Misunderstood (Neighbor from Hell (YA) 1)

“We’re sitting on the couch watching Harry Potter again. How come we’re not having a party?” Katie asked as Cole stood there, watching them through a break between the white curtains.

“Because I don’t need a party,” Chloe said as she gestured to the television as Cole bit back a curse. It was her birthday, too. “This is the perfect way to spend my birthday.”

“What about a cake?” Katie asked, making Cole frown.

“I don’t need a cake,” Chloe assured her.

There was a slight pause and then, “I think Uncle Nick forgot, again.”

“He didn’t forget. He’s very busy,” Chloe assured her little sister.

“What do you think Mom would have done for your birthday if she was alive?” Katie asked, sounding sad.

“Well,” Chloe said, reaching over to pull her little sister on her lap so that she could wrap her arms around her, “first thing she would have done was go overboard making sure that everything was pink from the frosting on the cake to the streamers lining the walls. She would have invited everyone that she’d ever met, cooked enough food to feed an army, and made sure that the party lasted until midnight, which I would have absolutely hated.”

Frowning, Katie looked up at her sister as she asked, “Why?”

“Because then I wouldn’t have been able to spend the day with my favorite person on earth watching Harry Potter,” Chloe said with a teasing smile.

“And Daddy?”

“Would have probably snuck into my room tonight with a huge piece of cake and way too much ice cream, which of course, would have resulted in a tummy

ache,” Chloe said, squishing up her face adorably for her little sister.

“I would have eaten it for you,” Katie said, nodding solemnly.

“And that’s why you’re my favorite person on earth,” Chloe told her as Cole turned around and headed back the way he came with the realization that there was so much more to Chloe than he’d ever imagined.

*-*-*-*

They should have sent him to military school when they had the chance, Sebastian thought as he slowly rubbed his hands down his face before dropping them away. They definitely should have screamed at him, but that would mean that they were talking to him at the moment. During the ride home last night, he’d waited for them to yell at him, ask him what the hell he was thinking, to scream at him, something, but they never said a word.

When they got home, they walked upstairs and closed their bedroom door. Not sure what else to do, Sebastian made dinner, helped Mathew and Jessica with their homework, and cleaned up the mess. They didn’t say anything, but then again, they didn’t have to. He knew just how badly he’d messed up, which was why he’d headed upstairs and waited for his parents to finally scream at him, but they never came.

Long after everyone else had gone to bed last night, Sebastian found himself heading onto the roof and climbing over to his parents’ window, needing to make sure that they were okay only to realize just how badly he’d messed up when he heard his mother crying for the second time in his life. But this time, nothing his father said could console her. He’d forced himself to sit there and listen as his mother cried. When she finally fell asleep from exhaustion, Sebastian headed back to his room, ignoring Jonathan’s questioning look and laid down.

This morning when his parents told everyone that they were leaving for Cole’s birthday party, he’d considered staying home but he’d wanted to make sure that Mikey was okay. When he saw her walk into the party an hour ago, he’d nearly lost it. She was pale and looked so damn miserable, and it was his fault. The reminder that he’d done this to her was the only thing that had kept him sitting there when all he wanted to do was to go to her and–

And nothing, Sebastian reminded himself as he pulled his iPad out of his pocket and found himself watching her again.

“Talk to me,” Jonathan said as he dropped down on the chair next to him.

“There’s nothing to talk about,” Sebastian said with a slow shake of his head as he stared down at the iPad in his hands.

“What happened?”

“I messed up. What else is there to say?”

“I’ve never seen Mom and Dad like this before,” Jonathan said softly, drawing Sebastian’s attention to find them standing off to the side, away from everyone else. He watched as their father pulled their mother into his arms and kissed her forehead. Even from here, Sebastian could tell that she was struggling not to lose it.

“It will be better when I’m gone,” Sebastian promised him as he found himself watching Mikey, who hadn’t said a word to anyone in the past hour.

“You need to make this right for her,” Jonathan bit out angrily as Sebastian watched Mikey.

He had to let her go.

“That’s what I’m doing,” Sebastian told him as he forced himself to look away.