Page 35 of This Life and All the Rest
Macon whispers something else, and my eyes fall on the tense set of his shoulders before I hear Claire’s voice.
“I belong here, too,” she snaps back, far less concerned with keeping her volume down. “I shouldn’t have to hide anything.”
She puts her hands on her hips, and a visual of her in her childhood bedroom, bullying me to do something I didn’t want to do, comes into my mind. It’s the same stance, just a younger Claire. Back then, though, I didn’t see the move for what it was. Selfish manipulation.
I was so naïve about so many things. I’m almost embarrassed by it now.
“You’re starting bullshit,” Macon says with a growl, and my eyes snap to him.
A muscle in his jaw ticks and his eyebrows are slanted harshly. I’ve seen him angry many times, but I’ve never seen this level of restraint from him. In high school, he’d have snapped. He’d throw something and storm out. He’d shout cruel insults. He’d probably be high.
Now? Now he’s a force.
The controlled power that radiates from him sends a chill down my spine. His conviction excites me, and I have to breathe through the attraction.
“Now isn’t the time for you to be playing immature games.”
“I’m not playing games!” Claire says loudly, and Andrea surprises me when she steps in and takes Macon’s side.
“Macon’s right, Claire. Now is not the time.”
I tilt my head to the side and watch as Claire’s jaw drops and her brow furrows.
I move to take another step forward, then freeze, deciding between interrupting or eavesdropping a bit longer. Do I remain a voyeur, or do I make my presence known?
I’m weighing the options when my eyes lock with someone else’s in the room. My head jerks back in confusion and then cocks to the side.
“Hey, Lennon,” Eric says awkwardly, halting the heated conversation taking place between Claire, Macon, and Andrea. “Good to see you.”
“Yeah...?”
I drag my eyes from him to the others. Everyone is staring at me with different expressions. Andrea looks worried. Macon looks irritated. And Claire looks...scared? I look back at Eric and cut to the chase.
“What the hell am I missing?”
“Oh,” Claire interrupts with a small, fake laugh, “sorry, Capri. We decided to come tonight instead of tomorrow.”
She crosses the distance and stands next to Eric, like she’s staking a claim, and in my confused state, I’m still not sure what she’s hinting at.
“I hope it’s okay that we take the guest room, since there are two of us?” Claire blinks, then slides one hand around Eric’s waist and gazes up at him with a cheesy love-struck smile. “The drive was rough, and we’re beat.”
“It’s fine,” Eric says apologetically. “I told Claire we don’t have to stay here—”
“Stop it, babe,” Claire cuts him off with another fake laugh. “Capri doesn’t mind sleeping on the couch, do you, Capri?”
Claire smiles back at me as she drags her hand up Eric’s chest and splays it over his t-shirt covered pec. I stare at it, my eyes finally registering the diamond on her left ring finger, and then I laugh.
I flick my eyes from Claire’s engagement ring to her face, which is twisted up in confusion from my reaction.
She wasn’t expecting me to be amused? What did she want? Anger? Tears? That pisses me off more than anything else.
Why the fuck does she want to hurt me more than she already has?
Take the hint.
You’re being pathetic and it’s embarrassing.
I shake my head against the onslaught of thoughts, fighting against the spiral of memories that usually follows.
