Total pages in book: 58
Estimated words: 55667 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 278(@200wpm)___ 223(@250wpm)___ 186(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 55667 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 278(@200wpm)___ 223(@250wpm)___ 186(@300wpm)
“You won’t tell my dad, will you?” He looks like he’s about to pee his swim trunks.
“It’s never going to happen again, is it?”
He shakes his head vehemently. “No. God no. I was wasted and talking out of my ass. I don’t look at you like that. I’m kinda hoping you’re going to be my sister. Stepsister. But still. We’ll be related one day. Maybe.” He stares at me for a few long seconds. I’m not sure what he’s waiting for. “I have like five hundred dollars in cash in my room. You can have it.”
I tip my head. “Like hush money?”
“Yes. No. You made sure I didn’t die, even after I said whatever I said. And you’re not gonna tell my dad. You should have seen him on Sunday. He was so mad at me. So damn mad. And I was scared your mom was going to break up with him. I haven’t had a mom since before I really remember what having a mom is like. And Skye is such a cool lady. And fun. And I get that I’m like, almost eighteen and stuff, but I don’t want to do anything that might mess up the chance that she might become my stepmom. God, I hope I’m not jinxing this whole thing.”
My heart squeezes and my empathy buttons start firing. Not enough for me to tell him the full story of Saturday night, but enough to assuage his fears. “I get what you mean. My grandparents have been like a second set of parents all my life, but I’ve never had a dad. I don’t even actually know who my real dad is. But it’s been nice seeing my mom so happy, and it’d be cool to have an older brother, even if the only thing we really have in common is that we’re both teenagers.”
He blinks twice, like he’s trying to decode the underlying message.
“I don’t need hush money. Just don’t let your hockey buddies bully me, and we’re good. And I might need the occasional drive somewhere, and if you play professional hockey and you’re making the big bucks, I’m not against you picking up the tab for my milkshake and fries obsession when you’re in town.”
“Deal.”
We shake on it. His palms are sweaty so we both wipe them on our shorts after.
Our parents come out. Sidney is carrying a tray of appetizers and mom is clasping her hands together, wearing a really weird smile.
“Snack time!” Mom’s voice is all high and pitchy.
“I’ll grab drinks!” Buck offers.
“I can help.” I follow him into the pool house. “Something is going on today. My mom is acting strange. Stranger than usual, even.”
“My dad has been the same for the past couple of days. He’s been all smiles since Skye came over Sunday night. Usually, when I’ve done something stupid and irresponsible, he’s grumpy for a couple of days, but it hasn’t been the case this time around.”
“Huh. Well, I feel like they’re gearing up for the big reveal of whatever it is.” Buck passes me a bottle of white wine and a grape soda, then grabs a beer and an orange soda for himself. He doesn’t spike it with vodka this time.
Sidney and Mom are sitting at the outdoor dining table, the appetizer platter set in the middle. Mom’s hands are folded together, and she’s still wearing that creepy, weird smile that looks like it belongs on one of those awful dolls with the eyes that blink. I give her a questioning look, but all she does is continue to grin.
Buck passes his dad the beer and pops the cork on the wine bottle, then pours half of it into a stemless wine glass for my mom. She murmurs a thank you and takes a seriously hefty gulp.
“All right. What’s going on?” I cross my arms. “Mom, you’ve got your creepy smile thing going on. Someone needs to spill the beans, whatever the beans are.”
Mom and Sidney look at each other. “We have some news we’d like to share.”
“Oh shit! Skye’s preggers, isn’t she!” Buck holds his hand up to his dad for a high five. “Your swimmers still work!”
Sidney stares at Buck’s outstretched hand.
I knock it out of the air. “My mom isn’t preggers. She’s drinking a bowl of wine. You can’t drink when you’re pregnant and she has an IUD.”
“What does drinking and driving have to do with getting pregnant? Unless those things all happened at the same time,” Buck’s eyes go wide.
“Not a DUI, an IUD, intrauterine device. It’s a form of birth control,” I explain.
“Oh. Well, that makes a lot more sense. So no one is pregnant?” Buck looks from me to my mom and back to me, eyes widening again.
“I’ve never even made it past second base with anyone but myself, so no, no one is pregnant.”