Kennedy swallowed hard, tears in her eyes. “Reeds—no matter what.”
Eli hugged them tighter. “Reeds—no matter what!”
They were still tossing around jokes in a sibling embrace when their parents arrived at the Manor.
Their mom took one look at them standing together and burst into tears—giant ugly elephant ones. She’d never been a graceful crier. Unfortunately, Kennedy had inherited that trait too.
“Mom.” James extended an arm around her. “Come on.”
She put her hand to her heart. “I am just so proud of you all. And also so scared for you guys.”
“This is only the beginning.” Her dad’s tone told them he meant business. “A quick word of advice?”
James gave him a quick nod, and Kennedy and Eli remained quiet as they waited for whatever he was about to tell them. If he was about to give them a speech on the Reed reputation or something, she was going to crawl into a hole. But in this moment, she wanted her parents’ advice more than anything. After all, they had emerged victorious from their own Culling, both with a win and their soulmate. She realized now she should have drilled them with more questions about their own Culling. She knew the major points, but now she wanted to know all of it. Every last detail.
“The three of you qualifying,” he began, snapping her out of it. “People will whisper it was rigged, though it wasn’t. And the other competitors may try to pit you against one another. Don’t let them succeed. Being a Reed just put a giant target on your backs.”
So did having rumors floating around about who you were sleeping with.
But hey, maybe—just maybe—Josiah did her a huge favor. Now she wasn’t tied to him. Now she felt zero remorse looking at the other candidates.
In coming out of the fog of that two-year relationship, she was seeing the relationship as a whole more clearly: how he pushed her, pulled her, and molded her by edifying the parts of her he liked best. She realized now he was trying to get her to be the madam president he wanted her to be—a partner to win. While his efforts to control her had been random and hard to identify, he always, always commented when she had her hair down how she should do it all the time. Or the few times she dressed girly, he would say she had never looked hotter.
He was hardcore manipulating her the whole time, but because it was dressed like love and kisses, she missed the massive red flags she should have seen.
But now she could just be herself.
She was free.
…………..
Chapter 3
…………..
Today was the day. The Culling began. The candidates from the other townships had to hop a plane the night before and get to Denver, but the Denver candidates just had to report early that morning.
She had stayed up entirely too late with James and Eli attacking the packet of information they were given. And then, because she was nervous, she woke up at four in the morning, got a workout in, and then readied herself to go.
“You look great,” a deep voice said from behind her. Her dad was leaning up against the door frame. “Come talk to your mom and me when you finish up, okay, Kens?”
She gave him a quick smile. “Okay, Dad.”
Apparently, they were also up early today. She didn’t dawdle, though, and finished putting on some mascara before grabbing her stuff. She shut off the light to her bedroom and looked around, wondering when she’d see this room next. How long did her family have left at the Manor, the only home any of them had really ever known?
Yeah, it was over the top and ridiculously huge, but it was home. Home wasn’t the house you lived in, though; home was the people. And she knew her people would always be there for her, no matter who lived in the Manor next or where they all ended up after the Culling.
She found her parents in their office, where her mom was sipping on hot tea and looking none too thrilled to be awake at such an early hour.
Her mom had never been a morning person like her, her dad, and Eli.
“What’s up?” she asked, pretending she wasn’t nervous to hear whatever it was they were about to say.
Her dad shrugged. “We just wanted to check on you. We know Josiah qualifying is probably the last thing you wanted to happen.”
Kennedy inhaled deeply through her nose. “Yeah, but I get James, Eli, and Cassie too. So I’ll take it. And the packet said the girls and guys are separated for a while. So at least I don’t have to deal with him right away.”
Her mom huffed. “I think it’s safe to assume if he wanted to use you for the presidency before, he’s going to go hard at trying to reconcile with you.” She paused, looking Kennedy in the eyes. “I just want you prepared for that, should you both make it to the Candidatorial Ball. Whether you want to be with him or not is fully your choice.”
Kennedy was shaking her head before her mom was even done talking. “No, Mom. There will be no reconciling.” She had also been thinking that Josiah might crawl back to her for forgiveness, but she was going to stick to her guns.
He had broken her. Once. She would not allow him the opportunity to do so twice.
Her dad nodded. “Good. Then don’t let him get to you. You don’t need him to go far in this thing, Kens. You don’t need any man to lead. You’ve gone toe-to-toe with your brothers your whole life, so I suspect the same will happen in the Culling. Yeah, you need a partner in this thing, but find one that wouldn’t care if you took the reins. Because you’re a natural with them.”
She swallowed hard. “Thanks, Dad.”
Her mom added, “Prepare yourself for some girls saying crappy, flippant stuff. It’s not just what Josiah did—it’s simply the nature of the Culling. Insecurities are highlighted, and hormones are raging.”
Kennedy let out a long sigh. “I’m actually kind of nervous for that part.” What she didn’t divulge to her parents was how she felt like she was walking around with the word SLUT tattooed on her forehead.
“And remember that no one is perfect.” Her mom smiled. “The girls who are mean may have some sort of reason for it. You just never know, so try not to judge them back.”
“And lastly, please, please use protection,” her dad added.
What?!
“Gross! Daaaaad. Please, just please tell me you did not say that,” she pleaded.
He broke into a grin, then chuckled. “I’m just kidding. But also kind of not. But mostly I just wanted you to laugh.”
She rolled her eyes but moved to give him a hug. “Thanks, Dad. I’m sorry you two have to know enough about my sex life that you suggest protection.”
Her mom hugged her hard before pulling back and saying, “Hey, sex is wonderful. Hands down one of the best things on the planet . . .”
As her dad murmured “mm-hmmm,” Kennedy brought a hand to her forehead.
“But only when it’s with the right person,” her mom finished. “Go find your right person. And stop beating yourself up.”
Kennedy took a shaky breath. “I just feel like an idiot. The first guy to spout off the words ‘I love you’ and yeah. I just . . . I thought it meant more. Or I wanted it to mean more. Now I just feel manipulated. Like so manipulated I don’t even know who I am without him. How stupid is that?”