Page 125 of Spearcrest Knight

Then a different voice pipes up. “Why the blasphemy?”

Mom comes into the kitchen, saunters over to Dad, and they kiss as if she’s been gone for days, not just been upstairs for a few online meetings in her office.

Dad wastes no time filling her in. “You know the girl Evan has a crush on?”

Mom’s face lights up. “Oh, the Harvard girl! Yes, I’m very excited to meet her!”

“Well, our son here apparently got her in trouble with school and has been essentially bullying her for several years.”

I stare in horror at Dad, then look quickly back at Mom, whose face has dropped as quickly as it lit up earlier. She covers her mouth with her hands, drawing closer.

“What do you mean? Oh, Evan, what did you do?”

“I didn’t bully her, I—” I’m interrupted by Dad’s silent frown. “Okay, yes, I was horrible, but I was so scared somebody else would notice her, I thought, I didn’t even know what I thought, I guess I thought if I couldn’t have her I would rather nobody have her at all.”

“Have?” Mom exclaims, aghast. “Have, Evan Alexander Knight! As if this girl is—what? An object? A toy? A thing?”

I shake my head, raising my hand. In between the disappointed shaking of Dad’s head and Mom’s expression of horrified anger, I don’t even know which is worse, and I don’t dare look either in the eyes. “No, I don’t mean it like that.”

“How else can youhavesomeone, Evan?” Mom asks, crossing her arms.

When I arrived home, she was so happy to see me. She gave me a big hug, and we laughed because we were both in the same outfit: black jeans and sky-blue tops—me in the hoodie Sophie gave me, Mom in a big fluffy sweater of the exact same colour. I could tell she’d missed me, and I wouldn’t even have been embarrassed to admit that I missed her too.

But now, her affectionate gaze and dimpled smile have both vanished.

“I messed up,” I admit miserably. “I really fucked up. I know that. I don’t know what to do.”

“You could start by apologising. Admitting you’ve messed up is a good first step, but you have to acknowledge it, too. And apologise when you’re in the wrong.”

“And do better,” Mom says. “Apologies are good, but she’ll know you’re sorry if you actually show her, through your actions.”

I nod. “I know, I’m going to try—I’m trying. Mom and Dad, I—”

Adele interrupts us, whirling into the kitchen with a casual flick of her long hair. Unlike me, she’s inherited Dad’s dark hair and fair complexion, but we both share his eyes. “Who’s the sexy girl outside?”

I turn so fast I almost give myself whiplash. “What sexy girl?”

Adele shrugs and pours herself a cup of fresh coffee. “Smoky voice, bedroom eyes, dark hair.”

“That girl,” Mom says pointedly, “is Evan’s friend we’re all going to be exceptionally nice to.”

“That girl’s your friend?” Adele says with an obnoxious expression of surprise. “She seems well too good for—Dad!”

Dad’s just swiped the cup of coffee from under her and she gives him a scandalised look. He shrugs in a perfect imitation of her own shrug earlier. “I made the fresh pot, I get first dibs. Now let’s go and welcome that girl we’ve heard so much about. Best behaviour, everyone, especiallyyou.”

He gives me a warning look and I sigh, half wishing I hadn’t said anything to begin with, half relieved that I finally got it off my chest. As I lead everyone towards the door, I take a deep breath, bracing myself, hoping and praying that introducing Sophie to my family isn’t a massive mistake.

I open the door. Whether this week is going to turn out good or bad, it’s too early to tell, but there’s one thing that’s certain: if nothing else, this week is definitely going to be interesting.

38

Compensation

Evan

OfallthethingsI definitely should have seen coming, two stand out: my family falling embarrassingly in love with Sophie, and the holiday going far too fast.

On the first day of the holiday, when Sophie arrived with her backpack and her tidy appearance, I could tell that she was very nervous. Mom and Dad, clearly having shouldered the responsibility of making up for my horrible behaviour, were overzealous in their welcoming. They showed Sophie to the guest room, poured her coffee and plied her with food. I barely got to even speak to her that day—Mom and Dad basically spent the rest of the day giving her what I can only describe as a very friendly yet thorough pseudo-job interview.

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