Fortuitous {WLW}

Chapter Ten: Drama Queen

Emerson's POV:

I enter the house, closing the door very slowly. So slowly that I'm moving at a snails pace to even shut it, just to keep from waking anyone up or alerting anyone I'm home.

The door clicks as it finally shuts and I let out a massive exhale from the breath I was holding.

"Emerson!" My dad yells out from the living room.

"Shit." I mumble under my breath.

I slowly walk my way into the living room as my chest pounds from anxiety. My dad and I have never had a good relationship and our conversations rarely go well. I don't know why I subjected myself to living under his roof once again.

In the living room, my dad is seated in his brown leather chair with his leg crossed over the other and a book in his hand. He looks up at me, his glasses seated at the tip of his nose as he uncrosses his leg and slowly puts his book on the mahogany table stand.

His brown eyes are unimpressed as he takes his glasses off and looks at my attire. He doesn't exactly love that I dress more masculine and especially doesn't love that I ride a bike as I hold my helmet in my hand.

"Have you found a job yet?" He asks in a serious tone.

I shake my head, "not yet. I went to the hardware shop to visit Tate, but they aren't hiring."

He runs his fingertips along his beard as he shakes his head, "you can't live here for free for forever."

My eyebrows furrow, "I'm not. I've only been here a few weeks, I'm still adjusting."

My dad stands as he grabs his whiskey glass and downs the rest of its contents, "find a job, Emerson. I'd hate to put you out on the streets."

"I can't live here for free, but Hadley can?" I ask as my anger bubbles up.

"Hadley has a job." My dad states.

"Yeah, now she does but she didn't for a long time and I never heard you complain about it." I explain angrily.

My dad's eyes instantly narrow on me as his jaw clenches, "it's different with Hadley."

"Why? Because she's straight?" I snap.

My dad slams his glass down as he walks over to me and holds out a finger, "I want you out of my sight, Emerson."

We both glare into each others eyes, my strong jaw that I inherited from him clenched like his as I slowly take a step back.

I turn around to face away from him as tears prick my eyes, quickly grabbing the basement's door handle and running down the stairs and into my room.

I instantly toss my helmet as I sit down at the end of my bed and press the heels of my palms into my eyes as I cry. He has no clue the kind of pressure I'm under or how unfair his treatment is.

It's hard to watch my parents bend over backwards for my sister, completely forgetting they have another child. She gets the special treatment and I get tossed to the side like some forgotten toy.

"Emmy?" Hadley asks as she slowly opens my door.

"Not now, Hadley." I say, turning away from her so she can't see my face.

Hadley enters my room, completely disregarding what I just said to her as she slowly makes her way over to the bed and sits down next to me.

"Are you okay? I heard everything." Hadley says softly as she gently places her hand on my back.

The softness in her touch causes me to break down again, my sobs becoming uncontrollable as she pulls me into her chest and softly pats the top of my head.