when, mostly, he wanted me to be a sister in Pi Beta Epsilon so that I could major in husband so that husband would take over instead of me. ”
“That’s seriously what you think of me?”
“It’s what I know of you, Dad,” I grumble. “You showed me my whole life what I’m worth to you and—”
“Denny, I understand you’re in pain, sweetheart,” Mom admonishes, “but we’ve just traveled a long way and have jet lag—”
“No, Mel. She’s right to get in my face about this.
I haven’t been the best dad and moving forward, I probably won’t be either.
I’m not…” He grimaces. “I know I’m not the most paternal of people.
That’s not going to change. Old dogs, new tricks.
But in a pinch, you can always rely on me.
Always, Denver. Hate me for being a shitty father, but know that I will have your back no matter what.
After our last call, what you said hit home. ”
“You’d never tell considering the radio silence after.”
“No. I let pride run away with me.”
I purse my lips. “Pi Beta Epsilon accepted me and I rejected them.”
His eyes widen, then he glowers at Mom, who only pats my hand. “You knew!”
“I did. After the fact. Jessie Fitzpatrick told me when I called her about that Alec boy.”
“You should have said!”
“Why? What good would it do? I pressured her into pledging again because you made me and she refused. We have to accept that Denver will do things her own way or we’ll lose her, Rod,” she snaps.
“You know I can better protect her if she’s a Pi!”
Huh?
“As can I, but that isn’t the path she wanted.”
I glance between them, sensing something deeper is going on but that neither will explain it to me. When Mom asked me to try to rush again, she’d been crying… So, she didn’t want me to pledge but Dad did?
Annoyed, I mutter, “Why would you want me in the Greek life? Do you know what hell they put me through this year?”
“That’s exactly why I wanted you in the life. They wouldn’t have dared do that pig shit if you’d been a sister.”
Even as I wonder how he knows about that, I hoot. “Dad, you’re deluded. I didn’t fit in with them. I’m more comfortable watching hockey than talking about which poor sap I want to marry so I never have to work again.” Guiltily, I grimace. “Sorry, Mom.”
“Why be sorry? It’s true. I wanted it for you too.”
“That’s not my path though.” I fist my hands in the sheets. “Look, I know I’m not traditionally pretty. It’s the reason they turned me down last year, for God’s sake. But I show up in a little black dress and suddenly they remember I’m a legacy and I’m good enough for their stupid BS? No way.
“Did you know they put the ugly invitees in a different room for pledging?”
Mom, her hand jerking to her throat, blanches. “Oh, god, I forgot about that! Denny, I’m so sorry, baby—”
“I wasn’t about to take that disrespect.
You raised me not to.” I tip up my chin.
“I’m loyal. I’m hardworking. I get shit done with boys who are harder to corral than a bunch of randy goats pawing at nannies!
I may not like the major I’m taking, but I know when you eventually let me into the agency, I will rock at it even if I hate it because hockey is a world I understand and these dipshit boys make sense to me.
” I maintain eye contact with him. “I’m worth more than just being a wife, Dad. ”
He surprises me by grabbing my hand. “I wield a lot of power in Greek life, Denny. I have dirt on people that count and could have actioned that to keep you safe. Meeting the right people, being around them—it’d have set you up for life.
That’s what I wanted. Your future assured and insured.
A husband might have been on my mind because I know being an agent isn’t what you want to do with your life and I trust Paul and Logan with my business like I trust a hole in the head.
Would I like to make sure you give them all jobs?
Of course. But you’re right—they are heathens.
Put them in the mailroom once they’re done with hockey and let them work their way up.
“But you misunderstood, honey. I wanted you to get a husband who’d protect you and the agency.
I figured he could deal with the clients and you could handle things behind the scenes.
My intention was never to tie you to charity galas and the like.
I know you’re not your mom.” He winces. “Sorry, Mel.”
She rolls her eyes. “I’ll take the insult. This once.”
His smile’s sheepish. “Denver, I built this business for me, yes, but I always knew I’d pass it on to you.
I want you to work with me at the agency because I trust no one more than I trust family.
More than I trust you. I know you’ll get shit done.
I may have been heavy-handed with school, but that’s because I’ve worked damn hard to establish myself in this world and I want to pass that onto you.
” He grabs my hand then sighs in relief when I don’t tug it out of reach. “Is that so bad, sweetheart?”
“No,” I concede tiredly. “But you have to accept that I’m going to do things my way too.”
“And I do!”
It’s time to come clean.
“You know what happened to Dyers?”
“Dyers? That strange boy who fed some poor girl his poop?”
My brows lift at Mom’s interruption. “What?”
“I read about it on some blog post the other day. That one you like. The I Told You So one.”
Because she can’t know that I had Callan feed that info to the blogger, I gasp. “She posted! How come I didn’t get a notification?!”
“Let’s get back on track, Denver,” Dad says wryly. “What about him?”
“I’m the one who ruined his life.”
“What?” Mom garbles.
“I orchestrated it. I asked my friends for help and we brought him down like the animal he is.”
Dad’s eyes widen at my smug tone. “Are you kidding?”
“No. I had something to prove to you.” At his bewilderment, I ramble, “I’m no good at my major, Dad. I’m on the wrong path and the only way I could make you believe that is by showing you what I am good at. Fixing.”
“Fixing?” Mom sputters.
“I want to change my major. I want to go into PR.”
He blinks at me. “You have no idea what you’ve done, do you?”
“Got that asshole who was mean to me sent to Edinburgh? Yeah, I know what I’ve done.
” I’m well aware my parents are sharing looks over the top of my head.
“Did you know he raped a girl on campus? That the administration punished him for misconduct? The second I knew that, my plan only grew. No way was I letting him get away with something like that. And it worked. Because I know this is something I’m good at.
It’s something that’ll be of use to the agency.
We both know what dipshits athletes can be.
Just trust in me, Dad. Please. I know what’s right for me. ”
He rubs at his eyes. “Denver, you don’t know what—”
“Yes, I do!”
His hand drops away so I have to battle with his glare. “You’ve pissed off some important people who had high hopes for him.”
“Do I look like I care?”