Page 4 of Touch Me

“Where are you going? You haven’t been excused,” his dad barks without looking up from his plate.

Jace stands stoic, head down, fists clenching. Silently fuming.

His mom reaches over and squeezes his wrist. “You can be excused.”

He storms off, a door slamming upstairs less than a minute later.

I wring the napkin in my lap, hanging my head to hide the embarrassment staining my cheeks. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that.”

“Don’t apologize for his behavior. He’s eighteen years old.” Mr. Lancaster shakes his head and reaches for his glass of wine. “He needs to learn how to interact like a normal person.”

Dr. Lancaster swings her eyes to her husband. “What’s normal to you might not be normal to him. Not everyone has to play sports and go out with friends to be considered normal.” She has some color back in her cheeks, spine straight, ready to go rounds in the ring to protect her son. “He’s not Jack’s clone, and I would hope you wouldn’t expect that from him. He is who he is.”

“He has to learn to interact socially if he is going to be successful.” Mr. Lancaster picks up his fork to continue eating as if the dining room hadn’t nearly exploded. Every time I’ve seen something like this in the past, it was in a bar when I was looking for my mom, and it always ended with someone taking a beer bottle to the back of the head.

Oh, how different our lives are.

Dr. Lancaster scoffs and rolls her eyes. “Says who?”

Atta girl.

The argument continues on for a few minutes before Jess asks if we can be excused. Back in her room, I collapse on the bed. “What happened down there?”

Jess tries to force a smile, but it’s more of a wince. “Sorry about that. Dad’s usually a little more discreet in his criticism of Jace.”

“Does he do that a lot?”

“Never in front of other people. I’ve only heard it a few times myself. I wish he would just leave him alone.” She bites her lip and her brows furrow.

“So, who do you think will ask you to the Homecoming Dance?”

And just like that, the moment is over, and she is back to her bubbly self. Picking up her phone, she scrolls aimlessly, so I don’t think she expects an answer. If diversion is what she wants, that’s fine with me.

I honestly can’t focus on anything but Jace’s eyes right now. I can’t seem to wrap my head around what really happened down there. What was going through his head when he stared at me like that?Why was he mad at me?Is it because I sat as a silent spectator while his dad laid into him?

I’ve never had anyone look at me with such hatred. Cool indifference, sure, but never hatred. My pulse has slowed, but the goosebumps still pepper my skin as I replay that look over in my mind. I’ve longed for his eyes on me for as long as I’ve known him, but never again. Not if it leaves me feeling like this.

And as much as I love it here, I’m wishing for the millionth time that I had a home worth going to, merely to escape ever being the target of his hate-filled gaze again.

TWO

HE DOESN’T HATE YOU

Ally clears her throat,a slight shine to her eyes. “Everyone, raise your glass.”

I’ve shed the graduation cap and gown, and though I’m still wearing a slightly too professional pants-suit for the bar we’re in, I’m ready to celebrate.

Ally scoots a glass of champagne my way. “You did it, baby girl. I always knew you would, even when you didn’t. We’ve been through some shit, you and me, but we knew what we had to do to make it out on the other side stronger. I’m so proud of you.”

My eyes gloss over as I smile at my girls. I let one tear fall as we all pick up a glass and meet in the middle. “I couldn’t have done it without all of you. Thank you all for always being there when I needed you.”

“Are you kidding me? You did this despite all of us.” Ella flicks away a tear and flings her fiery red hair over her shoulder. “We were always begging you to come out or get your nose out of your laptop for five minutes. And look at you now. Graduated a whole semester ahead of the rest of us.”

Jess and I met Ella the day we moved into the dorms, and we’ve been best friends since. Ella has a wild streak to match her hair, but she’s caring and intelligent and will graduate next semester with a teaching degree. I think that’s why I was instantly drawn to her. She reminds me of my sister. Both have a little crazy hidden inside, surrounded by hearts of gold, and both are going to be teachers.

Ally and I knew early on our only chance of going to college would be on scholarship, so we worked our butts off, keeping each other on track. Ally went to California State Monterey and got a degree in early childhood education.

Ally turns to Ella. “So, I hear I have a future teaching cohort. I get my hands on the little buggers damn near fresh from the womb. What age do you want to teach?”

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