Dear Love, I Hate You (Easton High)

“Brody fucking Richards, as I live and breathe.” Theo hypes up Finn’s big brother like the kiss-ass that he is. Understandable. We’ve barely seen Brody since he went away for college.

“You son of a bitch, you said you weren’t going to make it.” Theo gives Brody a quick bro hug. “What changed your mind?”

“Oh, you know, I got back into town early. Had some… commitments to attend to, if you catch my drift,” Brody brags, and the guys laugh like two well-bred groupies.

Make no mistake, I used to be one of them.

Grew up admiring the waste of space that’s Brody Richards. He taught me and Finn to play ball, showed us how to score, and I’m not talking about basketball. He got us into clubs way before our time, too. I looked up to him since he’s two years older. Considered him a “mentor.”

He was the big brother I never had.

Until I saw him for who he really is.

“How long you staying?” Axel continues. “The pussy at Duke not missing you too much?”

Brody laughs. “Just for the weekend. And you know how it is. Pussy follows everywhere I go.”

“Read you loud and clear, my man. See anything you like?” Axel asks, and Brody pretends to scan the living room.

“Meh. Too young for my taste.”

“So, you’re into cougars, huh?” Axel elbows him jokingly.

“Something like that.” Brody smirks.

Rage fuels my body, the urge to dislocate his jaw itching in my veins like sandpaper. If the bastard so much as looks in my direction, I swear to G—

“Earth to Xavier Emery?”

Seriously?

“Your mama didn’t teach you it’s rude to ignore people?” Brody nags. I pretend I didn’t hear him, keeping my eyes fixated on my phone. “Dude, you’ve been staring at that phone for like twenty minutes. There better be some fucking nudes on there.”

Theo and Axel laugh at their master’s joke. Their balls should get vacuumed back inside their bodies any minute now.

I squeeze my fist so tight the blood drains from my knuckles and I have to remind myself that he’s still Finn’s brother. Not to mention my dad’s best friend’s son, but man… if he was anyone else, he’d be in desperate need of a dentist appointment right now.

“Nah, man, just bored,” I mumble, as cold as can be.

He doesn’t think twice about my tone, picking up where he left off with the guys. I think I’m rid of him until…

“Hey, asshole, have you seen my brother?” Brody pesters.

Nope, mission aborted.

I can’t take another second of pretending like I don’t want to kick his face in. Not even for my dad.

Or Finn.

I need to get out of here.

“No.” I rise off Theo’s couch and shoulder my way through the crowd, heading for the front door.

“Where you going?” Theo asks when I edge around them and fling the front door open.

I dig through my wallet, presenting him my fake ID and a lie. “Just going to get more booze.”

Theo frowns. “What? But the fridge is ful—”