He stares at me but then shakes his head, “No, no. I can’t ask you to do that. It’s your dad’s birthday weekend.”
“If you need me, I’ll come.”
He takes his hand and rakes his fingers through my hair, grabbing the back of my neck. “Thank you, but you stay here with your family. I’ll go see if everything is alright and come pick you up tomorrow.”
“Are you sure? I can get mom to give me a ride home. That’s a lot of driving.”
“I’m sure.” He nods, kissing me. “I’ll text you when I get back.”
“Promise?”
He grins, “Yeah, I promise.”
CHAPTER 14
ERIC
“What happened?” I ask Lainey, grabbing the seat next to her on the couch.
Almost every snack from the pantry was on the table in front of her.
She shovels another bite of easy Mac into her mouth, “I just had to get away from Dad.”
“Does he know you’re here?”
“Yes.”
Her short, snappy answer is definitely a lie.
“Lainey,” I warn, not wanting to have another confrontation with Drayton’s mom. I don’t know why she’s closer to me than Emma, either. You’d think they’d have some girl shit to bond over, but she’s always preferred me. Even though Emma is closer in age to her, almost like a big sister.
“Okay fine,” She huffs. “I’ll text them.”
“Now tell me what happened.”
“Same thing that always happens. Dad just took it too far this time.”
“Mom hassling you about Madden?”
“Yep.”
She stands abruptly, tossing the empty macaroni cup into the trash. “They’re jerks and Dad?” Her voice becomes more high-pitched, “He has no right to judge anyone.”
She’s not wrong. Her friend Madden is a good kid. He lives a few neighborhoods away from me. He is a little rough around the edges and has a few more tattoos than most, but he would do anything for Lainey. I honestly always thought maybe they’d end up dating, but they’ve never mentioned it. Her parents never even gave him a chance. They took one look at him and said no.
That’s where my brother and I differ. Well, that and literally everything else. Other than our similar features and DNA, we don’t really have anything in common at all.
I shake my head back and forth, thinking about what Ethan could have said to upset her, “What was said exactly?”
She sighs, “It’s a long story.”
“Well, you got somewhere to be?”
She gives me a hateful side eye, “Why were you in Charleston?”
“Why are you answering my question with a question?”
She turns quickly on the couch and points at me, “Why aren’t you answering it?”