Chapter 2
can i trust you not to scream again?
MIA
September
The responding silence is a heavy weight as I shift in my seat.
“What do you mean?” I ask, unable to wrap my head around her simple admission.
Mom blinks, her eyebrows pulling together. “What do you not understand, sweetie? Allan and I eloped. We’ve been thinking about it for a while, and since we’d already planned this trip, we decided to just go for it.”
“Just go for it…” I shudder as anger sinks into my bones. “How about talking to your kids first? Did you consider we might have something to say—”
“Mia.” Matt nudges me with his leg. “Stop it.”
I whip my head to the side and glare at him. “Stop it? Are you for real? She went and got married without even talking to us!”
Eyebrows pinched together, my brother holds my gaze. He wants me to shut up, but I’m too agitated for that, and honestly? Screw her!
Practically seeing red, I focus on my mom again. “I shouldn’t be surprised, since you started fucking Dad’s best friend the moment—”
“That’s enough,” Allan snaps. His booming voice goes right through me, and I shrink in my seat. “Mia, I know you’re upset, but that doesn’t give you the right to disrespect your mom.”
Angry tears well in my eyes as I gnaw on my bottom lip.
There was a time when I loved this man like family, when I loved the friendship he had with my parents and admired the love he had for his son.
I’d always been impressed with how close he and Dominic were, with how he raised his son alone after his wife died only a year after she gave birth.
All I feel now is resentment.
And hurt.
“Go to your room,” Mom grits through her teeth.
With anger bubbling inside me, I push my chair back.
“Oh,” she continues, “and you’re grounded for a month. After school, you will come straight home. No extracurricular stuff, and no hanging out with friends.”
What? My heart plummets. Auditions for Alice in Wonderland start next week. How can I land a role if I can’t try out?
“I’m helping with the school play. I’m going to audition…”
Mom shrugs, her expression almost…pleased? “Not anymore.”
“This isn’t fair!” Matt yelps. “All she did—”
“Matthew, last I checked, I’m the parent here, not you,” she says. She gives him a quick, stern look then turns back to me. “Am I clear?”
I stand, nearly knocking my chair over, and dart up to my bedroom. Cursing, I slam the door and slide to the floor, pulling at the roots of my hair. “Fuck.”
This can’t be happening.
Not only did my mom ruin my life by marrying Allan, but now, she took away the only thing that brings me any joy these days: drama club.
I scan my room, the instinct to run hitting me in the face like an ocean wave in a storm. I don’t want to be here. I don’t want to be in this house, not with my mother and her new family.
I need my dad.
Closing my eyes, I take a few deep breaths. When the edges of my anger fade, I haul myself up and pack my backpack.
If she thinks I’ll listen to her, she’s delusional.
I flip the light off and climb onto my bed.
In the darkness, I lie on my back, staring at the ceiling.
After a while, Matthew knocks on the door.
I tell him to leave me alone. He’s not to blame for tonight, but it hurts to see how unbothered he was by their announcement.
I don’t want to think of him as a traitor, and if I let him in, I’m afraid of what I might say in anger. I need some time to cool off.
As I expected, Mom doesn’t come to check on me. That’s okay. I was hoping she wouldn’t. At midnight, I silently ease my door open and tiptoe down the stairs. The first floor is dark and quiet, but I carefully creep through it anyway.
The moment I step outside, I sigh in relief. The first part of my plan is complete. I run down the porch steps, my backpack smacking me with each step. At the bottom, I pull up short.
Crap. How exactly am I going to get to Dad’s place?
I smack my forehead and rub my palm back and forth. “Stupid idiot,” I mutter.
“For someone who’s running away, you don’t seem to be in much of a rush.”
Heart lurching, I spin around and let out a scream.
Dominic quickly covers my mouth, cutting off the sound. His eyes hold mine, an amused smile playing on his lips.
“Can I trust you not to scream again?” he asks.
I nod, heart still pounding. “What are you doing out here?” I take a step back, adjusting my backpack.
He lifts his hand, indicating the cigarette between his fingers. Smoking—how typical of him.
“Felt like I needed one,” he comments, his gaze still hooked on mine. “My old man is going at it with your mom, and she’s—”
I slap a hand over his mouth. “Ew.”
His body trembles with silent laughter, and I crack a smile too. The whole situation is ridiculous.
Slowly, I step back and slip my hands into my back pockets.
Dominic scratches his brow, studying me with curiosity. I’m surprised he hasn’t put distance between us. Usually, he’s all about personal space, at least when it comes to me. That, or he barely notices my existence.
“Where are you going?” he asks, the cigarette now balanced between his teeth.
I deflate. “Probably back inside, since I have no way of getting to my dad’s.”
He cocks a brow, his lips twitching. “I can give you a ride.”
“Really?” I can’t remember the last time he did something nice for me.
“Absolutely. It’s either that, or I listen to our parents—”
“Dominic!” I hiss.
“Fine.” With a wink, he puts out his cigarette. Then, he fishes his car keys out of his pocket. “Let’s go.”
