“I never said you didn’t, Jay. I’m just saying, if Dad wants to buy my love, he can go ahead and try. I’ll answer the phone and say hi, but it doesn’t mean I like him much. I just needed a car.”
“Then you should have worked for it. Things aren’t gonna get handed to you because of who you are. You’ve had this easy life, Mom spoon-feeding you, up your ass twenty-four seven. Coaches dubbing you as the golden player and not making you work for things. You have been given everything, and soon there will be no one to do that for you. You have to work for what you want,” Jayden stresses. This isn’t the first time I have heard this.
“I hear you,” I groan because he’s been preaching that shit to me, hard, since last year. He took the divorce the hardest, and I get it. But damn, I’m tired of the broken record. “But I don’t know what the big deal is about taking a car when I need one to get around campus and shit.”
“Because you don’t need that asshole for anything.” His voice is full of venom, and it’s obvious who hates our dad the most.
It’s the big dude who has my shirt clenched in his even bigger hand.
“He’s our dad.” I don’t know why I say that. To them, he isn’t. But to me, he is. I want him to be the man I loved for so long, not the cheating bastard he is now. I’m still hoping he’ll turn back into that man. I know it’s dumb to hope that, naïve even, but I really wish it would happen.
“No. He’s a sperm donor, and you best remember that because if you keep on, he’ll hurt you. I promise you that,” Jude says this time, and it kind of surprises me. While he doesn’t get along with my father, he hardly ever talks badly about him. It’s usually just Jayden and Lucy. “We just want you to stand on your own two feet. You’ve been fed with a silver spoon your whole life. One day, you’re gonna have to support yourself, bro. Better start preparing for that. Mom isn’t going to be there to clean up your messes forever.”
I nod. “I got this.”
And I do. I’m good. I want to enjoy my last year of fun before it’s time to adult, but these two don’t want to give that to me. They want me to be them, and it’s not realistic. They had their time of fun, living off my dad. Why shouldn’t I get that? Because of a divorce I have nothing to do with? That’s not fair. I get what they are saying and I’m watching my back, but I’m not gonna refuse a free car. Or money.
“Have you gotten a job?” Jayden asks and I shrug.
“Working on it.”
That has both of them rolling their eyes, but my dad said he’d send me money. Why do I need a job? I’m not telling them that, though. I need to focus on hockey; I need to have fun. I’m still a kid, damn it!
“I hope so,” Jayden says and then his arms come around me, hugging me tightly. While he does have a scary temper, he loves harder. That’s Jayden for you. You take the crazy with the real good. He’s a good brother. A pain in the ass, a broken record, but a damn good brother. “I love you. Call me if you need anything.”
“Love you,” I mumble as he hugs me, and I know he’d rather I call him than my dad, but it’s just easier. I feel like my dad will give me what I want with no strings attached and no lecture. But with Jayden and Jude, I will have to pay them back, own up to what I need, and I don’t want their disappointment.
Jude takes me into his arms next, hugging me tightly. “I love you, Jace. We just want you to be a good man, you know that?”
“I do,” I say back and he hugs me harder. “And I love you too.”
Pulling back, he looks deep into my eyes, urging me to listen. “It seems great now. He’s doing everything, sending money and buying you shit. But he’ll burn you, and then what will you have? Nothing. So get it together now, prepare yourself, because that money train won’t last. Believe me. He’s burned us all. Plus, you don’t want to be that guy, the one who depends on other people. You are stronger than that.”
For fuck’s sake, I’m nineteen, people. Let me be a kid.
I can’t say that, and as I bite the inside of my cheek, I nod. “I hear you.”
“Good. I love you, dork. Call me if you need guidance on how to pick up chicks. I know you’re struggling with that.” His face breaks into a grin, and before I can push him away, he is tackle-hugging me again, squeezing me tightly.
“Remember, don’t be a fool, wrap up the tool…if you can even get that far,” Jayden jokes, and I break from Jude to push hard against his chest as he laughs, smacking the side of my neck with his big hand.
“And remember there are two holes. One is good, the other is also good, but most of the time, girls freak the hell out,” Jude says between laughs.
“Plus, the boobs are not handlebars, they are love cushions.” Jayden cups his own chest and I roll my eyes.
These guys are fucking sixteen-year-olds, not men.
“You guys are assholes,” I say as Markus wheezes on the car.
“Hey, we are trying to help,” Jude says. “Can’t send my brother out to lose his V-card and not know what to do.”
My jaw drops. “Dude, I’m not virgin.”
“Of course not,” Jayden says with a wink. “I’m sure some girl will believe that.”
Closing my eyes, I take in a deep breath as I shake my head. I want to chase them, but then my phone is vibrating in my pocket with text messages, and I know I need to go. Pulling it out, I see I’m right. Without looking up, I say, “I hate you both.”
“But we love you, Jace, so much,” they say together in a repulsive way that sets my teeth on edge. I swear they were put on this earth to drive me batshit.
Still though, I love them. “You guys don’t want to come tonight?”
Jude scoffs. “No way, Claire would throw a bitch fit.”
“And Baylor would help,” Jayden laughs. “No, we are gonna hang with Mom. Be old and shit.”
“Lame-ass bitches,” I tease, walking around to my car. “Fine, go put your tampon in, but if by chance you change your mind, come on out and watch your baby bro pull girls left and right.”
Markus heckles. “You couldn’t pull a wagon. Really, guys, he sucks at pulling girls. You failed him.”
