Page 44 of Peach Tree Family

"Ace said he wanted to be like you, and well, he defied his aunt. I've never seen him defy you much."

"Ace is a good kid."

That was something Seth already knew. "He is, so I figured if you told Ace to disobey her that meant she couldn't be trusted."

For a minute Theo looked like he was going to tell him to mind his own business but then he just nodded. "No, she couldn't be trusted. We were only money to her. She got paid by the state as a foster parent."

"But wasn't she family?" Seth said. His grandfather took care of him and nobody paid him one cent for it, not even his mom and dad.

"She is our mom's sister. That's why we got placed with her, but she didn't take us in for free," Theo said.

"And you're sure she didn't just need help paying the bills?"

"I know how she treated us and I know how quickly she kicked me out when I turned eighteen. And that wasn't even the worst of it, but I don't want to get into that." Now Theo clammed up and Seth wasn't going to push him any further, not on that subject anyway.

"You said to ask you later if you're mad at me," he reminded Theo and watched his expression change. He was already looking gloomy, but now he was glaring at Seth.

"I don't have any right to be mad, do I? But you two certainly got friendly."

"Me and... Hannah?" Theo said though he knew that had to be what he meant.

"Who else?"

"I guess we did. She's kind of pushy but she means well." Seth wasn't happy that she hit on Theo, but he didn't have a right to hold a grudge. But he did wonder if Hannah reminded Theo of that other girl who was after him.

"How did she get on your bad side? I know you talked to her for a bit. Did she...? I mean..." Seth didn't want to sound like he was prying. It wasn't his business, but Theo told him some of what she said anyway.

"She warned me to act right where you were concerned."

"She what? I told her to lay off about that." What the hell was that girl thinking?

"She was singing your praises, telling me I could stand to be nicer to you," Theo said.

"I'm sorry. I think you treat me just fine. She just got it all wrong." Now Seth was confused. Maybe Hannah wasn't hitting on Theo after all, and he had it wrong.

"She was just sticking up for you. That's nice, isn't it?" Theo said but his eyes didn't match his words.

"It's... It was wrong of her, and I'm sorry. But she really isn't so bad."

"Right," Theo said like Seth didn't even come close to convincing him. "So now you're defending her like she was defending you from me. It's kind of sweet."

"She has her good points."

"I bet." Theo's mouth twisted.

He was mad, and Seth didn't know what to do.

"You didn't do anything wrong. I'm just being a dick," Theo said through gritted teeth.

Seth stared at him. "You're mad at me." It was the truth. He could see it.

"I don't have any right to be. I'm irritated, maybe a little irrational, but that's my problem and I'll get over it." With that Theo opened his laptop and its screen went up between them.

Seth couldn't understand him. Did Theo think he was lying and he had complained to Hannah about him? Maybe he thought Seth was ungrateful. Theo didn't start out having a high opinion of him, but it hurt to lose the friendly feeling that was building between them.

---