When I Repeated My Parents’ Love Story Chapter 06

When I Repeated My Parents’ Love Story Chapter 06

But just as my parents were about to pull me away from this suffocating disaster zone, a familiar,

heart-stuttering voice drifted in from the side entrance of the ballroom. It carried that lazy drawl I knew by

heart.

“Whoa. Packed house tonight. Old man, what are you and Mom fighting about now?”

It was Lucas.

His bleached-blond hair glowed even brighter under the crystal chandeliers. He wore a baggy hoodie and ripped jeans, clashing violently with the sea of gowns and tailored suits around him.

He strolled in with his hands shoved in his pockets, his gaze sweeping over Ethan and Angela’s stony faces, then landing on my parents, and finally-finally-flicking toward me.

One glance. That was all. My heart slammed against my ribs.

Every question about the lists, about my parents’ bizarre behavior, every last shred of confusion vaporized

on the spot.

Pure reflex. I slapped on the brightest, most adorable smile I’d practiced a thousand times in the mirror.

I raised my hand and waved at him with wild enthusiasm, my voice pitching up with excitement.

“Lucas! Hi! Fancy running into you here!”

He grunted something from his nose that vaguely resembled “hey” and kept moving. His eyes slid off me almost instantly and settled on his dad, Ethan, way more interested in the tension crackling over there.

But I was already satisfied.

He responded!

Even if it was just one grunt!

My parents had their backs to me, locked in their final, icy standoff with Ethan and Angela. I seized my chance I shuffled closer to Lucas, dropped my voice low, and put on what I believed was the most thoughtful, crush-supportive tone I could muster.

“So did you do the homework? The math and English packets for the weekend? You know the teacher’s

definitely checking”

“If you don’t want to do them, I can do them for you. Seriously! I’ve been practicing your handwriting. For

weeks The teacher won’t be able to tell the difference, I swear!”

The words tumbled out fast and breathless My eyes glittered. I was this close to pounding my chest in

Quarantee

Two weeks of grinding practice All for this moment The hero sweeping in with a lifeline

I thought I’d see surprise. Maybe gratitude. Even a flicker of annoyance would’ve meant he was paying

attention.

What I got instead-

“Chloe! Ashford!”

I whipped around. My mom.

Her voice was sharp and frantic.

“Chloe! What are you doing? Get away from him!”

At the same time, my dad lunged forward and grabbed Lucas by the collar. His eyes burned with murder. He dropped his voice to a growl, teeth clenched.

“Listen carefully, you bleach-blond punk. I’m warning you. Stay the hell away from my daughter. Quit messing

with her, or I swear I’ll make you regret it.”

Lucas’s collar crumpled in my dad’s grip. His voice pitched up, wounded and furious.

“What’s your problem? What did I even do to you? So my hair’s bleached. Does that make me not human? And when have I ever messed with your daughter? She’s the one who won’t leave me alone!”

“You’ve got the nerve to talk back!”

My dad’s face burned red. He reached for Lucas again, but my mom grabbed his arm and held him back.

Ethan and Angela rushed over to break it up.

Ethan caught my dad’s arm, his voice laced with exasperation.

“Richard, calm down. Let’s talk about this. Lucas is just a kid. He doesn’t know what he’s doing.”

Angela pulled at my mom, trying to soothe her.

“Nancy, don’t be upset. Chloe’s young. It’s just a phase. Lucas doesn’t mean any harm.”

That was the wrong thing to say. It was gasoline on a fire.

My mom ripped her arm out of Angela’s grip and jabbed a finger in her face, her voice slicing through the air.

“A kid? He’s a junior in high school and he still doesn’t know what he’s doing? Angela, Ethan, what is wrong

with you two? You’re both successful, accomplished people. How did you end up adopting this bleach-blond

troublemaker?”

My dad turned on Ethan, fury blazing.

You adopted him Fine But could you at least raise him right? His hair’s a neon sign. He sleeps through

every class He runs his mouth nonstop And now he’s spreading rumors that my daughter’s throwing herself

at him!”

“Would it kill you to discipline him? To keep him from dragging good girls into his mess?”

Ethan and Angela stood there, speechless, their faces cycling through shades of white and red, hands hanging uselessly at their sides.

They had probably never imagined-not in a million years-that my parents, who used to obey their every

whim and bend over backwards to please them, would rip into them like this, in front of a room full of

people, without a shred of mercy.

Lucas looked utterly wronged. His eyes went red and he jutted his chin out, defiant.

“I didn’t make anything up! She said every word of it! She is obsessed with me! And what’s your deal with my

hair? It’s my hair. I’ll bleach it if I want. What’s it to you?”

“What gives you the right to yell at me? What gives you the right to yell at my parents?”

“You’re still running your mouth!”

My dad was shaking with rage. He tried to step forward again. My mom held him back and shot him a

warning look. Not here. Not now.

My dad sucked in a deep breath and forced the fire down. He glared at Lucas with pure venom, then turned

the same glare on Ethan and Angela. His voice came out ice-cold.

“I’ll let this go for tonight. But I’m warning all of you. Keep this bleach-blond punk away from my daughter. Or you’ll find out exactly what happens next.”

He grabbed my mom’s hand, yanked me along, and spun toward the ballroom exit.

He left Ethan, Angela, and Lucas standing there, along with a roomful of stunned guests, drowning in the

awkward silence.