face.
“Serves you right!” I blurted.
But he didn’t stop. He wrapped his arms around me, and we tumbled down the steps and wrestled in the gravel walkway. I grunted and tried to push him off, but I was having a hard time controlling my arms. If I were sober he’d have no chance against me.
A soft voice interrupted our groans. “I’ll make sure he gets home safely.”
I knew Haley couldn’t stay mad at me. Not tonight. We’d go home to my house or to Raker’s bluff and screw the night away. I laughed. But it wasn’t Haley’s face I saw bend over us. It was Carly’s. She touched Jamie’s back and repeated her words.
“I’ll make sure he doesn’t drive. I’m heading out anyway.”
I couldn’t have planned this better. She was still willing to talk to me, and I could interrogate her. I believed that was the official word. Jamie climbed off me and rubbed his jaw.
Carly led him back to the house. “Go get some ice for your face. I promise I won’t let him drive.”
Jamie narrowed his eyes. “Fine, but be careful. He doesn’t like others to drive.” He made his way back up the stairs and into the house.
Great, now everyone would know I’d left with Carly. But I didn’t care. Haley would understand. Maybe. I sat up and tried to dazzle Carly with my smile. She wasn’t going to let me just drive away. But I needed to be alone.
She stated her case right away. “Don’t even think about driving, Seth.”
I stood and swayed a bit then gained my balance. “I think you’re jumping to conclusions, counselor.”
She held out her hands. “Keys.”
I laughed. “You don’t know me very well, do you?”
She lowered her hand. “Thought I’d try. You’ve been drinking and you can’t drive home. Let me drive you and we can get your car tomorrow morning.”
I tapped my chin. “Hmm. I’ll think about it. If you answer some questions first.” I left the implication hanging for her to assume I’d give her my keys if she cooperated.
She pursed her lips, then said, “Okay. Let’s walk to my car. Ask away.”
She completely fell for my plan. It was so easy I almost felt guilty. And a nice walk to the car should clear my head before I drove and left her in the dust. “Okay. How do you know for sure that our parents are doing the nasty?”
She grimaced. “Do you have to call it that? It’s so crude.”
“What do you want me to say? That they’re making love?” I asked.
“No! Definitely not.” She ran her fingers through her hair.
“You know, if you weren’t such a bitch, you’d have the boys falling all over you.”
She stopped, her hand on her hip. “Is that supposed to be a compliment?”
I grinned. “Yes.”
“Fine. I’ll take it. Thank you. But there are reasons I am the way I am and it’s none of your business.” She kept walking. “Do you want me to answer the question or not?”
I steered around a car. “Answer away.”
She sighed, then smiled. “It’s kind of nice to be able to tell someone about this. I can’t talk to anyone because if my dad found out, he’d kill me. I’ve known for a while my dad’s a cheat. Your mom isn’t the first or the second.”
I cringed. Great. The asshole convinced Mom he loved her, and because she was lonely, she fell for him. Made me hate my dad even more.
“Sorry, that’s probably not what you want to hear.”
“You think?”
“I’ve been working for my dad since I turned thirteen,” she continued. “I file his papers, photocopy, clean, anything and everything. The first time I was shocked but when I told my mom, he completely flipped out. He smacked me around and convinced my mom that I lied.”
I stopped walking and leaned against the car. Shit. I felt terrible.
“I haven’t said a word since. I’m the silent watcher. I see the women come and go. And maybe each time he truly is in love. But he won’t leave my mom because he doesn’t want to tarnish his image.”
“How do you know about my mom?” My certainty that Carly was wrong about this was fading, and I struggled to grasp onto my last threads of hope.
“A few months ago, I worked late. Finishing stuff up so I could have my Saturday free. For some reason, he’d been keeping his latest fling more secret than usual. Probably because he knew she had a son who went to school with me. I