Page 53 of Every Broken Promise
If I had been sober, I would not be making my way across town toward Tyler’s house at this hour. The walk there seemed to drag on, but that was most likely because I was tipsy.
God, how did Tyler make this walk when we were little?
Was he not scared at all? He would come over no matter the weather. Most of the time, it was on his bike, but sometimes he came on foot. I loved it when he would come sleep over. Being an only child, you were used to a certain degree of loneliness. With Tyler there, I never felt it. Even though it was only me, I felt safe and secure, and I owed that to him. I felt invincible growing up, and I knew it was because he was always right behind me.
TWENTY-ONE
15 years old
“Dad’s going to be pissed,”Adam stated the obvious as he drove me home from school.
I was sure the school had already called my dad to tell him I was suspended for three days.
“I know that already,” I bit out, even though it hurt to talk from my current split lip.
Hopefully, my dad will be more lenient once I explain things to him. It was something I couldn’t—wouldn’t—be explaining to my brother. He didn’t need more ammunition to blackmail me with.
“He’s going to make you help Ezekiel at the shop as punishment.”
I let Adam talk because I wasn’t in the mood to engage in a conversation about the obvious consequences of my actions. He was right, my dad would make me do more work at the shop. Not that I minded; it would be better than being couped at home.
Now that EZ was out of school, he helped my dad out in the mornings while he took classes at night. Although it had been a year, I don’t think Ezekiel was over losing Sabby. We didn’tmention her name or bring up old memories that included her because he always retreated when we did. Ezekiel was never much of a talker, not from what I remembered, but now he was worse. According to Dad and Adam, he used to be very outgoing and loud, but after Mom, he toned it down, and now, without Sabby, he ultimately shut down.
“Don’t go there with her.”
His words still haunted me. They went with me everywhere as a reminder, and all I had to do was take one look at my brother, and the proof that I had done the right thing was there for me to see.
I didn’t want to be like my brother—alive but not living.
Hell, if I were being honest with myself, that was my father as well. He had us, and he loved us, but now I knew that the love he had for us and the feelings he had for my mom were two different things. A partner walked alongside you in life while your children took their own paths and had to find their own ways.
My dad loved us, but he knew we wouldn’t be walking alongside him forever.
As soon as I made that realization, the fact that Astrid would have someone else that wouldn’t be me gutted me.
I mean, nothing had to change, right?
It was a question I didn’t want the answer to, at least not now. For now, I was content with how things were.
Which brought me to my suspension and the fact that high school was changingeverything.I was angry, and even though it was irrational, I was angry at Astrid.
“Why did you hit JD anyway? He’s always been a prick, but if you leave him be, he fucks off.”
JD was a super-senior who hung out with Adam’s friends. He would have graduated if he had done something more than get high and ditch class. In my opinion, it wasn’t that hard tograduate high school. All you had to do was show up and do the work. JD was a fucking creep, and a jerk.
“He’s a fucking loser,” I spat.
JD and I were even in height, but the fucker had more weight on me. My hand hurt like a motherfucker from the punches I gave him. He might have been stronger than me, but I was faster.
After what happened today, he might not be graduating this year either since he was constantly getting in trouble, meanwhile, this was my first offense.
“Now, thanks to you, he might stick around longer. Sucks for you, I’m out this year,” Adam mocked me.
School had kept him around way longer than he deserved, which was the main reason for our fight.
When we got home, I sighed, and instead of going inside the house, I made the small trek toward the auto shop. I might as well get it over with and go face my pops.
EZ was hanging out by the register. He looked up at me and shook his head, but I could see the fucker was smiling.
