“Yeah, but Edward’s never home.”
I choked on a piece of steak and started coughing like a crazy person.
“June!”
My mom patted me hard on the back twice. The only one laughing was Jasper.
“Ah, that made you laugh, eh?” I exhaled faintly.
He stared at me with an ambiguous snicker. He seemed amused by my discomfort.
“You were telling us about your son?” My mom feigned comfort as if her daughter didn’t almost just die on her.
“Ah, yeah. How about you tell me about the last collection you exhibited at the gala?”
Jordan changed the subject. Meanwhile, I lost my appetite. Everything was happening too quickly. I heard the front door slam, startling me. Jasper didn’t seem surprised. In fact, he shot me a smile with two dimples on either side of his mouth.
“Sorry, I think that’s my son. Let me handle this, I’ll be right back,” announced Jordan as a shadow of concern flashed in his cobalt eyes.
“You said you weren’t coming back,” I heard him say near the door.
“And yet here I am. Ta-da.”
My heart was about to jump out of my chest. That voice. All of my fears came true in a second.
“I’m having guests over for dinner. Please, go to your room and don’t ruin everything.”
“Sure.”
“Have you been drinking? Jesus Christ, you always do this!”
“Gentlemen.”
I almost had a heart attack when James Hunter appeared in front of me. His hair was messy, his cheeks were flushed, and his pupils were dilated.
“Edward!” his dad scolded.
“Don’t fucking touch me.”
I kept my head down, hoping a meteorite would hit me and burn me and this obscene dress. But it never came. I looked up slowly.
“What the fuck are you doing in my house?”
I darted my eyes right and left, pretending that nothing had happened. But alas, I found myself in the lion’s den, next to my scandalized mom to boot.
James pointed at me. “I can’t believe it. You’re a fucking stalker!” he screamed, before turning around and marching up the stairs, followed by a thud and Jasper’s amused smirk.
“I’m so sorry. Forgive me. Sorry, April, my son is a mess.”
My mom calmed Jordan, who was drinking from his wineglass with his hand shaking, down.
“Do you know him?” she asked me under her breath when Jordan left to get something from the kitchen.
Yeah, sure, he’s an insufferable nutcase and an asshole who gets off on ruining other people’s lives.
No, I couldn’t say that with his brother around.
“In passing.”
