"Oh no."

"Tonight."

I wanted that run. I needed that run right now.

I looked at her. "How long is he in town?" My voice came out breathless.

"It depends on you." She held my gaze until the light turned green. As we started forward again, she gripped the steering wheel with clenched knuckles. "I don't like that he's here, but he is. David's going to flip about this."

My heart was pounding again. It was a horse track. "Mom, I can't…"

Her hand clasped onto mine and she squeezed it. "I'm sorry, honey. I really am, but your father's a jerk. If I tell him you don't want to see him, he won't believe me. He'll show up anyway and I'd like to avoid that, if possible."

"Mom." My voice was a whisper now. "I can't. I really can't."

She kept driving and we were almost home when she murmured, "Okay, honey. I'll tell him you're not ready."

Everything sagged forward at that. As soon as we got home, I unbuckled and bolted for the door. I was back on the pavement within ten minutes with my running shoes on and my headphones in my ears.

Three hours later when I turned into the driveway, my stomach had stopped rumbling. Everything was numb in me, it was the way I liked it, and I was blind to the three cars I passed as I let myself inside. I trailed through the house and eyed the droplets of sweat that slipped from me. I doubted my mom would care, not that I ever did, but the small grin that formed on my face was wiped away when I went past the dining room.

A man sat at the table with my mother and James. He had striking blue eyes and broad shoulders. He looked in his forties with a strong jaw and a lean physique. Confidence and authority exhumed from him. As he turned towards me, he never blinked. I felt pinned under his gaze and steeled myself. He was trying to read into me, as only Mason tended to do sometimes.

"Sam, honey." Analise jumped up. "You're back from your run."

I couldn't answer her. I couldn't look away from this man.

She laughed nervously. "This is your father…Garrett Brickshire."

"You're the hotshot lawyer from Boston?"

The corner of his lip twitched. "You're the pain in the ass daughter I never knew about?"

"My mom said you were a jerk." I paused. "That was an understatement."

"She said the same thing to me." He stood and my eyes widened. He kept standing up. And he towered above my mom and James.

"How tall are you?"

"I'm six four. How far did you run?"

I would've shrugged, but my body couldn't respond to me anymore. "I have no idea."

"You're not training for a marathon?"

"I run to run."

We were locked in some form of battle. Neither of us could look away, neither of us could back down.

His mouth twitched now to a mocking grin. "You should keep track of what you do. Your achievements define you."

My lip curled upwards. "Then I'm not worth your time. I don't have any achievements. You can go back to Boston and your hotshot lawyer life."

He blinked.

He broke. I won.

Then he laughed in a smooth baritone voice. "Yeah, you're my kid alright." He turned to Analise. "I still want the test done, but I'm 99% sure she's mine."

She huffed out, "Like I'd lie to you after seventeen years, Garrett."

He chuckled. "I think you lie so much you don't know when you're not." His eyes met James. "No offense to your future bride. I'm sure she loves you well enough."

A look twitched in James' eyes. "You've seen her for yourself. Now you can return to your hotel to wait until Samantha is ready. I believe she should determine when and if she's ready to meet with you again."

The cockiness vanished in Garrett's eyes and he drew himself to an impressive height. He reached for James' hand. As they shook, he said, "I've heard of a James Kade. Though the circumstances are strained, I'm glad to have met you."

"You as well, Mr. Brickshire."

They studied each other for a moment. It reminded me of the exchange between David and James earlier, but this one was different. There was an edge to it that I hadn't felt in the classroom with David.

Then the moment was broken as Garrett passed by me. "I'll see you later, kid!" He thumped me on the shoulder before the door shut behind him.

I needed another run.

CHAPTER THIRTY FOUR

The rest of the week was quiet. I knew Garrett was at some ritzy hotel. Analise told me he offered to pay for my own suite so we could get to know one another, but that was the one and only time she mentioned him. I was content to let him sit and wait.

School was also quiet. Lydia never left my side, which was refreshing. Becky was right beside her and the two seemed like long-lost kindred souls. She insisted that Adam wanted to make things right again, but he never approached me. I caught a few looks from him, but that was the extent of it. The Elite had fallen quiet as well. Miranda and Amelia glared every now and then, but as the week progressed their glares faded. Cassandra rolled her eyes whenever she saw me and she would whisper to whatever friend was nearby, but I never let it bother me. It hadn't before, why would I start now?

Of the four Elite girls, Emily was the one who hadn't changed with me. She never talked to me before and she didn't now. There were no glares or eye rolls either. One time she bumped into me, but kept going. From the distracted look on her face, I was inclined she didn't know who she had bumped into. And judging from how she hurried away, I didn't think she cared.

The only Elite member who did talk to me was Mark, and both of us felt awkward about the exchange.

He stopped at my locker one day and looked above my head.

I turned around to see who was behind me, but there was no one. "Can I help you?"

He cleared his throat and looked in pain as he did it.

"Mark? Hello?"

I spotted Lydia and Becky down the hallway. They were giggling about something, but both stopped in their tracks when they saw who was in front of me. Hands flew over their mouths and their heads bumped together. They scurried into a nearby bathroom and I knew they wouldn't save me either.

He continued to stare over my head and his mouth kept twitching. I grew tired of waiting and snapped my fingers in front of him. "Hey, I'm down here. Look at me if you're going to talk to me."