"Options... I've ran out of Options..." (Book 3)

Chapter 16 - "Very Different Life..."

Chapter 16 - "Very Different Life..."

Clara's PoV

'Evie come on. I need go talk to you' Richard shouted into her bedroom as she appeared in her dishevelled uniform from the day which Clara would have insisted that she take off but obviously living with Richard she was getting away with murder.

'What?'

'Don't what him Evie. It's rude' John said getting on her case as soon as he saw her.

'What are you doing here?' She whined.

'Evie' Richard complained as she was really testing his patience as well right now.

It was hard for Richard because he was still John's best mate and best man - but when it came to Evie these days they both felt threatened.

A weekend with Evie is taxing, without three weeks of her. He loves Evie but he was going mad and respected John and Clara for looking after her full time.

'I just want to talk to you' John begged before she slammed the bedroom door in his face but he had wedged his foot in the door space as she slammed it which hurt but he wasn't going to give her the satisfaction of all that.

He had chosen to leave Clara in the car for the moment because she was still extremely angry about her having missed the day at the hairdressers and nails.

John didn't understand but he knew it meant a lot to Clara so he wanted to support her on that this time. Especially with the wedding so near. He didn't want to piss her off again now.

'Go away Daddy. I don't want to talk to you. And you can't make me come home' she scoffed folding her arms stubbornly and sitting on the bed cross legged.

'I'm not trying to make you do anything, I just want to see about this whole wedding business. Because Mummy is really upset that you don't want to come'

'I do want to come. I just don't want her marrying you' she protested.

John had heard about this one and he couldn't work it out. She was so excited when Clara and John got back together and now all of a sudden just because John and Clara have disciplined her or told her off - she suddenly doesn't like John.

Even though John was the one that had raised her. The one that looked after her when she was little and was at all the surgery a and appointments that Clara couldn't be bothered to go too.

Whilst he felt for Clara in this instance. John was the one that felt let down. And he felt like he had messed Evie around so much that it was no wonder she felt this way.

'Why? Two years ago when I wanted to marry Lucie you was against that and you were insistent that I should marry Mummy. You all were. What's changed? What could possibly be different now to a couple of years ago?'

'You've changed'

'No you have' he snapped rudely but it's true. What has changed in all of this was Evie. She'd grown up. The one thing John never wanted to happen. 'Evie the fact of the matter is that your upsetting Mummy with all this nonsense but if you want to move in with your Dad then that's fine but your life will be very different' John said coming out with it.

He didn't want to be horrible and skip straight to the fact that she wouldn't have nearly as much money and stuff as she does now but he needed to make that clear.

At the end of the day John knew it wasn't all about money and that he didn't want to end up bribing her with money - but it was a difficult situation he was in.

He just needed to get the 9 year old in the damn car.

She's used to a different life. Although this was all threat. Even if she did move out he wouldn't dream of taking any of her stuff away.

'Why?'

'Well for a start your Dad can't afford to send you to the school that your at. He just about manages for Ollie let alone you as well. You'd have to move schools which would mean you wouldn't see your sisters. You'd go to a different big school than Avia, and you certainly wouldn't have half the clothes that you have now. As for buttercup and equestrian lessons - well you wouldn't be able to afford them' he pointed out standing up. 'And pocket money? Who gives that too you because it sure as hell ain't Richard'

'I resent that because she gets pocket money off me' Richard scoffed.

'Not the point right now'

He felt so harsh saying that because horse riding is what she wanted to do with her life. At 9 years old she has already made her decisions but if she's taken away from equestrian she knows that it won't happen.

They've threatened the horse riding before of course - on many occasions when she was acting up. But this was different. This would be far more permanent.

'No you won't. I want to live with Dad' she yelled out but in reality she was already starting to pack her suitcase.

She missed her sisters and even Henry. The truth is that she loves John so much more it's just sometimes she wished that Lucie had never died because then John and Clara wouldn't be on her case all the time about stuff.

And then there was the fact that her little sister had died and ever since then John and Clara had been different.

She didn't understand that, that was just the way it was. She had half expected the two of them to break up. They usually did whenever something really bad happened.

'Evie I don't want to threaten money or anything but if you don't come to the wedding mummy will be really upset. She will feel so let down and she'll also feel guilty that she had let you down. All you've ever wanted was for us to be a proper family? And nows your a chance?' He wondered as Clara stormed in.