“Where is he? I told him to be here for six, and it’s twenty past! He always has to defy everything we ask of him.” My mom snaps, slamming her fork down on the table by her plate, making everything rattle despite being solid oak and everyone sits tensely as her voice echoes around the giant dining room. “I am so sick of this.”
My mum's shoulder-length blonde highlighted hair falls gracefully over her right eye, so she flicks it back with manicured nails. She still looks like a woman in her young thirties and not her mid-forties. Barely has a wrinkle or blemish on her delicate face. Her cheekbones are rosier than normal, even on her sallow skin, and I watch my mom's beauty and elegance with awe, impressed by it even when she’s pissed off.
Elisa withdraws further into her hair, so her fork seems to be delivering food into a veil where food disappears, and my stepfather sighs at the head of the table and checks his watch for the fifth time. It’s only the four of us as we wait for Dane, supposed to be a cozy small celebration, yet this room suddenly feels crazily claustrophobic even though our table seats eight.
“Mom…. ignore it and eat. It’s Bryan’s birthday dinner. Dane will show up. You know he will…. late because it’s what he does, but he will still come home.” I try to soothe her with soft words and some logic, but we all know Dane will show up when he feels like it, regardless of the date. “He does this to annoy you, and it’s working.” Anytime she gives him a set time, he ignores it. I sigh and push my food around, hating that he has ruined yet another family meal.
“The food is really good, Mrs. Masterson. You should eat it before it gets cold.” Elise pipes up shyly, her sweet voice coming out from the hunched-up figure as she aids in smoothing my mom’s ruffled feathers. She’s been an extension of our family for years, as she lives two houses away and practically grew up with me since I moved in here. My mom loves having her around and always invites her to family-related events. I think she felt Elisa was a sibling I needed because I was an only child, and Dane hated coming here for visitation, so he would dodge it.
“Honey. It’s fine. He’ll show up when he’s hungry, and I told you I didn’t need anything special today. I’m happy to spend time with my family at any time. It’s just another year of reminding me I am old.” My stepfather gives mom a tight smile, trying for light-hearted warmth, but her grip on her water glass tightens, and she sits up straight, tenser.
Bryan is nothing like his son. He’s handsome in that mature guy kind of a way and fit because my mom is a stickler for health. He compliments my mom with their good looks – the typical Florida, wealthy, good-looking couple.
Where Dane is tanned, with pale eyes and black hair, Bryan is pale naturally, a little freckled in places with light brown hair and smiley hazel eyes. Dane’s all angles and smoldering gazes, while Bryan's happy face always seems approachable. The only thing Dane seemed to get from his DNA was their height. Tall and stocky as though they were meant for the sports field.
She furrows her already frowning brow further. Her happy mood of a half hour ago has been dying by the second.
“I’m so tired of dealing with this. Anything I say, he ignores. Anything I do, he throws back in my face…. what am I supposed to do with him?” She exhales heavily, eyes misting over as though this is the worst stress of her life, and sometimes I don’t get why she tries so hard. She wouldn't always be at his throat if she let him be and didn’t demand anything. She can’t change him. Since he moved in, it’s like she tries so hard to be his mother, whereas before, she didn’t give him the time of day.
“Stop expecting…. It only sets you up for disappointment. You know how he feels.” Bryan reaches out his hand and covers the one beside my mother’s discarded fork, squeezing her, and I try to focus on my food. The steak is getting cold as I am picking at it, but I have no appetite thanks to the tension of the atmosphere once again caused by Dane.
There’s a clatter out in the main hall that sounds like the front door swinging shut, and then minor scuffing and the squeak of boots on the marble floor. Low voices follow it, and I stiffen, knowing what’s coming. It sounds like Dane brought Tyler with him, and my mom is already in the worst mood over his being late. Even though she asked Elisa, she never asked any of Dane’s friends. She never does.
“Listen, honey… he’s here. Relax, eat. Let’s enjoy this. Let it go and have a nice dinner for once.” Bryan lets her go and sits back to pick up his cutlery again, but my mother does not move. I catch her in the corner of my eye, pushing her shoulders back and raising her chin, and I inwardly deflate. Mom is moving into battle mode, and I know she will go off at him when he comes in here.
