She's Kind of a Disaster

16- You Wanted Honesty

Saturday comes slowly, the week dragging on its hills to last as long as humanly possible. I've always hated my college courses, but I never really minded it as much when I had a circle of people around me. Now, I've lost my brother and my boyfriend, I've been avoiding my friends because I don't know how to face them. I just hide in my room, studying as a means of distraction until it doesn't work anymore and then I'm crying into my pillow.

Finally, the day comes and I get to see Shaw again. My one single distraction. I wear a floral dress that flows to my knees and black heels. It's the fanciest outfit I have in my closet, so I hope it's enough to impress Shaw's parents.

Once I'm ready and Shaw texts me that he's outside waiting for me, I leave my room. Jesse is sitting on the couch reading a chemistry book for class and when he looks up at me, he gets curious. 

"You look nice," He says as a way to get me to tell him where I'm going. I don't entertain the compliment with even a look in his direction and keep moving until I'm out of the room.

"You look great," He informs me as we get into my car.

"It's not too much?" I wonder, looking down at the dress.

"No, it's perfect," He assures me. He's wearing a dressy button up shirt and nice jeans, which is the nicest I've ever seen him look. It's obvious that there's some disconnect with his family but it doesn't feel like my place to ask about it.

"How long is the drive?"

"Not long," He assures me. "They live just out of the city."

"What do they do?" I ask, not trying to pry but just get an idea of what I'm walking into here. "I mean, I know that your mom is a therapist, but your dad?"

"He owns a software company," Shaw says, his voice slow and stressed. "It's really successful, my parents are kind of loaded."

"Then why..." I trail off when I realize that I'm probably getting too nosey, so I don't ask why he has to fight and steal for money if his parents are so rich.

"They cut me off," He answers my unasked question. "It was four years ago so it's fine now. My dad wanted me to take over his business, he didn't take it well when I said that it wasn't what I wanted to do. I'd never had a job or anything before so I had nothing. I did what I had to do to survive."

"That's really shitty," I say but it's not terribly unsurprising because I'm sure my parents would do the exact same thing if I told them that I don't want to be a lawyer. 

"I'm over it," He assures me again. "Thanks for coming with me though, they're always up my ass about wasting my life."

"I'm not sure I'll be much help," I warn him.

"A beautiful pre-law student wearing a dress like that?" He raises his eyebrows at me. "The second they meet you, they'll be planning the wedding."

I roll my eyes at him. "That's a little fast."

"They'll cling to any glimmer of hope that I'm not actually a piece of shit," He explains to me.

"But you aren't," I say quickly. "I mean, you do some shitty things but isn't that their fault? If they had let you choose your own path with their support, you could be something really great. Not that you're not great, but you know what I mean."

"I know."

I don't think that I'm going to like his parents but I'll be on my best behavior for Shaw's sake. I can be polite even if I don't want to be but I'm definitely not looking forward to spending the afternoon with them.

The house that we pull up to is huge and I should have seen that coming because Shaw had told me that his parents were rich but this house is bigger than any house I'd ever seen. The front is decorated in a plentiful number of white arches, there's a little pond to the side, and the porch seems to wrap all the way around the left side of the house. It's gorgeous and very intimidating.