Chapter Ten

Huxley POV:

Michael’s parties were always over the top. With alcohol hidden behind their pool house from Michael’s parents, and floatable pool toys, and pizza galore, it looked like what I assumed a frat party looked like—only with nicer furniture and under aged girls.

I parked down the road since most of their driveway and yard was overrun with vehicles. Music blasted from the backyard, and laughter spilled over into the front. The lights in his parents’ house were off, which meant they’d did their half-ass sweep for drugs and alcohol and went to bed.

Adler’s Honda was parked in the back of the driveway, an easy escape, she wasn’t fooling anybody. I’d wanted her to ride with me, but I couldn’t blame her for riding with Ledela. She had no idea I really just wanted to spend time with her alone, which sounded so messed up. I knew she wasn't my biological sister, but it still tasted wrong in my mouth.

The backyard was packed with teenagers, the only reason the cops weren’t called was that their house sat on over twenty acres of land. Horses and barns sat in the distance with a pond that glistened in the moonlight.

I grabbed a Sprite when I got there, not in the mood to drink with Saturday morning detention in the morning. Michael sat on a huge unicorn in the middle of the pool with two cheerleaders on either side. Ledela sat on the lawn chair with a baseball player and Adler sat next to her with a red solo cup and a frown.

It didn’t surprise me that she didn’t look happy. Adler wasn’t a partier or drinker, so I would have betted anyone her drink was full or filled with Sprite or water.

Liam’s loud laugh drew my attention from the far side of the yard. Leaned against the iron fence, he held a cup and played with some brunette’s hair. Good, maybe he wouldn't bring his drunk ass near me. Even though we were good, I didn’t want him drunk around Adler, especially with his emotions everywhere, because of his anonymous text buddy.

“Hey,” I said, stopping by to check on Adler. Sure, we’d been on the rocks lately, but I didn’t want her to feel uncomfortable or feel alone. Only at a high school party could you be surrounded by a sea of people but feel completely alone.

“Hey,” she said.

Ledela, already tipsy, waved her wine cooler and did a shoulder shimmy, which earned a laugh from her friend.

Adler rolled her eyes.

“You want to come with me?” I asked.

“Sure,” she said, standing up and grabbing her keys. Ledela didn’t notice or didn’t care.

I glanced into her cup. Sprite, just as I thought.

We walked over to the table of pizza, and I nudged her shoulder. “You know good and damned well you want a piece.”

She laughed, tossed her auburn hair, and nodded. “Sure do.”

We loaded our plates and made a beeline for a few empty plastic chairs in the corner of the backyard.

Adler sighed. “Thanks for saving me. Ledela is on one tonight. She’s eating this Miss Play Your Man thing up. So many people recognize her from that vlog now. Just give her some champagne and a TV show and we’re all doomed.”

“It could be the sequel to Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen,” I said.

Adler laughed, diving into her plate like no one watched. Another reason I loved her. I’d been on so many dates where girls wouldn’t eat around me, not Adler. All the Chris’ and two pages of A-List celebrities could be in the room, and she would eat.

“Well, it’ll be short lived since it’s coming to an end soon,” I said.

Thankfully. It’d been hell since it started.

But it didn’t stop my question from blurting out, “So when are you going to stop texting Liam?”

Adler took a bite to buy her time and fiddled with the string on her blue jean shorts. “I don’t know if I want to, Hux. Would it be so bad for me to like him?”

I cleared my throat, eyes moving to Liam who leaned in to kiss a random girl. “You really want a guy like that?” I asked, trying to keep my jealousy and irritation at bay. “He’s making out with a random girl, drunk, and texting Miss. Anonymous.”

“It’s not like he knows who I am, Hux? I’m a mystery to him that won’t send him a picture. Can you blame him? Plus, I won’t know until I try.”

That was a good reason. How do you know if something will work out if you don’t go for it? Just like Heather, at least they had the guts to try.

I bit my bottom lip, trying to come up with something rational to say without being an asshole, when Liam spotted us.

Liam pushed from the iron fence, stumbling our way, already wasted. Adler stiffened as he approached, and I felt myself tense.

“Huxley,” he stuttered, grabbing an empty chair and dragging it in front of me. “About time you showed up, ma-an.”

