Page 93 of Don't Love the Boy Next Door
She pats my cheek. “Don’t worry about me, Eric. You should be thrilled he’s finally here.”
“I am,” I tell her. “I’m just worried about you.”
She gives me another smile as she kisses my cheek. “You’re too young to be worrying about your mom.”
“It doesn’t matter how old you or I am, Mom. I’ll always worry about you.”
“What have I done to deserve such a sweet kid?”
I avert my gaze to the bed. “I’m not really sweet,” I mutter.
“Of course you are. Can you hand me the second pillowcase?”
Once Dad is settled in and Mom returns to bed, I make my way up to my room. Ethan’s leaning against the hallway wall with his arms crossed.
“So he’s sleeping here?” he asks.
“Yeah. I told Mom he could stay at a hotel, but she said she’s fine with it.”
“And you believed her? Of course she’s not fine. You should have sent him back. I don’t want him here.”
“Ethan, he traveled all the way from Texas.”
“I don’t care if he came from the moon. He has no right just dropping in on us with no warning. Although I shouldn’t be surprised,” he mumbles. “He always does whatever he wants without taking other people’s feelings into consideration.”
I release a breath as I rub my neck. “I don’t have patience for this. I’m stressed enough as it is.”
“And you think I’m not? Now we have to deal withhim.”
“Ethan,” I snap. “Just stop, okay?”
“Idon’twant him here.”
“Ido.”
His chest rises and falls wildly as he gapes at me. Then he spins around and marches into his room, slamming the door behind him.
I enter my room and rub my temples. I have mixed feelings about my dad. I’m happy he’s here, but upset, too. I’m worried what his presence will do to my mom and my brother. And now I’m under even more pressure to nail our concert. Because my dad will be watching us.
Chapter Thirty-Two
Phoenix
“Are you sure you don’t want to go to the concert?” I ask Katie through my phone for the hundredth time. I stick the key in the lock and push open the door to my house. The familiar smell engulfs me. I haven’t been home in forever. I didn’t realize how much I’ve missed it.
“That’s a hard yes,” Katie says.
I get it. It must suck that she had to quit the band—something she loved—because of what happened between her and Eric. Not that I get it, since Eric refuses to talk about it. I could shake him until tomorrow and not get a peep. Even Ethan doesn’t know.
“Okay. Maybe I’ll buy you a T-shirt or something.”
“Please don’t,” she says. “Have fun tonight. I know the band will do well with Ethan’s good luck charm supporting them.”
“Me, his good luck charm? Puhleeze.”
“And say hi to your family for me.”
“Yep. Talk to you later.”