“Sorry, we’re late, Mr. and Mrs. Masterson… we had a delay with school things,” Tyler mumbles, coming in first, looking sheepish and giving a quick head bow in apology as he eyes up the table and tries to figure out where to sit. He’s still in the uniform of earlier and looks more wrinkled than when we left school a couple of hours ago. God knows where they have been or what they have been doing.
School things, my ass.
Seeing only one place set, he turns to the side and gives Dane a glaring look as he strolls in casually beside him. It looks like Dane told him he was invited when my mother never agreed. Dane shrugs back and smirks, that wicked gleam in his eye that he knows this will be something else to piss my mom off.
“Yeah, soz…. we had stuff going on. I’m starving. Smells good.” Dane walks up, eyes up the vacant seat next to me that sits between his father and me and the place setting clearly for him, then at Elisa beside my mother on the opposite side. He seems to do a mental calculation as to where he should put Tyler.
“Monique, can you set another place, please,” Bryan calls out to the housekeeper, who is never far from earshot, and motions towards Tyler with a polite finger wave. Gesturing towards the seat facing Elisa, right beside me on the other side. “The more, the merrier. Nice to see you again, Tyler.”
Bryan has always been a polite, calm peacekeeper who never gets riled at anything his son does. Not the tattoos, the piercings, the motorbike… the times he has had to bail him out of the sheriff's office, or the number of times he’s scraped his drunk ass off the driveway at four am. Just thinking about it causes a ball of rage in my lower stomach; in return, all he gets is a bad attitude and hate for something that happened ten years ago.
He was not the only kid who had their family ripped apart.
Dane ushers Tyler to the seat before sauntering on past behind me and hauls out the chair to plank himself heavily down. He exudes this overly confident and casual vibe no matter what he’s doing, and that alone makes me grit my teeth. Nothing ever gets through that outer ‘who cares’ attitude. He pulls his glass towards him, takes a sip, and then peruses the table with a lazy glance, seemingly unimpressed with us all.
“Are you not going to wish your father a happy birthday?”And so it begins.I hate conflict like this. My mom doesn’t even give him a second to settle, tension crackling in the air around her with her snappy tone, and the steak in my mouth suddenly feels like I’m chewing ash. Churning up my stomach as my nerves tighten, and for once, I wish my mom would leave it alone.“Yeah…. happy getting older…. power to you,” Dane smirks his dad’s way, with no sincerity, and Bryan nods with a half-smile as if to say thank you. Dane waits until he sees Tyler being served food before he starts to dig in, obviously done with his well wishes. I shake my head at his lack of effort, praying my mom lets it go and stuff food in my mouth to curb the need to call him an asshole.“Can’t you do something properly and respectfully for once?”I sigh inwardly at her voice.My mom could never back down and let it go where he’s concerned, just had to bite.“He’s your father….. don't you have a gift? Something more
I kick rocks on the road, mood simmering and feeling listless as I make my way back up the huge, curved drive to our house after walking Elisa home. It’s getting dark because I hung out at hers for a while to pass the time and give my so-called family a chance to get over their current fight. Elisa made me dinner, and we avoided all talk of earlier, seeing as it was not the first time. I’m tired and looking to go to my room to catch up on study notes before bed. I have a test tomorrow in English lit.As I round the bend obscured by the bushes of our manicured garden, I catch sight of Dane coming this way, hands shoved in the pockets of his jeans, head down and kicking at debris the same way I am as he walks. He’s changed from his school clothes into that rumpled, badass casual he prefers. Light ripped jeans, a white Tee under an open check shirt with graffiti embroidery across a shoulder and one side. His hair is freshly ruffled, and he’s sporting all the metal he usually wears in his
“If you hated your dad as much as you say you do, you would be long gone… I don’t think you do. I think you want to be here and act like this, so he spends all his time and attention dealing with your bull. You’re just an angry little boy who can’t forgive him yet still wants his love.”“Gimme a break… what are you a shrink like your mom now? Trying to psychoanalyze me?” He laughs at me, a breathy bro chuckle, and shakes his head as though I’m hilarious. Still infuriating with his hands in his pocket pose and casual lounge. “Newsflash, she sucks at her job, and you’re mini-me attempt is as sad as she is. You don’t know anything.”“Yes, I do, and don’t talk about my mom like that. She’s an amazing doctor and does it well. She tries hard to make this work. You just…”“No, she doesn’t. You’re as deluded as she is if you see how she is and think that is her trying to make this work.” Dane yanks his shirt from my hand, where I was unaware I was still gripping it, and steps away from me. “I
