Destiny Undone: The Complete Series Box Set Read Online Free Page A

tires.”
    “Just an ol’ possum trying to get across the street.”
    “You are one lucky girl…what’s your name?”
    “Pepper, Pepper Anderson and my daddy is on his way. Please don’t take me to jail, please! He’s on his way! I swear! I called him just a minute ago.” Tears streamed down my face, but neither of the officers seemed moved by them.
    “Young lady,” the older cop said, “This is out of your father’s hands. Driving under the influence of alcohol is against the law—but don’t worry, your dad can bail you out when you sober up.” I cried as they opened the back of the police car and asked me to take a seat.
    “There’s my dad! Can you please go talk to him? Please?”
    “Sure, sure. Just have a seat so you don’t fall down.”
    I did as I was told and with my hands cuffed behind my back, I managed to sit and the officer closed the door behind me. “Oh my God! I can’t believe this! Daddy! Get me out of here!” I watched the officer walk over to my Dad. “Sorry, daddy,” I sniffled, even though he couldn’t hear me. My dad looked across at me in the back of the car. He was wearing dress pants, a dress shirt and his white hair was perfectly groomed. Dad was a tall, lean man who always had a deep suntan. I could see his girlfriend, Charlotte, sitting in his car and I guessed I’d interrupted his date night. “Sorry, dad,” I said again as I cried even harder.
    The younger police officer seemed pissed, but the older man walked to the back of the car and opened the door. “Come on. Let’s get you out of here,” and he helped me get out of the police car. “Dry it up now. You’re going home. Lucky for you, I know Douglas Anderson and he’s a decent guy. You should be ashamed of putting your old man through this.”
    “Yes, sir.” I sniffled.
    “All right, Mr. Anderson, here she is. Obviously, we can’t let her drive the car home, but you can send someone back for it. We won’t tow it, however if you leave it here for more than a couple of hours, they’ll tow without an order. She hit a possum, but it probably didn’t do any damage. Just needs to be washed off. She’s one lucky kid.”
    My dad shook the older man’s hand, “I know. Thanks, Frank. I owe you one.” Dad led me away and I got into the back of his car.
    “I’m sorry, Daddy.”
    “I’m taking Charlotte home and then we will go home. Just lie down, Pepper. If you have to be sick again, please tell me.” I hated hearing his voice like this. His sadness and disappointment was obvious and I wasn’t accustomed to hearing that—Dad was my best friend. We drove a few minutes then the car stopped. “Sorry about this, Charlotte. I’ll make it up to you, I promise.”
    “It’s okay, Douglas. Call me when you can.” I heard them kiss and the car door shut behind her. Daddy didn’t talk to me and I hovered between sleeping and sickness. When we got home, he opened the door and helped me out of the car. Once we’d made it up the porch steps, he helped me up the staircase to the second floor where my bedroom suite was. He stopped at the door. “Can you make it from here?”
    “Yes, thank you, Daddy.”
    “Get a shower and get some sleep. We’ll talk in the morning.”
    “Okay, Daddy. I’m sorry.”
    He didn’t hug me or let me off the hook in any way. “You should be, Pepper. Now, get some rest.”
    “Okay,” I went into my room and walked straight to the shower. I brushed my teeth and stared at myself in the mirror. I looked horrible. My hair was sweaty, I had no makeup left on my face. I had glow paint all over me. “That’s the last glow party I ever go to,” I promised the ugly girl in the mirror.
    I climbed into the shower and washed away the evidence of the party. It didn’t come off easily, but I finally got clean. I grabbed a big t-shirt, towel-dried my hair, in a half ass kind of way, and climbed into bed. Once the room had stopped spinning, I fell asleep.
    I woke up with a bad taste in my