Sinful Magic (Book 3 of the Ink series)

Chapter14

The blare of a car horn jostled me awake, that and being yanked out of my car. I coughed choking on the smoke. What the hell happened and where was I?

"Hope, are you okay?" Dad asked. He shook me.

I took in my surroundings. I was at Nona's. My car was in the driveway. So what was my dad in my face for and why the heck was my horn honking?

"Yes." I pulled away from my father still trying to figure out what happened. And where was Karsen?

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Dad snapped. "Driving drunk, are you crazy?"

I stared at him mystified. He was one to talk I thought to myself.

"I'm home, so what are you yelling for?" I said. And where was my shoe? I shook the left one off and started up Nona's sidewalk.

"Oh you're not coming in here," Nona said from the top of the stairs. "And shut that damn car horn off."

I turned around. And everything made sense as I watched Dad try backing my car away from Nona's. It seemed to have wanted to give it a little kiss right in the rear end. And from the look on Nona's face she was pissed.

Claude hurried down the steps in his robe.

"If I'm not allowed to come in than where do you want me to sleep?" I scratched my head. "And where is Karsen?"

"She's inside trying to calm her nerves," Nona griped. "You almost took her head off."

I crossed my arms planting my feet. "Everyone keeps saying that. But if that was true she wouldn't be inside right now. And you're Nona, since when are you mad about anything?"

Nona's red hair flitted in the breeze as she shook her head in disbelief, maybe because I was talking to her the way that I was. I wasn't sure.

"I may be Nona, but I am not putting up with this nonsense." She took a step down the stairs. "The entire family was worried about you for hours. Not to mention the drinking and driving, and now my car."

I couldn't believe she yelled at me. She never yelled at me.

"Aren't you the one always saying you're rich?" I held my head as the honking continued. "And why is everyone on their porches?"

"Because you hit my car and almost drove into my home!" Nona screamed.

The horn died. Dad slammed my car door shut.

"I don't even know what to say right now," he started. "What has happened to you?"

Was he in fact going there? "Nothing, I was at a party. I had a little too much to drink and I thought I could drive home." The apple didn't fall too far from the tree.

"You're not old enough to drink," he said, scolding me in front of everyone like I was a little girl, like he was perfect. "You could have killed yourself and Karsen."

"And I bet that would have made you all feel better," I snapped. "Nothing else I do seems to work."

Dad started up the stairs. He shook his head in disbelief.

"What? Is this too much for you, Dad? You can't handle your drunken daughter wrecking your life?" The crowd was growing. "Only one drunk allowed in the family at a time."

Nona started down the stairs. "I am going to kick her ass."

"Leave her alone, Mom. She's drunk." Dad said. Nona stopped in her tracks.

"This is me. What more can you expect growing up with you and mom?" I sighed; I didn't care anymore if I hurt anyone's feelings. I wanted to hurt his feelings.

"I understand you're upset, but now is not the time," Dad said. "Hope, you know this isn't you."

I tugged at my hair. "Stop saying that. This is me; I'm just good at hiding this to take care of you. This is me."

Karsen hurried down the stairs. She thought she could stop me, she thought she knew me like they all did. Maybe she did, but what was there to understand any more about me? I didn't know, so I knew they didn't.

"You're being an asshole right now, and my job as your best friend is to let you know when you're being one." She grabbed me by the shoulder. "Now shut up before you say something you can't take back."

Ha. If she only knew I thought to myself. I pulled away from her and when she tried to grab me again I shoved her. She fell backward into the sand.

I didn't bother asking if I could go upstairs and go to bed. That if they let me sleep maybe in the morning I would be tolerable. I knew I would be miserable in the morning, right now, and maybe for the rest of my life.