“Why are you cooking?” Dane startles me from behind as he walks in, dumping his school bag on the breakfast island, and looks me up and down with a slight arrogance. It makes me bristle all over, given it’s the first thing he has said to me in two days, and it’s not exactly a pleasant tone. Dressed in his uniform still, be it rumpled and untucked like always, so I guess he was at Tyler's until now as school got out two hours ago.“Mum and dad are out, and Monique has a headache, so I told her I would make us dinner,” I answer flatly, ignoring him, and continue turning the meatballs for the pasta. I am hot and sweaty from slaving in here and not in the mood for his dickishness.“Can you even cook?” He sneers, walks up, and leans over my shoulder to stare at what I am doing, getting a little too near for comfort, so his body heat envelopes me from behind, and I elbow him back. Suffocated by his presence, especially when he smells like he is freshly showered and has a new dose of afters
“Dad, can you please reply to me or call me back? It feels like I haven’t heard from you in weeks, and I’m worried about your lack of response. Please, daddy, we have a break coming up in school, and I wanted to see you….. call me back” I hang up and stare at my cell for a moment, a lump lodging in my throat as emotions rise to make my chest ache and then face it down on the table and calm myself with a deep breath. Trying not to let this get to me or show my broken disappointment.I realize Dane isn’t continuing the motion of lifting his fork or turning pages and glance up to see him watching me silently. His eyes dart away, and he drops his head back to his previous focus when he sees I noticed but doesn’t say a word. He acts like he didn’t hear me, even though I know he has before, and flicks to the next page. It embarrasses me that he sees it so clearly and silently judges me, probably calling me pathetic and a loser in his head.What does he know?He has never had to deal with th
“I printed off the class notes for each of you. Take them home, work through them and highlight anything you want to elaborate on tomorrow.” I instruct my study group, sliding out the paperclipped pages to each one, and Elisa slides half the pile from them to pass to the next table.We’re in the library on the second floor, taking our class free period as a time to catch up on biology. This is how I use any free time I get during school hours, unlike some I could mention. My entire existence is about doing well and getting the grades I need to go to Harvard when I graduate, so becoming our class president and the study group leader for our year feels like an achievement.“These are well laid out and really helpful, Kayla. Thank you.” Jordan, a boy from my class, flashes a shy smile, giving me those puppy dog eyes he sometimes has for me. I know he’s had a crush on me since junior year, but I don’t have time for boys. As nice as he is, I don’t need the distraction of dating.He's not u
“I don’t need a babysitter. Go back to class.” Dane sits opposite me in the waiting space outside the principal's office. He’s stretched out, legs across the floor between us and lounging casually with his head back against the wall behind, as though this is no big deal. He is infuriatingly cool despite his mess of a face and his dad being in there trying to save his ass. The school nurse has seen him, and it’s nothing but minor cuts and bruises, which now sports some sterile strips. What I thought was a burst-out piercing was instead a little cut after it broke out. His eyebrow is swelling, but his piercing is still there.I can’t believe I worried about this moron and waited with a nervous breath for him to come out and look absolutely fine. He has some bruising around his jaw and eye, but it’s barely anything compared to the mess Greg was in when he left. He had blood all over his collar and shirt. Dane’s bloody nose was gone after he blew it.“Your dad asked me to sit here while h
