Chapter 22
Present Day
As the week progresses, I make every best attempt I can at emphasizing who Tyler Bruce is whenever Eden is around.
I fucked up big time on Tuesday night, and I need to salvage that.
She can’t figure out that I’m not actually as bad as everyone thinks I am.
So, I’ve put my skills to the test and have been delivering the ultimate performance all week.
I’ve been ignoring her mostly, only glaring at her, but I sometimes mutter cocky remarks or demand that she gets out of my way. And, so far, it’s working.
Even now, I can hear her. Our rooms are right next door to one another and for the past five minutes, I’ve been subjected to hearing her talk on the phone.
It’s not clear enough to make out exactly what she’s saying, but it’s clear enough to hear her voice.
That’s why, as I’m lying across my bed flicking through text messages, I don’t have my TV on or any music playing.
I already have background noise to listen to.
You better get over here pretty soon if you wanna have a shot at making any $$$
Declan has texted. His party is tonight. I’m supposed to be going, but I haven’t found the energy to get ready yet. It’s still early though.
It’s the perfect night for this party to be taking place.
Once a month, Tiffani stays at her dad’s place, which means that one weekend each month I have to survive without her.
But for once, I’m glad she’s at her dad’s tonight.
If she was here and knew I was heading out to a party thrown by Declan Portwood, there’d be no way in hell I’d ever get anywhere near it.
But I guess I’m sort of nervous about it.
Declan says it’s the perfect opportunity to get me started, to meet the right kind of people, but I’m starting to have doubts.
I haven’t thought this through too much, and now I’m getting wrapped up in it way too fast. I’m not sure if I really want to go down this path.
I hear Eden’s voice again. All husky and low.
I wonder what she’s doing tonight. Probably nothing.
Maybe she’d like a party. There are two benefits to inviting her: One, she gets to see me as Tyler Bruce, and that should distract her from the fact I was actually nice to her the other night.
And two, I won’t have to go to this party alone.
I roll out of bed and glance at myself in my mirror.
I narrow my eyes, testing out their intensity, and I tighten my jaw a little.
Even tame my hair. Then, I clear my throat and walk out into the hall.
I pause outside of her bedroom door for a second, listening in closely, and I hear her tell someone not to miss her too much.
I push open the door without much consideration over whether or not she’s still on the phone and I take a single step into the room. “Who were you talking to?”
Luckily, the call seems to be over. Eden’s cross-legged on her bed and her gaze flicks up to meet mine. I can literally see the irritation in her eyes. “Did I say you could come in?”
“Who were you talking to?” I ask again. I’m trying to sound like as much of an asshole as possible, but I may also be slightly curious. “You got a boyfriend back in Portland or some shit?”
Eden stares blankly at me, barely impressed by my interruption. “Were you eavesdropping?”
“My room is right next door. The walls are thin as hell.”
“Okay, well, I was talking to my mom,” she finally tells me as she stands up. Good. Does that mean there’s no boyfriend, then? I don’t want to ask, so I just stay silent. Eden looks at the clock. “Shouldn’t you be out doing something?”
“That’s actually what I gotta talk to you about.
” Thank God she asked, because I wasn’t sure how to bring it up.
I close the door—I don’t want anyone overhearing—and walk over to her.
I keep a safe distance of at least three feet between us, and she is watching me closely with those curious, big eyes of hers.
“You’re not doing anything tonight, right? ”
“No,” she says. “Everyone’s busy.”
“Alright, you’re coming with me,” I tell her. Tyler Bruce doesn’t ask. Tyler Bruce demands. She’s not getting a choice. “Party down on 11th Street. Don’t mention it to your dad.” Without giving her the chance to reply, I quickly turn my back on her.
“Tyler,” she says as I’m leaving. I reluctantly pause, slowly spinning back around. She’s folded her arms across her chest now and has an eyebrow raised. “Who says I want to go to a party with you? Sorry, but you’re sort of the last person I want to hang out with.”
So it seems she still hates me. Success. “Get ready,” I order.
“No.”
“Yes,” I say, my voice hard. Why does she do this? Why can’t she just be like everyone else and actually do what I tell her? Why does she have to fight so hard against me? Time to be a jerk. “What else are you gonna do? Sit here all night in your room like a damn loser with no social life?”
Her expression falters and she doesn’t look so tough anymore. She glances up at the ceiling and then back down, almost like she’s considering it, and then she quietly asks, “What will I wear?”
