Page 37 of The Love of My Next Life
I haven’t seen her since I was nine.
I’ve wanted to visit ever since.
“Of course, Pumpkin,” my dad says quietly. “I want you to be happy. You know that.”
I kiss him on the cheek. “I love you.”
“Love you most,” he says, then lets me go. “Now go to school, you delinquents, before the truancy officer comes knocking.”
Claire snorts. “You’re so old.”
He waves her off with a grin. We tell him goodbye and head to her car. She spends the whole drive to school lamenting the fact that I’m “abandoning” her for the summer, but even her bad mood can’t bring me down.
I’m going to England this summer. I’ve never been so excited.
I try not to,but the moment we pull into the school parking lot, my eyes scan for Macon. I find him immediately leaning on his car with Sam plastered to his side.
My stomach twists.
Seeing him with her after what happened Friday night bothers me, but I think I would have gotten past it if it weren’t for what happened last night at the rec center. Him watching me paint. Telling him about his influence on my music tastes. I just thought...
I’m not sure what I thought.
I scold myself. Temper my scowl when Sam rests her head on Macon’s chest. The same side as his tattoo.
I bet she knows what the tattoo is.
She probably was with him when he got it.
“I know,” Claire says. “He’s so gross.” She turns off the engine and we climb out of the car.
“Pretty sure he had Sam over on Sunday while Mom was working. His whole room smelled like weed, and when he finally came out for dinner, he was so high he could barely stay awake.”
She keeps her eyes forward as we pass, refusing to even look at him.
“Mom cried, and then spent the rest of the night in her bedroom on the phone.”
Despite my better judgment, I glance back over my shoulder. Macon’s watching us with a frown.
“I hate him, Lennon,” Claire says. “I really do. I don’t care that he’s my brother. He’s fucked up my family and he won’t stop until it’s well and truly broken.”
My first instinct is to defend him, but I stop myself. Instead, I reach out and grab her hand and give it a squeeze.
“I know,” I whisper. I don’t know what else to say, so I don’t say anything. I just let her be angry and tell her I love her when we part ways to go to our lockers.
“See you at lunch,” she says with a smile, so I smile back and nod.
Eric is waiting for me at my locker, and the sight of him warms me up and sends ice through my veins at the same time.
He’s gorgeous. He’s kind. He’s a good guy.
We’re not dating. Not really. But I still feel so freaking horrible. I feel like a cheater.
“Hey,” he greets, and takes my bag when I stop in front of him. I smile and unlock my locker.
“Hey,” I say back, then take my bag from him to exchange out books. I take a deep breath when I finish and turn to face him. “I have bad news.”
His face falls. “Is everything okay?” he asks. “Are you alright?”