He heads to his car without looking back.
Fifteen minutes later, Dominic parks his SUV in the parking lot of my dad’s apartment building. He spent the whole ride ignoring my presence—shocker. I spent the whole time texting with Chiara, updating her on tonight’s drama.
After the silence we’ve been sitting in, I don’t expect him to speak now.
But he does. Oh boy, he does.
“Listen, I’m not a fan of what our parents did or how they did it, but maybe stop for a second and think about why Monica and Luke got divorced. It wasn’t because of my dad.”
“I never said it was.” I lick my lips, nerves running through me. “What bothers me is that Allan was my dad’s best friend. You don’t do things like that to your friends.”
Dominic shakes his head. “You’re so naive. I shouldn’t be surprised. You’re still only thirteen.”
Irritation zips up my spine. “You’re only four years older than me.”
“Yeah,” he huffs, “but I’ve already figured out that life is unfair. I’ve figured out that the people who claim to love us sometimes treat us like shit. That’s how it works, and you’re too young to understand.”
“I’ll be fourteen next month.” I lift my chin.
The chuckle that leaves him makes the whole car rumble. “Yeah, only a witch like you could’ve been born on Devil’s Night.”
I suck in a sharp breath. “Fuck you, Watson,” I growl, turning for the door.
Before I can throw it open, he grasps my arm, stopping me.
I yank out of his hold. “What?”
“My dad was your mom’s friend first. They met in kindergarten.”
“I know.”
“Did you also know they went to Luke and told him about their relationship before they talked to you and Matt? They did it because they didn’t want to hurt him.”
A jolt of surprise hits me, but I shake it off. It doesn’t matter.
“But they did. They hurt him. My dad and Allan barely talk when they see each other.”
He sighs. “And now we’re circling back to what I said earlier. Life isn’t fair. Once you accept that, everything will be easier. Trust me.”
“Why are you telling me all this?”
“Because my dad loves you. It sucks to see him sad because of the shit you throw his way all because he fell in love with your mom.”
“Oh, I’m sorry.” I slap a hand to my chest dramatically. “Did he bother to think about how my dad felt?”
“I just told you, he did.” Dominic taps his fingers on the steering wheel, a little aggressively. “Ask Luke. Talk to your dad, and then you can draw your own conclusions.”
I watch him in silence. His words mingle with the comment Chia made this afternoon, about me not being fair, about me making assumptions. Doubt creeps into my brain.
What if I’m wrong about how my dad feels?
“Why did you do this?” I ask again. My stomach does somersaults, and my body heats up. My heart thumps so hard, I can literally feel the vein in my wrist pulsing. I so have a crush on him…damn him!
Peering over at me, he arches a brow. “Do what?”
“Drive me here. Talk to me.”
He shrugs. “Dunno. Maybe this family thing is rubbing off on me. You’re my stepsister now, after all.”
There’s no stopping the way my body revolts. I reel back, gagging, and he bursts into laughter. My cheeks flame, and heat spreads from the back of my neck to the tips of my ears. Great.
“The idea of me being your stepbrother is so repulsive, it almost made you throw up?” he asks between fits of dark, sarcastic laughter.
I fold my arms across my chest. “You’re not my brother, regardless of whether or not our parents are married.”
“Duly noted.” With a nod, he hits the unlock button. “You should go. Hopefully, your dad’s still up to let you in.”
“Thanks for the ride.” I climb out of his car and pull my backpack from under the seat.
“It’s nothing.” He shrugs.
At the entrance to the apartment building, I press the button for unit 27. The headlights from Dominic’s SUV shine on me as I wait for Dad to answer, like he’s making sure I get inside safely.
“Hello?” Dad’s voice finally comes through the speaker.
“Dad, it’s Mia.”
“Mia?” he yelps. “Are you okay? What happened?”
With a sigh, I shake my head. Dad will always be Dad. “Um, how about you let me in and I’ll tell you inside? It’s kinda late for me to be out here.”
“Oh my God! You’re right.”
The door unlocks, and once it’s closed behind me, Dominic’s headlights sweep to one side as he drives away.
When I get to the fourth floor, Dad is pacing in front of the elevator. The moment I’m out of it, he hugs me tight, smashing my face to his chest.
“Goodness, Mia. You nearly gave me a heart attack.” He kisses my forehead. “Is everything okay?”
I nod, inhaling to keep my emotions at bay. “It is now.”
Inside his apartment, I kick off my sneakers and toss my backpack onto the floor. Then, I meet his gaze.
“What happened?” he asks as he folds his arms over his chest.
“Mom grounded me, so I ran away.”
“You did what?” He covers his mouth with one hand.
“Packed my things and snuck out of the house when—”
“How did you even get here? Please don’t tell me you walked.”
I roll my eyes. “Dominic gave me a ride. He was smoking and caught me leaving.”
With a long exhale, Dad runs his hand through his short jet-black hair. His dark blue eyes, the same color as mine and Matthew’s, scrutinize me. “Ugh, I need coffee for this conversation.”