Page 426 of Hell Hath No Fury
“Yes, I was. Don’t go putting words in my mouth, Colleen. You can pull that high and mighty crap with everyone else, but not with me. I know you.”
I scoff again, my nostrils flaring this time.
“You don’t know me. You don’t know the first thing about me.”
“Yes, I do. Or did you forget that we spent most of our childhood growing up together?”
My lips turn into a snarl before I turn my back to him once again, speeding toward the golf course.
“I’m not the one with a short memory span. I’m surprised you can even remember that far back, considering you’ve had such an eventful life after that,” I shout back at him, while I try to catch a glimpse of my sister.
“Is that your way of slut-shaming me?” he questions with the same disdain in his tone.
“If the shoe fits, then why not wear it?”
“You really are something else, aren’t you? Always sitting on that throne of yours, looking down at us. Must get goddamn lonely being so fucking perfect!”
“I never claimed that I was perfect,” I seethe.
“No. You just make sure to always remind us how imperfect everyone else is.”
I halt my step and throw daggers at him.
“That’s a lie. I don’t do that to everyone. However, I will say that some people make it easier than others to judge.”
To this, he lets out a loud laugh, his head falling back on its own accord.
“And who the fuck made you judge and jury?”
My hands ball into fists, bridging the small gap between us.
“Be grateful that I’m not.”
“Is that supposed to be some kind of threat, princess? You’d have to do better than that to frighten me.”
“ARGH! You are so full of yourself, aren’t you?”
“That kind of sounds like the pot calling the kettle black to me,” he snickers. “I wonder what your dad would think if he saw you now like this?”
“Don’t you EVER talk to me about my dad!” I shout in his face, completely losing all my decorum.
“I’ll talk about who I damn well please. Harvey was one of the good ones.”
“How would you know? You didn’t even have the decency to go to his funeral,” I yell, feeling my face heat up in anger.
“That’s because it was too damn hard! He was like a second father to me! The guy who taught me how to fish and ride a bike. I couldn’t watch them putting him into the ground. I just couldn’t.”
The sudden contrite look on his face pierces my heart, but I hold on to my anger and resentment with both hands, refusing to forgive him.
“Does that mean I should add coward to the long list of flaws you have? Doesn’t surprise me in the least.”
“Call me whatever the fuck you want. All I know is that he taught you better than this. Taught you to care and feel. Taught you how to have some goddamn fun, for Christ’s sake. Where is that girl now, huh? Where?! ’Cause I don’t see her!”
“Just shut up!” I shake my head, my palms covering my ears.
“No!” he rebukes with the same fervor.
“God! You really are the most impossible human being I have ever met.”
