Page 38 of Broken By the Bad Boy

Me:Miss you more babe. Where are you?

I drum my feet onto the floor. Dad is pacing outside with the phone pressed to his ear. Mom gets busy with her iPad, and Hayden’s head bobs to the song playing in his ears. They are oblivious to my turmoil, and I put on a smile to keep it that way. It’s just dinner. I am reading too much into it.

Benny:Out with mom and her husband.

Me:Just them?

Benny:Asher’s here too. He says hi.

He didn’t mention Olivia, but she’s seated between him and Asher. Should I be worried? I think I should.

Me:hiiiiii

Benny:Asher wants to send you a selfie.

Ben shows Asher his phone. Asher slides in between him and Olivia, and I release my breath. He raises his phone for a selfie, but Olivia butts in, ruining all their attempts to take a picture. The other woman’s lips move. Olivia’s mom too. She says something that earns her an eye roll from Olivia, and Ben barks out a laugh. He has no problem introducing someone else to his mother.

Benny:sorry, no selfie :/ got interrupted.

By who?

I erase my reply to him. The lines blur the longer I stare at them. My phone pings as I am about to slip it into my purse, but I don’t check his text. He should have fun with Olivia and her mom.

Dad knocks on the window. The smile on his face is big enough to power up two rooms, but my appetite is gone. Moisture coats his hair. He shakes his head and pokes a hand into the car to mess up my curls. I scowl and smoothen my hair. Usually, I would laugh, but this time, it annoys me.

“Alright.” He looks away from me. Mom drops her iPad. “I have sorted it out. We can go in.”

Mom claps in excitement. She grins from ear to ear, and my stomach churns. My heart skips as my gaze wanders to the restaurant’s window. They are laughing. Olivia might be a clown, but she isn’t even that funny.

“Let’s go somewhere else,” I blurt out.

Dad’s jaw falls. Hayden stares at me, then subtly glances at the restaurant.

“Yeah, I don’t like this place,” he supports.

Mom twists in her seat to look at her kids. Her eyes move from me to Hayden. I try to smile, but it doesn’t happen. “Honey,” she draws out. “I agree with the kids. We should go somewhere else.”

Dad slaps a hand over his forehead, and I almost feel bad for him. “Great. Don’t worry. It didn’t take a lot to get another spot.” He slides into the car and slams the door close. Mom giggles. She leans over to kiss him on his cheek, and his annoyance fades. His hand lingers on her leg when she returns to her seat, and his eyes flash with mischief. “Alright, honey. Where are we headed?”

Somewhere there’s no Ben and Olivia.

Eighteen

BEN

“No. Leave that,”I tell Asher, shaking my head at the boots he tries to sneak into the bag.

Josef got him a nice leather boot for Christmas. He also bought me a pair. Thanks, but no thanks, I did not accept it. He thinks he can bribe his way into my life with compliments, forced smiles, and gifts, like he did with Mom and Asher. That will never be me. He already took Mom from us, and Asher likes him a little too much. I hope he doesn’t take Asher away from me.

Asher dives into the bed face first, his legs dangling from the edge as he pushes himself up on his elbows. He watches me fold our clothes into the duffel bag on the bed. The small pile disappears into the bag. Asher sits up and rests his back against the headboard. We share a glance, and he looks away. He does that twice.

He wants something.

Shoving the last item of clothing into the bag, I drop it at my feet and inch closer to him. Asher brings his knees up to his chest and smiles. I like it when he smiles. It’s free and genuine, with no hint of malice. I might not be the best brother, but I am keeping my promise. I am protecting him.

“What do you want?” I ask him. I drag his feet to my lap and pop his feet knuckles. He chuckles.

“Why don’t you like Josef?” His face is a replica of mine. Sadly, we look like our mother. Asher pulls one leg back, and his hand sweeps across the room we share in Josef’s house. “He’s not bad.”

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