“Daddy still ignoring you?” he slides his legs to one side of mine, crosses his feet at the ankles, and gets comfy, propping his head forward to watch me with glee. I turn slightly away, cross mine, and pretend I am disinterested.“Get lost.” I pick up my textbook again to try and ignore him, hating how he always seems to be able to dig into my head and figure out the small things. From a look… For someone who seems oblivious in life, he always catches on real quick to what’s happening around us. It’s annoying. He’s either super observant or can mind-read.“Did I hit a nerve? Ouch…… you know….” He grins at me, and I know something hurtful or cutting is coming, and when it comes to my father, my heart is a fragile mess.“Don’t okay?... Just don’t.” My tone is clipped with an edge of pleading that I didn’t intend. A light waver to my words, and my eyes mist over. I don’t need a big finger pointing at my insecurity over whether my dad even loves me. Especially not from Dane.I don’t nee
Dane brushes himself down with a grimace even though she didn’t touch him and turns our way before hitting me with a bright, sexy smile, and he closes the gap between us. Forgetting all about that shrew.“Miss me? Look, such a good boy all enrolled back in school .” he holds up his forms with glee as though serving me some great achievement certificate, and I reach up and ruffle his hair before patting his head.“Such a good boy. I’ll reward you later.”“You can reward me now…teacher still ain't here.” Dane winks, leaning in as though he plans on kissing me and I shove him off and move around my desk to put distance between us. It’s one thing announcing your status but yet another entirely to make out while half the class is openly gawping at Dane for his sudden return.“Behave,” I warn and lean out to pat his cheek, seeing as he looks like a sulky child now.There's chatter around us, and I hear his name mentioned subtly as Charmaigne charges back in, looking ferocious as hell. Her m
“You are very energetic and happy today? Is it because your boyfriend is returning?” I tease Tyler as he almost bounces into the row behind us in the first class of the week. Throwing his bag down and grabbing Elisa by the head to plant a dramatic kiss right on her crown. I spent the last few days at home settling Bryan in and getting used to the new strained dynamic at home, and I am glad to be back here. As nice as it was to have so much time home and spend a lot of it with Dane, it still felt like we were walking on eggshells around my mom, and it was taking a mental toll. Life is adjusting, though, and my mom really is keeping her mouth shut, even when she walks in on us, cuddling or kissing.“He’s been so excited; it’s actually cute… can’t deny the bromance is strong in those two, and I pale in comparison.” Elisa pipes in, grinning back at him with her funny dig over the chair she’s half-turned in, and he leans forward to peck her on the tip of her nose.“Bestie love does not ev
“We can go to my study…Dane, just Kayla.” She adds as though he will follow and he probably was going to, but she’s right. Something started between her and I and should be resolved that way. Dane has been shielding me too much lately because of my inability to face more drama. I need to put my big girl panties back on. Her and Dane have nothing to say to one another anyway, and he will only put her on the defensive, which I want to avoid.“I’ll be close by….just yell if you need me…… Very close by.” Dane doesn’t lower his voice; instead gets louder with his warning tone, making it obvious to my mom that he doesn’t trust her, and I pat his arm to get him to release me.I slide out of his arms and follow my mom out of the kitchen, across the hall, and into the study without looking back, even though I can feel all their eyes follow me out. Already, my insides are like a washing machine because I do not know what exactly she intends to say to me.My mom is being weirdly quiet, too, and
“You four are making me feel chronically single.” Hannah huffs, pushing the cans of soda across the breakfast bar towards Elisa as Tyler opens up some bags of chips for us to share. We have a stack of pizza boxes waiting to dive into and a plan to darken the nook to spend the day eating junk and watching movies. Dane and I are too tired for anything else and feel like we are on some emotional comedown after a month of hell.“What happened to your Korean boyfriend? That distance could not separate you from?” Dane chimes in with obvious sarcasm oozing, while leaning into me from behind to deposit the dip we made. It’s clear to me that teasing Hannah is a full-time occupation when they are in the same room. She really is like his annoying younger sister, even if she is our age.“I am devoted to Min Yoongi, but I would like to experience a present boyfriend. Someone I can touch and laugh with.” Hannah sulks slightly, clearly regretting her life choices.“I can’t imagine anyone would want
