The Way to Game the Walk of Shame (19 page)

“Well, someone’s gotta be.”

Evan’s eyes narrowed, but his smile never wavered. It was kind of creepy and amazing at the same time. “It’s great that Taylor has such a good friend like you around.”

My head whipped back and forth as they talked. “It really is. Why don’t we—”

“Yeah, you know what they say. Friends last a lifetime.” Brian cut in like I hadn’t even said anything. “And I’m going to be around for a while.”

“I’ll bet.”

They were both staring each other down over my head. In fact, I don’t even think they realized I was still between them anymore. It was like some sort of power struggle that I didn’t understand. And one that I had absolutely no desire to be a part of.

Thank god we were interrupted by loud barking. Oreo was a blur of black and white that shot toward us before skidding to a stop a few feet away. His pink tongue hung out of the side of his mouth, and his tail wagged back and forth like a windshield wiper.

Having already met my dog a few times whenever I brought him to the park, Brian squatted down and stretched out his hand toward Oreo. “Come here, boy.”

At the same time, Evan smacked his hand against the side of his jeans. “Come over here.”

Oreo’s head whipped back and forth between the two guys before he let out a whimper and just flopped on the grass. He curled up into a little ball, and his head turned to the side. And he refused to look at any of us anymore.

I kind of wanted to do the same.

Don’t get me wrong. I loved confrontation as much as the next lawyer—or would-be lawyer—but only when I got to be on one of the arguing sides. I used to be the captain of the debate team before everyone quit and the club was cut. (Despite what the majority of the student body thought, it was
not
my fault. If anything, it was everyone else’s fault for not coming to the daily meetings like I asked.)

But that didn’t mean I wanted to take sides between Evan and Brian.

Deciding to put Oreo and me out of our misery, I swooped down and scooped him up in my arms. He let out a sharp yelp at the sudden movement, but I just held him close to my chest and backed away from the two surprised guys. “Uh, I still have to study for that … test I have tomorrow. Don’t want to be unprepared or anything. I’ll—I’ll see you two tomorrow.”

Before either of them could respond, I raced back into the house without a second glance. Slamming the door behind me, I rose onto my tiptoes and peeked out of the long windowpane at the top of the door. Brian and Evan had both turned away from the house and were walking back to their cars. And within minutes, they were gone. Each drove off in the opposite direction.

Oreo let out a loud bark to get my attention. And I swear, I could see pointed accusation in his eyes.

“What? I’m not being a chicken. I just—well, you didn’t pick, either.” He cocked his head to the left and just kept staring at me. Great, now I was arguing with a dog. “Oh, shut up.”

My brows wrinkled together in frustration, and I slid down the door. Oreo wiggled closer until his head was tucked beneath my arm so he could snuggle against my body.

15

-Evan-

With a towel wrapped around my neck, I grabbed my keys and got ready for the beach. I hadn’t planned to go today. The rumbling clouds outside should have been enough for me to get back into bed. But I needed to do something. Anything to get my mind off Taylor and that stupid-ass idiot.

Okay, so Brian wasn’t
actually
an idiot. If anything, he was too damn smart. And he could be nice. Sometimes. But that didn’t make him any less of a stupid ass. I mean, what kind of guy goes after another person’s girlfriend? Or sort-of girlfriend. Or—

Screw it. I needed to surf. I needed to get out on the water and forget everything and everyone. Even if it was just for a few hours. After I texted Taylor that I couldn’t drive her today, I grabbed my board and headed downstairs to grab a bite.

Too bad Brandon was sitting in the kitchen eating breakfast when I came downstairs. Already, this day had gone from crappy to worse. “Skipping school again. That’s no surprise. I actually didn’t think you knew how to wake up before noon.”

I grabbed a couple of blueberry muffins that Mom had baked the day before from the plate on the counter. Without reacting to his jab, I turned around to face him and stuffed half of one into my mouth, knowing that he hated when I talked with my mouth full. One of the few hundred things he hated about me. “And I didn’t think that you knew how to be a douche bag 24/7, but somehow you managed that,” I finally commented without swallowing.

