Jaded (Jaded #1)(57)

Katrice was cleaning dishes and said brightly, “Oh! There you are. I’m just finishing up here. Corrigan told me that you like coffee. Would you like a cup? I know that Harve said you seemed to enjoy it yesterday.”

“Thanks, Mrs. Raimler.”

“Oh. Please,” she huffed and poured a cup for me. Setting it on the countertop, she reflected, “You’re doing me such a favor, honey.”

Huh? “What do you mean?”

“Well,” she blinked. “I get to see Corrigan around the house. He’s usually out of the house after he’s grabbed a quick bite to eat. And heavens know when he gets home at night. He’s always gone spending time with his friends. You know, he really adores you and Bryce. He talks about you guys all the time.”

I didn’t know what to say.

“You two are such a good influence on him.”

My mouth dropped, “Huh?”

“You are. Both of you just calm him down. Corrigan used to get so riled up in school. We got called so much because he fought all the time. Harve and I noticed a change in our Corrigan when he started talking about Bryce and Sheldon. The calls stopped after that.”

“I think that was around the time of puberty,” I said dryly. “Corrigan noticed girls.”

“The Harve and I thought about that too. We thought that was the change in him, but Stephen told us about him one time. He saw his older brother at the mall with you two and it was a new Corrigan.”

Who would’ve thought it? I was a good influence. I wasn’t buying it.

Katrice busied herself cleaning the counter as she muttered, “At least we don’t get calls from the police anymore. That was stressful. We got calls almost once a month, sometimes two times. If we only get one a year now, we’re grateful.”

Corrigan in jail? Never.

Just then Corrigan sprinted up the stairs, breathless.

“Hey, mom,” he greeted and stopped abruptly at my chair.

I noticed two red gashes on his chin and saw another long red scrape that wrapped around his neck. Rug burn.

“Bryce beat you, didn’t he?” I laughed.

Corrigan flushed. “He did not. It was mutual.”

“Oh, honey.” Katrice rolled her eyes to the heavens above and sighed, “You’re always getting yourself into these scrapes. We’ve talked about this. You don’t always have to be the alpha male. Sometimes, it’s okay to be the beta. You actually have more personality—”

“Mom!” Corrigan interrupted. “We’re not talking about this.”

“Honey. You have my family’s wild side in you. I have atoned for this. Really.

I’m to blame, but I’ve seen your friend, Bryce. He is not a beta male. And you grew up being comfortable as the alpha male in this household. I know that sometimes you’re going to rebel, but I really think you’ll benefit in the long run when you’re flexible and can adapt to being the beta or the alpha male.”

“Mother,” he hissed through clenched teeth.

I bit my lip. A laugh would not be appropriate, but…I couldn’t hold back.

“Shut up.”

“Oh my god.” I normally hated giggling, but wow.

“See.” Katrice patted her son’s tense arm. “Sheldon agrees with me.”

“Mom.” Corrigan shook his head, glaring. “She’s laughing at me. You humiliated me in front of my best friend.”

“She’s not laughing at you. I’m sure Sheldon’s seen Bryce without a shirt. She probably agrees with me.”

I lost it.

“Get out,” Corrigan said through gritted teeth. “Get out while you can.”

I got out and moved downstairs just in time to see Bryce leave the bathroom without a shirt.

I started laughing again.

“What’s with you?” Bryce asked as I walked in front of him and sat on his bed. I laid down as he started dressing.

“Corrigan’s mom is hilarious.”

“Really?” Surprise flashed in his eyes. “I always thought she was a little weird.”

“Oh, she is. But she’s hilarious. She just commended me for being a ‘good’ influence on her son and she’s probably still lecturing him how being a beta male is beneficial.”

“What?” Bryce stopped and looked at me, dumbfounded.

“Never mind.” Still chuckling, I stretched out on his bed.

I didn’t see any similar marks on Bryce like Corrigan’s carpet burn. He really was magnificent and the Mohawk accentuated his presence.

“We have to get all of our cars today,” Bryce mumbled as he looked for his shirt.

I groaned, “Can we not? Can we stay here? Have Katrice be our mother and forget all about high school?”

Bryce sat on the bed as he pulled a shirt over his head. As he poked his head through the opening, he replied, “That’d be awesome, but my mom would have a fit. I’m supposed to make the money—” He bit off the next word.

I sat up. “What are you talking about? Why do you have to make the money?”

Bryce just sighed.

“Bryce,” I said sharply. “You’re going to college…that’s why you stopped playing soccer. They don’t want you to play. Are you supposed to get a job now?”