That’s more like it. Thank God I don’t have to go to this party alone.
“Anything,” I say. My voice loses its firmness.
“It’s not the same kinda party as Austin’s.
This one’s more…chill. You could turn up in a pair of sweats and you wouldn’t be out of place.
” Everyone will be too stoned to care, but I don’t even dare mention this.
She’ll figure that out when we get there.
She definitely picks up on it though, because she looks perplexed. “Chill?”
“Yeah. Are you up for pre-drinks while you’re getting ready?
” I offer. Did she even drink at Austin’s party last weekend?
I’m not sure. I wish I’d paid attention.
“My stash is running a little low, because Mom’s constantly searching my room, so all I’ve got is beer and some Jack and a little vodka.
You know what, I’ll surprise you.” I smile at her, relieved she’s given in, and also relieved she’s not telling me no.
I drift back to my own room and immediately drop to my knees, searching under my bed for all of the shit I stash under there.
I grab a bottle of beer and then mix up some Coke and some vodka for Eden.
I don’t make it too strong. I don’t wanna kill the girl.
My hair is still a mess, so I try once more to tame it a little before I head back through to her room with the drinks.
“I’ll probably be ready in twenty minutes,” she tells me. She’s by her closet, searching through it on the hunt for an outfit.
“No problem. Here,” I say. I pass her the drink and she takes it from me, but our fingertips brush, and I don’t know why, but it feels weird to me. I don’t think she notices though, so I play it cool.
“Vodka and Coke?” she asks. Probably double-checking that I’m not poisoning her with weed killer.
“Yeah. Always a safe bet,” I confirm. I crack off the cap of my beer on the edge of her dresser, and then suddenly I realize it may not be what she wanted. “You like it, right? If you want beer, I can get you some—”
“This is fine,” she interrupts. Her lips may even be forming a smile. “I like it.”
“Okay, good.” Shit, what’s wrong with me? Why does she make me so awkward? I look up at the ceiling and chug my beer while I try to gather my thoughts, and then when I glance back down, I can’t look at her for some reason. “Just, uh, come get me when you’re ready.”
“Are you guys drinking?” a voice asks.
Both our eyes flash over to Jamie. He has appeared at Eden’s bedroom door, staring at us suspiciously.
I can see his gaze resting on the drinks that we’re holding, so I quickly move my beer behind my back, but I don’t know what the point is.
He’s already seen it, and now I’m about to be blackmailed by my little brother. I know him so damn well.
“No,” I lie anyway. My voice has softened. I can never pull off my Tyler Bruce tone whenever I’m with my brothers. “You know we’re not twenty-one. Why would we be drinking?”
“I can see it right there,” Jamie says. He nods to Eden’s drink, but I can already see it in his eyes that there’s a plan forming in his mind. “Does Mom know?”
I strain my neck and exhale. “It’s only a little. Can you give us some space?”
“Twenty bucks,” he demands. He holds out his palm flat to me, expecting cash, and he smiles at me with that devilish but charming grin that he’s mastered over the years. He waits patiently.
“I gave you thirty the other day,” I remind him.
There’s no point in arguing though, because I know he will only twist my arm until I give in anyway.
I put my beer down on the dresser and then pull out my wallet.
“Because you wanted that video game, remember? Don’t think I forgot, because I haven’t. ”
“Hmm.” Jamie goes quiet, tapping his lips with his index finger. “I’ll take ten then.”
“Fine, ten,” I agree with a laugh. I hate that he can play me so well. I really need to stop doing so much dumb shit that lets him blackmail me so easily. I pass him ten bucks, then push him away. “Now get outta here.”
He shoves the bill into his pocket, and as he turns around and runs back down the hall, he snickers, “I would have taken five.”
All I can do is laugh while I fetch my beer again and take another swig of it. “Kid treats me like an ATM,” I say with a sigh. Then, as I leave too, I tell Eden, “Get ready.”
I still haven’t texted Declan back, but whatever.
I head to my room, finish the beer I’m drinking, then hop into the shower to fix my mess of hair.
I take my meds that I forgot to take this morning, and I pull on some jeans and a plain T-shirt.
I manage to drink another two beers in the time that it takes Eden to get ready—which is definitely more than twenty minutes—and I begin lining the empty bottles up on my window ledge.