Page 43 of Cloudy With a Chance of Bad Decisions
His words haunted me.
He wore his heart on his sleeve, face so expressive that if you paid close enough attention, you could almost read his thoughts. Which was how I knew I’d fucked up. Because before George had even opened his mouth to tell me off, I’d seen the tremble of his lower lip, the glassiness in his eyes, the way his hands shook at his sides. And instead of backing off, I’d pushed himover the proverbial cliff.
He’d looked terrified.
Of me, maybe.
Terrified I’d rope him into another uncomfortable situation.
There was no taking back what I’d done. The damage had been dealt. I suppose…until it happened, I hadn’t realized how badly I abhorred the idea of being a person that George disliked. The thought that he was hating me—even now, from across the street—made my skin feel too tight.
This was the first time in my life I’d felt this way.
George wasn’t the first match June had set me up with that I’d sabotaged. But he was the only one that I regretted. He hadn’t deserved the way I’d treated him. And like we were goddamn magnetized, even after I’d sworn I wouldn’t flirt—wouldn’t react, wouldn’t put fire to the kindling June had stacked—I still hadn’t been able to help myself.
Not when he’d acted so…unaffected.
I don’t know why it bothered me so much. But it did. I was used to people liking me. And between his reactions on the plane and at the barbecue, I’d…lost control.
I’d pushed too far.
Simple as that.
I didn’t blame George for not accepting my apology, even though it had been sincere. I understood better than anyone how important it could be to maintain a facade of perfection when one felt rotten beneath the surface. I’d cracked his, like he was an egg, and I’d splattered his yolk all over the party.
In my defense, I’d set out to leave him alone. But I couldn’t bring myself to do that. Couldn’t ignore him, or the way he made me feel. It ate me up inside seeing him sit beside Roderick looking somewhat content when all my efforts to put him at ease on the plane had only resulted in more tension—and a goddamn pen in my leg.
I couldn’t believe how torn up I was over George. It didn’t make sense.
Interrupting my thoughts, a knock on the door sounded.
“Come in,” I called with a sigh.
June pushed the door open, and I flashed her a smile. Normally, I’d tease her. Say something off-putting to make her laugh, but I didn’t have it in me right now.
But I was glad for a distraction, even if I knew why June was here, holding her phone. Every time I talked to our dad, all I could see was his bruised face. All I could remember was the hours in the waiting room, head in my hands, June’s cheek on my shoulder. Thebeep, beepof the heart monitor. And the fear, and subsequent relief, when we found out he’d be alright.
We’d almost lost him.
It was the scariest moment of my life.
“Dad wants to video chat,” June said.
She hadn’t said anything about the party since we returned.
Which, honestly, spoke volumes.
“Right,” I agreed, sitting up and scooting over to make room on the bed for her to sit. It was late. We’d stayed at the Milton’s till well after dark, but Dad was a night owl, so I was unsurprised he still wanted to talk.
June sat beside me, legs spread wide. She took up a huge amount of space for someone who was basically a big-boobed hobbit (her words, not mine). She was quiet as she held up her phone and hit dial. In companionable silence, we waited as the call connected.
“S’up, old man,” I said as soon as Dad’s forehead came into view. His forehead. Even though he was a fifty-plus-year-old business-savvy mogul with his thumb in so many profitable pies I’d lost count—he acted ancient when it came to tech.
I’d explained FaceTime to him about a hundred times, and still, most of the time it took him a solid five minutes to realize we were conversing with his eyebrow, or his forehead—or one memorable time, the inside of his nose.
“How was the party?” Dad asked, not bothering to respond to my teasing.
“Fun.” June was quick to reply before I could. “Alex wouldn’t stop flirting with Roddy’s ex.”
