O Come, All Ye Kellys (Love & Luck #7) - Isla Olsen Page 0,25

or something?”

She looks at me quizzically. “Why would we do that?”

Because I want to spend time with you without that asshole around. Obviously I don’t say that, though. I just shrug and affect a nonchalant air. “I just thought it’d be nice to do something together. Just the two of us.”

She offers me a soft smile. “Jake, honey, Christmas is about family. We should all celebrate together.”

I bite down on my jaw in frustration. I want to scream at her for not understanding how a man who despises everything I am could never be considered family, but I know that won’t do any good. Trying to get through to her about Trevor is like pounding on a soundproof door and hoping someone will answer.

I nod, swallowing hard. “Maybe you’re right. But, Mom, this isn’t my family anymore. The Kellys are. So once I turn eighteen next year I’ll be spending Christmas with them.”

Mom stares at me, aghast. “Jake, how could you say that?”

“Because it’s the truth,” I mutter.

She purses her lips and gets back to mashing the potatoes, her actions more forceful than before. “We’ll discuss this later. Today I just want a nice lunch with the two of you getting along for once.”

That seems like asking for a miracle to me, but I nonetheless decide to give it my best shot.

When it comes time to eat, I take my mom’s request to heart and do my absolute best to avoid any hot button topics with Trevor, instead sticking to safe zones like football and hockey.

Everything’s going fine, until my phone buzzes in my pocket and I pull it out, chuckling when I see the text.

“What’s so funny?” Trevor demands.

My mom sighs. “Jake, you really shouldn’t be looking at your phone while we’re eating…”

“Sorry,” I mutter and move to return my phone to my pocket.

“I want to know what was so important,” Trevor says, eyeing me coolly.

I give a soft shake of my head. “It was nothing, really. Apparently Connor’s son Chase took a step today but there’s a bit of a debate whether it actually counts as his first step or not because he fell over right afterward.”

My mom smiles affectionately, but across the table, Trevor narrows his eyes. “People like that shouldn’t be allowed to have children.” He shakes his head in disgust. “Imagine, an innocent child living under that influence.”

I don’t bother pointing out Chase is Connor’s biological son and the result of a fling with a woman. It’s completely irrelevant. Besides, I’ve reached my threshold for how much of Trevor’s shit I can put up with. Pushing back my chair, I toss my napkin on the table and get to my feet. “You know what, Trevor?” I say, glaring at my step-father. “Fuck. You.”

“Jake!” My mom gasps.

I turn to her, my gaze softening, but just barely. “I’m done. I’m going home.”

I stalk down the hallway and toward the front door, grabbing my coat and angrily shoving my arms into it. I can hear my mom trailing after me, but I just keep walking until I’m outside.

“Jake, wait,” Mom calls, following me out of the house. “We haven’t even had dessert yet!”

I spin around, eyeing her incredulously. Dessert? Seriously? That’s her card? I shake my head. “Seeing as how I feel like I’m about to throw up any second, I’m not sure dessert’s the best idea.”

“Honey, please…” she begs.

“This is why,” I growl. “This is why I’m not coming back next year. Or ever. I cannot be in the same room as that asshole.” Actually, as Jamie would say—that’s an insult to assholes. Assholes are actually pretty amazing.

“He’s not—he’s really a nice man underneath…all that,” she says quietly. “And he treats me so well.”

“Oh my god, just stop!” I practically shout. “Stop making excuses for him! Stop defending a man who thinks your own son is sub-human.”

Her confused expression just makes me even more frustrated, although I know that’s not entirely fair considering I’ve been hiding my true self from her for a long time. “What are you talking about?”

“I’m talking about the fact that I’m gay!” I throw my hands in the air in exasperation. “So maybe you can see why it’s a bit difficult for me to just look past ‘all that’,” I say, using air quotes. “But honestly, Mom, the fact that you can look past it…” I let out a heavy sigh, shaking my head in disappointment. “It’s just pathetic.”

Having said everything I needed to say, I turn and start toward my car.