He sighs, tips his head at me, and just stares, making a point of how unbothered he is that I found him like this.
I’m in such shock that I stumble for words. “Why… how are…” I finally step off the stairs and my hands flail in his direction. “You can’t be smoking that!”
“Why the fuck not? It’s legal.”
“Yeah, if you’retwenty-one. You’re barely nineteen.”
I’ve seriously pissed him off now because his bloodshot eyes narrow to mere slits. His body is so tense I have a second of fear he might break something.
“You know,” he says, standing, “there’s a word for people like you. It starts with a B.”
I put my hands on my hips. “Oh, don’t you even go there.” I point at the stairs behind me. “Get out.”
He rolls his eyes at Dorien, as though he’ll commiserate with his woes, then he approaches me. As he’s passing, he brings his mouth close to my ear and forcefully says, “Bossy.”
“You’re being a smart ass,” I bite out. “Just go.”
He bumps my shoulder as he leaves, and I catch the sour sweetness of the smoke on his clothes. My stomach lurches.
Aeron stomps up the stairs and then slams the door.
It’s just me and Dorien.
He hasn’t moved; he’s just been observing in that neutral way of his. Well, if he thinks he’s going to explain his way out of this, he’s wrong.
“He’s nineteen,” I say, moving closer and staring down at him relaxed on the couch. “He barely knows what he’s doing on a good day, and you’re down here getting him high?”
“He’s an adult, June.”
“He’s mybrother.”
“He’s an adult,” he fires back.
I move closer so my shadow falls over him. His eyes have turned hard, all light from them dimming, but he’s still way more calm and collected than I am. “He’s easily influenced. He’s sensitive. And he’s not your damn project.”
His arms cross and he gives a bitter laugh. “Oh, right, I forgot. He can’t be my ‘project’ because he’s already yours.”
“You’re the worst.”
“I’m not, but you can tell yourself that.”
This man.
This man is soinfuriating.
My legs are shaking but my voice isn’t and I cling to that. “Are you trying to drag him down into your shit? Is that what this is?” The words keep piling up then spilling out. “He’s at such an impressionable age and you can’t make him your pot buddy just so you can feel better about numbing your brain with that shit. You are just so insensitive. You don’t even realize you hurt Cinna’s feelings, do you?”
His shoulders relax a fraction. “What are you talking about?”
“At the food trucks. You made a comment about your work being so amazing that teachers don’t care if it’s late. Then you basically said her work needs to be better.”
His eyes dip as he searches his memories. When he finally finds the right one, and realization hits, his arms fall limp in his lap. “That wasn’t…”
“Yeah, I know you weren’ttryingto be mean and it was a joke, but you know she’s sensitive about her art.”
He gets off the couch and grabs his jacket from the recliner. “I’ll apologize to her. But I won’t apologize for tonight. Get off your brother’s back and let him make his own goddamn decisions.” He takes a step to leave but I step into his path and glare up at him.
“He looks up to you. Are you trying to ruin another kid’s life?”
