Rich Prick – Tijan Page 0,27

will slice your tires when you’re sleeping tonight.”

He paused, holding my gaze, weighing my words.

“Shit,” he muttered. “I think you’d actually do that.”

“Don’t mess with the Birch Lady.”

And he was back to grinning. “Noted. I will forever fear the Colorado Tree Lady.”

I grunted. “Damn right.”

Then he laughed. “Man, you’re a trip.”

I smiled too, but his laugh abruptly stopped, and he pulled out his phone.

He swiped over the screen and sighed audibly. “I gotta handle this. My mom’s throwing a fit.” The screen lit up, and he hit a button, putting it next to his ear. “Mom.”

A pause.

“I’m hanging out with friends.” More silence, then a small growl. “Don’t even start with that. Mom! Mom.” He stood, his drink in one hand and the phone in the other. “I swear to God, Mom.” He stopped, his head falling back to look at the sky. His voice rose. “I didn’t ask him to come out here. I don’t want him here. That douchebag’s not here for me. He’s here for you. He’s sniffing around you, hearing you’re shacked up with your real baby daddy. I’m the goddamn excuse, and I ain’t dealing with it. Let’s go back to New York. Let’s pretend we’re back there, and the same shit would be happening. You and him are fighting about stuff that’s got nothing to do with me, and I’m gone. I’m not even in the house, and here you are calling me, trying to get me to come back, so you and him have a reason to be fighting. He doesn’t want you, but he doesn’t want to let you go either. It’s called a toxic relationship. I’m eighteen. I’ve got my own money. You’ve got nothing to ‘make me’ come back, so I’m not coming. As long as he’s there, I ain’t.” He stopped, listening again. Then his next words came out softer. “I know you’re hurting. He cheated on you, but I knew he was going to decide he wanted another go with you. That’s why I was going out there this summer. I wanted to see what he was going to do to mess with you. I can’t imagine what Stephen is thinking, and Stephen seems like a decent guy. Don’t let Griffith get in there and damage what you have with Stephe—” He stopped.

I could hear a female voice speaking on the other end.

He gave another sigh. “Mom. Mom, listen to me. No.” A pause. “I’m not coming back tonight. I told you, I’m with friends. Yeah. I’ll be back tomorrow. Don’t let him sleep there, Mom. I mean it. If he’s sleeping there when I get back tomorrow, I’m going to beat his ass. I’m telling you what I’ll do.”

They kept talking, but some of the fight had left him, and after a few more minutes where he was just silent and listening to her, they hung up.

He sat frozen for a second before turning and throwing his drink as hard as he could across the campsite.

“That was an excellent throw.”

He barked out a laugh. “Shut—” He caught himself, raking a hand over his face. “Sorry. Bad habit.” His shoulders heaved up and down. “I called him Dad all my life, thought he was my dad. Then my mom finally walked in on him after five years of cheating on her. She declared they were getting a divorce. We moved back here, ’cause she likes it here, and the new boyfriend starts coming around. The new boyfriend looks a lot like me. The new boyfriend, as I found out, was my real dad, so what do I call the asshole who raised me? Griffith? He ain’t Griffith to me, but he’s not my dad anymore.”

He scowled, going back to the table and pouring another drink for himself. He looked over. “You want one?”

Did I?

I was almost done so I finished it and stood, taking my cup to him.

I handed it over, letting our fingers brush. I didn’t look at him, but I could feel his eyes on me. They were smoldering, and I felt my body heating.

Then he pulled the cup away.

“So we’ve established that you’re out here because you were hoping to be camping with a ghost.”

I looked up.

That stung, but he was right.

That was why I was out here. He studied me until I nodded.

“And I’m out here avoiding talking to a guy that I don’t even know what to call anymore because he ain’t here for me. I’m just the excuse.” He whistled under his