Page 117 of Riot

I slip out and I hear Antoine say something to Dad, but he follows me out.

“Not so fast,” Antoine says.

I turn to face him. “What do you want?”

“That’s a charming way to greet your brother.”

I let out a slow breath. “What do you want, Antoine? I’m here to see Dad and that’s all. Unless you’ve got something to say that’s productive, which is highly unlikely.”

“Mom’s upset.”

“Really? Did she tell you she just offered my boyfriend a million dollars to break up with me?”

He rears back like I just slapped him. “What?”

I put my hands on my hips. Unlike my dad, I don’t believe Antoine has the ability to change, then again, I should probably give him the benefit of the doubt. Not that he deserves it. I’ve had more than one of his ex-girlfriends crying on my shoulder telling me what an asshole he was to them. After a while, it gets a little old. He’s got no room to lecture me when he can’t get his own shit together.

“Yep, and he tore the check up. So before you come at me with your pointing fingers, get the facts right first.”

“I didn't know that. She told me that he was rude to her and then he left.”

“Well, Mom lies.”

He narrows his eyes. “She said you brought a biker into their home?”

“He’s also a man, a very decent and kind one. If you took a second to pull your head out of your ass, you’d be able to see that for yourself.”

“Just look at yourself, Lourdes. You could’ve amounted to great things, and yet here you are working in an office, dating a biker.” He folds his arms over his chest.

“So you just came here to insult me too? Why don’t you just save it for when you get together with Mom because I don’t want to hear it.”

“He beat up Ian,” he calls after me.

I flip him the bird. “Trust me, whatever happened to Ian, he deserved tenfold.”

I rush out, but my mom’s never far away. “Halo,” she says.

I turn to her. “I can’t believe you, Mom. I trusted you!”

“What?” she says innocently.

“I heard what you did to Riot. I heard every word. Why do you have to be so cruel to everyone you come across?”

“Don’t speak to me like that,” she warns.

I put my hands on my hips. “Or what? You already cut me off the day you tried to take over my life.”

“Listen to her,” Antoine says. “She’s only trying to save your soul, though I think it’s a little too late for that.”

I turn to face him. “You’re just as bad as she is. I hope the two of you are happy, and thank you, by the way, I’m doing just fine. I’ll be back later to see Dad.” I turn on my heel.

“He’ll dump you before Valentine’s Day,” my brother calls after me. “You know it’s true, Lourdes.”

“It’s Halo!” I yell back. “And you know nothing about my life or what I want.”

I slam the door behind me, relieved when I see Riot is still parked in the same spot and he hasn’t gone anywhere.

I’m so embarrassed about my family. I’m so hurt by my mom’s actions. She didn’t even give him a chance to talk or explain. He isn’t terrible because he’s a NOLA Rebel. And I didn’t fall in love with him just to spite my freaking parents.

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