Page 79 of Bad For A Weekend

“For a little while.”

“You really messed things up with your brother, you know.”

“Yeah, I know.”

Mom sets a plate in front of me, and even though I don’t want to have this conversation, I’m starving, and Mom is an amazing cook.

“Thanks.” I pick up my fork and dive in.

“Are you going to tell us what happened?” Dad asks.

“I’m sure Hudson gave you all the details.”

“He didn’t,” Mom says. “He just said you weren’t a right fit for the job and had to pull you out.”

I debate lying. Tell them my anxiety was too much, and I wasn’t ready for a job so similar to my last. But what the fuck do I have to lose? Absolutely nothing. So, I spill my heart out between bites of roasted chicken, bacon-wrapped asparagus, and mashed potatoes. The only details I spare are the intimate ones unrelated to the story.

I don’t think I’ve ever shocked them more, which is saying a lot because I’ve done some pretty outrageous things.

“You love her?” Mom asks, and I nod. “I wish she wasn’t in high school but knowing she’s nearly nineteen helps.”

I blink.

“It must’ve been hard to walk away like that, but I think you did the right thing. For now, anyway. You’ll find your way back to her when the timing is right,” Dad says.

I blink again.

This is not the response I was expecting, but I’ll take it.

“You know you’re always welcome. Stay as long as you need to but don’t let this set you back. You’ve come a long way, and I don’t want to see you go backward,” Mom says.

I snap out of my surprise. “I won’t. I don’t want to be the person I was before I took that job.”

“That’s good. Now be a dear and load the dishwasher, please. Our program starts in five minutes.” Mom stands and clears the table.

Baylor

Ilounge by the pool, trying to work on homework, but Hudson’s boisterous shouting at whatever sport he’s watching in the pool house is distracting.

He sucks. That’s not entirely true, but I’m not a fan. He’s professional to a fault, never breaking his cold demeanor for anything. Now when I want to go somewhere not in my pre-approved schedule, I have to submit a request with the times and locations that he and Dad have to sign off on.

Nothing has been the same since getting home from Tulum last week.

The same day Hudson moved in, there was a moving company that packed and took away all of Owen’s things. I sat in my bedroom and cried as I watched.

Of course, Brandy told Dad about mine and Ziggy’s escapade. He was not happy and said the six words no teenager wants to hear.

“I’m not mad. I’m just disappointed.”

He banned me from any other vacations until the summer when he plans to take me to Argentina to show me where he’ll be filming. Which is fine because I don’t want to go anywhere if I can’t take Owen with me.

I really fucked up and can’t help but think how Owen would still be here if I hadn’t slipped out the window at that club. Everything would’ve been fine if I’d been adult enough to face my issues head-on.

Like Dad, I’m disappointed in myself.

“I need to talk to you about something.” Dad sits down on the lounger next to me, holding a stack of papers.

“What’s up?”

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