I laughed anyway. Was this what it was like to be part of an actual family?
Without having to be asked again—another first for me—I got to my feet and secured the star on top of the gaudy tree.
It was only a week until Christmas, but everything felt different. Back in New York, the temperature would be hovering around zero, while here in California, it was just chilly enough for a coat. Back home, I’d probably be going to my hundredth charity event of the season, playing the perfect son for my perfect parents. Here, all I’d done was go to school, hang out with my aunt and Robbie, and train with Turner at the gym.
He’d managed to drag me to that Halloween party only after assuring me it wasn’t being thrown by one of the kids from my school. He said Mena would be there with her friends, and realistically I knew that meant Donna would be there too, but I’d hoped the party would be big enough to avoid her. I’d obviously forgotten how fucking hard it was for me to stay away from that chick.
The air hostess outfit and ample cleavage had made her look like temptation incarnate. My eyes kept wandering over to her without meaning to, but what surprised me more was that I caught her looking my way too.
She’d made it clear after the incident in that teacher’s office that I meant nothing to her, but we’d hooked up twice now—and it was good. Our chemistry was off the charts. Even she couldn’t deny that.
We’d had a moment at her car. Another moment where unspoken things passed between us. And then that bitch ran from me again.
Why the fuck was I doing this to myself? I’d been so frustrated after she drove off that I made Turner and Mena leave as soon as I found them, basically telling them they were either coming with me now or finding their own way home.
They were silent and tense on the drive back to their apartment building, while I gripped the steering wheel way too hard and breathed through my stupid fucking emotions.
By the time I dropped them off, I’d calmed down enough to apologize. They both forgave me immediately and even asked if I was OK. Because that was the kind of people they were.
Why couldn’t I be more like Turner? Calm, happy, steady.
Why couldn’t I be interested in a girl like Mena? Nice, sweet, low drama.
No, I had to find the biggest bitch in town with the biggest fucking secret and make it my mission to get all up in her life.
I was seeing something in Donna I knew was inside me too. That twisting, writhing darkness had ruined my life, along with several others. I didn’t want a single other person to go through what I went through. To go through what I put those people through. Even if that person was treating me like dirt on her shoe.
Still, there was only so much I could take. If Donna wanted to ruin her life, who was I to stop her?
After that party I took a long hard look in the mirror, realized I didn’t need her rich brat problems, and redoubled my efforts to steer clear. For the next few weeks until Christmas break, I went to school, kept my head down, avoided her in the halls, and ate my lunch off campus or in my car. The only person my age I spoke to was Turner.
My phone buzzed on the coffee table, and I picked it up as I took a sip of eggnog. Who the hell invented this crap? And why was I still drinking it? I made a face and put the cup down, then froze as I read the message.
We won’t be able to make it to Devilbend for Christmas. Your father has had a work situation come up, and I really must oversee the Christmas Eve charity ball. Have a safe holiday with your aunt. Kisses, Mom.
I gripped my phone so fucking hard the screen actually cracked, the line through the glass cutting through my mother’s indifferent words. I stared at the message until the screen went black. Then I shot to my feet and stormed out the door, slamming it behind me, ignoring the things my aunt and Robbie were calling after me.
I wanted to hit someone, feel bone crunch under my knuckles. I wanted to drink an entire bottle of something expensive and let the alcohol obliterate everything.