Reckless

is. You can’t pay the gas and electric bill with peace and love, Samantha. But if you like taking cold showers, that’s your prerogative,” my mom said with finality.

“You have no idea what you’re talking about, Mom! They’re not hippies! They live in a mansion. I mean, an actual mansion. It has a gazillion bedrooms. And the last time I took a shower there, it was really hot, and it never ran out of water, like when I shower after you and Dad get ready for work.”

In my experience, there was nothing quite as annoying as running out of hot water and shivering in the shower because your dad was too cheap to set the central house thermostat to a reasonable temperature. Not even my mom could change Dad’s mind about that. Our house was an icebox most of the winter. I swear, one time, I woke up and saw icicles dangling from the ceiling in my bedroom as my breath puffed out of my mouth in cold clouds.

“That’s all well and good, Samantha,” my mom continued, “but—”

I cut her off. “Yes, mom. It is well and good. It’s nicer than your house. And I’m moving in with them. Christos’ grandfather Spiridon is a very nice man, and he—”

“Spiridon?” my mom scoffed. “What kind of a hippie name is that?”

She was going too far. “It’s Greek, mom. Look it up. It’s a real name. And he’s nice.” I was getting flustered. My mom was turning this into an insult-a-thon. I wasn’t going to stoop into the sewer with her.

“Perhaps you two should both calm down,” my dad suggested.

“I am calm!!” my mom shouted.

Really? Not from where I was sitting three thousand miles away. I stifled a chuckle.

“I will not have our daughter moving in with some strange young man in flagrant disregard of our orders, Bill!” Mom growled.

I sighed heavily. If my parents were this unreasonable, maybe I didn’t need them in my life at all. “I’m moving in with Christos. I’m not going to be an accountant, and I’m going to live my life.”

After a minute of silence, Mom said, “Bill? Do you have anything to say? Because now would be a good time. I can’t get through to your daughter.”

In a cold tone, my dad said, “Sam, is this course of action your preference?”

Wow, was Dad suddenly taking my side? Was he being reasonable? “Yuh, yes,” I stammered.

“Fine. If you no longer require our assistance regarding your living arrangements, I think I can speak for both your mother and I when I say that we would be more than happy to cease all funding of your college education, if that’s your preference.”

I was shocked silent.

My parents paid a substantial portion of my tuition. If they stopped paying entirely, I wouldn’t be able to cover the difference with my two jobs. I’d have to take out more loans, but I didn’t know if I could actually get a large enough loan to make up the difference.

If my parents stopped paying, my entire life would be thrown into a blizzard of change and uncertainty.

Was I ready for that sort of chaos? I’d been through plenty in the last five months. Did I want to make things worse?

I looked at Christos. He rubbed my knee sympathetically.

“Answer your father, young lady,” Mom said viciously. “Do what we say, or pay your own way,” she chuckled at her own cleverness. She sounded like she was gloating. My mom was the biggest bitch I’d ever met, hands down.

“Don’t be flip, Linda,” my dad said with calm confidence. “Sam, all you have to do is change your major back to Accounting and explain to your landlord that your 30-day notice was a mistake, and all of this will go away.”

My Dad Satan was back to his usual tricks.

“Fine.” For the second time in my life, I hung up on my parents. The irrational fear that this was the last time I would ever talk to them suddenly seized me. “That went well,” I joked to Christos sarcastically. Agony hit me a second later and my heart snapped in half.

I threw myself into Christos’ arms and wailed. His arms wrapped protectively around me as he pulled me into his chest.

“It’s okay, agapi mou,” he murmured, “I’m here.”

I felt completely betrayed by my parents. For once, my life was going good. For once, my dreams were turning into reality. But, as always, my parents stridently objected to what I wanted. They were trying to manipulate me with bribes and threats. Was that parenting? Weren’t you supposed to trust at some point that your children would find their own way?

My parents didn’t.

No matter what I did, they fought me every step of the way. Why were they always the biggest obstacle I faced in my life?

I thanked fate for bringing Christos to me.

I sobbed in his arms.

“Oh, Christos, I don’t know what I’d do without you!”

Chapter 26

CHRISTOS

I held Samantha in my arms. “I’m so sorry, agapi mou,” I whispered.

She shook with tears and burrowed her face into my chest.

Samantha’s parents were truly insane. Did they not realize their life plan for their daughter was all wrong and was making her miserable? What kind of fucked up people were they?

My parents had never treated me like this. Not even close.

In a perfect world, I would’ve moved Samantha into my house this weekend, and told her I had plenty of cash to cover her living expenses and whatever tuition she had left over.

But I didn’t live in a perfect world.

In my world, I was going to trial on Friday. I could be in jail by Saturday. I wouldn’t be able to help her move in. And the money? Shit, after I finished paying Russell for defending my ass in court, I wasn’t going to have any money left.

That was my world.

“I’m so lucky, Christos,” Samantha wept, “I’d be freaking out right now if you weren’t here.”

I kissed the top of her head gently.

How was I going to tell her I might not be here in five days?

I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t let her down. Not right now. She was still reeling from her fucking parents.

I felt jitters in my feet. This always happened when shit hit the fan. I wanted to take action. Bust some heads. Knock shit over. Or, fuck, the opposite. Go build something. Throw up walls and nail shit together, bolt stuff down. But none of that would make a fucking difference. My trial date was barreling toward me and I was chained to the train tracks.

All I could do was wait.

Samantha clutched my shirt in her little fists and sobbed. “Oh, Christos…”

Fuck, I couldn’t do shit to help her.

I tried to calm myself. If I didn’t, I was going to missile through the ceiling. This was killing me. I needed to think this through. I needed to help Samantha somehow.

What were my real options?

On the plus side, I had my grandpa. I even had my dad. No, fuck that. I wasn’t calling my dad. But my grandpa would make sure Samantha got moved into the house no matter what. He would make sure Samantha had a roof and ate three squares every day. At least the basics were covered. Samantha was safe physically.

That took a huge load off.

But what about mentally?