I roll my eyes. “I’ve cared about a lot of people, Mom. You and Dad just never seem to—”
“You haveentertaineda lot of people, Aaron. You have nevercared.”
“You don’t know anything about my relationships, Mom. And that’s because you sided with dad instead of me.”
“It’s not about sides, Aaron.”
“Yes, it is,” I bite. My skin feels warm, and I know it’s not from the outside heat. “You never backed me up.”
The words leave me of their own volition. They are sharp and brutal and truer than any I’ve spoken before.
“Because I wanted more for you,” she bites. “You deserved more than those silly little boy toys you paraded around just to piss your father —and I— off. And don’t tell me for a second you didn’t, because I know you, Aaron. I know you better than you think I do.”
I get up. “I’m not doing this with you.”
“Aaron—”
I walk away, heading for the house to grab the keys because I need to get out of here. I move to find Jake so we can go to Sal’s and grab his suit.
“Jake!” I call out, looking for him. I don’t get an answer. “Jake!” I try again, bellowing louder this time. Nothing.
Panic strikes me. No, he wouldn’t have left me. Not like this, not—
I hurry through the house, checking all the rooms—until I get to the hallway, where I hear music blaring.
Taylor Swift.
But it’s not coming from my room. It’s coming from the other end of the hall.
I slowly saunter down, the music getting louder and louder as I go. When I come to a closed door. Lola’s room.
I knock, but no one answers, so I open the door to see Lola standing in front of her ring light, dressed in a sequin body suit, and Jacob behind her. They both look at me like they’ve seen a ghost.
“What are you doing in here?” I snap, though I’m not sure who my anger is directed at. Or where it’s coming from.
“Filming a TikTok, duh,” Lola says as if it’s the easiest thing in the world to understand.
Jacob looks at me curiously.
“With my boyfriend?”
Lola giggles. “Um, yeah. He said he’d help me the other day, but you know, you two have been attached at the hip, so I had to get my time where I could.”
Jacob laughs as I cross my arms.
“Well, we need to go,” I say, glancing at him. “We have to pick up his suit, so play time is over.”“Aaron, come on,” Jacob says, giving me a soft look. “It’ll take us, like, five minutes.”
It takes everything in me to not huff and puff like an agitated bull. First, this bullshit with my mother, now Lola thinks my boyfriend is her new bestie, and don’t even get me started on this bullshit with Garrett, and I haven’t forgotten my father’s words from yesterday, either.
If you don’t somehow fuck it up.
“Fine,” I bite. “I’ll be in the living room.”
I leave, my hands in my pockets, as the music of “Ready For It” plays over and over, the sound of laughter filling the house. Aunt Shannon sits next to me with a plate of food as another pang of laughter rings out.
“I can see why you love him.”
“Huh?” I turn to look at her in question. “What do you mean?”