I glare as Jude and Jayden chuckle. “I don’t like you.”
“Then you should have worked for it. Things aren’t gonna get handed to you because of who you are. You’ve had this easy life, Mom spoon-feeding you, up your ass twenty-four seven. Coaches dubbing you as the golden player and not making you work for things. You have been given everything, and soon there will be no one to do that for you. You have to work for what you want,” Jayden stresses. This isn’t the first time I have heard this.
“I hear you,” I groan because he’s been preaching that shit to me, hard, since last year. He took the divorce the hardest, and I get it. But damn, I’m tired of the broken record. “But I don’t know what the big deal is about taking a car when I need one to get around campus and shit.”
“Because you don’t need that asshole for anything.” His voice is full of venom, and it’s obvious who hates our dad the most.
It’s the big dude who has my shirt clenched in his even bigger hand.
“He’s our dad.” I don’t know why I say that. To them, he isn’t. But to me, he is. I want him to be the man I loved for so long, not the cheating bastard he is now. I’m still hoping he’ll turn back into that man. I know it’s dumb to hope that, naïve even, but I really wish it would happen.
“No. He’s a sperm donor, and you best remember that because if you keep on, he’ll hurt you. I promise you that,” Jude says this time, and it kind of surprises me. While he doesn’t get along with my father, he hardly ever talks badly about him. It’s usually just Jayden and Lucy. “We just want you to stand on your own two feet. You’ve been fed with a silver spoon your whole life. One day, you’re gonna have to support yourself, bro. Better start preparing for that. Mom isn’t going to be there to clean up your messes forever.”
I nod. “I got this.”
And I do. I’m good. I want to enjoy my last year of fun before it’s time to adult, but these two don’t want to give that to me. They want me to be them, and it’s not realistic. They had their time of fun, living off my dad. Why shouldn’t I get that? Because of a divorce I have nothing to do with? That’s not fair. I get what they are saying and I’m watching my back, but I’m not gonna refuse a free car. Or money.
“Have you gotten a job?” Jayden asks and I shrug.
“Working on it.”
That has both of them rolling their eyes, but my dad said he’d send me money. Why do I need a job? I’m not telling them that, though. I need to focus on hockey; I need to have fun. I’m still a kid, damn it!
“I hope so,” Jayden says and then his arms come around me, hugging me tightly. While he does have a scary temper, he loves harder. That’s Jayden for you. You take the crazy with the real good. He’s a good brother. A pain in the ass, a broken record, but a damn good brother. “I love you. Call me if you need anything.”
“Love you,” I mumble as he hugs me, and I know he’d rather I call him than my dad, but it’s just easier. I feel like my dad will give me what I want with no strings attached and no lecture. But with Jayden and Jude, I will have to pay them back, own up to what I need, and I don’t want their disappointment.
Jude takes me into his arms next, hugging me tightly. “I love you, Jace. We just want you to be a good man, you know that?”
“I do,” I say back and he hugs me harder. “And I love you too.”
Pulling back, he looks deep into my eyes, urging me to listen. “It seems great now. He’s doing everything, sending money and buying you shit. But he’ll burn you, and then what will you have? Nothing. So get it together now, prepare yourself, because that money train won’t last. Believe me. He’s burned us all. Plus, you don’t want to be that guy, the one who depends on other people. You are stronger than that.”
For fuck’s sake, I’m nineteen, people. Let me be a kid.
I can’t say that, and as I bite the inside of my cheek, I nod. “I hear you.”
“Good. I love you, dork. Call me if you need guidance on how to pick up chicks. I know you’re struggling with that.” His face breaks into a grin, and before I can push him away, he is tackle-hugging me again, squeezing me tightly.
“Remember, don’t be a fool, wrap up the tool…if you can even get that far,” Jayden jokes, and I break from Jude to push hard against his chest as he laughs, smacking the side of my neck with his big hand.
“And remember there are two holes. One is good, the other is also good, but most of the time, girls freak the hell out,” Jude says between laughs.
“Plus, the boobs are not handlebars, they are love cushions.” Jayden cups his own chest and I roll my eyes.
These guys are fucking sixteen-year-olds, not men.
“You guys are assholes,” I say as Markus wheezes on the car.
“Hey, we are trying to help,” Jude says. “Can’t send my brother out to lose his V-card and not know what to do.”
My jaw drops. “Dude, I’m not virgin.”
“Of course not,” Jayden says with a wink. “I’m sure some girl will believe that.”
Closing my eyes, I take in a deep breath as I shake my head. I want to chase them, but then my phone is vibrating in my pocket with text messages, and I know I need to go. Pulling it out, I see I’m right. Without looking up, I say, “I hate you both.”
“But we love you, Jace, so much,” they say together in a repulsive way that sets my teeth on edge. I swear they were put on this earth to drive me batshit.
Still though, I love them. “You guys don’t want to come tonight?”
Jude scoffs. “No way, Claire would throw a bitch fit.”
“And Baylor would help,” Jayden laughs. “No, we are gonna hang with Mom. Be old and shit.”
“Lame-ass bitches,” I tease, walking around to my car. “Fine, go put your tampon in, but if by chance you change your mind, come on out and watch your baby bro pull girls left and right.”
Markus heckles. “You couldn’t pull a wagon. Really, guys, he sucks at pulling girls. You failed him.”
I glare as Jude and Jayden chuckle. “I don’t like you.”