“You’re drunk, don’t start your shit.”

Liam was a dumb drunk.

He furrowed his brow and glanced over at Adler. “Adler Ray,” he said with a grin, reaching over, he slapped her thigh.

My fists clenched.

“I saw you the other day, ya know, at school and you looked hot as hell in that skirt.”

Adler’s face turned red.

“Liam, you’re drunk—”

“I’m not,” he shouted, turning to face me. “You’re always telling me what to do, just like with the girl I’m texting,” he slurred.

Adler squirmed uncomfortably.

“I wanted to ask you out,” he said, pointing at Adler.

She stilled.

“But bro bear said leave her alone. She isn’t like that.”

Her eyes drew to slits, and she balled her hands up on her thighs. ‘So this girl, ya know, Adler, she, she makes me laugh.” He tossed his head back and laughed hysterically at nothing. “But she won’t text me a picture or meet me.”

He leaned back in his chair, I almost thought he would fall over, but he flew up to his feet. “Who is she?” he shouted, pointing at random girls around the party. “Are you here Miss Anonymous?”

A group of girls started pointing from across the yard, elbowing Jacee who stood in the center, wrapped around the baseball captain. She slowly shook her head in sadness but not enough to come over and check on him.

“I just want to know!”

I stood up and tried to contain his wild arms, but he shoved my shoulder. “Don’t touch me, man, you’re not my dad.”

“You need to stop drinking; you’re making a fool out of yourself.”

“I’m no fool, you are!” he yelled. “You could have any girl, and you’ve been a dick lately, not giving anybody a chance. You got a crush on somebody, King of Montlake, huh?” he asked, reaching for my t-shirt.

I stepped back from him, letting him fall. Adler shoved her palms in-between her knees in an attempt to stay calm. I’d seen her do it on numerous occasions when she was uncomfortable.

“Dude, chill,” I spat.

Liam pushed me this time making my blood boil. With his size, I knew he could easily tackle me, so I sidestepped his next attempt at grabbing me, and shoved him to the concrete.

I felt bad. He was drunk, but I couldn’t let him take out his frustration on me.

“Hey,” he stumbled upright, tossing his red solo cup into the pool. We’d drawn the attention of a couple of girls, but the music and action were too much for the crowd to notice.

“Stop it,” I said.

“You’re jealous of me,” Liam said.

“Jealous of you?” I asked. “Come off it, bro. You’re drunk and are you—crying?” I asked.

“I hate you,” he spat. “All the times I’ve been there for you, and you can’t help me with this one girl, you think I’m stupid for doing it. You called her a catfish.”

I didn’t know what to say to him as he poured himself out like an emotional girl in front of us. If there had been one time I wanted a superpower, it would have been then, to teleport us anywhere else.

Adler stood up suddenly, mumbled something to herself and said, “Liam.”

He glanced at her through red-rimmed eyes. “Yeah?”

“I—I’m Miss Anonymous.”

Liam’s face softened; his mouth went slack. Obviously, it stunned him—and me—because we both went silent. Liam opened his mouth several times to speak but nothing came out. The music thumped against my head and clouded all my thoughts.

She told him.

I wanted to scream. I wanted to grab a lawn chair and hurl it into oblivion.

Little Adler stood there with her bottom lip tucked into her mouth, red tinting her cheeks and tears building every second he didn’t respond. I felt her embarrassment but not as bad as I felt my heart tearing. Why did it matter so much? Liam was right, I could get another girl, but the one I wanted stood in front of me with tears in her eyes, and a trembling bottom lip.

Before Liam spoke, she bolted through the two of us and ran straight for the driveway.

“I—I,” Liam stuttered but nothing came out.

I left Liam standing like an idiot and raced after Adler. When I got to her car, the door stood wide opened, and she sat with her head against the steering wheel. A blubber came out before I touched her shoulder.

She looked up and wiped snot from her nose. “Don’t say anything, please,” she begged.

I couldn’t because I didn’t know what to say.

“I’m going home.”

“Are you okay to drive?”

“Yeah. Take Ledela home for me, please. Her curfew is at twelve.”

I nodded, and she shut her door, backing out of the driveway, I watched her taillights until they disappeared.

