I scoff. “Don’t ever shop online again, then. This is my delivery route now.”
He rolls his eyes again. “Good to see you have grown up a ton. Should have known you never would.”
Andfuck, I may not have changed much, but neither has he—appearance wise, anyway. Why does he have to still look the way he does? So stunningly hot. As for his attitude, however? He’s still just as rotten as the day we parted ways. Up until then? Total gentleman. After that point though? Total dickhead.
“Dad?” Brody asks, tugging on my shirt sleeve. “You guys look mad at each other. Can we go?”
“Absolutely, kiddo. Come on.”
As I back out of the driveway and onto the road, I catch sight of Caleb still standing there, hands on his hips, glowering at me. As is customary, I give the horn a quick toot as I take off. What isn’t customary is the bird I flip him as discreetly as possible so Brody doesn’t see.
Of course, my eagle-eyed son notices anyway. “Why did you have to be mean to them, Dad?” he asks, looking sad. “I don’t know anyone else in town that talks like we do at home. We coulda been friends.”
Yeah, you’re not wrong, my boy. Once upon a time, we could have been very good friends. Up until I fuckin’ blew it, anyway…
I sigh, maybe a touch too long and dramatic, but I need a second to come up with a Brody safe way to explain myself. I mean, it’s been close to a decade since I’ve seen Caleb. My issues with himshouldbe ancient history by now, but the minute I laid eyes on him, it was like no time had passed at all. My feelings got hurt, and I got defensive all over again.
Truly, it is my fault—mine and Caleb’s fallout. He was absolutely right, back then, about how I was obnoxiously in my own way when it came to potentially being found out. We had dated—on the side, of course—for two whole summers, and it was fun. Real fun. Not just the sex either, even though that was fantastic.
Whereas I’m more reserved and not especially adventurous, Caleb was yin to my yang, the moon to my sun… whatever you want to call it, being with him was just what I needed at the time. He was always down to try something new, explore somewhere different, and truly make the most out of every experience. He was bold and carefree, and though I knew our time would be fleeting, I kept clinging to those moments like a lifeline in a storm. He got me out of my shell, up until he wanted to keep things going after that last summer ended.
I had thought I’d been pretty straightforward when I’d told him that we likely couldn’t continue to carry on with whatever it is you’d call a situationship like ours, but he got more attached, I guess. He and his family didn’t live up here all year, residing in some frou-frou, ritzy people suburb down in Southern Maine. I tried to casually break things off because I had no interest in carrying on something that far away when I have a life up here, and that’s where our animosity began.
We must have been more emotionally entangled than I had even realized because fuck—all that bickering ended up doing a number on me. Petty shit, really, now that I’ve had years to calm down and look at things in the rearview, but I’d be lying if being in his presence for just a few moments didn’t dredge all that back up.Now, there's the added mystery of that scar as well…
“I’m sorry, Brody,” I tell him earnestly. “I know how much you’d like to make more friends who are more like you, and I didn’t mean to spoil that for you just now. You know how Ryker makes you feel though? He pushes your buttons and makes your feelings go into the red-zone?”
Brody nods.
“Calebmakes me feel that way. I have no problem with Cameron whatsoever. In fact, he seemed like a good kid, a nice boy, someone whom I could see being a good mentor for you.” My palms tighten on the wheel, cracking the leather. “But Caleb?Rrgh,he really ruffles my sails.”
I can feel the heat from Brody’s gaze as he studies the side of my face while I drive. “Mum says that when someone picks on you, like the way Ryker picks on me, that it can sometimes mean that they really like you. That they have big feelings about you anddunno how to deal with them, so they try to get your attention by getting under your skin—which sounds really creepy and kinda gross.”
I chuckle. “It’s a figure of speech, Brode. No one is actually skin-wearing…I hope.”
He giggles. “I hope not too. I dunno how true any of that is anyway. Ryker just likes being a meanie to everyone.”
“Sometimes when people are outright mean like that, it can be a sign that there’s a lot more going on under the surface that we have no idea about. So long as he is not physically harming you or anyone else, or saying really horrible things, my best advice would be to shrug him off and try not to react at all. He’s likely just seeking attention. If you don’t give it to him, then he’ll eventually tire of it and move on.”
He’s silent for a bit, stewing on that information, most likely. Finally, “Dad, can I ask you something?”
“You just did.”
“Huh?”
“Asking me if you can ask a question is, in and of itself, a question.”
Out of the corner of my eye, I see him scowl for a second. Then, he peers back up at me. “Can we try to make friends with them, even if you don’t get along with Cameron’s dad? Pepper was sooo cute and not at all smelly. I want to know more about how he got to have a skunk as a pet! Maybe I could get a snake to be my emotional support animal?”
Now it’s my turn to scowl, and of course, Brody notices that once again. I swear, this kid is the most perceptive person I know. Lauren and I often wonder how he’s so sage at his age. “Dad, youjustsaid that I gotta not react when Ryker gets on my nerves. Shouldn’t you do the same thing with Cameron’s dad?”
“Can’t I just get you a opossum or something instead?”
He groans. “No, Dad. I want an albino ball python! It could cuddle on my lap with me when I play video games!”
Gew. No thanks. I hardly think those things cuddle so much as they size you up—plotting their next meal.
“Listen, it’s not even like I know how to get in touch with Caleb or Cameron anyway, beyond delivering packages to their house.”
