“Yes!”I yell, slapping the side of my hand into my palm. My eyes flash angrily, beyond furious. “Lazy! You’relazy! If you had torunto fall into some pussy, I doubt at this point you’d even break a sweat to even accomplish that! You need to do better!” I finish, pointing my finger once more.
“Helllooooo,” my ex's high, sickeningly happy voice sounds out from the foyer, making me wince.
Unaware of the argument we are currently embroiled in, Hannah walks through the threshold into the kitchen, just letting herself in like she still lives here.
My eyes go to Tylers. "You unlocked the door?" He at least has the grace to look ashamed.
What the fuck.
I close my eyes, throw my head back in defeat, run my hand down the back of my head and grip my neck hard.
Her tall heels click onto the floor as she sashays over to Tyler. I take a half-second to assess her: her blonde hair is styled into a long bob, and her wrap dress hugs her slender frame tightly. My teeth clench with irritation when her gray eyes meet mine cooly. I can tell she’s had recent work done on her face, and thefact that I know she's stealing from Tyler’s account to pay for it makes me want to punch my fist through a wall.
Backing up, I resume leaning against the counter, tapping my fingers rhythmically on the smooth surface while ignoring her. I'm seething mad at Tyler, and I just know that she's going to be nonchalant with him about this like she always is. She only feels this way because I pay for it.
Maybe if she’d ever cared to spare a dime for Tyler, she’d have been more invested in him.
My phone pings two times in a row, and I pull it out, turning my eyes away from the two of them.
Ever one for appearances, Hannah's busy obsessively picking her ridiculously pointed nails through his hair, trying to fix the strands. She murmurs quietly, asking how his trip was and if he'd forgotten he'd planned to see her tonight. As always, when they're around each other I'm forgotten, so I tune them out, their low voices fading to the background.
Leaving them to it, I read the two texts from Sarah. My shoulders relax out of their tense state as a rush of warmth fills me, replacing the almost unbearable irritation I feel towards the two of them. She sent a picture of her and a blue-grey Russian cat that she's smushed her face up against, making a kissy face.
Sarah Bella [5:25p]: Meet Bunny! I pick her up next week when we get back!
This woman named the catBunny?
I tap out a quick reply, ignoring Hannah fussing over Tyler's appearance.
Alex [5:26p]: That’s the most adorable bunny I’ve ever seen in my life, almost as adorable as her new mom.
“Ew, why are you smiling like that?” Tyler’s voice pulls me back from my momentary lapse of concentration.
I clear my throat, finding the sternness dissipating even more. Looking up from my phone, keeping my eyes on Tyler's as I slide it in my back pocket, not caring to grace Hannah with any sort of acknowledgment. The woman irks my goddamn nerves. The fact she's even standing in my kitchen is torture enough; I don’t want to have to look at her, too.
“Tyler," I heave a slow breath, steeling myself, "you can finish out your studies for the year and figure out if foreign politics is something you really want to pursue, or you can drop out and then find a way to pay me back for the tuition I’ve wasted," I say decisively. "Up to you. This is your life; I can’t live it for you, and I can’t want these things more than you want them for yourself.”
My mind starts to ease with this realization, the tight grip of years-long stress and worry loosening.
I swallow hard as emotions I didn't want to feel rise to the surface. I’d been harboring so many hopes and dreams for my kid that are obviously not welcomed, or wanted.
Despite how tense I am, Tyler pushes back, his eyes wide. “But,Dad,you won’t even miss the money! You’reloaded—”
My chin dips, and my eyes harden as anger takes the dominate role in my emotions. I willnotlet him go there. Not tonight, not anymore. I'm not a bank. I don’t care how many zeros are in my account.
“Don’t tell me what I won’t miss," I snap. "Like I said, the choice is yours.And my house is not a hotel.If you drop out and have no ambitions, no goals, and no sense of direction,then you can’t live here.Sorry. I’m giving you tough love, son.” My eyes prick at the hurt look in his as I try my damnedest to let go.
It's hard, but doable.
“Alexander Richardson!” Hannah admonishes, turning to face me, her expression somehow managing to look shocked despiteall the botox, fillers, and a mini face lift. “You’d abandon your ownson?”
God knows I don't want to talk to this woman right now. Fuck.
My eyes slowly slide to hers, and unable to completely mask my inner feelings, my voice rises. “He’s abandoninghimself,Hannah! Why don’t either of you two see that? I’mdonefighting. Do what you want; it’s your life. ButI’mdone letting people freeload off me like they’re entitled tomymoney. I didn’t drop out of school even when shit got hard. You think I didn’t want to maybe a thousand times?Ididn’t whore my way through college instead of studying. You know this Hannah;you were there!"
Hannah blinks and recoils her head as a nasty look morphs her sharp features.
Scoffing, I give my head a slow shake."You think I didn’t want to fuck around with other kids my age and be irresponsible sometimes?" I continue. "Of course I did. But instead, I always kepttwo jobsto keep us afloat when we needed it. You forget about that?Huh?All thoseyearsI spent killing myself to make sure we had a roof over our heads so I could makethishappen?” I motion with irritation around the house I can’t stand, before pointing at Hannah who has the audacity to roll her eyes. “And I didn’t even want this!You wanted it!”
