Page 54 of Can't Take My Eyes Off You

A painful stabbing feeling just shot through my chest – probably just another arrow to my heart. I didn’t expect hearing her name to hurt. I should have prepared more because I knew it would take less than a day of me being back for someone to mention her.

‘No,’ I tell her with a sad sigh. ‘We’ve barely talked since that fight we had at the Halloween party ages ago.’

Sylvia frowns. ‘Maybe it’s not too late?’ she says, her voice hopeful.

‘Looky who it is.’ Mike interrupts us, his smarmy voice pissing me off immediately. ‘The asshole who ruined my life. I can see why your old bimbo hates you now.’

‘Language, Mikey!’ Sylv scolds him like he’s twelve.

‘Ruinedyourlife but saved my own?’ I pause a moment, rocking my head back and forth like it takes actual thought to answer this question. ‘Worth it,’ I say, grabbing a water bottle from the fridge.

Mike’s still living a douchey rich boy life, only now he does it without a theme song at our parents’ place because the show is on hiatus until they can attempt to sweet-talk me into coming back. Never happening.

‘You’re such a selfish fuck, always have been,’ Mike says.

‘Oh yeah,’ I groan. ‘How super selfish of me to choose to live instead of drink myself to death. What will my fake friends think of me now?’ I ask sarcastically.

‘You’ve changed,’ Mike says with disappointment.

‘I grew up, Mike. You should try it.’

He flips me off, shoving me into the fridge as he walks past.

‘Just as I thought, you’re still an immature bully.’

‘Cry me a river, baby brother.’ Another finger thrown over his shoulder.

‘Where are Mommy and Daddy dearest?’ I ask, glancing around the place. ‘I’m here for one reason only so let’s get this bitch-fest over with.’

‘War room,’ Mike says, nodding towards the closed door to the den as he approaches it.

I should have known. God forbid they treat me like their kid and not some business deal.

Mike leads the way, sliding open the pocket door and walking in, me right behind him. We step down the single stair into the room decorated like a lake house. A big fish hangs on one wall (a fish none of us caught). An antique canoe hangs upside down from the vaulted ceiling. Leather furniture. Heavy rare-wood coffee table imported from some tropical country, and a wall of books. Books nobody wants to sit and read as they’re all antique, or encyclopedic in nature.

‘William.’ Dad acknowledges he still knows my name. ‘Welcome home, I suppose.’

‘Heartwarming,’ I say with an irritated smirk. Obviously, I should have expected less from these people than the very low bar they’ve already set.

‘How are things, William?’ Mom asks.

‘I’d say it’s good to be back, but I’m sure we all know that’d be a lie.’ I drop onto their leather couch, propping my feet onto the coffee table. ‘I’m sober, by the way, three months, thanks for asking.’

Neither of my parents acknowledges what I’ve done for myself. They just stare at me blankly like they aren’t sure what I want from them. How did I end up a part of this family? I think we all wonder that.

‘Sorry, was that too deep? Forgot where I was for a moment. Continue; how may I disappoint you today?’

Mike laughs, but it’s not joyful. ‘It’s like he’sproudof ruining the Adler name.’

‘It’s notlikeI’m proud,’ I correct him. ‘Iam. I hate this fucking name. It’s a curse.’

‘The Adlers arenotcursed,’ my mother says defensively, her eyes narrowed as she glares my way. ‘We are by far some of the most blessed folks in the country. You’ve never wanted for anything.Ever.’

‘Well… I think nevereveris a bit strong. Since I was fifteen, I’ve wanted one thing, but I lost her because I listened to you throbbing knobs for so long.’

Mike grunts like I’ve offended him but he’s the biggest knob of them all and he knows it.

‘Boo-hoo, asshole.’ I pretend to cry, fists to my eyes, just to irritate him. And here Ijustsaid I’d grown up. It comes and goes, I guess.

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