Footsteps drew nearer, a few seconds later Liam appeared at my side. “Did she leave?”

I didn’t answer, I walked back to the pool house to get Ledela so I could get the hell out of there. My heart hurt and I wasn’t sure how to cure it. No one had ever made my heart hurt before.

And of all the people to break it … it was Adler Ray.

***

Adler’s door was shut the night before when I went to check on her, and she didn’t answer when I knocked.

Mom confirmed she’d made it inside all right. So, I went to bed, knowing seven-thirty would come early the next morning. Saturday detention dragged by, but I didn’t mind since it was my last one.

I didn’t have any homework, so I pulled out my thoughts I’d written down about Adler per Mrs. Rita’s advice. Adler’s rough draft of Miss Play Your Man was taped to my door that morning, ready for me to rewrite in my own handwriting.

I had a win-win situation going for me, taking down the website that night and a handwritten A sitting in front of me. However, something urged me to keep writing on my reasons I fell for Adler.

God, I felt stupid writing it, paranoid someone would find it.

But I wrote for three straight hours. When I stopped, I realized there was only thirty minutes left until detention was over. Would it hurt to turn this in to Mrs. Rita? It was mostly a story, of our lives together since sixth grade, and the things I’d learned about her over the years.

I wasn’t sure, so I stuffed it into my binder beside Adler’s story and sighed. I wanted to do something for Adler to make her feel better about telling Liam the truth. Even though it hurt me to see it, I hated that she embarrassed herself because of it.

I remembered in junior high when Mom made her wear a mum for Homecoming and laughed at the thought of her tripping on the bleachers. She swore she never wanted to wear another one, but I didn’t believe her.

Every girl wanted a mum from her boyfriend.

I could make her one. I wasn’t her boyfriend by far, but maybe it’d show her I felt something for her? Or maybe it would just confuse her even more. Sighing, I pulled out a sheet of paper and started drawing out a design for the mum. And, I had the best idea for a center piece.

Mom made me a peanut butter and banana sandwich, so I ate it on the way home, finishing as I pulled onto our street. I was glad, because when I noticed Liam’s pickup sitting in our driveway, I felt my throat constrict.

Why was he here? I checked my phone to see if he'd texted me. He hadn't.

Had he remembered anything from the night before? I’d prayed that he forgot about it, or was too hammered to remember, but obviously, that prayer went unheard.

I slammed my truck into park and got out. Adler and Liam sat on the front porch steps, Liam angled to face Adler, while she seemed quiet with a smile on her face.

Liam noticed me but didn’t budge from his seat. In fact, he leaned back on his elbows against the top step. “Hey Huxley,” he said.

“I’m surprised you’re up since you got wasted last night.”

Adler shot me a dirty look, and shook her head a tiny bit, but I ignored it.

Liam slid his tongue across his teeth. “Yeah, well, looks like I’m fine now, huh? You been in detention. Last day?”

I didn’t reply. I stared at his smug face and the way he seemed excessively comfortable on my front step with her.

“Do you need something?” Adler asked. “We’re trying to have a conversation.”

“Don’t mind me.”

Liam scoffed and stood up. I hoped he didn’t think it would intimidate me because it didn’t.

“I know you heard Adler was the person texting me, we wanted to talk about it alone. Can you go inside? Or do we need to go somewhere?”

I didn’t want Adler to be alone with Liam anywhere, but the thought of him taking her to one of his spots, ate me alive.

“I don’t think it’s a good idea for you to be alone at all. I told you before, I didn’t want you dating Adler.”

“Wow, I didn’t start this, she did,” he said. “And I don’t really care what you think about it. I’m supposed to be your best friend and you don’t think I’m good enough to take your sister out? That’s messed up.”

“Because I’m your best friend is why I think it’s a bad idea, Liam. Adler is a virgin and doesn’t need you trying to take that from her.”

“Oh my God!” Adler shouted, covering her face.

Liam swallowed. “You’re pissing me off.”

“Too bad I don’t care.”

Liam took a step toward me, and I felt my adrenaline kick in. I wasn’t sure what his move was, but I wanted to stop him before he did anything stupid. I moved and pushed his back, sending him stumbling toward the walkway.

“Stop it!” Adler said.

