Chapter Six

I can’t stop stealing glances at Tyler, mostly because he’s determined to be a distraction.

Unlike yesterday when he made himself scarce, he’s chosen to sit with us at the dining table and throw in unnecessary remarks while I help his siblings with their assignments. It doesn’t help that he keeps bouncing his knee against the table, making a thud sound that grates on my nerves.

Sighing inwardly, I smile at Lucas, who is gripping his pencil like it might bolt from his fingers any second. “It’s okay. We will do it together,” I assure him, sliding his worksheet closer. “Here, if I have eight apples, and you have eight apples, and Sophie has eight apples, how many apples do all three of us have combined?”

Thud.

I close my eyes and exhale slowly before opening them again. “That’s eight in three places, Lucas. So, eight times three is?”

He shrugs, his mouth clamped shut as he smears his eraser all over the numbers. Beside him, Sophie sighs hopelessly and returns to her own worksheet.

Thud.

“Will you stop that?” I snap, swinging my gaze at Tyler, who simply raises a brow, then looks behind him. “I’m talking to you,” I say through gritted teeth. I don’t care that he’s the almighty, untouchable jock, we’re not at school. “You’re distracting him with your… knee-bouncing.”

Tyler scoffs. “Yeah right, that’s the problem here.” He makes a show of covering his knee with his hand to keep it still, then waves his other hand in the air. “Go on then.”

I release a breath and put on a smile once again. “That’s fine,” I say gently to Lucas. “Let’s try again. Eight times three is…”

Silence descends on the room for a long, torturous minute. Then, the chair at the head of the table scrapes so loudly against the tile.

“For God’s sake, Lucas,” Tyler snaps, rising to his feet. “It’s basic math!”

Lucas flinches so hard his pencil drops, and Sophie’s bottom lip wobbles.

“What is wrong with you?” I gasp, straightening to meet his eyes. “He’s obviously working on it.”

Laughing sharply, Tyler runs a hand through his hair. “He’s been ‘working on it’ for ten minutes. I’ve got better things to do.”

Lucas makes a whimpering sound as he lowers his head further and folds his shoulders inward like he’s trying to disappear.

A surge of protection rises inside me, and I jump to my feet. “Well, no one asked you to be here. And if I remember correctly, we both agreed to stay out of each other’s way.”

My chest is heaving now, my face warm as I glare at the boy towering over me easily. I don’t know where my confidence comes from, but I refuse to let him get away with treating his brother this way.

He blinks slowly, as if seeing me for the first time.

The silence is louder now, and I realize how loud we must have been. “Tyler,” I say softly, and it occurs to me that it’s the first time I’ve actively called him by his name.

He jolts slightly, but doesn’t say anything.

“Yelling won’t help.”

His jaw ticks, and once again, irritation flares in his eyes. “Yeah? Because babying him clearly is.”

Suddenly feeling exhausted, I just shake my head and pick up Lucas’ pencil. I slide it back into his hand. “Sophie, why don’t you show your brother how you did yours? I’ll be right back, okay?”

Sophie nods and draws her chair closer to Lucas, murmuring softly to him.

“Come with me,” I order without looking at Tyler, but the sound of footsteps tells me he’s following closely. I turn around once we’re in the kitchen, folding my arms across my chest. “Close the door, please.”

Tyler narrows his eyes. “Who do you think you are bossing me around?”

“If you think adding the word ‘please’ to a sentence makes it an order, then you missed a lot in first grade.”

A scowl forms on his face and he takes two quick steps towards me. “You seem to have forgotten your place, nerd.”

Refusing to back down, I poke at his chest. “No, you seem to have forgotten yourself.” I draw my hand back. “Just because you let Jake Holland get under your skin doesn’t mean you get to take out your anger on your brother. He’s only six for crying out loud; he needs patience.”

Tyler laughs derisively, causing a shiver to run down my spine. “I can’t believe you of all people are judging me.”

I tilt my head, renewed anger bursting inside me. “And you don’t think I’m the perfect candidate to do that?” I close the remaining distance between us, even as my heart pounds harshly against my chest. “Do you need a reminder of you tripping me in front of the entire school just for the fun of it? I know exactly who you are, as you have shown me time and time again. So yes, I have every right to judge you.”

He opens his mouth and closes it again, shock clearly visible on his face. Just then, a shrill tone fills the air. He dips his hand in his pocket and pulls out his phone, tapping on the screen without looking at it.

“Yes?” Tyler snaps, pressing the phone to his ear. But at the voice of whoever is on the other end, he straightens sharply and turns around, keeping his back to me. “Dad,” he whispers.

Oh.

Unbidden, the memory of what Jake said in class about Tyler’s father floods my mind. Out of pure instinct, I wisely keep my mouth shut and pretend to be interested in the gleaming appliances on the counter.

A few minutes pass by, with Tyler only listening, his back growing rigid by the second. “Yes, dad,” he finally says. “I said I’ll handle it,” he says again, louder this time.

He yanks the phone off his ear and starts to walk away. But he stops suddenly, then whirls around. For the second time today, I see that unfamiliar, roaring fire in his eyes.

“If you think I’ve made your life difficult, Garcia…” His voice drops dangerously low, and I’ve never felt terror until now. “You haven’t seen anything yet.” he says, then walks out the door.

My blood runs cold as my brain works twice as hard to come up with new, better ways to avoid the devil himself.

The only problem? I have to see him again tomorrow.