Chapter Thirty Four

Catherine Pov

Ten minutes later, we were digging into the food Mom had ordered, and I tried keeping up with the conversation—though all I really wanted was to find a way out of the house.

I’d planned this whole get-together around the idea that Dominic would be here.

We never got the chance to talk at school. And even if we had, there was no privacy—with teachers and students everywhere.

Well that was until the fight broke out and he left.

The loud clinks of spoons against plates sounded like a bad ringtone, made worse by the way Mom couldn't even cut her chicken properly.

“This is so yummy,” Alice complimented mom again.

I smiled and shot my already horrified mother a look.

“Of course.” I said. “My mom is an amazing chef.”

That almost burned the world.

Her eyes narrowed.

I stuck my tongue out.

Dad laughed.

Mom whipped around to glare at Dad. He froze, muttering out an apology like he’d committed a crime.

Sometimes, it’s scary to realize the kind of hold my mom had over him. Twenty years together, and he was still terrified of making her mad.

Mom passed Dad the salt, then noticed my full plate.

“Catherine, you’ve barely touched anything.” Her brows creased. “Don’t you like the food?”

“I do,” I said quickly, tossing a shred of chicken in my mouth. “Just… tired.”

Dad’s eyes met mine. Dropped to my plate. Then returned to his food.

Alice kicked my leg under the table.

“Dominic.” She mouthed.

I shot her a glare.

She only chuckled.

I stood up. “I’m… I'm full.”

Mom frowned. “Already?”

“Yeah. I think I’ll just… rest.”

She studied me for a moment, like she didn’t believe me.

Then she nodded.

“Okay, baby.”

Their worried stare burned into my back as I pushed my chair and made my way up the stairs.

Dad was still worried about my mental health. He still refused to bend his no dating rule until college, and I couldn't bring up Dominic without setting up a fight.

I’d have to find another way.

I shut the door quickly and hurried to the window, pushing it open.

Cold air rushed in.

I leaned forward, looking down, and felt my head spin.

That looked dangerously high.

Before I could think, the door opened and Alice stormed in, shooting me a glare that could melt steel.

“Don’t tell me you’re stupid enough to jump out of that window just to see Dominic,” she snapped.

Her eyes were so wide it almost made me laugh. I swear, she acted like I was about to die.

She ran a hand through her hair, breathing hard and pressing her fingers to her forehead.

“Gosh, Catherine. I’ve had it up to here. What makes you think your relationship with Dominic won’t be worse than what you had with Asher?”

I rolled my eyes. “He’s your brother.”

“Exactly,” she fired back. “More reasons you two shouldn’t date.”

“Too late.” I shrugged, watching as she tossed her hair.

It was insane what a relationship could do to a person. Alice, who never cared about outfits or makeup, was now checking mirrors and fixing her hair every five minutes—just because she had a boyfriend

.

She’d kill me if I ever said that out loud.

“Aren’t you going to help me?” I begged, flinging a pillow at her.

She caught it with ease—and threw it straight back at me.“Jump out of a second-floor room?” she hissed. “Are you mad?”

I grabbed the pillow against my chest and folded my arms.

“So what? You’ll just let me suffer in here?”

She stared at me for a long second, then sighed deeply, like she was questioning every life choice that had led to being my best friend.

“God,” she muttered. “Why are you like this?”

She walked over to the window and peered down.

Then frowned.

“…Okay,” she said slowly. “We are not doing that.”

“Then what?” I asked, raising an eyebrow.

She turned towards me.

“We’re doing it the smart way—sneaking out like normal teenagers.”

Ten minutes later, Alice had already gone through the plan five times, making it sound ridiculously easy.

“I keep telling you, my parents are still in the living room. Uncle Zachary is always keeping watch outside, and lastly—”

“That’s why it’s called sneaking out,” she cut in calmly. “I’ll distract your parents, and you’ll slip out. Simple.”

I hesitated for a second.

Then I blurted, “Let’s go.”

She grinned.

I grabbed my phone and shoved a few crumpled bills into my pocket.

Just in case, her plan worked.

My heart thudded as I followed her down the stairs.

Our footsteps matched as we moved, like we were about to commit an actual crime.

She peeked into the living room.

My parents were tangled together on the couch, eyes glued to the TV.

Of course.

How exactly was I supposed to sneak past that without being seen?

She grabbed my wrist and pulled me into the kitchen.

My heart raced faster.

“Okay,” she whispered. “I'll distract them. You…”

She looked at me seriously.

“…disappear.”

I swallowed.

“Let's do this.”

She smirked. “If you get caught, just tell them you need fresh air.”

“Yeah. That could work.” She sounded sensible.

“On three,” she mouthed.

“One… two—”

She took a deep breath and walked straight into the living room.

“Ma!” she blurted. “Can you lend me your charger? My phone is at two percent and it’s about to die, and Catherine refused to give me hers, and I have this really important message I’m waiting for—”

Her voice kept going.

Fast. Loud.

My parents looked up instantly.

Mom sat up instantly. “Alice, did Catherine make you mad?”

Dad muted the TV. “What charger?”

While they were distracted, I slipped out of the kitchen.

Quietly.

I tiptoed past the doorway, keeping my head down, moving like I was sneaking past sleeping lions.

One wrong step and I was dead.

I reached the door.

My fingers wrapped around the handle.

Don’t creak.

Don’t cre—

It creaked.

I froze.

Mom kept laughing at something Alice said.

I slipped out and gently shut the door behind me, my heart hammering like it was trying to escape my chest. Relief washed over me as cool night air brushed my skin.

I glanced around—Uncle Zachary was nowhere in sight. Thank God.

I hurried away from the house and broke into a run, barefoot, like some crazy girl in a movie. My breath came in sharp bursts as I finally turned the corner, bending slightly. “It worked.”

With shaky fingers, I pulled out my phone and booked a ride. My screen blurred for a second—nerves, excitement, fear—all of it mixed together. Then my phone buzzed. Alice. You owe me one. A small laugh slipped out of me and I typed back: Big time.