AllFreeNovel
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“I’m not my sister,” I tell him.
He shrugs and takes a healthy sip of the beer. “Shame. She seems tight.” I try to ignore the flare of jealousy of being compared to my younger sister for the umpteenth time.
“Skyler is the fun one.”
“Are…are you drunk?”
“Ding ding ding. We have a winner!” He chuckles as he downs the beer. “This is trash.” He scrunches his nose at his father’s craft beer. “Of course, his pretentious ass wouldn’t have any Bud Light.”
“Don’t call him that.” I sigh, knowing that there’s no reasoning with a drunk, angry kid. “I should call your dad and let him know you’re home. But maybe, you should go to bed, so he doesn’t know you’ve been drinking.”
He laughs and hops on the counter. “You don’t get it, do you, Serena? I don’t care that my dad knows I’m drunk. He’s got a lifetime of making up to do. I think he can overlook my vices that he and my mother damn near caused.”
“You shouldn’t use that as an excuse for your bad behavior.” Jesus Serena, can you sound anymore preachy? “I’m not lecturing, I just…”
“Sounds an awful lot like a lecture. Aren’t you barely old enough to drink?”
“You’re not even eighteen, Griffin, and you’re already in trouble for underage drinking.”
“Ah, but I wasn’t driving…” He points at me. Does he want a medal or something?
“Which is good, and I’m glad that you got a safe ride home but you should still be more careful. You’re being watched and your father is already doing damage control for your future. Don’t make it worse.”
“You seem like a nice girl, Serena, so I’ll give it to you straight. I’m not this asshole kid you think I am. Sure, you don’t have the best impression of me right now, but until this year, I rarely acted out. I got good grades, was home by ten, took the trash out without being asked; I did everything my parents asked of me. And then he stepped out on us. He left.” Wait, what?
I’m about to interject for clarification when he continues. “My dad thinks I don’t know about his ‘extra-curricular activities,’ about all the women ready to drop their panties for a weekend at our house in the Hamptons or a shopping spree on his black card.” The room spins and I’ve become very aware at my state of undress as he goes on about all the women that have been in my exact same position. I cross my hands over Landon’s shirt as I remember that I’m not wearing a bra underneath.
“He thinks I don’t know the real reason my parents are divorcing. Why he was never home when they actually were married. Why he moved out...”
“Your father never cheated on your mother, Griffin. He wouldn’t—” The words are on the tip of my tongue like word vomit, but Landon would kill me if I spewed the truth all over his emotional son. So, I keep my mouth shut.
“Is that what he told you?” He snorts. “And you believed that?” He stares at me for a beat and looks me up and down, not out of lust or disgust but maybe…pity? I hate that. I hate feeling like he feels bad for me when really out of everyone he got the shittiest end of the stick. He’s stuck in the middle of his parents’ divorce amidst legal trouble and a year of SATs and prepping for college. I feel bad for him. Junior year is the worst.
He passes by me, his shoulder grazing mine lightly as he makes his way out of the kitchen before I hear him speak again. “I’m not some delusional kid that’s telling you this because I’m hoping my parents will get back together. I’m telling you because Landon West doesn’t care about anyone but himself. He breaks hearts. Mine. My mother’s. Probably a dozen other chicks…and he’ll break yours too.”
