Page 37 of Sugar
“Who the fuck’s this kid’s dad?” Rhett asks with an icy tone.
“I’m not sure,” I answer. I tried to place who his parents might be the whole ride back.
“Greene?” Ava chimes in behind me. I almost forgot she was still here. “Might be Silas Greene.”
“Oh shit,” Rhett says. “The owner of the hardware store!” He points a finger at her, the rest of his hand still wrapped around his beer bottle. “You’re good, Ava Jones.”
She grins. “He’s friends with my dad.”
“And he doesn’t like us,” I add. “Not sinceourdad robbed his store.”
“Makes sense that he’d be encouraging his kid to be a dick.”
“Hey,” I warn. “The kid’s innocent. He’s just mirroring his father.”
“You’re right,” Rhett agrees. “Hisdadis a dick, and he’s going to regret the day he decided to fuck with my nephew.”
Liam laughs. I roll my eyes. “Rhett,” I scold. “I’ll talk to him.Youneed to stay out of trouble, for fuck’s sake.” I won’t say more in front of Liam or Ava, but he knows exactly what I’m talking about.
“Maybe I can help,” Ava suggests.
All three of us Bennetts turn to look at her. “How?” Rhett asks.
Ava smirks. “Just give me a few days. I’ll come up with something.”
It’s honestly a little scary to see that look on her face again, the one she used to get while planning revenge against someone who’d wronged her. She always had a flair for the dramatics, and she was so good at creating elaborate schemes to ensure her target felt the weight of her vengeance. I remember swearing to myself I’d never give her a reason to aim that weapon my way.
I was always on her side of things, even when I didn’t necessarily agree with what she was doing. Back then, Ava valued loyalty more than pretty much anything else. I think she had a lot of broken pieces of her heart that needed mending, and now as I look at her, I can’t help but wonder if she still does.
It’s a reminder, really. To protect myself in all of this.
“Look, Liam,” I say in an attempt to get this conversation back on track. “You didn’t do anything wrong. Sticking up for yourself might sometimes look dangerous to other people, and your principal is responsible for lots of kids in that school—she’s doing the best she can to keep order. I get it. But I want you to hear me say that, in this family, we will always support your right to defend yourself.”
Liam grins. “Thanks, Uncle Kasey.”
“That said,” I continue, and his smile drops. “If I ever hear that you’re the one out there starting problems, you will absolutely be facing the consequences. We arenotbullies, and we donotfind joy or humor or fun in the pain of other people. Do you understand me?”
“Yes, sir,” he confirms. “I hear you, I promise.”
I grip his shoulder and pull him in for a hug. “I’m sorry that you had to deal with Max and his friends. You’re going through a lot right now, and their words are nothing but a cruel attempt to make themselves feel bigger. I know it’s hard, but you have to brush it off as best as you can, okay? You’re a strong kid, Liam,and you’re smart as hell. Don’t let kids like that get the best of you, okay?”
Liam nods again. And then he asks, “Why do people hate our family?”
Ava snorts, crossing her arms over her chest. The question is a gut punch. Even Rhett blows out a long breath.
“What do you mean?” I ask.
“You know exactly what he means,” Rhett chides.
I shoot him a glare. “I want to hear it from Liam.”
Liam’s eyes bounce between us, no doubt trying to decipher all the things we’re not saying. “It’s just that, it feels like people don’t like us, or think something’s wrong with us. When grownups hear my last name they look at me funny.”
I sigh. “Well, I guess our family has sometimes found it difficult to get along with other families from town. Grandpa Bennett didn’t always behave well—he acted like a bully, himself. And a lot of the grownups remember the way he treated them. Your dad and us brothers have tried to undo some of that bad reputation, but it hasn’t exactly been easy.” I look at Rhett again. “We’re still working on it,” I admit. “But we all want you and your brothers to have an easier time. And you can, I promise. But it starts now. The choices you make today will mold you into the man you’re going to be in the future. Does that make sense?”
“Yes, sir,” Liam confirms.
“And remember,” Rhett adds, “when you make poor choices that hurt other people, it affects the rest of this family.Especiallyyour brothers.” There’s a hard line set in his jaw, and I feel the weight of his own regret in the air around us.
