Page 221

“Which is why I picked up all those extra tutoring sessions at school so I didn’t have to come to many of your games. I’m so sorry, RJ. But I hadn’t told your father what happened and I was so embarrassed.” My mom fanned her face like she was going to faint.

RJ opened his mouth and closed it again.

“Why the hell wouldn’t you tell me about some little shit getting naked on your desk?” my dad asked.

“Because I thought I’d taken care of it. I got him expelled. I never thought I’d have to see him again and...” She shuddered. “I’m sorry, I should have told you, but I was worried about what you’d do.”

“You should be worried about what I’m going to do to him,” my dad said, glaring at Adonis.

“Yo, Rob,” Adonis said and lifted his hands in the air.

“Don’t call me that!” my dad snapped.

“Mr. H. I’m sorry. It was just a simple misunderstanding. I thought she was asking for it...”

“Stop saying my wife was asking for it! I’m going to kill you, you little shit.” He stepped forward but Uncle James put his hand out to stop him.

“We can’t have any witnesses,” Uncle James said firmly.

“Both of you, stop it,” Uncle Matt said.

The three of them started bickering and I turned back to Adonis.

“How could you do this to me?” I asked. “How could you not tell me that you liked my mom?” I hated everything I’d just said.

“Because it’s ancient history. And it’s kinda funny.” Adonis shook his head. “I honestly thought you’d laugh.”

“I’m not laughing, Adonis!”

“Aphrodite...”

“Stop calling me that! Stop messing with my head!”

“I’m not. You’re my Aphrodite.”

“All those times you asked to come to my house when you first transferred to Empire High. Was that because you wanted to see my mother?”

Adonis shrugged. “Yeah. But that was before I fell for you.”

“I thought you were falling for me that whole time!” I’d been falling for him. I’d tried not to. I’d put up so many walls but he’d knocked them all down trying to get to my mom.

“Yeah, I mean, I think I was falling for you that whole time too. But my head was all messed up.”

I glared at him. “Your head was messed up?! You knew what I’d just been through! You took advantage of me to get to my mom!”

“Look, I’m sorry about that.”

“Is that why you approached me in the club? Because you knew I was her daughter?”

“I thought you looked like Miss H,” he said. “But I didn’t know you were her daughter until Uncle James walked up. And then the pieces all kind of fell into place.”

My heart felt like it was ripping in half. “So that thing you said that night? About liking someone that will never be yours? You were talking about my mom?”

“Yes.”

“And then you stalked me to try and get to her?” Yeah, I was going to be sick.

“No,” he said. “No,” he said again even more firmly. “Your friends are the ones that found me on that dating app. I wasn’t trying to pursue you.”