him and he was willing to play dirty to keep it. See if I ever let him carry my books for me again.
My dad digested Ethan’s story and then looked severely at me. “What did the counselor say about your inexcusable display?”
When I stayed silent, my dad sighed. “Grace, if you don’t tell me I will just call the school and speak with your counselor, but I would rather hear it from you.”
I gave up and pulled the prescription out of my bag. As I handed it to my father, I gave Ethan a look that clearly told him I would never forgive him for this. He actually had the nerve to look apologetic, and in that moment I’m pretty sure that Ethan Dunn was my least favorite person in the entire world.
“Antidepressants!” my dad roared. “The nerve of that man! My daughter is not mentally unstable! The school is going to hear about this!”
Of course my depression would be a personal insult to my father. This was exactly the reaction I’d expected from him, but Ethan looked shocked. When my dad pulled out his PDA in search of the school’s phone number, Ethan cleared his throat. “Sir, I strongly suggest you speak with the doctor before you call the school accusing people of things.”
Dad looked murderous but Ethan didn’t back down. “I know Grace very well and, trust me, she needs the help. She probably needs the medication, too. That’s partially why I was interested in taking this job. I’m worried about Grace and no one else appears to be paying enough attention to her to see that there’s a problem.”
I wanted to kick him for what he said, but I had to hand it to him—he really wasn’t scared of my father. Randy was definitely right about that. Never thought that would work to my disadvantage, though. Talk about major suckage.
Dad looked at Ethan, then down to the paper in his hand, and then to Randy. Randy shrugged helplessly and Dad finally looked at me. He sighed as if I were a hopeless case, then looked at Ethan as he said, “Fine. Do what you feel is necessary. Just try to keep any counseling and medication as under the radar as possible.”
“I know you were talking to me, right?” I snapped.
“No. I was talking to him.”
I glanced at Ethan and this time he had the decency to quickly look away.
“Don’t you think therapy and medication should be my decision?”
“Do you think it should be, Grace? When you clearly weren’t competent enough to take care of yourself before there was a problem?”
I sucked in a painful breath. My dad had just stripped every ounce of my dignity away. I had to close my eyes, but at least I managed to keep the tears at bay.
“From now on you will consider Ethan your boss. You will respect and obey him. Is that clear?”
“Dad, please,” I whispered, my voice cracking as I fought back silent sobs. “Anyone but him. Hire whatever goons you want and as many as you think I need. They can escort me to the bathroom if it makes you happy and I won’t complain, but please don’t do this to me. Not him.”
“Grace, he’s the best. He’s in every single one of your classes at school. He can protect you at all times and your classmates won’t even have to know. That’s what you wanted. I’m doing this for you.”
“No you aren’t!” I shouted. “You like the idea of having someone watching my every move. You want even more control over my life. Does the US know they’re about to elect a dictator?”
“That’s enough, Grace.”
“Fine. What about my suggestion to go to boarding school?”
Ethan’s head jerked up. “Boarding school?”
“I’d be completely safe in Switzerland or wherever, at some school I was never allowed to leave. I’d get good grades, Dad. I’d stay out of trouble. I’m asking to go. I want to go.”
“Boarding school in Europe is not an option.”
“Why? You wouldn’t have to worry about me ever again except to send the school tuition checks.”
“But we couldn’t keep that quiet and we’re less than two
My dad digested Ethan’s story and then looked severely at me. “What did the counselor say about your inexcusable display?”
When I stayed silent, my dad sighed. “Grace, if you don’t tell me I will just call the school and speak with your counselor, but I would rather hear it from you.”
I gave up and pulled the prescription out of my bag. As I handed it to my father, I gave Ethan a look that clearly told him I would never forgive him for this. He actually had the nerve to look apologetic, and in that moment I’m pretty sure that Ethan Dunn was my least favorite person in the entire world.
“Antidepressants!” my dad roared. “The nerve of that man! My daughter is not mentally unstable! The school is going to hear about this!”
Of course my depression would be a personal insult to my father. This was exactly the reaction I’d expected from him, but Ethan looked shocked. When my dad pulled out his PDA in search of the school’s phone number, Ethan cleared his throat. “Sir, I strongly suggest you speak with the doctor before you call the school accusing people of things.”
Dad looked murderous but Ethan didn’t back down. “I know Grace very well and, trust me, she needs the help. She probably needs the medication, too. That’s partially why I was interested in taking this job. I’m worried about Grace and no one else appears to be paying enough attention to her to see that there’s a problem.”
I wanted to kick him for what he said, but I had to hand it to him—he really wasn’t scared of my father. Randy was definitely right about that. Never thought that would work to my disadvantage, though. Talk about major suckage.
Dad looked at Ethan, then down to the paper in his hand, and then to Randy. Randy shrugged helplessly and Dad finally looked at me. He sighed as if I were a hopeless case, then looked at Ethan as he said, “Fine. Do what you feel is necessary. Just try to keep any counseling and medication as under the radar as possible.”
“I know you were talking to me, right?” I snapped.
“No. I was talking to him.”
I glanced at Ethan and this time he had the decency to quickly look away.
“Don’t you think therapy and medication should be my decision?”
“Do you think it should be, Grace? When you clearly weren’t competent enough to take care of yourself before there was a problem?”
I sucked in a painful breath. My dad had just stripped every ounce of my dignity away. I had to close my eyes, but at least I managed to keep the tears at bay.
“From now on you will consider Ethan your boss. You will respect and obey him. Is that clear?”
“Dad, please,” I whispered, my voice cracking as I fought back silent sobs. “Anyone but him. Hire whatever goons you want and as many as you think I need. They can escort me to the bathroom if it makes you happy and I won’t complain, but please don’t do this to me. Not him.”
“Grace, he’s the best. He’s in every single one of your classes at school. He can protect you at all times and your classmates won’t even have to know. That’s what you wanted. I’m doing this for you.”
“No you aren’t!” I shouted. “You like the idea of having someone watching my every move. You want even more control over my life. Does the US know they’re about to elect a dictator?”
“That’s enough, Grace.”
“Fine. What about my suggestion to go to boarding school?”
Ethan’s head jerked up. “Boarding school?”
“I’d be completely safe in Switzerland or wherever, at some school I was never allowed to leave. I’d get good grades, Dad. I’d stay out of trouble. I’m asking to go. I want to go.”
“Boarding school in Europe is not an option.”
“Why? You wouldn’t have to worry about me ever again except to send the school tuition checks.”
“But we couldn’t keep that quiet and we’re less than two
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