shit, my dad would call us out. And if we continued, that’s when things went south in a hurry.
He didn’t hesitate to let us know he could beat us to a pulp if he wanted, but he never did.
The fear was there and felt very real, but not once did he lay his hands on us.
We knew enough to put our attitudes away and beg for forgiveness. This clearly isn’t a skill my two little cousins have learned.
“Talk, and make it good,” I tell them, relaxing back into the couch with Arlo at my side and our hands locked together.
“Well, Luna met this biker,” Rosie says, and I squeeze my eyes shut, praying for patience.
20
“Oh dear,” Arlo whispers, covering her mouth with one hand and leaning forward, totally invested in the story Rosie’s still telling a half hour later.
“You going to keep dancing around the truth?” I ask her as I open my eyes and narrow them on her and her drunk-ass sister.
Rosie’s eyes widen. “I’m telling you the truth,” she sasses, when she has no room to sass.
Fucking girls, man.
They’re the worst.
Guys get a bad rap, but we’re at least up front about our shitty behavior. Not girls, though.
I cock my head and cross my arms over my chest, trying to remain calm, but I’m close to snapping. “You’re taking the long road to get to the final destination.”
“Just tell him so I can sleep,” Luna begs, leaning over and staring at her legs. “He’s going to find out anyway.”
I turn my head the other way, cocking it to the right side. “And how will I find out?”
Luna shrugs. “Small-town bullshit,” she mutters and lifts her head, looking like absolute shit.
My cousins are beautiful, but right now, they look like they partied too hard, which they did. The path they are going down is bad, and somehow, I’ve been tasked with getting their shit together when mine isn’t even tight.
Fucking ridiculous.
“Maybe you should wait until you’re back on campus to act like idiots. Then you wouldn’t be on my couch, asking for me to give you shelter and lie for your asses.”
Rosie rolls her eyes. “We don’t ask for much.”
My entire body tenses. I take a deep breath, reminding myself these aren’t my kids. “How many times have I shown up at your door after midnight asking the same?”
Rosie chews on her lip but doesn’t take her eyes off me. “You’re right. We’re selfish assholes.”
“Damn fucking straight, I’m right.”
Arlo puts her hand on my knee, but she doesn’t look back at me, keeping her body facing my cousins.
It’s a silent gesture to remind me to keep that damn calm I’ve never been good at keeping and probably never will be.
“Go on,” Arlo tells Rosie. “We’re not here to judge you.”
I twist my lips, keeping them shut. Rosie’s gaze moves from Arlo to me, and she’s expecting me to say something, but I don’t.
“Fine,” she breathes and rubs at her eyes with her palms. “We went to a party down by the caves.”
I grunt, knowing the spot all too well.
Rosie’s eyes are on me again, but I stay silent, letting her talk. “We brought a six-pack to split, promising we wouldn’t drink any more than that. This is the last place we wanted to end up tonight.”
“Then what happened?” Arlo asks before I can say something completely sarcastic.
“We had two beers each, and Luna had been flirting with this guy.”
“He was hot,” Luna adds, swaying next to her sister with a lopsided grin.
“Luna, shut it,” Rosie tells her, pushing her with her shoulder, making her lean to the other side of the couch before she goes on. “Anyway, I walked off for a few minutes to talk to some old friends, leaving Luna with the hot biker guy.”
“Dumb,” I mutter under my breath.
Rosie shakes her head. “When I came back, she told me she was having some punch, but she was acting funny. She offered me her cup and I coated my lips without taking a sip, and I knew. I fucking knew she was going to be wasted.”
“Well, you were right. She’s wasted.”
“I know,” Rosie says, but at least there’s remorse in her voice this time.
“I tried to dump it out, but Luna flipped out, taking the cup from my hands and downing the entire thing in one giant gulp.”
“It was fruit punch. What’s the big deal?” Luna asks, not even able to keep her eyes open anymore.
I hope like hell she’ll pay for her behavior tomorrow. She isn’t