Page 17 of Pucking Forbidden

“Try again.”

I chew my lip nervously, but nod. “You might be right.”

Maybe it would be better to try to talk to him before I do something drastic. I don’t want to disappoint him…I just want him to listen to me.

Lainey pats my cheek. “You’ve got this. I promise. Just keep your chin up and tell yourself you’re a badass bitch who doesn’t take shit from anyone.”

I giggle, swatting her hand away. “I’m a badass bitch who doesn’t take shit from anyone.”

We laugh, and I do feel a little better, but there’s still a small voice in the back of my head that says even if I’m honest with Dad, it won’t matter.

Nothing will change.

That evening, when I’m alone in my dorm again, lying on my bed, dressed in sweats and my Night Hawks hoodie, I pull out my phone and suck in a deep breath. I’ve been trying to psych myself up for this call, and I have to just do it. I’ve talked about this with Dad before, but this time, I need to make him really listen to me.

Giving myself a quick shake, I dial his number.

“Hadley,” Dad greets me after only a few rings. “How are you, honey? How’s school?”

I just manage not to roll my eyes. Of course, he’d jump straight into a school report. I can picture him sitting in his large office with its floor-to-ceiling windows looking out toward the mountains, dressed in a sharp, tailored suit, his expression no-nonsense.

“Hey, Dad,” I start slowly. “Um…that’s actually what I want to talk to you about.”

“Oh?” His voice sharpens a bit, as if he’s on edge now.

“Well, uh…if I’m being honest, I’m not really liking school.”

There’s a moment of silence, and I hold my breath while I wait for him to respond. At length, he lets out a long, exasperated breath.

“This again, Hadley?” he grumbles.

“I really just want to talk it through…”

“I don’t understand what the issue is, Hadley.” His voice is clipped and perfectly controlled, per usual. “You’ve always excelled academically.”

I press my lips together, gripping my phone a little tighter. “I know, but that’s not the issue. I don’t like what I’m doing.”

“You don’t have to like every class,” he replies. “That’s not the point of higher education.”

“It’s not just the classes,” I push, trying to keep my voice steady. “I don’t think this is what I want long-term.”

There’s another pause. Oh, God. I can only imagine what’s going through his head right now.

“You’re twenty,” he states at last. “Of course you don’t know what kind of lawyer you want to be yet, but I told you, once you get to law school, it’ll be easier to narrow it down.”

Frustration flares in my chest, and I grind my teeth as I struggle to keep my tone even. He’s just not listening. “I really don’t think that’s going to happen.”

“It will,” he counters smoothly. “Of course, my preference would be that you go into business law. It offers stability, opportunity, and you’ll be able to come work for me once you pass the bar…”

“Dad, please!” I cut in before I can stop myself. “You’re not listening to me!”

Silence once again, but I can hear his sharp breathing, and I know he’s sucking it in between his teeth. He always does that when he’s losing patience. Shit. I didn’t mean to lose my cool. I close my eyes, bracing for what I know is coming next.

“Hadley, I know school can be stressful, but that doesn’t give you the right to take that tone with me. I’ve spent my entire career building something that could benefit you.” His tone is sharp and cold. “Don’t be a child. Everything will work out, all right?”

Guilt creeps in immediately, and for a moment, I think I might be sick.

“I’m sorry,” I murmur. “I just…I want to at least explore other options. Study something I actually enjoy.”