And really, it should be a no-brainer. My home life is complicated enough as it is, the last thing I need is to add this to the mix. Besides, I need to see where things go with Alistair.
Do you really want to date another entitled, rich asshole?
But that’s not fair, because Alistair has never earned that reputation. He’s what you would call ‘the whole package.’ Billionaire heir and handsome to boot, I couldn’t do much better if I tried.
He’s a bit of a playboy, but respectful to women. Not a bad thing has been said about him, not even from those he’s dated.
A dim glow shines through the window, and I look to see what’s going on outside. It’s my brother standing next to the old Ford truck, Jake on the other side, Prim hopping in the back.
They must be going to the Saturday Bons, just like you did when you were a kid.
The Saturday Bons, or rather, the weekly bonfire held at the intersection of several small towns, was a rite of passage for many youths. My parents took me sporadically as a child, but I started tagging along with Jake when I was fourteen, and to this day, many of my fondest memories stem from there. When I was sixteen, I snuck away from the crowd and had my first kiss with Charles Lovejoy after being dumped by the quarterback. At seventeen, I got shit-faced drunk and streaked through the camps.
Trainwreck Tammy,my subconscious chides, recalling the name the tabloids gave me.
It wasn’t like that, though. It was a tradition that many seniors did before going off to college. Me and five of my friends stripped down, ran around one of the bonfires, then hurried to get our clothes back on. Jake was mortified that he got an eyeful of me. I can’t say I blame him.
And now, he’s off with Prim and Garrett to Bons, because some things never change.
But I did, and if I’m being honest with myself, I kinda wish I hadn’t.
?
Garrett
As I open the door to the truck, I look to the barn one last time. The golden light shining from Ali’s apartment calls to me like a moth. There’s a shadow in the window, and for a moment, I think it’s her. But that’d be silly. She’s probably unpacking the dozen or so bags scattered across the floor.
It’s hard for me to think of her as Tammy, or rather, it’s like this girl Ali is a new person entirely, completely unattached from the Tammy I once knew.
Seeing her on the big screen for the first time was surreal. The same skinny girl that I used to scare by playing in the sheets on the clothesline was standing thirty-feet tall, commanding the room’s attention. Now, she’s one of the most recognizable faces in the United States, perhaps even the world. But that has no appeal to me.
That’s not to say I’m not interested, but the reason I’m interested has nothing to do with her fame and has everything to do with her charming wit, girl-next-door smile, and stunning blue eyes. It’s easy to see how she became beloved by so many.
“You think we should invite her?” I ask Jake.
“Naw, she’s too cool for the cattle,” Jake replies back.
Prim jumps into the back of the truck, her big eyes begging Jake not to toss her out.
Jake casts Prim an annoyed glance. “Ah, come on! I don’t wanna hafta be lookin’ out for you the whole time.”
“Please! School’s out, and I wanna see my friends,” she pleads.
“Then call them. Have them pick you up.”
“Come on! You’re going there, just let me ride along.”
Jake’s face is cold as steel. He hates that his kid sister goes to Bons, which has a lot to do with their fourteen year age gap. Usually, Prim has to catch a ride with a friend, steering away from Jake lest he grumbles and puts an end to any fun she hopes to have.
“Just let her ride along,” I say. “She’s been going to Bons for two years. Besides, haven’t you been going since you were like fourteen?”
Jake’s jaw juts out, as it does when he’s frustrated. “Yeah, but that’s different.”
“Why, because I’m a girl?” Prim challenges.
“Because—just because.”
I gesture towards the barn. “We can ask Tam to come along and babysit.”
Jake gets in the truck, slamming the door closed. “Get in.”
