When Stars Collide (Light in the Dark #2) - Micalea Smeltzer Page 0,69

mumbling under his breath, she loses it and starts laughing like us, which leads Thea and Nova to join.

Cade’s lips thin in irritation. “Ha-ha,” he mocks. “I get it. It’s so hilarious.”

We manage to sober after another minute, but it takes some effort. I see Cade crack a grin that he quickly tries to hide.

My parents and brother arrive and make a beeline right for us.

My mom wraps Thea in a tight hug before moving to me. I reach out for her and she gasps, grabbing my forearm. “Mom?” I ask, wondering what she’s doing.

“Is that a wedding ring?” she practically shrieks, not in happiness but in pure disgust and irritation. Thea very slyly tries to move her left hand under the table, but my mom catches the movement and turns to look. “I think I’m going to pass out,” she mutters and her hand flutters to her chest.

She lets go of my arm and rocks back a few steps.

I stand. “Mom, I can explain—”

“Explain?” she spits the word like it’s a curse word. “You’re my son and you got married and didn’t tell me? I’m your mom, I deserve to know something like that, Xander. First you didn’t tell us about football, and now this? I could understand the football thing, but this?” She looks from me to Thea. “You’re like a daughter to me, Thea, but right now I feel very betrayed by both of you.” She begins to cry and I reach for her.

“Mom, please—”

“No!” she shouts—and I mean shouts. Everyone at the party stops what they’re doing and the small show we were putting on suddenly becomes a much larger one. “Do not touch me,” she says coldly. “I’m leaving. I can’t be here.”

“Mom—” I call after her, starting to follow.

My dad catches my shoulder and stops me. My eyes meet Xavier’s and even he looks hurt and pissed off. Great, just great.

“No, just don’t,” my dad says, shaking his head firmly. He lets me go and heads in the same direction my mom left.

Xavier gives me one last disgusted look, shoves his hands in his pockets, and then he too is gone.

Unfortunately, the worst isn’t over.

Mr. Montgomery stands in front of the grill, pieces of burning meat smoking the air, and points those fucking tongs at me again. His normally calm, cool, and collected demeanor has been stripped bare and pure rage has settled on his face.

“Married. You two are fucking married?” The tongs swing from me to Thea and back again.

Thea’s mom stands by his side with a bowl of macaroni salad in her hands and she looks shocked and maybe a little wary.

Mr. Montgomery’s face grows red and a vein in his forehead throbs. The tongs swing again and this time land on Cade. “You,” he spits. “How could you let this happen?” Cade blinks, looking almost … scared? “Come here,” Mr. Montgomery yells, not at me, but at Cade.

I watch as Cade stands, head bowed like a scolded child, and he stalks through the grass and toward his father.

“This way,” he hisses, and like an obedient soldier Cade follows.

I stand there, wondering what the fuck is happening. I look back at the table and Rae looks worried. Thea does too.

Thea pushes back her chair and makes her way over to me. “This is so bad,” she whisper-hisses, glancing around at everyone who still stares at the soap opera playing out in front of them. “Come on.” She takes my hand and drags me up the deck steps and into the house.

Immediately, the sounds of her father shouting can be heard and she flinches. I can’t make out what he’s saying, but the gist of it is he thinks Cade should have stopped us.

Thea lets go of my hand, and I follow her through the house and down into the basement, which is her dad’s space. As kids we always knew not to go down there.

“You worthless piece of shit!” he yells. “You couldn’t even play football like you were supposed to and then you let this happen!” We round the corner and see Cade standing there, not saying a word in defense of himself and it’s obvious this isn’t the first time he’s been dragged off and yelled at like this. “Say something!” he yells in Cade’s face, but Cade continues to stand there doing nothing. It’s obvious Mr. Montgomery hasn’t heard us enter the room, and it’s made even more obvious when he cocks his arm back to punch Cade in