“That’s okay.” Lily sounds more cheery than usual, more flowery in her tone. She’s trying to smooth out the awkwardness of the situation, because she’s a problem solver and that’s what she does.
“No, no. How rude of him.” Keller’s expression slips back into sharp lines for the split second he glares at Locke, then goes back to the unsettling vision of joy. “I know how he can make it up to you!”
“You do?” Billie echoes my thoughts before getting thrown her own glare and retreating into a silence.
“Yes,” my father says. “You can join the family for Billie’s birthday dinner. As Locke’s guest.”
Since Keller barged into my life uninvited, I’ve made it a point to avoid giving him any reactions. To stay stone faced when he tries to connect and avoid any conversation that will pull emotions out of me. It’s my small way to telling him to fuck off; that he means so little to me, he’s unable to pull anything out of me that isn’t bare bones.
But when he extends the invite to Lily, as Locke’s date, my jaw drops and I’m stepping between the two of them.
“The hell if she’s going to some sort of McCarthy get together with anyone other than me.” I fling the words at him laced with my pent-up spite and anger.
I’ve never gotten this close to him before. We’re the exact same height, perfectly eye-to-eye, and I hate that I share anything in common with him.
Green eyes that I know are direct copies of mine crinkle in a smile.
“Great. So you’ll come, and bring Liliana with you?”
Fuck.
My fists tighten, knuckles cracking. I walked straight into his trap.
With Lily right next to me, there’s no excuse I can make. No claim that she’s unable to attend, or that I forgot it was happening.
I hate my father. Hate that he’s only fitted me into the spots of his life where he wants me to be, and even if I resist, he finds a way to make it work for himself.
When it feels like my fingers can’t dig any further into my palm, there’s a force pulling them apart. From my peripherals, Lily is putting on a half-genuine smile while slipping her hand into mine.
“We’ll be there.” She nods. The confirmation makes me sick, but her thumb drawing hearts into my skin eases the pain. “Thank you for inviting me.”
“Of course. Wouldn’t want to exclude the person my son’s been spending every Thursday with.”
Keller smiles. Locke’s eyes go wide. My ears ring.
He did tell Keller.
They’re a spitting image. The perfect father-son duo.
My father slaps his hand on my siblings’ shoulders again, and this time they don’t flinch.
“Well, come on, kids. Your mother is probably waiting for us at Saks.” Billie and Locke mumble goodbyes, with my half-sister whispering about how excited she is to see us at her birthday. I smile back and bury my dread.
When Keller presses his hand onto my shoulder, I grimace.
“Glad you’ve decided to come. I’ll see you there, son.”
I nod but say nothing.
Once the McCarthys are finally out of eyesight, I tighten my hold on Liliana’s hand and head straight for my car.
Like everything else in my life, Keller has ruined the day. In the space of my BMW, The Band CAMINO are the only voices being projected.
Neither of us have said a word since leaving the mall. Even when we pass through the Boston streets, where the lights highlight her freckles in the most divine way I’ve ever seen, I can’t bring myself to look at Liliana.
I grip onto the steering wheel and ask why Keller couldn’t stay out my life, where I wanted him.
A tanned hand lightly grips my wrist, smoothing over the stinging skin. It’s not a break into conversation. It’s better. An olive branch. I glance over to the passenger side, where Lily is looking at me softly and those freckles are sparkling just like I knew they would be.
