“Yes.”
There’s no point in lying. He’d see right through me. He always has. And I learned from experience that lying only made it worse.
“Oh,” Mom says. “So, wait, it’s a video game contest? You play games and stuff?”
“No, no, we make them.”
That should make it slightly better.
“So let me get this straight.” Dad stands, his voice climbing in volume. “We’re helping you pay your rent, your groceries, all so you can afford tuition at McGill, and you do what with your time? Make stupid games?”
The guilt and shame fully takes hold now. I want to shrink away from Dad’s booming voice. I sink so deep into myself that I barely realize it’s Rachel’s voice I hear next.
“I’ve been keeping him focused,” she explains. “It’s not that big a project. And every night, I make sure he’s done his other homework and studying before I let him focus on the competition stuff.”
That’s partly true, but it’s a bit more complicated than that. Rachel and I have always helped each other stay focused on our studies. But she’s also fully supportive of this project. She knows that I’m holding out for an internship or a job at the end of this.
“Still. Video games?” Dad huffs, but his volume has gone down.
“Won’t that distract you from what you really want to do?” Mom asks before turning her attention to Rachel. “And honey, you have to be careful with yourself. You’ve got your own plate full with your applications to graduate school. I don’t want you to do too much.”
“It’s really no trouble,” Rachel reassures her as she leans against me with a smile. “There’s nothing I wouldn’t do for your son. I’ve got my eye on him, I promise.”
“Good,” Dad says. “Because I wouldn’t want all of our hard work, all I’ve sacrificed, to go to waste.”
“It won’t,” Rachel adds.
The taste of shame is still persistent on my tongue. The only reason I can still live with it is the assurance that at the very least, Rachel has my back.
Chapter 10
Rachel
“Shit, shit, shit.” Karan breezes past me to pour himself some coffee, knocking against my elbow in the process.
“Watch it,” I spit out as I grab my own freshly poured mug and head to the table.
Océane, who’s flipping pancakes in front of the stove, peers over at Karan with a worried expression. Her long hair is pulled back into a huge bun, but it looks like it’s been brushed.
She’s having a good day today. No—a great one. She had so much energy this morning that she simply insisted she had to make us breakfast to thank us for our hospitality.
“Are you okay?” Océane asks Karan.
“Yeah, I’m fine, but I’m going to be late.” Karan sets his mug on the table, then walks over to Cayce and Corey’s seats, ruffling their hair. “I think I might switch to a travel mug and go now.”
“Why?” I look at the clock hanging over the stove. “You’re right on time. What’s the rush?”
I can’t help the accusatory tone that slips between my teeth.
“You need to eat!” Océane says as she slides a stack of pancakes on a plate, walks over to the table, and places them at Karan’s spot. “Here, you can have the first ones.”
Karan looks at the pancakes, then at me, and back at the pancakes before taking a seat. “Yeah, these look too good.”
“Can I be next?” Cayce calls out to his aunt.
“No, me!” his brother argues.
“You’ll get yours at the same time,” I firmly tell my boys before turning my attention back to Karan. “You didn’t answer my question.”