Liam came back with an uppercut, knocking me to the side. Adler’s footsteps disappeared from behind me, but I couldn’t think about it, I wanted to kill Liam for trying to touch her.

He really thought I’d sit to the side while he deflowered and ruined my sister’s reputation.

He braced his fists and steadied himself, but not before, I gave him a quick jab to his left cheek. Liam blinked and I took the liberty to tackle him as he did all the boys on the field.

He stumbled onto his back with me above him. I raised my arm and went to give him a lick I’d been dying to give when someone grabbed my wrist.

I glanced back and Mr. Steven stood behind me, hauling me away a few seconds later. Liam climbed to his feet, but Mr. Steven stopped him with his outstretched palm.

“What in the hell is going on here?” he demanded. It was the harshest I’d ever heard his voice. He looked pissed, too. I’d never seen him this mad at Adler before, but ya know, she didn’t start fights in our front yard either.

Mom and Adler stood on the porch. Mom looked worried and Adler pissed. She’d thank me one day; I was sure of it.

“Huxley refuses to let me talk to Adler.”

Mr. Steven’s dark gaze shifted to me. “I’m sure he has a good reason, right Hux? Let’s hear it.”

“He’s trying to date her and it’s not a good idea. She deserves better than you. You’ll ruin her reputation.”

Mr. Steven tightened his lips. “I think it’s a good idea for you to head home right now Liam. Obviously you two need to cool off.”

Liam nodded, and glanced over at Adler, giving her a head nod before walking to his pickup.

I watched him slid into the driver’s seat and turn around in the cul-de-sac, passing by without a glance.

“We need to talk,” Mr. Steven said, turning back to look at Adler. “All of us.”

He sat at the end of our kitchen table with a glum look on his face. He wanted to talk to me first, which made me feel weird, but I sat down and glared at my interlaced fingers.

“Huxley, Liam is your best friend, isn’t he?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Has something happened to make you think he wouldn’t treat Adler right?”

“I—I think Liam would be a bad influence on her. I’m a guy, and I know he isn’t going to try and get into her pants. He will get in her pants.”

He lifted his gaze. “I’m not condoning teenage sex, son, but Adler is a good girl and a great judge of character. I haven’t kept her from dating, she’s chosen not to. I don’t mind if she goes out with a boy. If sex happens, it’s because she wants it. Do you think Liam would force her?”

“No,” I said through gritted teeth.

“Then what’s the real problem here? You’re acting more like her dad than I am? Did he say something about using her to you?”

I shook my head, running my palm down my face. “No.”

Mr. Steven watched me closely. “Is there another reason you don’t want her to date him? Is there a reason you’re protecting her that I don’t know about? Something you want to tell me?”

This was my chance. A chance to tell him that I’d started to feel something for Adler. His dark eyes examined my face, probably trying to detect a lie, but I couldn’t say it.

I wanted it, but my mouth wouldn’t open.

“No, I just don’t want her to get hurt, she’s my sister.”

Mr. Steven nodded. “Okay. Y’all come on inside,” he hollered.

Adler and Mom walked over and took a seat on either side of the table. Adler’s cheeks were puffy from crying, and Mom looked sad. Liam and I had been best friends for a long time.

“Okay,” Mr. Steven said. “Adler, do you have anything to say to Huxley?”

She wouldn’t even look at me. “No.”

“Huxley, do you want to apologize?” he asked.

“Not really, no, I still stand by my decision, even though no one seems to care.”

Mr. Steven frowned.

Adler shot up, I almost thought she’d hit me, but she didn’t. Tears built in the corners of her eyes, and she pressed her lips together. The tip of her tiny nose looked like Rudolph.

“I hate you,” she spit. “This is the first guy that has shown any interest, and you’re trying to take it away from me. How dare you!”

She raced toward her room, and Mom got up to go after her. I wanted to chase after her myself, but I didn’t, I let her think I was selfish. I wanted to scream that I liked her, and I wanted to kiss my stepsister into a coma.

But I didn’t.

I’d let her cry in her room and date Liam behind my back.

I’d let her deal with Miss Play Your Man’s website because I was hurt. She hurt my heart without knowing, because I was too big of a pussy to tell her how badly I wanted her.

I was the idiot, not Liam.