Page 42 of The One I Hate
“Oh nothing,” I say. “Apparently Nuggy wanted to make sure I didn’t have any crumbs on my face.”
“Sounds about right,” he says. “Dinner’s cooking. My specialty, spaghetti and meatballs. Will be ready in a half hour.”
“Thanks,” I say with a smile as Connor sits in the recliner as Lila turns on some YouTube Kids thing. I feel old saying this, but what happened to the days of Disney Channel?
“Everything okay?”
It takes me a few seconds to realize that Connor is talking to me. “Yeah. Why?”
He pushes off the recliner and signals me to come toward the kitchen, away from the always-present ears of Lila. I follow him, passing Nuggy over to his proper owner, who has found a juice box and is currently curled up on her oversized bean bag chair.
Such a rough life she lives.
“Okay, now for real, is everything okay?”
My instinct is to lie and say “yes, of course,” but then I remember who I’m talking to. My brother might be five years younger than me, but sometimes we share a brain like I’ve heard twins do. We can read each other with just one look. That’s what happens when you’ve been through everything that we have.
Raised by a single mom who had to work multiple jobs to make sure we never went without.
A dad who couldn’t be bothered with, well, anything.
Having to grow up too soon after the only parent you knew was taken too early.
Being there for each other when worlds were flipped upside down.
“I went and saw a restaurant today. And it’s perfect.”
Connor’s eyes light up. “That’s amazing!”
I shake my head. “No, it’s not.”
“Okay…I’m confused,” he says. “Let’s start over. Did you go see a restaurant?”
“Yes.”
“And you liked it?”
“Yes.”
“And you can afford it?”
I laugh, because somehow that part still doesn’t seem real. “Yes.”
“Then help me out, because I’m failing to see the problem.”
I tilt my head and give him a look that I’m hoping he picks up on, because I don’t want to be the one to say it.
“Are you kidding me? You’re going to turn this down because of me and Lila?”
“Of course I am. It’s an hour away from here in Rolling Hills and…well…there are other reasons. But having to move away from you and Lila is the main reason I can’t take it.”
“The fuck you can’t.”
“Daddy! Bad word!”
“Sorry, Beanie!” he yells to Lila before turning back to me, his voice a little lower. “Listen here. You will not—I repeat, will not—put your life on hold again for me and Lila. I won’t let you. You’ve done too much for us already.”
I knew he was going to say that. Which makes me want to stay here even more.
