21. Connor #2
“You’re sleeping with my brother, Eli. What do you want me to say?
Fuck.” She runs a hand through her hair.
“What is so irresistible about him? He’s fucking milquetoast. There’s ten of him on any hockey team.
If that’s what you want, we’ll hang out at every fucking NCAA game until you find a replacement.
I swear they’ll have the same personality and IQ, same boring six pack and abs. ”
“I don’t care about the hockey or the six pack. I love him .”
“Why, Eli?”
“Because he sees me, Scout. Other guys don’t see me. They’re into nerds or they’re into Asian guys, or they’re bored and I’m there. No one’s ever truly seen me the way he does.”
The water in her eyes spills over and she swipes at the tears with the back of her hand. “You’re serious?”
I nod.
“That’s like, bare minimum. Surely Connor isn’t the only one?”
“He’s the only one I really want to see me.”
“Fuck.” She spins around, looking at everything like she can find a solution in the furniture. “Fuck, fuck, fuck.”
When she spins back again, she has a slightly crazed look in her eyes. “You know I see you.”
“But not like that.”
“Can’t we just live without sex?”
I laugh and she finally smiles.
“Do you want to live without sex?” I ask .
“I can buy whatever a man has to offer … in fact, so can you!”
“It’s not sex, Scout. Or, not just?—”
She holds a hand up. “Okay, no details, please.” She shudders. “Did you do it here?”
I shake my head, them remember the blow job on the couch. “Something happened downstairs once.”
Her eyes widen. “On the couch where I sit?”
“Um.”
“Eli!” she screeches.
“Everything okay in there?”
We both freeze at the sound of Connor’s voice.
He pops his head around the door. The concerned expression on his face makes me melt.
“You.” Scout grits her teeth.
“What?”
“Get in here, right now.”
Connor steps inside, closing the door behind him. He looks at me, pressing his lips like it’s an effort to hold something in.
“How fucking dare you.”
“What are we talking about?”
“You know what. The couch.”
I groan. “Please stop, with the couch.”
“What’s wrong with the couch?”
Scout lowers her voice. “You had sex on it.”
Connor’s eyes widen. “I didn’t?—”
“I’m sorry,” I cut in, wishing I could explain. Why did I have to be so honest about the couch?
His head snaps in my direction. “What are you apologizing for? You haven’t done anything wrong.”
“Do Mom and Dad know about this?”
“Dad does. ”
What?
“Mom thinks she does, but Dad made her think she’s being paranoid.”
“Gaslighting,” Scout huffs. “Great, fucking men. Even Dad.”
Connor takes a step closer to her. She steps back. “All that ‘I love you, sis,’ and shit and the whole time you’re soiling the couch with my best friend.”
Connor flinches from her word choice. “I love Elliot.”
Oh my god, what?
“I would never want to hurt you. You’re my sister and I really do love you. If you fell for Brad, I’d hate it, but I’d have to accept it.”
“One—disgusting. I wouldn’t touch Brad if he was the last man on earth, and two—you and Brad are not as close as me and Eli.”
“That’s true,” Connor admits. “I get that you’re upset. I’m sorry.”
“Stop being all reasonable. I want to punch your face right now.”
“You can if you want.”
“Oh, you’d love that, wouldn’t you?”
“What’s going on in here?” Naomi opens the door and steps inside.
“Oh great,” Scout says, slinking back onto the bed. “Everyone come on in.”
“Maybe I should go?” I say.
Connor and Scout both speak at the same time. “No!”
They look at each other. Scout’s face softens. “You can’t have him,” she says in a small voice.
“What the hell is going on here?” Naomi asks.
Connor and Scout both look to me. Is it my decision? Why ?
“I love Connor,” I blurt.
Naomi gasps. It takes a second for her to digest what I said. But the second she does, a big smile spreads over her face. Her eyes widen as if she’s only now realizing something and she turns to Connor.
“Is this? Are you?”
“Yes, Mom,” Scout says. “They’re in love, they made out on the couch or whatever—go be over the moon about it.”
Naomi’s smile drops and she crosses the room and kneels in front of Scout. Scout was probably expecting her mom to automatically be happy and side with Connor. Instead, Naomi puts her hands on her daughter’s face until she looks at her.
“I’m sorry, honey. This can’t be easy for you. But you’ll never lose Eli. He’s a part of the family one way or another. You two have something so special, nothing could ever break it.”
To mine and Connor’s surprise, Scout bursts into tears and lets Naomi put her arms around her.
I don’t know what to do. I’ve hurt her so much. I’ve never seen Scout this upset.
Connor comes closer and puts his hand on my back. “Go on.” He gestures to where Scout and Naomi are hugging.
I go over and put my arms around them and Naomi pulls me in before pulling away and leaving me and Scout alone.
“This is gonna suck,” Scout says.
“I’m sorry.”
“He’d better be fucking worth it. You do know he had athlete’s foot, like, two years ago and a fungal infection?—”
“Scout!” Connor says.
I laugh. “I know, he’s a gross boy. But I still love him. ”
“Urgh.” She pulls away from the hug, wiping her blotchy face.
“And I love you,” I add.
“I love you, too. But I’m gonna call you a puck bunny for the rest of your life. You do know that, right?”
“Sure.”
Connor starts to come closer, but Scout waves him away. “I’m not hugging you. Or ever sitting on that couch again.”