Hissy Fit (The Southern Gentleman #1)(39)

“Oh, we’re more than aware of that,” Johnson said. “And, also, everyone at the school knows y’all are banging now, too. We saw that kiss. We saw the look in both of your eyes. There’s no lying about the fact that y’all are together.”

Raleigh gasped, but I only shrugged.

“I wasn’t trying to hide anything,” I admitted. “There’s not a no-fraternization policy, and I haven’t been quiet about my feelings for her. It’s not my fault that y’all are just exceptionally unobservant.”

“We’re not that unobservant,” Johnson explained. “Mackie was the one to call it that y’all were together. He said y’all were f-u-c-k-i-n-g,” Johnson spelled it out so Moira, who’d arrived with her Sharpie, couldn’t understand the bad word. “The day that you made us apologize to her. Even though, technically, I wasn’t the one in the wrong.”

I blinked. “Mackie said that?”

Johnson shrugged, his eyes going away from his Xbox for a few short, precious seconds, before returning to the screen. “Yep. He was also adamant that he was going to get you back. I’m guessing he’s started with Raleigh, knowing you like her. Toilet papering has begun—and that’s his signature move. That’s usually only the first step, though.”

“What’s his next step?” my sister asked.

Johnson cursed quietly under his breath when he died, and he leaned forward and dropped the controller onto the couch cushion beside his hips. “He’s a douche. It only gets worse, but usually this is all reserved for kids. I’ve never seen him get mad at a teacher before. I don’t know his next step. Last fall, when Talia Rimmel broke up with him, he TP-ed her house, and then ran his tractor into her car…with her in it.”

I had a sick feeling inside my chest, and I didn’t like it one single bit.

“Great,” I muttered. “What a little prick.”

“Yep,” Johnson agreed and stood up. “I have a date. I’ll check y’all losers later.”

With that, he walked out the door, and we all watched him go.

I looked over to Raleigh, who was busy holding very still for Moira, who was drawing Elsa and Olaf on her ice blue cast, chattering away about the next Frozen movie that was due to come out next year.

Raleigh’s eyes lifted up and met mine, and she shrugged.

She’d heard the entire spiel as well, and I saw that she wasn’t bothered by it.

At least that made one of us.

“Where’s Dad?” I asked my sister, wanting to change the subject.

“Dad is in the, errrm, bedroom with Mom,” my sister whispered.

“Granddad is giving it to Grandma,” Moira chirped. “That’s what he said through the door when I walked past their room to their office to get this Sharpie.” She paused and looked up. “Whatever that’s supposed to mean.”

Every adult in the room, as well as Johnson who hadn’t quite made it out the door, gagged.

“That’s disgusting,” Johnson groaned as he slammed the door behind him. “I’m not coming back!”

I wished I hadn’t come at all.

***

Dinner, at first, was an awkward affair.

My parents, not realizing anyone was in their house, had gone about doing what they wanted to do—i.e., each other.

While we, my sister, her husband and my best friend, as well as Raleigh and I sat on the couch not speaking until they were done.

The kids had played quietly in the yard.

Which led us to now, all of us sitting at the table, eating in silence.

Of course, it had to be Raleigh that broke that silence.

“I once walked in on my parents doing it on the kitchen table,” she murmured. “I wouldn’t eat there for a year.”

There was silence for a few long seconds, and then I started to crack up.

“Oh, God,” my mother wheezed. “At least we keep it to our bedroom. But, just sayin’, it’ll teach y’all to knock or announce yourselves before you walk into our house.”

“I texted,” Cady said in outrage. “I mean, what more did you want me to do? Have one of those criers from the old days announce my presence before I arrive?”

My pop snorted. “How about we just change the subject, and we act like it never happened?” he suggested.

“But it did happen,” Raleigh offered helpfully. “I don’t mind, though. It’s a natural thing. It wasn’t like y’all were doing anything illegal.”

I groaned and leaned my head against the back of my chair. “Is there a reason we’re still talking about this? I don’t feel like this is something that we should continue to talk about over my favorite dinner.”

“It is his favorite dinner,” my mom amended. “We can talk about this after dinner, during dessert if you’re more comfortable.”

“How about never?” Cady suggested.

“You do know, right, that your father and I had sex, which then turned into conceiving you,” my mother teased, enjoying the fact that she could embarrass her adult children, just like she enjoyed it when we were younger. “There’s this thing called conception, it starts by…”

“La-la-la-la-la,” Cady yelled loudly. “I’m not listening.”