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I don’t have the faintest idea of what this means for us, if I’m still getting on a plane tomorrow, if his coming clean to the entire party changed anything in the grand scheme of things, but I can’t bring myself to care. Not when Xavier Emery is kissing me like it’s the last thing he’ll ever do.
I’m gripping his collar, squashing our bodies together, when I discern fast-moving footsteps heading straight for us. Next thing I know, the door to the living room is blown wide open, and Xav gets ripped away from me violently.
The following events unfold too fast to catch up.
I barely get the chance to see Mr. Emery, sorry, Xavier’s dad, glaring at us like he’s planning a homicide before he cocks his fist back and swings at his own son.
He strikes Xavier smack in the face with all his strength, and I scream, my hand flying to my mouth in an involuntary impulse. Gobsmacked, Xav staggers backward, swaying like he’s going to lose his balance and regaining control just in time. Royally pissed off, Xav jerks his head up and wipes the blood off his mouth with the back of his hand.
“Do you have any fucking idea what you’ve done?” Mr. Emery belts at the top of his lungs, nostrils flaring with rage. “You ruined our lives, son. We were perfectly happy this way.”
Xavier’s features twist in disgust, rage thrumming through the bulging vein in his neck.
“Wait… Are you saying… you fucking knew?” Xav yells.
Mr. Emery clenches his teeth together, debating on revealing a secret Xav will never be ready to hear.
Finally, he says, “Of course I knew.”
The confirmation serves as a detonator to the explosive anger that’s laid dormant in Xavier for far too long. Matching his father’s violence, Xav grips Mr. Emery’s suit into his fist and seethes inches from his face. “So, you knew all this time? You knew she was fucking a minor? My friend?”
Mr. Emery, who’s a hair shorter and not nearly as muscular as his son, has no choice but to face his disadvantage.
“Jesus, no!” His dad sticks his hands up in surrender. “I knew about the plumber, and the neighbor, but I didn’t know about the kid, I swear.”
Far from convinced, Xav lets go of his dad’s suit with a strong shove that leaves daddy dearest straining to restore his balance.
“So, what?” Xavier hisses. “You two had some fucked-up cheating arrangement? You knew she was screwing all these losers from the get-go and you were just okay with it?”
Mr. Emery releases a long sigh. “I found out two years ago. I came home one night and heard them going at it upstairs. At first, I was livid. Went out and returned the favor. I convinced myself it would make us even. I’d even planned on telling her before filing for divorce, but then… I just… never stopped.”
Xav looks like he was just force-fed a chunk of reality he can’t digest. His mother cheating on his dad was one thing. Both his parents cheating on each other is a completely different story.
“Come on, son.” Mr. Emery steps forward. “You didn’t really think I was with Hank all these nights, did you?”
Xavier stumbles back, his lips parting for a moment.
“But… how could you stay with her?”
“Look.” Mr. Emery steps closer. “When your mom got pregnant with you right out of high school, I stepped up. Married her. Learned to be a dad. It was a no-brainer. I wanted you, my boy, my pride and joy. But when she started screwing the help, I guess it made realize that…. Because I wanted the kid—” he pauses, “—doesn’t mean I ever wanted the wife.”
Xavier’s eyes are bloodshot, his fists clenched so tight his knuckles are as white as chalk.
“Plus, we have the house together. Jobs at the same school. It was easy. Familiar. And I wasn’t looking to start all over again with someone new. So, I played the perfect husband. Showered her with love so she wouldn’t suspect a thing and we could go on as before. You’d be surprised how anxious the woman gets. She’s always breathing down my neck, asking me where I’m going. Like she’s projecting her misdeeds onto me.”
His dad stifles a scoff. “Not that any of it matters anymore. There isn’t a goddamn school on the planet that’ll hire us after this. Not to mention your mom’s going down. Say goodbye to Silver Springs, kid. It sure as hell ain’t home anymore.” Xavier’s dad turns to walk away, but he stops two steps in, his hateful eyes raking over me. “I sure hope she was worth it.”
Mr. Emery slams the door on his way out, and silence retrieves its rightful place, descending over us.
But it doesn’t last long.
“I’m so sorry.” I mean it.
“Doesn’t matter.” Xav acts invincible, but I pick up on his pain. He grabs my waist with both hands, jerking my hips against his. “All that matters is you don’t have to leave.”
“Xav, I… That wasn’t the deal. Mr. Hall said I had to tell him who you were or he’d pull the plug on my scholarship.”
“And you did.”
