Page 56 of Merciless

“Wait a second,” I stopped and looked at his face. “You were asking about Hannah, weren’t you?”

Ty looked at me like my question was making him uncomfortable. Then he tried to get out of it the same way I did when something felt unpleasant to me. He lied. I saw it on his face.

“I tried to make small talk,” he shrugged it off. “Your story is way more interesting. So? He scared off other guys?”

“Yeah. Can you imagine?”

Tyler thought about it and nodded more to himself than to me. “Sure. Why not? He’s the most popular guy and the captain of the football team.”

“Excuse me?” I was outraged.

“And those guys listened to him, so they were obviously pussies. I don’t see why you’re mad at him.”

“Seriously?”

“Yes. Seriously.”

Dad caught up with us.

“What are you talking about?” he asked but didn’t wait for an answer. “I have to make a call. An hour tops. Maybe two. Ty, order food in. Clem, I’ll leave the suitcase in your room. Madison will show it to you. You two are sharing one. See you later, kiddos.”

“Ugh,” I preferred to sleep on the couch. No, on the floor. I would even sleep in a tent in the backyard or go back to California on foot, just not share a room with her. Tyler read my mind.

“Just suck it up like everyone else.”

That reminded me I’m not the only one that wasn’t enjoying this family gathering. I wasn’t sure if even dad enjoyed it. I had the feeling he did it because he felt obligated.

I nodded and took a deep breath.

“I will.”

???

Madison showed me our shared room. We exchanged not more than five sentences in total and she went to the bathroom to take a bath. Tyler and I ordered Italian for dinner and laid on the huge couch in dad’s living room for the next hour.

When the food came, my mouth watered. It smelled so good and I was starving.

“I say we eat some pizza while the ice queen tries to unfreeze her heart in the bathtub,” Ty flashed me a smile.

“I heard that”, Madison’s voice flew from the staircase. “Is dad still on the phone?”

“That,” Tyler nodded. “Or he hides from us in his office.”

I stuffed my mouth with pizza. I preferred to remain silent in Madison’s presence. Our relationship was pretty much nonexistent for the past few years. Ever since she graduated actually. She was my constant in our home. When she left, I felt betrayed and deserted by the person who provided me with stability and emotional support.

I couldn’t believe how much she resembled mom. Not only on the outside with her gorgeous blond hair, green sparkling eyes, and her fashion model cheek bones, but on the inside too. She was so reserved. Cold. So concerned with her appearance and performance. So judgmental.

I felt her scrutinizing gaze on my face. I was munching, and I stared at the pizza with such intensity, one could decide I was trying to move it to my mouth with the power of thought.

“How’s school?” she asked.

I nodded and lifted a thumb up. When I swallowed, I added.

“Good,” then took a large bite from my pizza slice.

“And college applications?”

I snickered and shot her a look, then answered with my mouth full.

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