God, I am so weird.
Stacey comes over to me, and before I can do anything to stop her, she wraps me in a hug and squeezes me tightly. For a moment, my arms hang at my sides, but even I’m not that rude, so I reach up and pat her back a couple of times. I didn’t know we were to the hugging phase of our relationship yet. I almost feel bad for wishing for a walrus.
Almost.
“It’s so good to see you again,” she says in my ear. “It’s been a while.”
“It’s been four years,” Dominic says from behind her, as if no one in the room was aware how long it’d been. Maybe the walrus can get him too. I wouldn’t feel so bad about that one.
“Too long,” she says as she steps back. She rubs her hands down my arms until she grabs my own, then presses her fingers against mine. There’s a scrape of metal from her ring finger, and I think, Stupid, stupid, stupid. You didn’t see his ring because he was in uniform. He probably doesn’t wear it to work. Of course they’re still married. “How you been, Kid?” she asks me.
Kid. That’s what I am here. “Good,” I say, forcing a smile onto my face. “Things have been… good.”
“School going okay?”
Well, no. It’s really not,
but that’s not something I feel like sharing at the moment. Or ever. “Sure is,” I say, amazed at the cheerfulness in my voice. I sound like I’m high on life. Or meth. “Everything is superb.” I wonder if they know I’m lying, if Bear has said anything to them, the traitorous bastard. They probably go on couples’ dates together when Bear and Otter are here, and they talk about grownup things like stock portfolios, the best pinot noir, and the trials and tribulations of raising children (“Oh, you don’t even know!” Bear would say, obviously shit-faced on wine. “The Kid’s a royal fuckup in school now. I don’t even think they’re going to let him stay, and oh my God, will someone just give me a freaking baby already?”).
“That’s good to hear,” Stacey says, sounding genuine. Of course, she could be the most incredible actress in the history of the world and behind those warm and kind eyes is stirring a hatred like no other, and the moment Dom turns away, she’s going to reach up and snap my neck. “That’ll teach you to come back here,” she’ll hiss as I fade into the black. “Should have stayed out of my house, you little bitch.”
Instead, she says, “I know Dominic’s missed you, so it’s good you finally turned up. It’s been… difficult for him.”
“It has not,” Dom says. “I’ve been just fine, thank you very much.”
She rolls her eyes, and against every single part of my shredded will, the most minuscule part of me sort of likes her. Granted, her soul is probably as black as the darkest night, and I’d still like to see her banished to the ends of the earth for all eternity, but anyone who can think Dom spouts bullshit can’t be all that bad, right? Keep your friends close, keep your walrus bait closer, I think the saying goes.
“I’m only here for a little bit,” I say. “Just for the summer.”
She looks slightly disappointed, though I really can’t imagine why. She flashes me another smile as she drops my hands and takes a step back. I use this moment to covertly (well, as covertly as one can be when standing two feet away from a mortal enemy) glance down and see she is wearing a wedding ring. Dom isn’t. Maybe his fingers are too big. I mean, his hand is the size of a baby, so I wouldn’t be surprised if the ring didn’t fit. For some reason, baby-sized hands is funny to me, and I snort. It sounds just awful.
“Everything okay?” she asks me, eyebrow quirked.
“Uh, yeah. Just thought of… something… stupid.” I’m so glad I sound coherent. I don’t quite know how this day could get any more awkward.
“What’s that?”
“Baby hands.” Shut up, shut up! “Never mind. Long story. So, you! You look wonderful and amazing and I’m so glad to see you’re alive!” Well, that didn’t sound ominous at all. “Not that you wouldn’t be alive or anything, I guess. But you never know. I didn’t know about Ben, here, until a few days ago, so anything could have happened while I was gone.” That sounds much better. And she’s still standing way too close to me.
Stacey chuckles. “You sound just like your brother.”
Oh, ha-ha, you wicked witch! “So I hear,” I say brightly. “Haven’t yet figured out if that’s good or bad yet.” Bad. Definitely bad. I really need to work on that.
“Sit!” she says, motioning me toward the table. “I didn’t mean to interrupt your lunch. We can chat for a bit.”
I’d rather have bamboo shunts shoved under my fingernails, but I don’t think that’s a polite thing to say, so I don’t. I don’t want the sandwich anymore. It’s filled with peanut butter and lies. Okay, so there really haven’t been any lies told yet (at least they haven’t lied yet—I’ve lied out my ass at least six times already), but that doesn’t matter. I don’t want to choke down the peanut butter that they probably bickered lovingly over in the grocery store, because she wanted chunky and he didn’t give a shit, and aren’t they so goddamn adorable?
She moves around me, and Ben follows her and climbs up into his booster seat next to her. Dominic still stands at the door, blocking the way out. If I sucker punch him in the stomach, I might create enough of a surprise to be able to slip by him. Rather do that than sit here in this happy home with the three of them and bask in their familial glory.
“Sit, Ty,” she says. “I want to hear all about New Hampshire! I hear it’s beautiful there.”
One punch to the stomach, maybe a knee to the balls. That’s all it’ll take. Just as I’m about to launch myself at a man at least three times my size, he puts that cop gaze back on me and flicks his head toward the table just once. I know what you’re trying to do, that gaze says. Sit your ass back down.
I stare back at him. The bigger they are, the harder they fall.
He smirks at me. And the littler they are, the more high-pitched and whiny like a mosquito they sound.
I glare at him. I will murder you and bathe in your blood.