Page 4 of A Love Like Pumpkin Spice
I would have been fine with ghosting him, shutting him out without wasting another word on that turd on two legs. However, Lauren rightfully pointed out that he’d want his stuff back and knows where I live. Ergo, back to his parents’ house we go.
“I don’t think I can do this without puking,” I mumble when their driveway comes into sight. My heart beats into my throat as I fist my clammy hands in the hem of my shirt.
“Even better, in my opinion. Throw up on his shoes.” Her jaw ticks as she puts the car in park. “He’d deserve it.”
“His parents don’t, though,” I point out and she sighs. “They’ve always been lovely to me.” Gulping, I try to swallow the emotions threatening to surface.
Jay’s parents showed me what it could be like to have parents who love you. His mom jokingly called me “the daughter she never got to have” and cooked my favorite meals when she invited us for dinner. I could barely mention finding new snacks I enjoyed without his dad having boxes of it ready for me on our next visit, his face lighting up as he showed me.
“I hate it when you’re right,” Lauren grumbles, then points to the back. “Then open one of the trash bags. Throw up on his things.”
“Great idea.”
We wrestle all the trash bags out of her car, mostly filled with his clothes and random stuff he left around my house, such as his chargers or Tupperware. Though I couldn’t help myself and dumped a pack of glitter into one of the trash bags. Whoops, didn’t know that was hidden between his clothes and all that.
Among the two of us, we manage to carry the seven bags to the front door in one trip before ringing the doorbell.
Nora opens the front door, her eyes widening in surprise, then eyebrows creasing in confusion when she sees everything we’ve brought.
“Nora, I’m sorry in advance,” I whisper to her, and she tilts her head in response, utterly confused, as we carry the trash bags inside.
“There you are, baby!” Jay pops his head around the corner, and I fight against the invisible force that wants me to freeze in my spot and cry while hitting his chest and dramatically sobbing, “How dare you?” Taking a deep breath, I try to brace myself. I have to do this.
Slowly, I glance up at him, putting all the hate that’s searing through my veins right into my eyes.
Suddenly, I notice every single detail. His brown hair is more ruffled than this morning. His lips are red from kissing. There's lipstick on his cheek, almost hidden by his stubble. His usually perfectly ironed designer shirt is crumpled. There’s even a hint of a goddamn hickey on his neck and it’s not even subtle. Either I’ve been literally blinded by love, or they think they’re winning already and have become careless.
Whichever it is, soon it’s not going to be my problem anymore.
“Here I am.” I want to scream, but I can’t bring my voice above a whisper. I force a smile on my lips as I walk into the living room, throwing the trash bags into a corner. The clutter makes all heads in the room turn to me. My parents, his uncles, cousins, and so many people I’ve never even met before, all of them stare at me as if I just grew a second head. The room is suddenly so silent I could hear a pin drop.
“What’s going on?” Jay asks cautiously and steps closer, reaching out to grab my arm, but I quickly take a step back. The smile on his face tenses as he speaks through gritted teeth. “You’re acting strangely.”
“You know,” I raise my voice, making sure everyone in the room hears me. It might only be less than thirty people, but I might as well be in the spotlight in front of a sold-out arena.
It doesn’t matter. Nothing matters.
“It’s funny you should say that.” I cross my arms in front of my chest. “I mean, considering I learned you’ve been fucking my sister less than an hour ago, I think I’m pretty calm.”
A sharp gasp from my left leaves me feeling strangely vindicated.
“I don’t know what you’re talking abo—”
“Save it, Jay,” I interrupt him and roll my eyes. Oh, the anger is back, baby. “At least have the balls to admit it. I heard you. Well, I left once you undressed each other.” Color drains from his face, and he opens and closes his mouth in a pretty accurate fish-imitation. “And at home, I found the deleted messages on your tablet.” I step closer to him and add in a whisper, “All of them. And I have a backup of every. Single. One. So, I suggest we do this amicably. I might not be the brightest, but trust me, I’m not as dumb as you might think.”
Jay gulps, a muscle in his jaw twitching, anger burning in his eyes. He doesn’t appreciate being backed into a corner, and that’s exactly what I’m doing. Because I’m now well awarethat if I wasn’t doing this publicly, he’d probably find a way to gaslight me into thinking I imagined everything.
“Anyway,” I add loudly. “Here’s your stuff. Don’t bother trying to come back to my place—your key won’t work anymore. For the record: It’s over.” Then I turn around to the side of the room where my so-called family is standing, leveling Marissa with a cold stare.
She stands straight as an arrow, her blonde hair combed back strictly, her makeup flawless, as if she had dressed up for a glamour photo shoot rather than a family gathering. No smile. No emotion. Just slightly smudged lipstick and the same dismissive, slightly pitying look she always gives me.
“You’re dead to me.”
“Pfft,” she laughs and looks around the room. “Cute how little Nic is trying to stand up for herself.”
I eye her up and down. What a miserable witch. She thinks because she is beautiful and has perfected her fake laugh, the world is lying at her feet, just like our parents. It’s laughable to think that I ever wanted to be friends with her.
Now I know better. Suddenly, it’s easy to ignore her jab and turn my gaze to my parents instead. “You seem awfully unsurprised.” I cross my arms in front of my chest, a wave of disappointment washing over me. “You knew?”
