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Thea: Ok [peace sign emoji
]
A second later, she sends a selfie. She’s in the library with Maisy Landry, a pair of earbuds shared between them. They make goofy faces for the camera. I’m warm all over, staring at Thea in wonder.
Since our kiss, things feel like they’re clicking into place more easily.
The good mood Thea put me in evaporates as I walk into the administrative office. A scowl settles on my face while I wait outside Dad’s office. My hands are shoved in the pockets of my black slacks, my school blazer tied around the strap of my messenger bag. The office secretary I flirted with to get Devlin out of a pinch when he was in the student records room eyes me in disapproval.
Suck it, Debbie.
I’d much rather drive myself over to the appointment, but Dad has always insisted. His door opens a minute later, and he emerges, buttoning his boring blue suit jacket. Seriously, whoever he’s been seeing must have standards through the floor for Dad to jump right over their bar.
“Ready to go?” Dad asks.
I grunt, whirling to trudge from the hive of offices. Dad falls into step beside me. Outside, he clears his throat and I roll my eyes. Here it comes. The weekly lecture.
“Dad, save it. Come on.”
We reach his Escalade and get in. He starts the ignition and sighs.
“I’m serious. This isn’t like a few weeks ago when you stole the car for a prank.” He pats the wheel in indication.
Devlin and I had the idea for mischief after school. Getting back at both our dads was glorious, stealing the Escalade from his parking space and going for a joyride to Denver to crash a college party. Dad was pissed. It fucking rocked.
I snort, slouching back in the leather seat. “What did I do wrong now?”
It’s always me. True, I’m not an angel, but how are my actions always under a magnifying glass when I have two parents cheating on each other?
Maybe what I need to do is fake a private investigator profile and slip a tip to reporters on the local elections circuit. I’ve always thought about doing it, but not until Mom runs for something bigger, like Senate. I’ll do it up with the works, a real pro job that’ll fool anyone. The problem is, I don’t want to be the one to take the seedy photos of my double home-wrecking parents. It’s the same dilemma that trips me up every time I think out this plan.
Dad puts the car in gear and grimaces. “There’re photos. Illegal fighting, Connor, really? You know how important appearances are to your mother. I don’t have to remind you. A bad story like that could linger and be a roadblock in her political career.”
Grinding my teeth, I draw in a slow breath. It was up to Landry and his boys to make sure no photos or video got out. Idiots.
“Yeah, Dad. It’s only shoved down my throat every day.” I jerk my head in annoyance. Great. I made progress with Thea, but today’s session will probably suck worse than usual with my mood blackening like an oncoming storm. “Message received.”
He sighs. “It’s an important election year, son. You can’t have any missteps.”
How he can be so weak and pliant to Mom’s scheming political shit is baffling. Maybe he got used to the silver spoon life and is too afraid to challenge her. After all, she’s the reason he’s the principal of an elite private school, and he enjoys the money we get from granddad on top of their cushy incomes.
The urge to punch the nearest thing strangles me. “So she gets to have everything she wants, and the rest of us better fall in line?” I smack the dash in frustration. “Why the hell are we putting up with this? It’s stupid.”
Dad grants me a sober look. “It’s your mother. We have a good life because of her work. You’ll go off to college next year thanks to your grandfather’s money, so just do as she says until then.”
“What the fuck ever.”
How great is our life, really? It doesn’t seem so peachy. Our family is fractured, all three of us just existing in the same house.
“She wanted me to ask if—” Dad cuts off and frowns. “Did you mother talk to you about finding a date for this weekend and, er…”
What he doesn’t say is do I have a pretty puppet to play house with for the rest of the campaigning season.
“I have it covered.” I should’ve never dragged Thea into my mess. Goddamn it. My jaw clenches so hard a muscle jumps in my cheek. “My girlfriend will be there.”
I never told Mom I found someone and that I had no intention of picking from her folder. I guess part of me is trying to protect Thea from her, not prepared to subject her to the force of nature that spawned me. I’m a twisted fucker, but I learned from the best, I suppose. Apples and their goddamn trees.
When this started I was ready to throw Thea to the sharks, the same as I would anyone else. It didn’t matter before, but now? I’m not so sure.
