Looking to sidestep the issue I said, "The thing with your dad's girlfriend, that was what? Ten years ago."
"Yeah. So?"
"So people change."
"No. They don't. Especially Jake."
"But honestly," I persisted, "he seems really happy with Luna. And let's say hewaslike that as a teenager, I don't think he's like that now."
"Maybe not, but he's still a dick. I don't want him bothering you."
Isodidn't want to get in the middle of this. I sighed. "If that's the case, why don'tyoutell him?"
"I did."
"And…?"
"And he was a dick, like always."
I thought of Steve and Anthony. They were brothers, and they gave each other grief all the time. Heck, they'd givenmetons of grief, too. But there wasn't any real malice there.
I said, "Maybe he was just teasing you."
His voice was flat. "Teasing me."
"Yeah. Like to make you pop. You know. Lose your temper." I tried to smile. "Come on. Admit it. He was probably just goading you."
"You think that makes a difference?"
"Doesn't it?"
"Listen. My dad's girlfriend? She was a skank twice his age. And you wanna know what else? Helovedpissing my dad off."
I wasn't following. "So?"
"So Jake screws her right there in my dad's house,withmy dad in the other room."
My jaw dropped. "You're kidding."
"No. I'm not. And when my dad catches them—"
"Oh, my God," I said. "In the act?"
"No. But close enough. Anyway, when my dad walks in, Jake looks to my dad and says, 'What's the big deal? It was like screwing sandpaper.'"
I sucked in a breath. "He didn't."
"He did," Joel said. "Starts calling her Sandpaper Sally, right to my dad's face."
I shuddered at the implication. "So what'd your dad do?"
"What doyouthink? He takes a flying leap, looking to beat Jake's ass. This is in Jake's bedroom, by the way. But before you know it, the whole thing spreads to the kitchen."
"Why the kitchen?"
"Who knows. But give it fivemoreminutes, and it's not just Jake and my dad fighting. It'sallof us."
"You too?" I did the math. "So you were what, twelve years old?"
