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“No. You’re the bad guy because this is all about whatyouwant,” I corrected. “All I wanted was for a boy to take me to the movies, Lars. Why is that so wrong?”
“After you let my fingers stretch you out, you’re going to stand there and still talk to me about another motherfucker taking you to the goddamn movies?” he hissed. “Are you fucking serious right now, Edie?”
“Because it didn’t mean anything,” I snapped. “We both know that hooking up with girls means shit to you, Lars. I’ve known you my whole life, and I can’t remember a time when evenonegirl had ever meant anything to you.” His lip curled in a snarl. “Don’t tell me that yesterday was different from any of the other millions of times that you dragged a girl into the restroom with you.” I straightened my back. “You’re fighting with me and trying to make this into something bigger than it is because you feel guilty, just admit it. If Talon found out what happened, it would ruin your friendship with him, and since that would gut you, you’re trying to force this to be something more than what it is.” I looked into his raging hazel eyes. “Well, I’m not going to let you…I’m not going to let your guilt pull me down with you, Lars. Talon never has to know about yesterday, and why should he? It’s not his business.”
“You seriously think that this is about Talon?”
“Isn’t it?”
Letting out another deep breath, he said, “Look, I’m not going to lie and say that Talon doesn’t play a huge part in all this, but-”
“Lars, do me a favor,” I said, cutting him off. “Go to a priest with your guilt and just leave me the hell alone, okay? The last thing that I want to do is try to figure out your feelings for you.”
“I’m not confused about my goddamn feelings,” he snapped.
Ignoring that, I said, “Look, I’m going to just walk home-”
“The fuck you are,” he rushed out. “I’m driving you.”
“Why?”
“Because it’s my job to look out for you, no matter how pissed off I am at you.”
Chapter 17
The confessions that matter the most.
Edie~
Iwas exhausted.
I mean, really freakin’ exhausted.
After a horribly tense ride home, I had immediately gotten started on my homework, had managed a quick dinner with Mom before she’d had to leave for her second job, then had taken the longest bubble bath in history. I had pampered myself with bath salts, scented bubble bath, body scrub, and water hot enough to nearly scald my ass.
When I’d gotten out of the tub, I’d felt a little lonely with Mom gone. Even though Kenzlee had done right by us, Mom didn’t know how not to feel secure. If Hawkley hadn’t been such a dirtbag husband and worthless father, she might be working only one job right now, but scars were a real sonofabitch sometimes.
So, to stave off some of the loneliness, I had called Talon, spoken to him and Kenzlee for a bit, then had called Alexandria to talk, and I’d felt her pain when she had begun to vent about Hunter Finley driving her insane. Apparently, the Finley brothers were relentless assholes when they got stubborn about something, and though I could see that in Hunter, I hadn’t ever imagined it from Lars.
I had begun to feel better about things until Calliope had called me to gossip. While most people texted, Calliope’s gossip had warranted a phone call, the girl telling me all about how Lars had checked Rosa Venice and had told her to keep his name out of her mouth-her words, not mine. She had also informed me of the newest rumor that Lars Finley had a girlfriend, and that’s why he had gone off on Rosa spreading those rumors about them.
I had hung up with her feeling more confused than ever.
So, now I was sitting on the couch, watching The History Channel because I was a dork, and I could probably fall asleep on the couch with how exhausted I felt. The situation with Lars was draining all my energy, and I knew that it was because I had no one to really talk to about it. Yeah, I could always talk to Mom, but I hated worrying her. She deserved an easy life after everything that she had sacrificed for me and Talon, so I didn’t want her at work, worried if I was okay.
A knock on the front door had me grabbing my phone and looking at it for any missed text messages. I couldn’t see anyone just stopping by without texting or calling first, but I could also see Calliope stopping by to beat the name of Lars’ rumored girlfriend out of me. It could also be Mrs. Lorde from next door, looking for her runaway cat again.
Muting the television, I headed towards the front door, not caring that I was already in my nightwear, which consisted of a tank-top and a pair of sweats. Normally, I only slept in a tank-top or t-shirt and panties, so I’d be chucking the sweats once I was ready for bed.
Once I swung the front door open, I was surprised to see Lars standing on the other side. Though he no longer looked like he wanted to bury my body in the backyard, he still looked…troubled.
Stepping aside, I pulled the door back to let him in, Lars and Hunter always being welcomed in our house. Mom thought of them as her extra sons, and nobody even needed to be home for Lars and Hunter to make themselves comfortable here.
“What are you doing here?”
Lars glanced around the room. “Is your mom at work?”
I nodded. “Yeah. She works until ten tonight.”
