Page 7 of Ruthless Dream

The call ends, and I throw down my phone and drive the final few minutes of my journey in silent contemplation.

I love the city, and it’s only been two months since we’ve officially moved out here, but it is beautiful. I’ll miss the houses and the winding roads, and honestly, who’s going to make sure Dad knows where the TV remote is?

The gates open, and I pull into the driveway. Ferdinand opens my door for me. There are several SUVs, one with an open trunk where items are still being packed.

“Thank you,” I tell Ferdinand. He’s usually assigned to my sister, which means I don’t have a problem with him. It’s only my guards that drive me insane. Which is why I flip Jack off once again, making sure to maintain eye contact.

He’s younger than some of the other guards, but that’s done nothing for me. I’m not into blonds, and he’s got a hard-on for pleasing my dad. Therefore, he’s the enemy.

“No, I’ll do that!” I call out to Cedric as I leave the paved driveway and step out into the garden that’s near the kitchen door. We have several acres with beautiful greenery, but this particular patch is filled with blooming flowers, wildly curated.

“You are leaving soon,” Cedric argues in that soft-spoken way of his.

“Here, give me that.” I drop the bags on a stone bench and take the water hose away from him.

This is Dad’s spot. His garden. Occasionally, Mom will be out here, but more often than not she’s sitting on one of the benches, drinking wine, speaking to my father as he tends to his flowers.

“Thank you,” I murmur to Cedric when he grabs the bags. He keeps away from the house, preferring to potter around the grounds, but he’s also never been able to not help out. He slips through the mudroom that leads to the kitchen.

I’ve only been planning what I need to take with me to NYU since I was first accepted. But some last minute thoughts meant I got up early to grab a few things.

I didn’t forget that I needed to water the garden, though. Droplets mist me as the breeze pushes the leaves, the silence peaceful.

A few months back, Dad caught me coming home at six in the morning. I’m eighteen, so it’s not like I broke any rules or anything. But Dad’s lips were set in a frown, his face oddly serious. Admittedly, I could have looked better. My skirt was short even by my own standards, my eyeliner smudged, and my muscles tired from partying.

Dad had been out watering the garden. He took one look at the high heels in my hands and read the guilt that seems to only appear when he’s around. He shoved the water hose in my hands and told me if I was planning on living here for the summer, I needed to help out. Which is why I tend to the garden most mornings. The summer’s been a hot one, and I’m very accustomed now to unwinding the hose and giving the plants a treat.

I thought Dad wasn’t being serious when he first talked about gardening. Sure, in our Manhattan penthouse, we had a few potted plants. But nothing like this.

I’ll often come out here and see Dad in his suit, newly arrived home from work. He’ll take a few moments, inspecting his plants. Watering or weeding. Sometimes, he’ll have a tumbler of vodka. If he takes a phone call while he’s out here, it’s never work. He’ll be talking in Russian to Lev about the Yankees, the pair of them swapping stories about us kids.

If I’m being honest, Dad’s punishment didn’t turn out all that bad. I’ve come to enjoy the peace and quiet out here too. I’ll miss getting up and helping out.

I’ve talked about NYU so much, I can’t admit that I’m sad to leave home. Especially since I complained the loudest when we first moved here. I thought I’d die if I left the city. It’s in my blood. Now there’s a hint of nerves deep in my belly.

Butterflies are natural, I tell myself. They say change is uncomfortable. I can be both excited to move out while dreading it slightly.

“Darling.” Dad leans out of the doorway. “There’s one last cup of coffee. Your mom wants to know if you want it.”

“Nah, Lennie can have it.” I turn off the hose. My older sister arrived home after graduating from Sarah Lawrence, meaning my parents aren’t quite empty nesters yet.

Lennie is the cautious one, so I’m not surprised she hasn’t decided if she wants to move into her own place yet or not. Our other sister is in Brooklyn, since Natalie swore when she was eighteen she’d never move back home again.

I’m lucky to have two sisters. We might annoy one another, but I’ve never wished things were different. And today Natalie is going to meet up with us so she can check out my new dorm and get dinner with us.

I don’t know why the fact that both sisters are helping out today makes my chin wobble.

“Oh, shit,” I realize out loud. I’m going to have to hide my leather jacket in case Nat sees it. I swore up and down to her that I definitely wasn’t the one who stole it from her closet.

“What’s that?” Dad asks.

“Nothing!” I follow him inside. “Morning!”

Lennie’s shoulders jerk up when I surprise her with a kiss on the cheek. Her dark brown curls cover her left cheek. I was barely four when the accident happened and Elijah Zimin took a chunk out of my sister’s skin.

She wrinkles her nose, making a face at my affection. She’s the shy one, but she’s been even quieter lately. I know starting her first job after college has her anxiety on high alert.

“We have to go.” Mom appears, checking her watch. “Is that what you’re wearing?”