He glared at me over his plate. “I don’t understand how that Simmons girl could stand being around you. She should be smart enough to know that she deserves better than that.”

“Yeah, well, you would know all about smart women staying with jerks, wouldn’t you?”

Brandon slammed his hands on the table and glowered at me. “If there’s anyone who was a jerk to your mom, then it was your deadbeat dad. She should have left that bastard before he even ended up in jail. Thank god she finally realized it in the end. Just like your little girlfriend will soon realize that you’re going nowhere. She’s about to get out of this town and make something of herself. Do you really think she needs someone like you weighing her down?”

In a burst of fury, I grabbed his shirt collar and yanked him toward me. His fists punched at my arms and shoulders, but I didn’t care. I didn’t feel any of it. “Shut the hell up before I beat your ass so hard you—”

“Brandon! Evan! You let him go this instant!”

I loosened my grip, but I still didn’t let go. “Great timing, Mom.”

She dropped the groceries at her feet and pulled at my arms. “I said let him go!”

Scowling, I finally released him, and Brandon stumbled backward. His face was purplish red. He massaged his shoulders and neck with both hands and glowered at me. “That’s it! I don’t care if he’s your son, Eva. I won’t take this anymore. I meant what I said before. Once he graduates, I’m kicking him out of this house.”

I took a step toward him. “Why don’t I save us both the trouble and just leave right now?”

“You said it. Now, pack your bags and get the hell out of here before I call the police on you. You ungrateful piece of—”

“THAT’S ENOUGH!” Mom suddenly burst out. “Both of you!”

Brandon and I were so surprised that we both stopped yelling and stared at her. In the four years that Brandon and Mom had been together, she had never yelled at him before. Hell, I never even heard her talk to him in a loud voice, much less her “You better listen to me before I get even more pissed off” voice. Even I rarely got that voice. Only once, when I got in a fight with Brandon’s nephew at their wedding. (I won. Although it didn’t feel like much a win after Mom was through with me.)

She let out a shaky, deep breath and shook her head. “Brandon, don’t you have a surgery this morning? You don’t want to be late, do you?”

Brandon looked like he wanted to argue, but for once, he was smart and decided to keep his mouth shut. He just nodded and left the kitchen.

Mom closed her eyes and massaged her forehead with one hand before bending down to gather the dropped groceries. “Great, you made me break the carton of eggs I just bought. How am I supposed to make treats for you and Taylor now?”

“Sorry, Mom.” I stooped down to help her. “I’ll pick up another carton later.”

“Yeah, you better.”

Not wanting to piss her off even more, I grabbed a towel from the oven handle and handed it to Mom so she could wipe up the battered eggs. I continued to pick up the rest of the stuff without another word. I even crawled beneath the kitchen table to retrieve some bruised peaches.

Finally, when there was nothing left to do, I shifted my weight side to side and cleared my throat to get her attention. “I’m sorry for … you know, before. I shouldn’t have grabbed him like that.” Or at least next time, I’d make sure I didn’t have an audience. Especially if he ever mentioned Taylor and Dad again.

“I don’t blame you. I heard what he said.” She arranged the canned foods in the pantry beside the stove. “He shouldn’t have talked about your dad like that.”

I blinked at her. Wow, another first. Mom was actually admitting that her saintly husband did something wrong. In defense of Dad. Sort of.

This was the first time she had ever brought Dad up in a conversation. I wanted to continue being pissed at her, but I couldn’t. I think a small part of me always realized that she knew where he was. After all, she knew everything else.

“He talks like that all the time,” I said with a shrug. “Why are you finally seeing how much of a jerk he is now?”

“He’s very good to me, Evan. To both of us,” she said with a sigh, as if that should absolve him of all his flaws. Maybe to her, it did.

“He’s good to you. He’s tolerable toward me.”

“Well, can you blame him? You push him every time you’re around each other.”

I scowled but didn’t say anything. It was true. I guess I did deliberately piss him off every chance I got. But it wasn’t like I was the only one. He did, too.

“I know you think that he’s the reason why I kept your dad away from you, but it was my decision.” She ran her hands up and down her legs as though the friction would give her more courage. “I love Brandon, Evan.”

