Pool Hunny // Benny Rodriguez

37.

Caroline.

We walked up to my house door together, Benny was agitating me again but for once it was in a funny way. I'd had to make a quick lit stop at his to grab my stuff and dry off.

I grabbed my house keys, "you didn't have to walk me all the way to the door, you know." I told him amused as I unlocked it and pushed it open.

He grinned, "what can I say Caroline? I just can't get enough of you." Benny joked as we walked inside and Alfie sprinted up to us.
"Yeah right." I replied trailing off when I realised my father was standing in the hallway next to Katherine a furious look on his face.

"You took Katherine's ring?!" He asked angrily, "Caroline! We do not steal in this family!"
I could see her smirking at me from beside him, that stupid cow.

I scowled, "maybe that's a lecture you should be giving Katherine since I found this in her room." I told him holding up my mother's engagement room. That was the whole reason I'd even found the second ring. I'd been snooping and found both of the wrapped in pretty little boxes.

"Caroline don't be ridiculous why would Katherine want to take your mother's ring." My father asked sighing.
"Why wouldn't she? It's a thousand times nicer that the hideous clump of rock she bought herself." I replied annoyed.

"Caroline! I will not have this, you are way out of line here. You stole Katherine's ring!" He shouted at me.
I grabbed Benny's hand squeezing it out of rage, he squeezed back sympathetically but unfortunately it didn't help much because I was so outraged with the situation.

"BECAUSE SHE STOLE MINE FIRST!" I shouted back exasperated. He would never believe me if I told him about the phone call I'd overheard between her and her friend about the reason she'd bought it. "She's not a nice person Dad! All she wants is your money and she couldn't give a rats ass about me! I know I can't have someone exactly like Mami, but anyone is better than Katherine!"

Katherine shot me an enraged look, "you little cretin! How dare you call me a gold digger? I love your father with all my heart and I am trying to extend that to you but you have shown me nothing but hostility!"

I scoffed, she couldn't possibly love my father with all her heart seeing as she didn't have one. Katherine turned to my father imploringly, "I have tried and tried Jack but Caroline refuses to reciprocate. She's driving a wedge between us and I can't have that. I think it's time we discussed boarding school, just until she comes to her senses."

Fuck.

I watched my father's expression my grip on Benny's had tightening.

He turned to Katherine a look I couldn't decipher on his face, "you must be out of your god damn mind if you think I'm sending my only daughter to boarding school because of our relationship."

Katherine shot him a pointed look, "well you can't have both. It's either me or her."

And that's when it dawned on him, I could tell by his face, that my father had just realised what a massive bitch Katherine was. "Are you deaf? Did you not hear what I just said? I'm going to choose my daughter."

She gales at him, "what?"

"Did I stutter?" My father asked her a glare on his face, "pack your bags Katherine, we're done."

I let out a shriek of joy before I could stop myself and flung my arms around Benny, "it's actually happening!"
He laughed, "congratulations Caroline."

His father honked from the car which Benny took as his cue to go while I went to hug my father. "I should have listened to you earlier shouldn't I?" He asked smiling at me.

I had never been so happy in my entire life, "probably."

"What would I do without you?" My father asked ruffling my hair fondly.

"Go broke." I answered grinning.

Katherine all but ripped her ugly ring out of my  hands but I didn't care at all. As long as she left she could behave as childishly as she wanted. I was finally done with her and everything would go back to normal.

Well not everything.

Benny and I seemed to have fallen into a much different rhythm than usual. No more low blows and shouting, it was friendly. Which was not entirely ideal for me, but I suppose it was better than nothing for now. I'd already had one big win.