Broken Bride: The Complete Series (Broken #1-3; Bellanti Brothers #1-3) by Stella Gray

Author:Stella Gray [Gray, Stella]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781957647609
Amazon: B0CL7YBVS4
Goodreads: 200067553
Publisher: Paige Press, LLC
Published: 2023-10-15T23:00:00+00:00

15

FRANKIE

“He’s ruined everything else. He doesn’t get to ruin my senior year, too.”

I’m driving Livvie to Napa High, even though Charlie and I told our little sister she could skip school if she wanted. We thought a break might give her some time to deal with everything that’s been going on, and there are only a few weeks left until winter vacation anyway. But Livvie was adamant. She said she didn’t want to miss any of the reviews before midterm exams, insisting she’d finish the quarter with her usual straight As, come hell or high water.

It’s about an hour and ten minutes to NHS, so we left extra early and hit the Starbucks drive thru before hitting the road this morning. Our breakfast sandwiches are long gone, though Livvie ate half of mine, but my little sister is still fiddling with the cardboard sleeve on her cup while she stares out the car window.

Even though she’s tried her best to put on a happy face, it’s obvious that everything is weighing heavily on her—and I hate that I don’t know how to make it better. I still see red every time I mentally replay that horrible scene with the men who came to the winery to take the Friesians. Which Dad still hasn’t apologized for.

In fact, he hasn’t reached out at all. Of course he hasn’t. Slow clap for Absentee Father of the Year.

It’s infuriating the way he’s left Livvie without a positive male influence in her life. I know how I felt growing up without one. And look what happened—I eloped with the first man who threw any attention at me, married him without a second thought. His bullshit promises to take care of me were like my own personal aphrodisiac. I don’t want that for my sister.

Unfortunately, solid father figures don’t exactly fall from the sky when you need them.

Although…now that I think about it, I might know someone who fits the bill.

After I drop Livvie off at the school’s front doors, I watch her disappear into the teeming rush of teenagers and overstuffed backpacks, and then go park in the lot.

It’s been years since I walked these halls, and I can’t help but smile as I make my way to the front office. School was my sanctuary, though I never fully appreciated that until after I’d graduated.

When I ask the admin behind the curved reception desk if I can visit Mr. Matthews, my old school counselor, she smiles. “Mr. Matthews is no longer a counselor here,” she says.

“Oh,” I say, deflating. “Do you know if he transferred somewhere else, or—”

“He is Vice Principal Matthews now,” she clarifies. “And I happen to know that he’s free.”

She has me sign in on a clipboard and then motions me down the hall. As I knock on his door, I briefly wonder if he’ll remember me. I’m sure he’s seen thousands of students pass through NHS during his time here.

“Come on in,” he calls out. Just the sound of his voice is a comfort.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.