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Vera stood behind me, sobbing and grabbing her head. I wanted to comfort her, but if I moved from my spot, I didn’t know if Mom would hurl herself back into my room and hurt Vera even more. Vera quickly pulled on her pants and gathered her things behind me.
“I told you, nobody comes over!” Mom screamed, nostrils flaring.
Once Vera gathered all her things in haste, she pushed by me and Mom, hurrying out into the hallway. She didn’t look either of us in the eye, but continued to mutter, “Sorry,”over and over, tears streaming down her cheeks.
“Get that girl out of my house,” Mom said. “Now! I already told you that I don’t want you associating with someone like her. You know what her mother has done to this family. They’re no-good, money-hungry whores.”
Before Vera could make a beeline out of the house, she froze and slowly turned back toward me, eyes wide. “Wh-what did she say?” she asked quietly, standing at the foot of the steps.
Dad padded out into the foyer from one of the guest bedrooms in a pair of sweatpants and his college sweatshirt, his hair disheveled, as if he had just woken up. He ran a hand over his face, line creasing. He must’ve not slept in their bedroom last night.
“I already told you that nothing happened between us,” Dad grumbled to Mom.
“You’re a liar!” Mom screamed, tears racing down her cheeks. She grabbed a sculpture on a side table that Dad had bought for several hundred thousand dollars and hurled it at him. “A fucking liar.”
After Dad sidestepped the statue, it hit the wall, feet from Vera and crumbled to pieces. I hurried past them both and snatched up Vera’s hand to get her out of here as soon as fucking possible. Of course, they had to be crazy when I had Vera over. They had been so fucking absent until I brought someone that I cared about over.
“What did your parents mean?” Vera asked, voice trembling. “Please tell me that m-my—”
I scooped her into my arms and carried her to my car, setting her in the passenger seat and shutting the door. I needed to get her out of here quickly. We didn’t have time for questions that I didn’t have the answers to right now. Mom would rush out any second now.
When I slipped into the driver’s seat, I threw the car in reverse and backed out of the driveway. I gripped the steering wheel and hit the gas pedal, zooming forward and not saying a word until we were far enough away from my house.
I pulled over to the side of the road, parked the car, and gently rubbed Vera’s head. “I’m so fucking sorry, Vera. I should’ve never asked you to come over. I should’ve taken you home. Are you okay?”
She sniffled, her teary eyes making my chest tighten. “Tell me what your mother meant.”
After letting out a long sigh, I frowned. “I don’t know if it’s true. My dad has slept with half of this town, but my mom likes to start drama, if you haven’t noticed. She’s insecure because of him and pieces together the smallest things to make an assumption.”
“My mom …” Vera shook her head, more tears falling from her cheeks. “She wouldn’t have done that. I know she wouldn’t have risked her job to sleep with your father. Your parents were paying her well.”
“I know she wouldn’t have.”
“Why does your mom hate me so much?” she asked, voice quiet.
“She hates herself, not you. She’s insecure, and you intimidate her.”
“Me?” she sobbed. “Intimidating?”
“You’re the only woman who can make me happy. She can’t even do that.”
Vera wrapped her arms around herself and stared out the window, tears trembling in her eyes. “I want to go home.” Vera sniffled again, her shoulders trembling. “Please. I just want to go home. School starts in two hours.”
My chest tightened, and I cupped her face in my hands, swiping my thumbs across her cheeks to catch the tears. “I’m so fucking sorry, Vera.”
This was all my fucking fault. I should’ve been more careful with her. I couldn’t risk losing her over this.
“It’s not your fault,” she said after a long pause.
But it was, and we both knew it.
I drove her home in silence as she muffled her sobs in her hand. Once I dropped Vera off at home and promised her that I’d see her during school, I sped back home quicker than I ever had before and skirted into the driveway. My blood was boiling, my teeth grinding.The fuck is wrong with Mom?
When I stormed into the house, all the artwork lay on the floor in pieces, the pillows were thrown off the couches, and glass was shattered all over the marble floor. I followed their screaming voices through the house to Dad’s home office.
“You’re crazy!” he shouted at her, sitting at his desk.
“What the fuck is wrong with you?” I yelled at Mom, storming into the room. “If all he does is make you insecure and cheat on you, then fucking leave him, Mom. What don’t you fucking get about him walking all over you? You’re—”
