Chapter 24 #2
Eden exhales and tugs on the drawstrings of her hoodie, staring at me in silence.
“I could say the same to you,” she finally says, but it’s not the reply I was looking for.
I was hoping for some reassurance that she isn’t under Jake’s spell.
She shoves her hands into the front pocket of her hoodie and tilts her head to one side.
“You took me to a party with all your pothead friends and crackhead losers. Are you insane?”
“Shhh. Keep your voice down,” I order, holding up a finger to her. I glance down the hall to the kitchen where our parents are.
“Sorry,” Eden says, though she doesn’t even bother lowering her voice.
She presses her lips together, her gaze challenging.
Her stance is defensive and her tone is bitter.
I took her to that party and then got into a heated argument with her.
Yet again, she saw a flash of my absolute worst side, the side of me that I just can’t control.
“I forgot your mom has no idea about how pathetic her son is.”
I wish she’d stop saying that word. Pathetic .
I know I am, but hearing her say it is a harsh reminder.
It’s like she can tell it gets to me, like she knows it hurts to hear.
That’s why she keeps saying it. Not because it’s a fact, but because it’s the one thing she can use against me.
My own damn weakness. It’s almost cruel of her, so I don’t feel guilty when I yell out, “Dave! Eden’s home.
” I even throw in a smile for good measure.
Eden parts her lips, her eyes widening. “Seriously?”
“Face the consequences,” I say, taunting her. Face the consequences for sneaking around all night with Jake fucking Maxwell.
“Your consequences,” she snaps back. She is growing more and more aggravated each second. It’s like I make her blood boil. “You forced me to go to that party.”
“Yet I remember you agreeing to it.”
“I’m surprised that you even remember anything,” she mutters. And then, to get back at me, she decides to become condescending. “Was it a sober night for you? I doubt it.” She pushes her hood fully down and takes a deep breath as we hear movement from the kitchen.
“Good luck,” I tease sarcastically and I laugh, leaning back against the wall and crossing my arms over my chest. This should be good. Entertainment at its finest.
“Where the hell have you been?” Dave explodes as soon as he steps foot in the hall.
He comes marching down toward us, but for once, his glare isn’t directed at me.
No, not this time. It’s Eden’s turn. “Do you even know the time? It’s almost noon.
Where have you been all night?” he interrogates, all of his worry releasing itself as anger.
His eyes are nearly bulging out of his damn head.
“The least you could have done was answer your phone. I’ve been worried sick, Eden. ”
“I’m sorry, I—” Eden begins, but then her words seem to get stuck in her throat.
What is she supposed to say? What explanation can she offer him?
That I dragged her to a party and then abandoned her, only for Mr. Player of the Year to swoop in and rescue her, and that she’s been with some guy who’s pretty much still a stranger the entire night?
As if she’s telling her dad that. He’d kill me first, and then Jake, and then her.
Fear is flashing across her face as her eyes dart all over the hall, and I realize just how vulnerable she looks.
She’s usually pretty confident, saying whatever’s on her mind, but right now, she looks small and terrified. It’s not as entertaining as I’d hoped.
“She was at Meghan’s place,” I cut in quickly.
I’m not throwing her under the bus. Not after what I did to her last night.
My eyes meet hers and I fix her with a firm look, one that tells her to keep quiet while I fix this for her, and then switch my attention to Dave. “I already told you that,” I lie.
Dave stares at me for a few seconds, perplexed. His eyebrows draw together. “No you didn’t.”
“I’m, like, pretty sure I told you last night when I got back, because she asked me to let you know,” I say, feigning innocence. I even pull it off in my eyes, which is hard for me because I’m never innocent. “Remember?”
“No.”
“Man, I must have forgotten.” I shrug as though I’m deeply sorry, and then look back at Eden once more. “Sorry, Eden. My bad.”
Dave is silent as he glances between Eden and me, confused.
He’s not buying this, but at least I tried.
Eden looks stunned that I have. I do feel guilty about last night, so saving her from getting into trouble over it is seriously the least I could do.
She just stares at me, her expression twisting with disbelief.
“Next time, don’t leave in the first place without telling me,” Dave finally mumbles.
Amazing. He actually let me get away with my shitty act of innocence, though he still doesn’t sound too pleased about it all.
“By the way,” he says just as he’s about to turn around to leave, “we’re going out for a late lunch.
All of us. That means you too, Tyler. Dress nicely.
” He gives me a stern look. I take it I’m not getting a choice in the matter.
“You get off the hook so easily,” I comment once Dave heads back into the kitchen. Sure, I helped Eden out with a bullshit cover story, but she did still stay out all night without letting her dad know. When I do that, he puts me through hell and back.
“Why did you do that?” Eden asks. She’s staring at me, much calmer now than a few minutes ago, and her eyes are bright with curiosity.
“Do what?”
“Lie for me,” she clarifies with a small shrug. “I don’t get it.”
“I owed you one,” I say, and then, just to be clear, I quickly add, “For taking you to that party last night. I didn’t think it through. Sorry.” I’m not one for apologies, so although I’m being blunt and straight to the point, it’s the best I can give her. I also mean it.
“Why did you even invite me along in the first place? Did you honestly think I’d want to be around that stuff?
” she questions, and her annoyance has returned.
It’s always such a subtle change in her tone of voice, but I notice it every time.
It’s when her voice deepens a little more, bringing out its huskiness.
I like it when she’s not annoyed, or angry, or in disbelief.
I like it when she just…talks. But we don’t often do that.
“I’m sorry,” I say again. I know it was a bad decision on my part, and I am sorry for it, so I hope she knows I’m not just apologizing for the sake of it.
I’m mad enough at myself already, because maybe she wouldn’t have ended up with Jake if I hadn’t taken her out with me.
Which reminds me…“So you were with Jake, huh?”
“What does it matter to you if I was?” she shoots back, which confirms it: she has been with Jake the entire time. He’s got a lot to answer for the next time I see him. “You have your opinion of him, and I have mine. I don’t want to talk about it again because it’s got nothing to do with you.”
She’s right; it doesn’t have anything to do with me, but if she just took a damn second to consider why it gets to me, then she’d realize that maybe I just don’t want to see her get hurt.
And not just because she’s my stepsister who I’m expected to look out for, but because I genuinely don’t like the thought of Jake messing with her head.
She seems too switched on, too wise, to fall for his bullshit.
I’d hate to see that. She wouldn’t deserve it.
“I need to take a shower,” I say, changing the subject. There’s no way I’m admitting it out loud that I actually care. Because Tyler Bruce doesn’t. “We’ll talk about this later. After this bullshit meal that we’ve gotta sit through.”
“We’ll talk about it later?” Eden echoes. It sounds like she doesn’t want to, but if it’s the last thing I do, I’m not letting Jake play her.
“Yeah.” I head for the stairs so that I can make a start on getting ready for this first broken family outing.
It’s not something I’m particularly looking forward to, but I don’t have the energy to put up a fight.
As I make my way upstairs, I glance back at Eden one last time.
She’s staring after me, watching me leave.
“And remember what your dad said,” I say. “Wear something nice.”
I don’t know what it is about this girl, but I’m so damn changeable around her.
I’ve never slipped up as much as I have around anyone as much as I have with her.
I messed up again last night too. When we were fighting…
She wasn’t fighting with Tyler Bruce. She was fighting with me.
My weaknesses. My honesty. My fear. And even now, in this split second, I’m just being myself.
And the way I can tell? I’m smiling at her.