Peeking around the doorway, I saw her standing at the sink. The window overlooked the driveway. The car’s lights were still on and trained on the house, flooding the kitchen before they were cut. The room plunged back into darkness.
As I moved closer to my mom, I noticed her shoulders were shaking. She was so damn skinny. I was starting not to like skinny girls. They needed meat on them. I liked the healthier-looking girls at school. Nate and Ethan liked the other girls, the skinny ones, but they were nuts. Those girls were weak.
My stomach twisted as my mom dropped her hand to the counter. I watched as she bent down, her sobs coming from deep inside her now. She sounded like a dying animal. The pain was too much to hear.
“What’d he do now?”
She froze. Her fingers had a death-like grasp on the counter. Then she let out her breath and sucked in another before she shot back up and ran a hand through her hair.
As she started to turn to me, I shook my head. “Don’t.” It came out harsher than I intended. I cringed. I hadn’t meant to yell at my mother. “Sorry, but don’t. I know you’re crying, Mom. Don’t turn around and pretend that you weren’t.” Lies. The whole house was full of lies, except Logan. He was the only one who had never lied to me.
“Mason.” Her voice trembled. “I thought you were going to your friend’s house tonight.”
I frowned. “I have to do my homework before I go.”
“Oh.” Her head bent down and she tightened the silk robe around her. “I suppose I should’ve known that. I didn’t.” Her voice dropped to a whisper. “I’m so sorry, honey. I’ve not been a proper mother to you lately.”
I snorted. Lately? She’d been absent for years. “Whatever. You’re crying about Dad?” Again? I wanted to say, but I held back. She would’ve started lying to me again. She always lied for him, but I caught her this time. She couldn’t lie.
Every nerve in my body was stretched thin. I was so sick of being lied to.
“Yeah.”
The tension left me, but anger filled its spot. She cried every night. She just didn’t know we knew about it. I glanced back and saw that Logan was peeking around the corner. Yes, he knew too. Motioning him back, I glared at him. He stuck his tongue out at me, but disappeared from the doorway. I knew he was listening, but he wouldn’t be able to hear everything.
Moving closer to her, I ignored the mascara running down her face and looked out the window. I saw them too. My dad had a woman pressed against her car. Her arms were wound around his neck. One of her legs had lifted to his waist. He caught it and lifted it higher, pressing her body further against the car. He was almost on top of her.
“He doesn’t even take them somewhere else anymore.” My mom’s voice sounded hollow. “He brought this one here. They came in through the basement doors. I was swimming in the pool, but they didn’t notice me. They were down there for two hours and she’s just now leaving.”
“Why didn’t you say something?” As I asked, I knew her answer.
She laughed, the sound was mixed with pain, grief, and defeat. “What’s the point? Your father’s been cheating on me for years, honey. He’s not going to stop.” She began wheezing slightly. “I’ve tried to protect you guys from it, but I can’t. I won’t. You deserve to know the truth. This is what your father does. He won’t ever stop.”
She turned to me, more tears brimming in her eyes. As they fell, she whispered, “I have to leave your father, Mason. I can’t stay here anymore and be in this marriage. I just can’t.”
My eyes narrowed. I heard the pain in her voice, but I shook my head. Anger jolted me and I growled, “Whatever. Fucking leave him if you want.” I turned to leave.
“Where are you going?”
“Out. What do you care?”
“Mason,” she gasped.
I ignored her, left the kitchen, and threw open the back patio doors. I could hear Logan trailing behind me. Ignoring him, knowing I shouldn’t be doing this in front of him, I circled around to the parking area where my dad was. He was still on top of that bitch, their mouths fused together.
I hollered at him, “Hey! When you’re done macking on your newest whore, you might want to book a vacation for Mom.”
He whipped around and looked at me. “Mason?” The blood drained from his face. “What are you doing here?”
I snorted. “My homework. That’s what I’m doing, or what I was trying to do before I heard Mom sobbing.” He stiffened. I laughed. “Yeah, she saw the whole show, Dad. Not that it’s a big surprise. The new fucking shocker is that you’re bringing them here.” I lifted a hand. “No offense to you, lady, but he’s my dad and there’s a whole family factor here that you’re helping to break up.” I turned my hand around and gave her a thumbs up. “But good for you. I’m sure my dad will pay you with lots of dinners and diamonds. If you don’t get the private jet ride while you’re sleeping with him, you’re doing something wrong.”
“MASON!”
I ignored my dad. “Oh, and just so you know, I’m leaving for Ethan’s now. I’ll be staying at his or Nate’s place all weekend.” I turned to go, but twisted back around. “And I’m going to be drinking beer. I’m telling you now, considering that you’ve got no leg to stand on with your parenting skills.”
Logan was right behind me. He held two bags in his hands, mine and his. As I bypassed him, he held mine out. “Can I come?” he asked.
“Yes,” I ground out. I’d never leave him alone again. No way in fucking hell.
He trailed past me. Helen was gone, but I didn’t care where she had disappeared to. This was normally the time she took a pill or started drinking.
As we went out to the sidewalk, he asked, “Can I drink beer too?”
“No.”
“Oh.”
Hearing his disappointment, I sighed and tugged him close. My arm went around his shoulders and we walked to Ethan’s like that. They’d be fighting tonight. I already knew it. Our mom witnessed it. We witnessed it and I called him out. I tightened my arm around Logan. He had heard too much already.
2
THE WAKE-UP CALL
We stayed at Ethan’s that night and then went to my best friend’s house for the rest of the weekend. The sad part was Nate never asked if we would. We all waited on the curb and when his parents’ driver came to get him, he told him to open the trunk. He said, “Mason and Logan are coming with.” When we got to his house, Nate walked inside and we followed. When his mom came out from the kitchen, her smile dimmed when she saw me. Then Logan popped out from behind me and it stretched again.
She asked, “How was it, honey?”
Nate reached up and kissed her cheek. “It was good.” He gestured to me. “Mason and Logan are staying the weekend.”
“Okay. I’m making pizza for tonight.”
Nate hit my shoulder and laughed. “Last one downstairs doesn’t get any pizza.”
Logan took off first. Nate wasn’t far behind. I waited until they were down there and turned around.
Nate’s mom was watching me warily, biting the corner of her lip. I knew she was a busy woman; both of Nate’s parents directed movies. In that moment, I was jealous of him. His mom was home, but she wasn’t crying. She wasn’t drinking. She didn’t look like a made-up Barbie doll. She was wearing jeans, an apron, and a normal t-shirt. She wasn’t like my mom, who always dressed like she was going out to a socialite party. My mom even wore big huge necklaces and her hair always looked perfect. Nate’s mom was so far from mine in every way. She cooked for him. Our chef prepared every meal. If we ran out, food was ordered in. His parents were as wealthy as mine, but they were more down-to-earth.
Her eyes narrowed now. “What’s up, Mason?”