;truth is powerful and it prevails

I've always been an outspoken and independent woman - it's one of the greatest personality traits my mother ever taught me.

And while I got nudged into doing what she wanted me to do - I still fought her on it. But being independent and outspoken doesn't mean you're a heartless bitch. No, I'd do anything to have my parents happy and make them proud - that was a flaw in my opinion because I took it to the point where it made me unhappy.

College didn't change that.

They wanted me and Eli to stay home instead of staying at the dorms, we did it, happily. We loved being home, all still being together and happy. It was a settling feeling leaving classes and able to come home to see my parents dancing in the kitchen or sitting at the dining table sipping coffee side by side while my dad read the paper and my mother tapped away on the laptop.

I love seeing them together, watching their love.

Which is why I was so frustrated when they things changed.

It was like they were each in their own bubble and neither was willing to pop the others in order to be with them. It was sad. Really fucking sad.

No more kitchen slow dances, no more side by side coffee dates, no more laughing and cuddling in front of the TV - overnight everything died.

Then the move.

Oh god, the fucking move.

Me and Eli kicked off like no one's business. We were happy and settled, we couldn't understand why they wanted to take that from us.

Eli was captain of his basketball team, I was captain of my cheer squad. Both reining champs and had multiple championships behind us.

Hell, if my mom wanted me to be a cheerleader so bad, why take me away from the one squad I had been with since high school to throw me into another. I could of been drafted by now and cheering for the freaking Knicks or some shit!

That's how I knew it was bad - whatever it was - for them to drag us from our happy home in the city where dreams come true, all the way to Miami.

I flicked the switched and turned the shower off, stepping out the tub and onto the fluffy memory foam bath mat and wrapping the white fluffy towel around my body.

As much as I love being with Maddox and staying at the baller house, I hated their bathroom, it always smelt like. . . I don't know, boys? Ballers bathroom wasn't too bad, but it I liked being home with all my soaps and body scrubs.

Wiping the condensation off the mirror, I watched myself in the mirror, mentally preparing myself for another epic show down with my parents - this wasn't the first battle of who's gonna break first - normally it ended it me losing because they were so damn pig ignorant that they refused to give me any answers.

Spitting out the remaining toothpaste and rinsing my mouth, I shuffled into my bedroom and threw on a pair of cycle shorts and one of Maddox's jumpers I had from before. Shoving my hair in a messy wet bun, I moisturised then dropped stomach first on my bed, grabbing my phone off charge.

Guess it was now or never, huh.

Facetime calling my dad, I waited for a beat then his bright smiley face took over my screen.

"Hello sweetheart!" He greeted me, so happy and joyful. "I haven't heard from you in a while, is everything okay?"

I nod and return his contagious smile. "Everything is good. How are you guys?" I asked.

He bobs his head side to side, a playful gesture before reassuring me. "We're good, honey. Work here is a little crazy. Who knew Miami was a car buying gold mine, huh?" He jokes.

I chuckle along with him. "Well, it is a city for the rich, famous and flashy. Sure will give L.A a run for their money."

My dad snorts. "Ain't that the truth." his dark eyes drop down then I hear a shuffling of papers before he looks back up to me. "So how's your brother? I haven't spoken to him since christmas."

My smile gets bigger at the thought of my brother. "He's doing so well, Dad. You'd be proud of the man he's becoming."

And it was true. Since coming here, Eli has grown so much in his mentality. It wasn't all about drinking till your blacking out or smoking until you pass out or boning puck bunnies until his balls shrivelled up. He was actually committing to being a baller more than he was in high school, he was taking his practises and training extremely serious, sticking to their strict diet and even going to bed earlier than the rest of the team.

The team he now thinks of as a family.

Our family.

"Honestly, Dad. The team love him, he's always up and ready for practise. He even scored a three pointed in their last game." I continued.

My Dad looks really pleased to hear that, I swear his eyes were welling up. "And you? How are you getting on? I know you have this new boyfriend an all, but what about classes?"

I laugh out a sigh. "C'mon, Daddy, you know me. I'm a studious girl who can take on anything. But yes, classes are really good, and hey, guess what!?"

My dad chuckles. "What?" he says excitedly, and teasingly.

"I finished my book." I gloated. "All 170 pages of it."

His jaw drops and his mouth takes an O shape. "You did!?" He grins. "Honey, that's amazing! I'm so proud of you!"

"Thank you, Daddy."

He pops an eyebrow and smirks at me down the camera. "I presume a certain basketball captain had a foot in it? -- I was starting to think you'd never complete it." he chuckles.

"He helped, I'll admit. He showed me this really cute space he fixed up and said I could have it as a writing domain - or so he calls it."

"I'm happy you're happy, sweetheart. You of all people deserve it." then he gives me that look. "So-- When do we get to meet the lucky man?"

I almost choke on my own spit. "You -- you of all people wanna actually wanna meet him?"

He blows out an exhale, running his hand over his bald head. "I don't, but I wanna see he's good enough to be taking care of my little girl. If not, then --" he punches one hand into the palm of his other hand. "-- he'll get one of these like no one has ever before."

I can't help but howl with laughter. "You and your old man jokes. He's a 6'5 200 and odd pound baller, Dad."

His brows shoot up to his none existent hair line. "He can still get a beat down. I may be old but I certainly ain't outta shape."

I roll my eyes teasingly.

The thought of why I actually called comes to the forefront of my mind. Ask him. Ask him. It's repeating and I want too. I should be able too. But we always have so much fun when we talk and it makes me miss him like crazy.

Do I wanna ruin this cute and fun moment we're having?

Or do I leave it alone?

I clear my throat and gain my composure. "So hey, um, dad?"

He nods. "Yes?" He replies slowly, looking at me warily.

"I actually called because I've been thinking." I begin. My dad sighs. "And I wanna talk about why we left New York."

He shakes his head and blows out of a puff of air. "Again with this Tee?"

I gritted my teeth to hold back the growl that wasn't to burst outta me. "Yes. This again." I snipped. "Dad, you can't keep palming me off with bullshit excuses. I'm a grown woman who deserves to know the truth, so the question is, are you going to give it to me or am I going to have to turn into Nancy freaking Drew to find out?"

"Tee--" he sighs.

I cut him off almost instantly. "No, Dad. It's not fair. On me, or Eli. None of what has happened is fair and I think we deserve every right to know. Don't you?"

"No, Tori. I don't. We're your parents, we decide what we tell you and what we don't. This just happens to be one of those things. Now, time for me to say we can either end this call on a nice note, or a sour one. Your choice."

I scoff. "Whatever. Bye, Dad. I love you."

And I hung up before he could respond.

I love my parents. Truly. But this is one thing I can't agree with them on.

They uprooted mine and my brothers lives without so much a fucking look in.

That's not okay with me.

Nancy Drew time is it, I guess.