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“You did.” I put my laptop sleeve into my bag and drained the last of my drink while trying to come up with a new excuse. “I’m going to hit pause on dating,” I said, “and focus on me right now.”
His expression filled with disbelief. “You’re going to . . .” Abruptly, he shook his head and his tone turned sarcastic. “Okay. I’m sure that’ll be a huge change for you.”
THIRTEEN
Sydney
I’d put on more eye shadow than my mother thought was appropriate. Ever since they’d reneged on our deal, I’d looked for ways to test my parents. To push their boundaries. My clothes and makeup were excellent pressure points, so tonight I loaded my brush with the darkest gray shadow in my palette and went to town.
I was sitting on the couch in the front room, waiting for Preston, when my mom spotted me, and she made her displeasure known with a raised eyebrow.
Her tone verged on patronizing. “You look nice. Going somewhere?”
“To a movie with a friend.”
It was stunning how easily it rolled off my tongue, but she inhaled sharply, making me wonder if my lie hadn’t been as convincing as I’d thought. Her gaze scrutinized every inch of my body, examining my teal sleeveless top and black shorts. My outfit was too nice for a simple movie night hang.
“Is this friend named Preston?” She asked it when she already knew the answer.
“So what if it is?”
The sound she made was a mixture of irritation and disappointment. “You know I don’t care for that boy.”
“Why?”
My question caught her off-guard, and she paused, unsure how to respond.
I’d always suspected my parents’ dislike stemmed from how Preston and his dad had undercut their attempt to punish my brother. When they’d kicked him out with only a month left of high school, they’d expected him to struggle and come groveling back.
Instead, he’d landed at one of the nicest houses in our small suburb, with an in-ground pool, and no curfew. Freedom to do whatever he wanted with whoever he wanted. God, my parents had hated that. I’d had to convince them to let Colin come home, and if he hadn’t needed support for college, I probably would have needed to convince him, too.
I was curious what answer my mom would give me. If she’d tell me the truth.
Her shoulders straightened. “His father’s dating a girl half his age. The same one who used to be his son’s girlfriend. It’s,” she contemplated the right word, “unseemly.”
I blinked. “And how is that Preston’s fault?”
She was so stunned I’d pushed back, she literally retreated. She took a step back and her mouth dropped open. “I don’t know what’s gotten into you recently, but this new attitude of yours? It sucks.” Her expression hardened. “Do I have him to thank for that?”
I rolled my eyes, and a split second later, a text message popped up on my phone.
Preston: I’m here.
My heart stumbled over itself with excitement.
Sydney: Coming out.
I rose from the couch, but only made it a few steps toward the door.
“I don’t think you should see him anymore,” she said. “He was a bad influence on your brother, and now he’s doing the same thing to you.”
She seriously thought Preston had corrupted Colin, like he’d turned my brother against them, when it had been their iron grip that had done it. A dark part inside me wanted to give her a sneering smile and tell her she had no idea just how much I planned to let Preston corrupt me.
But instead, I pushed a lock of hair back over my shoulder and gave her a firm look. “You control enough of my life. You don’t get to tell me who I’m allowed to be friends with.”
I didn’t wait for her to respond. I marched to the front door, yanked it open, and walked through it. When I pulled it closed behind me, its loud thud echoed a period at the end of a statement.
“Hi, friend,” I said to Preston when I got into the passenger seat.
