Page 10 of Sucker
“I slept with him,” I blurt when I find my voice.
“Who?” Juliet frowns.
“L-Landon.”
“Holy shit! You fucked Landon James? Whoa! I can’t—I mean, the man isfiiiine.But holy hell! How did? I mean, I thought you were—”
“Saving myself?” My lips twist and wobble. “I was. I think I was saving myself for him.”
She shakes her head like I just hit her with a pillowcase filled with rocks. “Whoa. Back up a little. You went in there to get proof that he stole from your dad and you ended up, what? Falling in love with him?”
“I think so,” I squeak before the flood comes again. “I don’t know how it happened. I was looking at this old computer then he was there, then I hit my head and he took me to his place and like, every fiber of my being came alive when I was around him and it was like that moment when Buttercup pushed the Dread Pirate Roberts down the hill and he yelled, ‘As you wiiiiish!’ so she threw herself after him because she realized he was actually Westley.”
“Are you saying Landon is your Westley?”
I bite my lip. “I don’t know. Maybe.”
“OK.” She’s looking at me like I’m ready to be committed before whispering, “I’m so confused.”
“So am I!” I wail. “I’m supposed to hate him. How could I do this to my dad? I mean, Landon is the reason his life got so messed up.”
“Oh, sweetie. I know you’re feeling all kinds of messed up right now, but you know Landon didn’t make your dad an angry bastard though, right? He did that all by himself.”
My lip wobbles again. “I know,” I cry. “I know. But if Landon didn’t cut him out, maybe things would have been different, maybe he would have been kinder, nicer, sober…”
She shifts so she’s sitting right next to me on my bed, hugging me tight as she runs her hand over the back of my head in a soothing motion. “I know, sweetie. I know that’s how it feels. All us kids with shitty parents play the ‘what if’ game. Why do you think I was so willing to help you try to get this guy? But if you met him, and it turns out he’s like, your lobster or your soulmate or whatever, then you need to do what makes you happy. Your dad is a grown man who made all of his own choices. And you, you are a brilliant woman who made something great out of her life even though the odds were against her. I mean, look at you. You could be pregnant and living on food stamps, but you got yourself a scholarship, and you’re going to be everything your dad wasn’t. And if that means you fall for the guy he blames for his troubles, then, I don’t know, girl, I say you’ve suffered enough. Do what feels rightfor you.Forget about everyone else.” She shrugs, and somehow, I start laughing.
“You’re superb at talking out of your ass.”
She laughs as well, hugging me a little tighter. “I know. I was really struggling to find your silver lining there, but I think I did OK, don’t you?”
We release each other, and I wipe a wad of tissues over my eyes. “You did good. Lots of perspective. But I still don’t know what to do. I mean, he asked me tomarry him.”
Her eyes bug out and her mouth drops open. “Ho-ly. Fu-ck.”
“I know. It’s crazy. This whole situation is crazy. And logically, none of it makes any sense, but it’s like my body took over and being with him feltsoright.”
“So he was good in bed? He looks like he’d begreatin bed.”
“Amazing.” I sigh. “But that’s not all it was. It was this pull.” I place my fingers against my chest. “This pull. I wanted to say yes to it all. But it’d be wrong, so wrong. Not only would I be betraying dad, but there’s the whole weird age thing. I mean, I knew the guy when I was a kid.”
“Do you even remember him from back then?”
“A little. I remember I liked him because he’d bring me cherry suckers. But mostly, he was just the guy my dad worked with.”
“Then what does it matter? Age gap romances work out all the time.”
“But I’m still betraying dad.”
“Well, you know how I feel about your dad, so I won’t sit here and call him a shitty parent again.”
I offer a small smile. “You literally just did.”
“Well, that’s because he’s a drunken gambler who didn’t take care of his daughter properly.” She lifts her hands. “There, I said it. I won’t say anymore.”
I lie back on my bed. “I’m so incredibly confused.”
She lies down next to me. “You and me both. But if it helps, I’d chose Westley.”
