Page 32 of Pucked and Pregnant

“I would have been able to rent Mom and Dad’s house if you hadn’t convinced them to rent it to some strangers instead,” she snaps.

I feel my face flush. “I did that for them. They refused to take money from me for their trip, even though they would have been able to do more if they did. Convincing them to rent outtheir house was the only way I could get around them being so stubborn. Now they’ll be able to visit everywhere they’ve talked about seeing since we were kids. You saw how happy they were. After they did the math, they were able to add two more countries to their itinerary. Why would you want to take that away from them?”

“I’m more than capable of paying the rent they’re getting right now,” Liv argues.

“You know damn well they would never have taken money from their precious baby girl. They’ve always given you everything you wanted, and you never had to do anything for it.”

“Me? They worshipped the ground you walked on. I didn’t exist during hockey season while we were growing up.”

“Horseshit!” I shout. “It was always, ‘look after Liv,’ ‘make sure you’re protecting Liv,’ ‘you’re the oldest, you have to look out for her.’ That’s all I ever heard.”

“You’re the oldest by six fucking minutes. You didn’t need to protect me then, and you don’t need to be protecting me now.”

Her face has become as red as mine.

“Obviously, I do because you’re making stupid-ass life decisions. I mean, who the fuck willingly triples their expenses besides an idiot?”

As soon as it’s out of my mouth, I regret it, but there’s no taking it back.

“Alright, jackass, you want to know the real reason why I need to move out?”

“Yes, tell me what you think is so much more important than making smart financial decisions. I’d love to know what it is.”

“I need to get laid by something other than my fucking vibrator, and I can’t do that when we’re living under the same roof.”

My nose wrinkles in disgust. “I really didn’t need to know that.”

Liv plants her hands on her hips. “Oh, no. No way you’re getting out of this now. You started this whole I have to protect you thing. It’s ride or die now, buddy, and from where I’m standing, you’re buckled in tight. My whole life, any time I’ve attempted to bring someone home, you always had to stick your nose in my business. As soon as you heard a man’s voice, you came barging in. The exact same thing is sure to happen now. If I were to bring someone home, the guy will start fawning all over you because this city thinks you’re the second fucking coming, that, or you’ll intimidate him into leaving.”

“Oh, I’m sosorry,” I sneer. “How horrible of me to want to make sure you’re not bringing home some psycho killer.”

“Fine, then I get to grill every single bimbo you bring home about their intentions with my brother.”

“That’s completely different.”

“Why? Because you’re a man?”

“No, because it’smyhouse, and I get to decide what goes on there.”

“And there it is.”

“There what is?”

“That self-righteous hypocrisy you wear like armor. You bring a string of puck bunnies home almost every night, and I mind my own business. If I’m in the kitchen and I hear you come in, I take my snack to my room as fast as possible. You never even know I’m there. But the second I step out of the innocent little virgin box you and Dad keep trying to shove me in and bring my own bit of fun home, it’s suddenly irresponsible.”

“That is not even remotely true,” I protest.

“So it’s pure coincidence that as soon as I call you out on your one-night stands, it’s suddenlyyourhouse and your rules like I’m some kind of delinquent?”

“I…”

“What? Nothing to say now? When are you going to get it through your thick fucking skull that I’m not a child? I don’t need anyone looking after me. Not you. Not Dad. Not anyone. I’m more than capable of taking care of myself.”

The last shred of my self-control snaps. “Fine. If you’re so desperate to do it all on your own, if you think you’re so capable, then I want you out of my place by the end of the week.”

“I’ll do you one better. I’ll be out tonight.”

“Fine.”

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