“Okay…” I didn’t see where she was going with this.

Mom let out a deep breath. “But I also love your dad. Even now. And Brandon knows it. But he loves me so much that he doesn’t care as long as I stay with him. I wish he felt the same way about you, but you just remind him of your dad and that I don’t love him in the same way that he loves me.”

I gripped the countertop in both hands and leaned against it. There was no denying that Brandon was good to Mom. Really good. That was the only redeeming quality he had. And the only reason I couldn’t completely hate him. But now—after Mom’s explanation—I kind of felt sorry for the guy. “But how could you stay with him if you’re in love with Dad? Why didn’t you just stay with Dad?”

She lifted her eyes to stare at the ceiling. “You have to understand. Love is wonderful, but it’s not everything. And it’s not enough. Life with your dad was hard. I never knew where he was, what he was doing, or when he’d come home. And I was
so
tired of taking care of everything. Especially after my double shifts at the hospital.” Mom finally lowered her head to look at me. “I couldn’t take it anymore.”

Shit. I knew life had been hard for Mom, but I didn’t think it was that bad. “Sorry, Mom. I didn’t know.”

“But things are better now. Which is why I usually turn a blind eye whenever you two argue,” she continued. “But Brandon was wrong to talk about Taylor like that. Is that why you’re so pissed?”

“Don’t worry, I rarely listen to him,” I said, evading her comment about Taylor. Not wanting to even admit the truth to myself.

I thought I was immune to any stupid crap that Brandon said, but I couldn’t help snapping when he talked about Taylor. Especially when his words brought back images of Taylor and Brian together in his car. I knew that Brian had a thing for Taylor. It was impossible not to notice him glaring at us whenever we were together. Or how he was always by Taylor’s side, helping her, studying with her, talking to her. The only person who didn’t see it was Taylor.

So yeah, I knew. But I didn’t
know
how it would feel when she was actually in his arms. When it looked like she was going to leave me and go to him. I wasn’t ready for the anger and the wave of frustration that hit me at the sight of them. It was like nothing I had felt before. And it sucked ass.

Mom interrupted my thoughts. A bright smile crossed her face, like she hadn’t just been pouring out her heart to me seconds ago. “Taylor’s with you, though, isn’t she? She chose you. If she cared about all that other stuff, then she would have gone out with Brian Long instead of you.”

For a split second, I thought I had been talking out loud, and that’s how she knew about Brian and Taylor. “How do you know about Brian?” I realized by the way that she was avoiding my eyes that she may know more than she was saying. “Mom?”

She fidgeted with the wooden spoons hanging beside the stove. “I just heard … some things…”

This wasn’t leading anywhere good. “Mom…”

“Okay, okay. I … may have asked the other parents and teachers at your school. Got to know some people who are friends with his family. And … done some Internet stalking on the boy. Did you know that he won Ohio’s Scholastic Award for three years straight before he moved here? And that he already has college credits for English, calculus, and chemistry because of his AP classes?” She waved her hand in the air like it was no big deal, but I could tell that she was impressed. Who wouldn’t be, with those kind of stats?

“No, I didn’t.” Man, Mom really knew how to kick me when I was already feeling like crap. She didn’t mean to, but all this just reminded me even more that even if I was starting to like Taylor—and I’m not saying that I was—I didn’t deserve her. She should be with someone like Brian, the Golden Boy. Not the town’s slacker.

I don’t know if the expression on my face changed or she suddenly realized what she’d said, but Mom leaned across the counter and patted my arm. “But other than that, he’s not very impressive. And none of that matters, right? Like I said, she chose you. You’re the one that she likes.”

“Yeah. Right.”

She was wrong. Taylor didn’t have a choice. Not then and not now. But maybe it was time that I gave her the chance to make things right again. To give her back her choice.

16

{Taylor}

Throughout the rest of the week, I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong with Evan. He skipped school more, and I could have sworn he was avoiding me. When we did see each other, he was still his laughing, joking self, but I just
knew
that something was wrong. And I was determined to help. Somehow.

But first I had to find him. And since Evan wasn’t in school again, I had to settle for the next best thing.