My Dad never calls me, rarely picks mine up, and never texts either. So, seeing it now, flashing so invasively on my phone is enough to make my heart thud through my chest painfully.“Do you want me to give you space to take it?” Dane interrupts my obvious inability to move, breaking the spell it’s cast over me.“No…stay!” A sense of panic grips my stomach and throat, and the sudden cold wash of nerves sobers my good mood. Instantly afraid of what he is calling me for even though, logically, I know.My mom must have called him, or Bryan, at least.Maybe he wants to clarify…I don’t even know.“Are you going to answer it or keep staring at it?” Dane interrupts the deer in the headlight motion of me holding it at half arm’s length, and I blink at it, then him, and shake my head.“Do you need me to do it?”“I don’t know.” I sound terrified. I don’t think I have it in me to answer the call. There is so much grey area when it comes to my dad. So many times I have been hurt by him that faci
“Well, this is depressing.” Dane wheels his case into his old barren bedroom, gazing around at the emptiness even though all his furniture is still there. “It feels like someone else's room.”All the personality is gone without his things in here, and it smells like a fresh, floral hotel, thanks to Monique. His art, posters, pictures, trinkets and books are all gone, leaving empty walls, shelves, and surfaces where he used to have such an array of masculine things, more so after he moved in here permanently and brought it all from his mom’s house.“Imagine how it made me feel watching it get this way….you’re an ass.” I throw him a mock glare and get a kiss blown back at me.“I wanted you to miss me.” He winks and goes back to his case. In a happy mood ever since we started packing to come here.I gaze around, infected by his happiness, and yet sigh at the memories of being in here without him.Even the lack of his laundry tossed on the floor somehow makes this place impersonal. The be
“There’s a lot that this test result will change….I know now is probably not the best time to talk about where we go from here. You probably need to process it the same way we did, but I want you to know….I'm not going back to the UK. I’ll sort it out myself. Enroll back in school, find somewhere to stay, maybe with Tyler….” Dane sounds so far removed from the immature rebel of months ago who was forever making my life hell and living stupidly. He sounds like this experience has aged him so much.He has a sensible head on, his eyes set on the future and he’s not reacting one ounce to my mom. It’s like she no longer has any affect on him.“You’ll move back home, there is no argument in that. I’ll call the school and arrange for you to go in and re-enroll. I’ll call your mom and explain things. Don’t worry about anything. I told you, didn’t I… always your home and whenever you wanted to come back.”For being the fragile one here, Bryan seems to be the one most resigned and okay with thi
“Wait.” I tug Dane back by the hand he’s interlaced in mine, so he stops abruptly near Bryan’s room door, and I pull him to turn to me. Panick is overtaking my soul now we’re close to actually doing this. Walking in here it’s been growing inside of me like a building storm.All my bravado and anger have dissipated because I am so over trauma and tears in my life that I want to avoid any more conflict and run to hide instead. I think I have reached a point of fragility that my emotions don’t want to take anymore.My nerves are bubbling over, my heart is racing, and I'm swinging between cold and hot sweats that have my entire body flushed and trembling. I’m genuinely scared even though my mom is the one who should be.There is no more fight left in me. Not when the possibility of Dane being ripped away from me a second time is all too real, and that thought terrifies me more now I have lived it once. I can’t do that again. I won’t survive.“It’s going to be okay, I promise. We do this a
“Like what?” Hannah squeaks in outrage, crossing her arms on the table to lean in and peer at him, that he might be dissing the man of her dreams or her favorite band. Finding insult in that but nothing else he had said before this.“Your face,” Dane snaps back at her before flicking her in the forehead and pushing her back again.“Ughh.. See… Why is he like this? Is this what you put up with? How can you date him when he’s so awful?” Hannah throws her hands up in frustration, and yet all of this only makes me relax about what kind of relationship they had. If Elisa wasn't so feeble and gentle, I know this is how they would act together. At times, there are glimpses of it, but Elisa is too good-natured and cannot sass. There’s nothing in it.I can see the dynamic slowly opening up between them. She’s like an unwanted younger sibling he both doesn’t like but also does but is forced to take out with him. Annoyed by her presence, but I can tell they also have a sense of relaxed and comf