Page 123 of Diem

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Unfortunately, Dad is watching television when I step through the door and I freeze when he says, “Maeve.”

“Yeah,” I whisper through dry lips.

Dad stands and approaches with a weird smile. Where Ollie’s ice-cold look makes my heart hurt, Dad’s expression gives me the heebie-jeebies.

How did I not notice the creep factor before?

“Where were you? It’s late.”

“Out…with Ollie,” I lie, staring at his chin.

“Ollie?” He looks at the door with a frown and I stiffen.

“I’m not lying,” I huff, and he swings back toward me.

“Since when do you hang out with your brother?”

“What?” I don’t even know how to answer the question. He’s my brother.

“Mae, I’m concerned about your brother and his…friends. I think maybe you should steer clear of them for a while.”

“First Diem and now Ollie? Don’t you think it’s a little hypocritical to tell me who to hang out with Dad?” I sneer, turning when Oliver blows through the door.

I’m just as surprised to see him as Dad but I’ll take it because it lends credence to my lie.

“Mae, go upstairs,” Dad says, and I turn to my brother.

“Ollie—“

“Go,” Dad barks, and I stomp up to the landing before plopping down and leaning my head against the railing.

Unfortunately, their voices are too low to hear anything until Dad says, “You better watch yourself, son.”

“Or what?” Ollie sneers.

I move to stand on shaky legs but Mom brushes past me and skips down the steps shrieking, “Don’t speak to my son that way.”

“Back off, Nunnie.”

“No!”

What commences is a shouting match that I want no part of and wearily I trudge to my bedroom and lean against the door.

There’s so much more going on between Ollie and Dad, but no one will tell me jack which means, as usual, I’m in the damn dark.

With a sigh, I step away from the door just in time because Ollie comes barreling through and slams the door closed. “What did you say to him?”

“Nothing. Just that he’s a hypocrite.”

“Dammit, Mae,” he growls, running his hand through his hair.

The fear etched into his features pinches my chest and I back away, hitting the wall before sliding to my ass on the floor. “You do think he did it,” I whisper.

He raises tortured eyes to mine, and I flinch. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“The less you know the better. It’s not safe Mae,” he says when I open my mouth to protest.

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