Page 59 of Busted Dreams

It was official. Trinity was an ugly drunk.

“What the hell is that about?” Thatcher sat up, pulling me with him, then he deposited me next to him. I would have felt discarded but he kept his arm around me.

“Come on.” Trinity sounded exasperated. “You act like I don’t know you and your guy friends pass her around. It’s so obvious, and Jonah confirmed it. Slut,” she muttered under her breath as she tossed her keys on the counter.

Shocked at the insult, I had no idea what to do. I’d been called names before from people at school, hell, mostly from Mother Dearest. But this was the one person Thatcher loved most in the world and his entire family.

Thatcher must have been stunned too, because his mouth hung open as he stared at his sister.

Then I started to get feeling again. My hands started to sweat, and my pulse jumped like little Mexican jumping beans were trapped in my chest. Right before any big confrontation with Mother Dearest, there was a dire feeling in the air that any moment, the rubber band of her mood would snap and all hell would break loose.

I turned to Thatcher, witnessing the increasing redness invading his face as he gritted his teeth. His shoulders bunched up as if he was preparing for a fight. I had that feeling right then. Something bad was about to happen.

The desire to run to the door and let them hash this out between them was so strong, my feet kept sliding across the worn-out carpet. I didn’t stand up though. And I couldn’t leave Thatcher here, not after he’d just spread all his deepest thoughts out on the table for me to see. If he said something or did something he couldn’t take back, he’d blame himself for it.

I couldn’t let him do that.

“What the fuck did you just say?” Spittle flew from Thatcher’s mouth as he sprang from the couch. I fisted the back of the shirt, holding him in place when he tried to march forward.

Trinity laughed, falling against the refrigerator without any grace at all, crossing her arms. “Sorry, did you hear that? I said she’s a slut. You lose your shit because you found a few drugs in my room, all while you’re fucking a girl that your best friends are enjoying too?” She laughed bitterly. “What makes you so much better than me?”

“It doesn’t matter what I’m doing, or who I’m doing it with. And having a girlfriend isn’t illegal.” I was his girlfriend? I guess it was official now, and it was completely the wrong time to be suffused with happiness. “Stashing drugs is. And you’re underage!” Thatcher thundered. “You’re going to ruin your life and be just like Dad!”

Oh shit.

Her face crumpled as she slapped her hands back against the fridge. She seemed like she was seriously having trouble standing up right. I started to go help her, but when she noticed my movements, she shot daggers my way.

Okay, I get it. I’m not welcome.

“Fuck.” Thatcher dropped his head into his hands. One finger at a time, I let go of his shirt. “I didn’t mean that. You are just driving me so insane, I haven’t slept much this week, and I’m a mess worried about you.” He finally lifted his head, and his face looked as weary and tired as his voice had been. “Please, Trinity, please sit down and talk to me. You’re my sister and I love you. I don’t want to see you sabotage yourself.”

Slowly, Trinity covered up her hurt look, instead glaring at Thatcher and sticking her chin out defiantly. “I know exactly what you meant. Funny, I always thought it was me and you against the world. Glad to see how you really see me. Don’t worry. I won’t make you watch me spiral into the kind of life we always wanted to escape. By tomorrow, I’ll have all my stuff out of here, so you won’t have to worry about your fucking stupid sister anymore.”

“Stop, Trinity.” Thatcher pushed forward as if he were approaching a wild, feral creature. “You’re being ridiculous. And dramatic. Two things my smart and level-headed sister never was. Let’s sit down. We need to sit down and talk this out.”

Trinity sneered at me instead of answering Thatcher. “Is this fun for you? Are you enjoying the show?”

Hell no. But I wasn’t sure what to do. At first, I wanted to save Thatcher from his regret later, but he seemed to calm down. Now I was intruding on a family matter I shouldn’t be a part of. I’d never felt like a skeezy voyeur for my photography, but that was exactly how I felt right then.

“If you didn’t want her to see you embarrass yourself, you shouldn’t have started the show.” Thatcher’s voice was like a whip across the room. “This isn’t Astrid, this is you.”

“Go fuck yourself.” She flipped us both off and staggered down the hallway, slamming her door so hard, a picture in the hallway fell and shattered on the cheap carpet.

“I have no idea what just happened.” Thatcher gaped after her.

I was right there with him. There had been a lot of stress and dysfunction in my life, but I’d never had to deal with teenage girl attitudes. Part of me thought this was scarier than Mother Dearest. She had been coldly calculating, until the end when she realized her marriage had been a convenient hoax.

“Listen, Astrid, tonight was amazing and perfect, everything I wanted our first movie night to be.” Thatcher turned to catch the hands hanging on either side of my body like useless noodles. “But I’m going to try and talk to Trinity, and you don’t need to see this. And I’d rather my problems with Trinity not spoil the perfect evening we shared.”

Lines bracketed his mouth, and all of the tranquil post sexual energy was completely wiped from him. I wanted it back, and I wanted to erase the last ten minutes to give him a little peace. That was impossible, but I could do as he asked.

“I’ll see you tomorrow in class?” I twisted my hands until we were palm to palm.

“I wouldn’t miss it for anything.” Bending down, he placed a soft kiss on my forehead. “I’ll walk you down.”

One more kiss at the door of my car, then I was on my way back to the cottage.

My high from an amazing night was also gone, and now I was exhausted. Trudging into the house, I was quiet as I removed my shoes and left my bag by the door. All the lights were off as I tiptoed down to my room. If Rhys was sleeping, I didn’t want to be the one to wake him.

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