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"Can we please just go to my house? I promise I'll explain everything." I beg, scooting closer to him.
"I think I need a little time to process this, Hanna. I just… I wasn't expecting this tonight." He scoots away, pulling himself to his feet. "Will you tell Ellie I'll see her tomorrow?"
I drop my hand from his shoulder as he stands, my heart sinking into the concrete steps. I watch his back as he walks away, not glancing back once.
18 Years Old
"I thought you said your boyfriend was coming, bunny?" My brother, Adam, jokes across the kitchen table.
"He is. He had some things to do before he could head down, and don't call me bunny."
Adam roars with laughter, "Oh come on, I'm sure he'd love to know why you have that nickname."
I slap his arm, turning to mom, "Can you please tell him he can't act like this when Jameson gets here?"
Mom sets her wineglass down, adjusting her silverware on the napkin next to her plate, "Hanna, don't hit your brother at the dinner table."
Ugh! I could scream. It's always all about Adam! My brilliant, handsome, hardworking brother, who never does anything wrong. I'll always be the girl who never had a boyfriend. The girl who was forced to blend in at school every day when all I ever wanted was to stand out. The girl who had to starve herself to fit in. I've never been the popular girl like my brother, and it just suffocates my mother's pride.
"I still can't believe you moved in with this boy," My mom chastises, delicately stabbing her salad with her fork.
I inwardly roll my eyes, not daring to show my anger. It will only rile her up more. "He's a good guy, mother."
Adam laughs, "A good guy who couldn't even make it here on time."
I shake my head, glancing to my dad for just a little help, anything.
"That's enough, Adam," His deep voice fills the air and silences him. My brother wouldn't dare talk back to dad, even if he is almost twenty years old.
The truth is, I don't know why Jameson isn't here. The plan was to make the four-hour drive together, but he said something came up and he would have to drive separately. I just hope it doesn't involve Logan filling him full of whiskey.
"We missed you at Thanksgiving, dear," My mother smiles, motioning to my elbow that is improperly placed on the table.
Shit.
I place my arms in my lap.
"Yeah, we decided to have Thanksgiving with Jameson's brother. Plus, I had a test the next week, and I needed to stay and study."
"Does he not have parents?" My dad questions.
"No, they're both dead." I lie, taking a sip of my sweet tea to wash it down.
"How terrible," mom whines.
"Yeah, he doesn't like to talk about it."
Adam's loud and obnoxious voice fills the air, "Annabeth is coming for Christmas dinner. She should be here tomorrow."
I groan loudly, my brother rolling his eyes, while my mom gives me a pointed stare.
Annabeth is the devil. She literally made my life hell in high school. At Norah Gray's sweet sixteen, she had everyone calling me Shamu because of my black and white bathing suit. I left early and cried for a week.
Adam would just blow it off and say things like, "She would never, bunny," or "Maybe she was joking."
She wasn't joking. I honestly thought they were done. I hoped they were anyway. So along with my mother using me as a puppet, I now have Annabeth to worry about too.
Wonderful.
