I pause the movie.
"Really, Einstein?" I ask, turning my head to look at him.
"What? I've never seen this movie before," he says.
"It's not something they created just for this movie."
He stares at me, clearly waiting for further explanation.
"It's when you set up a small trap using an everyday object. And when somebody does something expected with the object, it triggers a trap to catch them or hurt them."
He nods and reaches for his water but doesn't pick it up. His brow furrows.
"Could the trap be a good thing?" he asks.
"I suppose. It's more of a trick. You trick someone into doing something normal, and it triggers an event you orchestrated."
The house is dark and still. Dad fell asleep on the couch and followed Mom upstairs to bed when she got home.
I told Dad I'd stay up with Coop and wait for Jade. But Coop also fell asleep, which is good, because smarty pants or not, he still has school tomorrow.
After our movie he helped me sort through resumes of potential assistants. Except now he has me questioning whether Ineed one at all. I open the document he started with the list of job duties. Is there a legitimate reason I can't do any of these myself? I arranged for my car to be shipped the other night. I can handle buying airline tickets and booking hotels. I can schedule my own shit and add it to my calendar.
Not that there's anything to schedule. Physical therapy, Mondays and Wednesdays and Sunday dinner. Fucking depressing. I went from a packed calendar to squares of nothing.
The walls are closing in more every day though. The inability to drive myself anywhere is frustrating. Maybe what I need is a part-time, temporary assistant? One who can help with the few administrative things I need, but who can also drive me to PT? Mom insisted they'd be able to help me if I came home, and yet nobody's ever around. Her and Dad's schedules are packed, and Cooper and I both agree that Addie's an awful driver. He said Jade's foot goes through the floor when she drives. Sounds about right.
Headlights filter through the curtains, and I straighten in the recliner. They're home. The digital lock on the front door beeps and whirs right before the door opens. Light footsteps make their way to the living room.
Jade.
Her long hair is now tied up in a messy bun with a few pieces falling in her eyes. She tucks them behind her ears and drags her hands over her face. Defeat cloaks her features and she sinks onto the couch beside Cooper, careful not to disturb him.
Her eyes squeeze shut, and I clear my throat.
"Rough night?" I ask.
"Fucking Kevin," she answers through gritted teeth.
"Yeah, fuck that guy," I say, because I lack all other coherent thought when I'm in her presence.
"He knows you, you know," she says, leaning forward to rest her elbows on her thighs. The movement causes her tits to overflow the lace of her top and dude, what the fuck? I pick up thecontroller from the table and hold it in my lap as if I'm going to play. Hopefully, it looks casual because my body reacts to her in ways I don't want her to see.
She turns to me, her dark eyes burning holes in my retinas.
"Kevin?" she asks impatiently.
Oh, right, a Kevin that knows me.
"I've only ever known one Kevin, and he's a douche. He was a douche when we were kids. I imagine he's worse now."
"Sounds like Kevin. He's a regular."
"A regular pain in the ass?"
"That too."
I nod. "I heard a while back that his wife cheated on him with his dad."
