Page 160 of Zero Chance

“He looks just like his father, you know.”

Shocked by that unexpected announcement, I whirled back to gape at her as she slowly descended the rest of the stairs until she was in front of me.“Oh yeah,” she murmured with an ominous twinkle in her eyes.“I knew his dad.He was younger than me—a freshman when I was a senior—but I still had a huge, raging crush onEricDugger.Just like every other girl in that school.”

I blinked, even more startled to hear that.It was impossible to picture anyone else in her life but Dad.“So you and Keene’s dad…?”

Mom lifted her eyebrows in question before laughing.“Oh, no,” she assured, shaking her head.“Never.He didn’t even know I existed.Which was for the best.That asshole was the most selfish, insensitive, lying whoremonger I ever met.Just.Like.His.Son.”

I started to shake my head because Keene wasn’t selfish.He wasn’t insensitive.

But Mom only laughed.“Oh, honey.You don’t even know the half of it.Keene and Eric could be twins because of how similar they are.Same infectious charm and engaging smile.Same life and vitality.Same good looks and cocky strut.I know exactly why you were drawn to him, Waverly, but you have to listen to me.”Setting down her basket, she came to me and took my hands in hers.“He’s no good.If you only knew what Eric did to Keene’s mother.”

“Idoknow what he did,” I said.“And that’s why Keene can’t stand his dad.He hasn’t had any contact with him in years.”

“And yet he acts just like him,” Mom sneered.

I sighed and turned away, understanding her aversion to my boyfriend a little more now but not excusing her for it.Keenewasn’this dad, no matter how much she tried to convince me otherwise.

“He did it because of a dare, you know.”

Rolling my eyes, I told myself I didn’t care what she was talking about; it was only going to lead to some new reason why she was so convinced I should stay away from Keene.

But my curiosity got the best of me.Glancing over my shoulder, I asked, “Who did what for a dare?”

“Eric,” she answered.“It was three or so years after I graduated, but I still heard about the whole thing.His friends challenged him to sleep with the weird, autistic girl.And he took the dare seriously.He just didn’t count on his parents making him step up and take responsibility for his child when he accidentally knocked poor Robin Laterman up after winning the dare.”

I shut my eyes briefly.Poor Robin.I grew an even deeper appreciation for the ghost who’d saved me from an attack, only to suddenly realize where my mom was going with this.

My eyes shot open in dismay as I gaped at her.But did she seriously think?—?

“Trust me,” I muttered.“No onedaredKeene to pretend to be interested in the weird, depressed rape victim, if that’s what you were thinking.”

His friends would never do that.Because his core group was obviously better than his father’s had been.

Eyebrows lifting with interest, Mom didn’t even deny her suspicions.Instead, she asked, “So he knows then?About your rape?”

I furrowed my brow, not answering.And reading the answer from my expression, she shook her head.“Of course, he doesn’t.Because there’s no way the Keene Dugger I knew in high school would be able to handle taking on a girl with your amount of trauma.He doesn’t have the depth or the compassion.Even if hewantedto try, he’d crack under all the weight and take off at the first chance he got.Is that what you want, baby?You want him to charm you into falling for him, only to watch his back as he runs off as soon as he finds out what he got himself into?Because that’s what he’ll do.And then you’re going to spiral again until—until?—”

“Until I try to kill myself?”I asked harshly, lifting my chin and glaring.

She jolted, only to rasp, “That’s not what I was going to say.”

“But that’s what you meant, right?”I challenged, narrowing my eyes.“That I’m too weak to have a boyfriend.I can’t take the heartbreak of him inevitably leaving.Because you’re so sure no one could possibly want to keep someone as broken and messed up as I am.”

Her eyes flared.“Now that’sreallynot what I was going to?—”

“Screw you,” I seethed.“I know how far from normal I am, okay?And maybe you’re right.Maybe he won’t want to stick around once he realizes what kind of freak he’s dealing with, but that’smyrisk to take.Not yours.And I’m going to take it.So just butt out, alright?”

When her mouth fell open in shock because I’d never once spoken to her that way, I glanced out the window and was more relieved than I could admit when I saw Keene’s Jeep pull into the driveway.

Turning back to my mother one last time, I muttered, “But thanks so much for letting me know you think no one’s ever going to be able to love me for me.I appreciate it.”

“Waverly!”she cried in horror.“No, I?—”

“Don’t worry,” I cut in, yanking the door open as I left.“I’ll be home by your stupid curfew.”

Because I still understood she was acting this way from a place of fear.My suicide attempt might’ve scarred her more than anyone.Every day, everything she did was to keep me alive.She was suffocating me, holding me from any possibility of growing up and living my own life, because she couldn’t handle the possibility of me failing and trying to end it again.

So I was going to respect her rules and ease her fears as much as I could.But nothing she said was going to keep me away from Keene.

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