Page 72 of Shutout
“And I’m really sorry I wasn’t, last year.”
I shake my head. “Let’s forget last year even existed.”
“Great idea.” Liv nods. “Shall we?” She waits until I shrug to ring the doorbell.
This time it takes a moment for the door to open. When it does, all I can see is the hallway packed in fall decor. Until I look down. Way down. And find my half-brother’s grinning face.
“Mom! Dad! Brooklyn’s here!” After the shockingly loud screams, Lee turns his attention to Olivia. Back to me. Back to Olivia. Down to our joined hands. He sucks in air and screams over his shoulder again, “And he brought a new old girlfriend!”
Liv drops my hand like it’s suddenly burning her.
Trying not to be annoyed by that, I ask Lee, “New old?”
He shrugs. “Well, you were always together so…”
From the corner of my eye, I try to inspect Liv’s expression for any clues as to how this makes her feel. Except she could really win a poker tournament if she set her mind to it.
I clear my throat. “So, can we come in or not?”
“Oh, right.” Lee steps aside. While Liv and I work on removing our winter layers, Lee disappears down the hallway into the opening that leads to the living room.
There’s a strong smell of cranberry sauce in the house. Lauren, Dad’s wife, loves the stuff. I wouldn’t be surprised if I get served a vat of it.
“You hungry?” I ask Liv as I take her coat and hang it by the door.
“Not really, so you don’t need to worry too much about me.”
“Mkay.” I’m sure at least the mashed potatoes will be fine. Unless Lauren smothered them with gravy already.
“You?” Liv asks as she balances herself against the door to toe off her boots, since Lauren likes to keep a shoeless household.
“I’ll eat your share.” I try to offer a smile that comes out more watery than I wish.
Liv pushes her hair away from her forehead. Her face is still flushed from the cold outside, and the combination of that and the sadness in her expression is doing something to me. I rub my chest before I know what I’m doing.
“It’s going to be okay, blondie.”
“I hope so.” I bite my lip for a moment. “Last year was hard.”
Liv plucks the hand I have against my chest to squeeze it between hers again. “Didn’t we say last year didn’t exist anymore?”
I straighten up and force a wide smile on my face. “Last year who? We don’t know her.” Liv opens her mouth but instead of her voice coming out, a different one rings in the quiet.
“Brooklyn.”
But both Liv and I freeze at the sound of my dad’s voice. I squeeze my eyes tight, wishing for a second that Liv and I could be transported literally anywhere else right now. Even a hot desert with no water in sight would be better.
Slowly, I take a deep breath and turn to face my father.
He looks older. I don’t know why, but that’s the first thing I notice. The lines around his mouth are deeper, and there’s a new permanent one between his eyebrows. Must be from frowning upon me so much. I didn’t get his dirty blond hair or his blue eyes the way Lee did. I also didn’t get Dad’s smaller build, and I’m now realizing just how much bigger I have become. I know I had a bit of a growth spur in the past year but it’s only now that I’m realizing how significant it was.
Dad’s eyes roam up and down my frame, before settling on my hand clasping Liv’s. She tries to free herself and I don’t let her. Instead, I lace my fingers between hers.
Dad folds his arms. “Son.”
“Dad.”
“Olivia,” he says, icy eyes shifting to her.
