Page 16 of Hide and Sneak
CHAPTER 6
SUTTON
Lila hasn’t exactly beena ball of fun since we moved in, but something has really been up her ass the last couple of days. She spends most of her time with headphones on and if I ask her something, I get one word answers. She doesn’t even bother to argue with me or react. I probably shouldn’t care, but it makes living here kind of uncomfortable.
I wonder if it has anything to do with that night? I never told her that I heard her, and she sure doesn’t know I got off listening to her come. Unless she’s a mind reader, she’s also unaware of the dirty dreams that have followed or how many times I’ve replayed those sounds in my head. She’s off limits. Not that she’d be willing anyway. Still, I want to try to smooth things over so we can at least go back to the limited, smart assed rapport we had.
She sits with her legs tucked beneath her on the end of the couch, and I take a seat across from her in the recliner. “Isn’t this getting old?”
It takes her a second to look up. “What?”
“Pretending you don’t like me.”
She goes back to looking at her phone screen. “Is it that unbelievable that I might genuinely dislike you?”
“Hmm, it doesn’t seem probable. Statistically, I mean.”
“I suggest you crunch those numbers again.” She spares me an exasperated glance. “It’s Saturday. Don’t you have something to do?”
This isn’t going well if she’s already trying to get rid of me. “Actually, yes, but I’m waiting on Amos to wake up.”
Without looking away from her phone, she reaches down, picks up one of Amos’s boots and chucks it at his door where it hits with a loud thump. “Amos!”
“What?” His instant response means he was probably awake but I’ll bet he jumped a mile.
“Wake your ass up!” She flashes a fake smile at me. “There you go.”
“Alright, mean ass, let’s clear the air then. Why?”
“Why don’t I like you?”
I’ll admit, I’m curious. I’ve never done anything to her. When I continue to stare at her for an answer, she sets her phone aside.
“Fine. You’re a bad influence on Amos. Before he met you, he was never in trouble.”
“In high school?” I ask, incredulously.
“Yes. Once you became friends, he started ditching school, vandalizing, and shoplifting right along with you until he ended up in juvenile detention for stealing a car. I hoped when he got out he would’ve learned his lesson but years later, you’re still partners in crime while he can’t even keep a roof over his head.”
I’m the one who has kept a roof over his head for years, not that she would know that. “I don’t have to stay here, you know. I can go. I have other options. I wouldn’t be out on the street, despite what Amos might have told you.”
She sighs and rubs her forehead. “Look, you asked me why, and I answered you. I’m not trying to kick you out or argue over it. I’ve had a bad week and I’m really trying not to take it out on anyone else.”
“Well, I don’t think it’s working.”
My words hang in the air for a moment until she cracks a smile despite herself.
Amos comes out of his room, interrupting us. “What the hell? Why did I need to be up? I work nights, you know.”
“And it’s almost one. You’ll survive,” Lila replies.
“The dumpster has been delivered. Are you helping me today? Because we need to get going.”
“Oh yeah, I forgot. Let me grab something to eat and we’ll go.” He grins at Lila. “Hey Liles, how about making me some eggs and sausage?”
“How about some leftover kibble from Dusty’s bowl?” she counters, and he laughs.
A bad influence, she called me. As if anyone could be a bad influence on Amos. It’s true we got into a lot of trouble together when we were young, but I’m not the one who continued the behavior. It doesn’t matter. I’m not going to defend myself because she’s right that I screwed up his life, just not that I’ve continued doing it.
