I moved behind her as fast as I could, luckily only stumbling over my luggage three times, but never actually hitting the ground.

"Chloe! Where are you going?" Three girls from the cheerleading squad moved out into the hall behind me.

"Home for the holidays. You guys have fun."

"We will!" They yelled in unison and I had to force myself to return their enthusiasm with a big smile.

"Wine is good for the heart," Jessie mumbled and moved out of the building, holding the door for me. "Maybe it was just supposed to be a glass, but just think, we're all good now for at least a few weeks."

I smirked and flinched thanks to the sharp pain that laced my skull. "I'm praying I get a seat next to a businessman who reads the paper the entire time."

"You in coach, or flying with the wealthy today?"

"First class. You know how my father is."

I loaded my stuff in the trunk and got in the car as quickly as I was able. Wine had never been a good choice for me, but it was Jessie's favorite, so I relented the night before. The queasiness that sat in the center of my stomach reminded me why I should have denied her.

"Are you excited about seeing your brother?" She got in the car and pulled out of the driveway before punching the gas.

I buckled quickly and gave her a wide-eyed look only to get a laugh in response.

"Yeah. He's a total gamer, but I was when I was younger, too. I still play with him, but no one knows that."

"Your secret is safe with me." She winked and nodded to the Starbucks. "Want a coffee?"

"No, my stomach is killing me. We're never going to make it in time, are we?"

"Nope. Might want to let your Dad know." She pulled into the Starbucks anyway. "I need something if we're not in a huge rush."

"Get me a peppermint hot chocolate and I'll pay." I handed her my card. She knew better than to combat me on it. My father had enough money to go around and the majority of my monthly budget went untouched. I paid - a lot.

She ordered while I dug my phone out of my purse and took a deep breath. Calling my father for something good was hard, but having to tell him I hadn't met his expectations in any way, shape or form sucked horribly.

"Chloe. What's wrong?" His voice was deep and filled with parental sternness.

"Missed my flight."

"How is that possible seeing that it leaves in forty minutes?"

"My alarm didn't go off, Dad. I set it and of course on the only day this week that it mattered, it didn't work." I pressed my fingers to my forehead and closed my eyes. The last thing I wanted to do was start an argument with my Dad over the damn alarm clock, but no doubt we were quickly headed that way.

"Then you should have set two alarms. The flight won't wait on you. It's called being responsible. These things cost money." His tone darkened, leaving me feeling like a child again.

"I'll pay for the flight change," I spoke through clenched teeth.

Jessie reached over and squeezed my hand, mouthing, 'It’s okay. Just breathe'.

"With what money, Chloe? Your card is linked to my account. You're not working, remember?"

"I'll see you when I get to Aspen, Dad. I'll text Parker just before I get on whatever flight I end up on. Thanks for understanding. Hugs and kisses." I hung up and turned my phone on silent as anger burst through me and tears filled my eyes. "Why the fuck am I even going there?"

"Because you need to see your brother and this is going to be a great way to get starter money for your company."

"I don't want his money. He's going to be up the crack of my ass the entire holiday and then he'll tell me why I have something else to prove before he cuts me the check." I took my drink as Jessie extended it to me. "And you know what else?"

"Tell me."

"Him investing in my company is a horrible idea. That means he has some kind of control over it. Over me!" I was being overly dramatic, but I couldn't help it. The bastard had been nothing but a thorn in my side and a constant whisper over my shoulder that I wasn't good enough.

"Take a deep breath and drink your hot chocolate. This is a win-win situation and your Dad will always be the kind of guy he is."

"He didn't use to be." I reached up and wiped at my tears, thankful that I had no makeup on due to my lack of time to apply it. "When my mom was alive he was..." My throat tightened and I shook my head. "Never mind. I don't want to talk about this."

My mother's death changed us all, but having happened so long ago, I would have thought we could all move past it enough to reconnect as a family. Parker and I had, but my father was an island to himself.

"Maybe it's time to forgive each other and help him start dating again. It's been eight years since you lost your mom?"

"Yeah. I was sixteen." I wiped the back of my long-sleeve t-shirt across my face. "I don't even know if he's dated anyone."

"Maybe he's bitter, Chloe." She offered me a kind smile and I nodded, hating the painful emotions that raged through me.

"Maybe. I'm grateful for his money, but I think I'm just so pissed that he has nothing else to offer." I sniffled and leaned back in my seat, unsure of what to think about the upcoming events that had the power to change my life. "He's all I have, you know?"

"I don't know, but I'm here for you. Find the fun and the good in this trip, okay? I know you and if nothing else, you're a positive person."

I nodded again and closed my eyes, laying my hand on top of hers and trying to steel my resolve to be the bigger person no matter what.

* * * *

"I'm sorry about your situation this morning, Miss Burke." The pretty flight attendant glanced up from her computer to me and back down again.

"It's my fault. I should have set two alarms, I guess." I shrugged and offered the woman a warm smile.

"No. These things happen to us all." She pressed her finger to her lips and clicked a few buttons on her keypad. "We have two more flights today. One leaves in three hours and the next around five tonight. It's a late flight, which you might not want, but it's up to you."

"A three hour wait or a nine hour wait? I'm going three hour."

I pulled out my phone to text my father, but decided against it. If something happened, God-forbid, and I had to text him again, he would blow a gasket that was likely to hit me all the way in California.

"Sounds good. I'll change your ticket and we'll see you at gate B-25 in two hours or so. Let’s get your bags checked in for the new flight, then you can go grab you a good book and try and relax."

She handed me the new boarding pass. Getting my luggage checked in was a nightmare and a half, but everything had to get out of the dorms. They closed down during the week of Christmas for cleaning. Besides, I was done at UCLA anyway. My time was over and now I was on the road full speed ahead to growing up.

The thought was exhilarating and terrifying all at the same time.

I took her suggestion after getting through security. A romance novel and a snickers bar would be more than enough fun to get me through the short wait. My father would be angry, but he would get over it. Besides, there would certainly be something else to stoke his angst over before too long. Nothing we ever did was right. How anyone worked for him was beyond me.

I checked my phone again as I slumped down in a cold plastic chair and had a few texts from Jessie and one from Seth, but nothing from my Dad. That I expected him to start caring any minute about how it might feel for me to be stuck at the airport alone was stupid. I was a grown-ass woman, as he had reminded me many times over the last few years, and honestly he was right. I was twenty-three and had a masters degree. I'd say that was pretty much grown.