Make Me Bad(17)

“Can’t. I invited someone.”

We’re standing in Jake’s kitchen later that night. He has a new condo out on the beach. It’s nice, modern, not quite my style, but I can see the appeal. The entire back wall is made of glass panels that slide open, and if the weather wasn’t so cold, I’m sure he’d have them pushed to the side so people could mingle out on the deck. As it is, most everyone’s in the living room, except for me and Andy. He dragged me into the kitchen to go over his master plan.

“What? Who’d you invite?”

“Madison Ha—”

He jerks back from the kitchen island, hands flying to grip either side of his head like I’ve just admitted to murder. “NO. Tell me, for the love of God, you didn’t.”

I don’t think I’ve ever seen since his brown eyes get so wide. His reaction seems a little over the top.

“What? Why is that a problem?”

He starts listing things off with his fingers. “Umm, her dad’s the police chief. Her brother—also a gun-toting police officer, who by the way—hates your fucking guts.”

Eyes narrowed in thought, I ask, “How do you know her brother hates me?”

He starts to pace, hands digging into his hair. “What do you mean? Everyone knows that. You stole his girlfriend back in high school, remember? Kylie, Kira—something like that. She didn’t live here long, but you plucked her away from him like it was the easiest thing you’ve ever done, not to mention we totally messed with the public school kids any chance we could get. Remember the parking lot incident? The bonfire? The dog poop!?”

He can’t be serious. That stuff happened over a decade ago. “That’s water under the bridge.”

His eyes widen once again like he’s trying to instill some panic in me. “Is it? ’Cause it seems more like a building tidal wave.”

“Andy, Madison and I are just friends,” I insist.

“Oh okay,” he mocks, like he doesn’t believe me for one second. “Then tell me right now you don’t think she’s hot.”

I scowl. “How do you know she is?”

“It’s common knowledge! Where have you been? Madison Hart is hot as shit, but with that dad and brother, you’d have to be a psycho to date her. No man in his right mind would touch that girl with a ten-foot pole.”

I reach for my beer, tip it in his direction as a silent cheers, and then turn for the living room. His warnings are useless. I’m not trying to date Madison, and I’ve come to terms with that. We’re just going to be friends. I swallow that thought like a bitter pill and chase it with my beer.

In the living room, I’m amazed to find that even more people have arrived. I don’t know what Jake was thinking. There have to be a hundred people in here. It makes sense, I guess. Jake grew up living in the rough part of town until his mom remarried, and then he transferred to Saint Andrews for high school. As a result, he knows everyone, and tonight, he’s invited them.

Of course there are a few new additions, boyfriend and girlfriends, recent transplants to our small town, but there’s still a good chance that if I turn in any direction, my gaze with catch on someone I know pretty damn well. Even though I’m hanging off to the side, near the kitchen, trying to stay out of the madness, it still finds me.

I wasn’t always antisocial. It’s just that in recent years, with all the changes that have taken place in my life, it feels phony to put on a fake smile and shoot the shit. I’d rather sip my beer in peace. Usually Andy’s around and he talks enough for the both of us, but he must still be pissed about me refusing to be his wingman because he’s left me to fend for myself out here.

“How’s the firm, Ben?” someone asks.

Growing.

“Are you still renovating that house?” someone else wonders.

Finished it a year ago.

“How’s your mom?”

Dead. Thanks for asking.

Of course I don’t say that. I wait for realization to hit, for their faces to crumple, and then I let them off the hook by asking them a stupid question about their life. Oh cool, you have two kids now? Tell me more about potty training.

It’s never-ending.

Finally, Andy takes pity on me.

“How many people have asked about your mom?” he asks, cutting through the crowd to get to me.

“Five.”

“Why are people such idiots?” he asks, scanning the party, no doubt looking for Arianna. “Is your girl here yet?”

“She’s not my girl, and no.”

I’ve been staring at the door, watching it like a hawk. I’m worried I’m going to bore a hole through it soon. Not that I’ve been incessantly checking my watch or anything, but it’s already close to 9:00. There’s no way she’s coming. I knew I should have picked her up and brought her myself.

“All right, c’mon,” Andy says, clapping me on the back and trying to drag me through the crowd. “There’s a poker game starting up in the dining room. With that mean mug of yours, you’ll come out on top for sure.”

I don’t have a chance to reply because we get sucked into a swell of people. It’s partly my fault for keeping my distance from everyone. I haven’t been out at a party this big in a while, and everyone’s curious to talk to me and catch up. There’s a weird kind of celebrity surrounding me and my family in this town. Growing up, I loved and abused the power. What teenage guy wouldn’t? Now, I could do without it.