Mom throws her hands up, mumbling about her heathen children. She’s still chuckling as she loads the dishwasher, but swiftly spins around, eyes wide. “Hadley Daniels, youslappedCullen? What on earth—”
It’s an art form how quickly Hads can work up the crocodile tears. I scarf down the rest of my eggs and push back from the table, and make my escape before the performance begins.
“I'm heading to school. See y’all later.” I give Dad a shoulder squeeze, kiss Mom on the cheek, and head for the front door. Fake crying follows me to the foyer, but I do my best to ignore it while grabbing my keys and bookbag.
The early morning sun hits me as I step onto the porch, the warmth doing little to ease the irritation simmering beneath my skin. Hadley always knows how to twist things, to dodge blame and play the victim.
I drag in a breath and tilt my face toward the light. For a second, I wish for a different life. One where I wasn’t a bystander in her drama, one where I wasn’t in love with my best friend.
The thought knocks something loose in me, raw and heavy.
I slide into my blacked-out Bronco and crank the engine, the radio blaring. Some pop anthem pulses through the speakers, something about being pushed to do something they really don’t want to do. The lyrics grab me, stitching themselves into an idea I don’t really want to have.
I don’t want to hurt anyone.
I just think it’s time Cull and Hads stop hurting each other.
Three
Cullen
I'm sitting in my lifted Chevy in the school lot, waiting for Hudson. It’s probably a red flag that seeing him first thing feels better than anything I did with Hads yesterday.
Way better than the sex.
When I went to her room, I tried talking to her about everything that went down, but she shut me up by going to her knees. I mean, great tactic because it worked. But I knew it wasn’t about me. It was about control. Now it’s just another problem shoved under the rug.
A sharp knock on the window jerks me from my thoughts.
“Wake up, fucker!” Hudson grins, his all-American, boy-next-door smile lighting up his face.
He has a really nice smile.
I blink and grab my bookbag, then open the door. “I wasn't asleep. Just thinking about yesterday.”
“Crazy, right? Can’t believe you let my sister treat you like that.”
“Don’t gaslight me, Hud. I get that enough from your sister,” I snap, sharper than I mean to. Hudson just blinks at me, and I huff, turning to walk to the school in a tense silence.Once at my locker, I shove my bookbag inside and grab my Calculus book.
Hudson leans against the lockers, arms crossed. “I’m sorry, I wasn’t trying to do that,” he replies. “I just mean she walks all over you, and you just… take it.”
I ignore him, irritation simmering in my chest.
“By the way,” he continues, voice low. “I found something hanging out of the upstairs bathroom trash can this morning.” He looks uncomfortable, his cheeks flushed.
“Um… okay?” It takes me a moment to connect the dots, but then it hits. “Oh, shit.”
“Oh, shit is right. Be glad it was me who found it and not my mom. She would’ve freaked and then castrated you,” he says, shuddering.
I wince. “I thought it made the basket.”
“Well, it didn't. I made sure it was… taken care of. You’re welcome, by the way.”
“Thanks,” I mutter.
He gives me a weird look before clearing his throat. “Just be careful. You don’t want my sister using your leftovers to knock herself up.” He chuckles, walking away.
I stop dead in the middle of the hallway and grab him by the collar, yanking him to a halt. “What the fuck are you talking about?”
