My mom's green eyes fell to the floor in an instant, and I hated that it was so easy for me to be cold and callous. My tone wasn’t soft. The words were cut and dry, a meanness dragging with every syllable, and it wasn’t fair. My dad scared me too. She was trapped and lonely.
I should have said sorry. I should have taken her hands in mine and told her I understood, but resentment had me stepping backwards, one foot after the other until I reached the front door. Before I turned and left, I called back to her, “I wasn’t saying that to be mean. I just want you to be prepared for an unannounced drop-in from him, and if he finds you in bed with someone else…” I swallowed back the panic in my voice. “Well, we know how that’ll end.”
My mom slapped her mouth shut and gave me a single nod before I opened the door and let the fresh air wash over my sticky skin.
This time, I made my way to my car without once glancing at Eric’s house. My mind was too wrapped up in other things to worry about what the boy next door was up to.
Chapter Four
Eric
My back rested along a dingy sofa in a large living room that had a mix of both old and new furniture. The room was dark and dull with a few standing lamps for light and one overhead light fixture that I was pretty sure had only one of three lightbulbs working, but the frat party was a nice change of pace to the cabin where most of the parties were.
Every Friday and Saturday night, I’d throw a party at my parents’ cabin on the outskirts of town, but ever since Ollie and Piper started their thing and got into some trouble with street racing, things had been slower than usual.
And not to mention, the cabin parties were becoming tiresome. I’d been with half the girls that showed up every weekend, so none of them were keeping my interest any longer, and everyone and everything seemed to be irritating me lately.
I felt myself closing off. Ollie and Christian had both asked me what was wrong, but I’d told them I was fine, because I didn’t want to talk about it.
Even the mere thought of diving into the shitstorm that my father created a few months ago made me want to chug the entire keg that was set up just a few feet away from me. Warm beer and all. I didn’t care.
But for now, I’d sit right here on this couch that likely had enough cum on it to get every single girl in this room pregnant and enjoy the fact that I was out of Pike Valley for the night and away from everyone that knew me.
Except for Jesse, who was currently playing beer pong with two girls clung to his side. He caught my attention and angled his head for me to come over all while waving a red cup full of beer in my direction.
I glanced down at my phone, seeing the text from my mom, thanking me for cleaning the house, and the three from my dad that were left unopened.
Yeah. I need a drink. Right fucking now.
“Wanna be my partner, bro?” Jesse asked, shooing the two college girls wearing skin-tight dresses away. “I’ve seen what that arm can do during football.”
I chuckled. “Yeah, yeah. You’re the one playing with the big boys now.”
He tapped my chest with the back of his hand before aligning the beer pong cups perfectly symmetrical on the table. I bounced the ping-pong ball in my hand, eager to get started so I could drink away my own fucked-up version of reality. “Bro, you’re gonna be where I am in less than a year. Did you get your acceptance letter yet?”
And with that question, I locked my jaw and stopped bouncing the ball. Of course I got my acceptance letter. UCLA had all but sucked my dick to get me to apply. With my father being an alumnus and donating his money every year, they probably didn’t even glance at the contents of my application. They saw my name and immediately put it in the “accept” pile.
The only problem now was that my father had cut me off. He hadn’t given me a dime since I’d thrown him under the bus. Don’t get me wrong, he tried to talk to me. “If you’d just talk to me so we can work this out as a family…”
But I refused. Every time I heard my mom crying or looked into her tired eyes as she worked another long shift at the hospital, unwilling to rely on my father for anything, I'd get angry all over again.
If she was gonna ice him out, so would I. I was on her side. Not his.
So anyway, according to my father, he wasn’t going to pay for my college until I grew up and talked to him. Well, I’d stay a fucking toddler for the rest of my life if it meant he’d leave us alone.
Chances were, he wouldn’t. But for now, he was staying true to his word. My bank account had slowly dwindled down to nothing.
“Dude, you good?” Jesse nudged me again, and I shook myself out of my thoughts. I leaned back and hitched one of the pong balls into a cup across the table. I grinned, my cheek rising to one side. “I’m good. Just getting in the zone.”
He laughed. “Aww, shit. I’ve seen that look before.” Then, he cupped his hands around his mouth and yelled, “Oh, ladiesssss? My man Eric is in the house tonight, and let me tell ya, he’s on the fucking prowl.”
Several girls cat-called throughout the room, a ripple of high-pitched voices straining against my e
ars. I wasn’t going to lie; my dick twitched at the thought.
New pussy.
Fresh meat to take my mind off the only one at English Prep that continued to catch my attention. The one that I swore to hate so I wouldn’t love. That pesky little unhealthy obsession of mine.