My mom gives me a look, and I remember I've yet to shake his hand. Honestly, I'd rather not, but I know it will only cause problems if I don't. His hand wraps around my own firmly, as if he's trying to silently assert his dominance—or maybe it's just a habit from being in the business world.
“Your mother has told me so much about you.”
I scoff. “I wish I could say the same.”
My mom scowls at me, but I couldn't help it. I didn't even know this guy existed until last week, and I found out at the same time I was being told my parents were splitting up. Forgive me if I'm not the most warm and welcoming.
Ken maintains his composure and shoots my mom a comforting grin. “That's okay. We have all the time in the world to change that.”
He leads us out of his office and into the living room. Molly is sitting on the floor, playing a game with a blonde-headed girl. I can only see the back of her, but I can tell she's much older than my ten-year-old sister.
“This is my daughter,” Ken tells me, and the girl turns around at the sound of his voice. “Lennon, sweetheart. Come meet Cade, Nora's son.”
As her turquoise eyes meet mine, I'm blasted back into last night.
The girl in the water.
My board snapping in half.
The way she looked as if she wanted to throw down right then and there.
Of course this chick is his daughter. She looks as spoiled and stuck-up as I expected, especially after seeing the size of this house.
I watch the realization dawn on her that she’s met me before. Something that looks awfully close to sorrow is there for a second, before it's covered with a mask like I've never seen. She plasters on a sickeningly sweet smile and puts out her hand.
“I'm Lennon. It's nice to meet you.”
All eyes are on me, giving me no choice but to be equally as kind, and equally as fake.
“Cade.”
THE REST OF THE day is spent with the most uncomfortable “family time” I've ever had the displeasure of sitting through. Lennon tries to act polite and involved in the get-to-know-each-other game our parents have us playing, but I can tell she would rather be literally anywhere else.
By the grace of God, we're all excused until dinner, and I use the time alone to check on Molly. Her room is right down the hall from mine, and decorated exactly the way she has always described her dream bedroom, with tie-dye everything and her favorite posters on the wall. There is even an aquarium in the corner. Overall, she looks happy.
“Knock, knock,” I say, without actually knocking. “Can I come in?”
She nods, flopping herself onto her new bed.
“I just wanted to make sure you're doing okay.”
Molly sits up and sighs. “I miss Dad. I like the house and all, but I miss our old house and having our family together.”
The pain in her voice twists up my insides. “I'm sorry, Molz. I tried to get them to change their minds.”
“I know you did, but they wouldn't listen. I wish we could have made them listen.”
“Me too, kid.” I pull her into me. “Me too.”
After spending a little more time comforting my sister, since our mother is too busy acting like a lovesick trophy wife to realize her own daughter is hurting, I head back to my new room. To my surprise, Lennon is already in there waiting for me.
“What are you doing in here?”
She runs her fingers through her hair. “I just wanted to, uh, thank you, for not mentioning the bonfire last night to my dad.”
If I'm being honest, I hadn't realized I wasn't supposed to, but she doesn't know that. “Yeah, well, now you owe me.”
“Owe you?”
I cross my arms over my chest and smirk. “Yep.”
It's been all of two minutes, and it's clear she's already done with my shit. “And what exactly do I owe you?”
Stepping closer, I hover in her space. The smell of her perfume infiltrates my senses but I force myself to stay focused. She swallows harshly as I glare down at her.
“Stay the fuck out of my room, and out of my way.”
I shove past her while she stays in place, and for a second, I wonder why she's still here, until her small yet strong voice sounds again.
“You know, I don't want you here just as much as you don't want to be here.”
I snort. “Somehow, I doubt that.”
She rolls her eyes, and that attitude I got a taste of last night comes back out in full force. “You think that just because you're the one that had to move means that only your life has changed? You're wrong. Mine's been flipped upside down, too.”
At, the sound of her words, a brilliant idea comes to mind. One that could give us all what we want. My sister. My dad. Me. It could work.
“Oh yeah?” I ask, leaning against my dresser. “Prove it. Help me split them up.”
Her brows furrow. “Split them up?”
I nod slowly. “It's a win-win for us both. I can put my family back together, and you'll have your precious daddy and big fancy house all to yourself again.”
For a moment, it looks like she's actually considering it. My hopes start to build at the possibility of getting my old life back, until she sends it all plummeting back down with a shake of her head.
“I can't.”
I don't even attempt to mask my disappointment. “It's not that you can't, it's that you won't.”
She stands firm. “Either way, I'm not doing it. Their relationship is none of our business.”
That almost pulls a laugh out of me.
“Well, I'm doing it with or without you.” I take a step forward, and she takes one back. Like a pattern, I keep it going until she's backed herself into the hallway. “And if I were you, I'd stay far as fuck away from me. I'll do whatever it takes to repair my broken family, and I'll have no sympathy if you're caught in the crossfire.”
With that, I swing the door closed right in her shell-shocked face.
5
LENNON
I walk through the hallway, navigating around all the students hanging out before class. Tessa stays by my side as we dodge the obnoxious amount of make-out sessions. I don't understand why they need to do this shit where everyone can see them. Hasn't anyone taught them to have some class?
“Okay, I have to meet this guy,” Tess quips.
I run my fingers through my hair. “You already have. He's the one you saw me standing with on the beach the other night.”
Her jaw drops. “The one you wanted to backhand because he mentioned your mom?”
“That's him.”
“Damn. Small world.”
I sigh. “You're telling me. And for the record, he isn't any less of an asshole during the day either.”
She chuckles. “Well, what did you expect? You kind of broke his surfboard.”
“It was an accident!” My back rests against the locker next to Tessa's and my head lolls to the side. “And if you really want to pull that, technically he almost killed me.”
“Sure, babes. We'll go with that.”
The whole incident from last night plays in my mind. That boy has more mood swings than anything I've ever seen in my life. I went into his room to apologize, but that wasn't enough for him. When I refused to help him, his eyes looked like they had actual fire in them. He became a scary version of himself—even worse than on the beach.