Home...Sweet...Home?

TRISTAN

At the sound of my sister’s voice, Hunter’s grin widened and the asshole tossed my duffel bag at me.

“Saved by the bell, Reeves.” He singsong-ed as I caught it against my chest, sauntering off before I could tell him to go fuck himself.

Watching him go, my jaw clenched tighter and tighter.

What kind of straight weirdo kept talking about getting his dick sucked by the same guy who punched him in the face anyway.

“Were you leaving without me?” My sister’s accusatory voice drifted right into my ear and I snapped my eyes down at her.

She’d somehow slipped her arm through mine without me noticing.

Clearing my throat, I slung the bag over my shoulder and turned around. “Of course not. I was gonna wait for you in the truck.”

“Mhm,” she didn’t sound like she believed me. “So what was that about?”

I knew exactly what she meant, but I’d be damned if I explained what Hunter said to me.

“What was what about?”

She abruptly stopped walking, nearly making me trip.

Groaning under my breath, I turned to look at a face so identical to mine it was kinda trippy.

“Seriously?” She said, dark brown eyes narrowed at me.

“Seriously.” I repeated, keeping my expression blank. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Her lips pressed into a thin line that told me she was getting annoyed. “Okay, I’ll make it simple for you. For the past three years, no matter how much Hunter annoyed you, you’ve never hit him. So what did he say tonight that pissed you off so much?”

The sarcasm in her voice shot a trickle of irritation through me, but I shrugged and continued towards my truck. “Nothing. It’s just Beaumont being an asshole as usual.”

“Fine.” She caught up to me, and kept her pace beside me. “Why then was he standing so close to you just now? His mouth was literally—”

“For fucks sake, Evie!” I snapped, the words coming out harsher than I intended, but honestly, I’ve fucking had it. “Drop it.”

The smile left her face and she climbed into the passenger seat without another word.

Guilt punched me in the throat as I circled to the driver’s side and slid behind the wheel.

Shutting the door, a long sigh escaped me. “Sorry. I was being an ass.”

“Yep.” She said, eyes glued to the hem of the skirt she was twiddling between her fingers.

The guilt built even more. Despite how shitty my game had been, Evie came before we even started and watched the entire thing. She screamed the loudest, cheering and supporting my shitty team.

Outside all that, I really hated yelling at my baby sister. She was one of the few good things in my life.

“I’ll get you that dress you want.” I bribed and finally, she looked at me.

The look in her eyes wasn’t entirely welcoming, but she gave me a small smile.

Well, that works.

Starting the engine, I pulled out of the arena.

“But seriously,” I said, breaking the silence. “Nothing happened.”

Evie studied me for a moment before nodding. “Okay.” She didn’t sound convinced, but thankfully, dropped it.

I weaved through the light traffic, trying not to think about that fucker’s words.

A few seconds however, Evie perked up in her seat. “You played really well tonight.”

I snorted. “We lost 5-0.”

“So?"

“So that’s generally considered a bad thing.”

She ignored me. “I’m proud of you and I think you’re the best hockey player in our city.”

Her words settled uncomfortably in my chest and I tightened my grip on the steering wheel.

“Well, Dad wouldn’t agree.”

The excitement instantly drained from her face and shit, that guilt pricked me again.

I shouldn’t have said that.

Beside me, I heard her sharp inhale.

Unable to say anything to diffuse the tension, I kept my eyes on the dark road stretching ahead of us.

“You know you can make it stop, right?” She broke the silence and a sharp pain like poison darts shot straight into my chest.

I shook my head, sinking my teeth down on my tongue until the taste of copper flooded my mouth.

Unaware of my torment, she continued speaking, even wrapping her hands around mine on the wheel. “Don’t go home, Tris. If you stay over at Carter’s, maybe he’ll cool down before tomorrow.”

Maybe.

The word almost made me bark out a humorless laughter.

Maybe he’d cool down.

Maybe I’d grow fucking wings and fly into the sky.

None of those things were happening and we both knew it.

When she persisted with her fantasies, I roughly dropped her hand from mine. “Think about Mom. You know what he’s gonna do to her if I’m not home when he gets there.”

Silence filled the space in the car and she didn’t speak again after that.

My teeth gritted and the rest of the drive passed in that melancholic silence.

When we finally turned onto our street, my stomach started churning.

The closer we got to the house, the worse it became.

I could practically feel what was waiting for me inside and it made me so fucking sick.

As the oppressive brick house I’ve lived in my entire life came into view, I pulled over at the curb a few houses down instead of driving into the driveway.

“No,” Evie frowned, turning to me with red-rimmed eyes. “No way, Tristan.”

“Go to Sarah’s.” I forced out through the tight lump in my throat. “Now."

“You don’t get to decide for me!” She screeched, trying to force the door open. “Let me come with you. Maybe it won’t be as bad.”

Yanking my key out of the ignition, I turned in my seat and gripped my sister’s slim shoulders, roughly shaking her. “You don’t fucking get it, do you? Lucien doesn’t give a shit. He’ll—”

The words died on my lips when I suddenly registered the terror in her eyes.

She was looking at me the same way I looked at my father.

It wasn’t until I glanced at her shoulder that I realized why. My grip on her was so tight I was practically digging my fingers into her skin. I was hurting my little sister.

I’d never done that in my life.

Pain ripped through me and I tore my hands away from her, snapping my eyes to the windshield.

“Go, Evie.” I gritted. “I’ll be fine.” Then in a softer cracked voice, I added. “Please.”

That got her.

Because I never begged.

I could feel her eyes on me as she slowly reached across the center console and squeezed my hand. “Be safe, Tristan.”

My chest tightened but I forced a nod.

Climbing out of the truck, Evie waited in front of the door and mouthed the three special words.

My eyes burned and I clenched my jaw, breathing in through my mouth until I was sure there was a handle on my emotions.

Then I mouthed them back at her.

A watery smile appeared on her lips and she walked away.

I waited until she’d disappeared down the street toward her friend’s house before putting the truck in gear and pulling into the driveway.

The porch light was on and there was a very shiny cruiser parked in front.

Dread, rage and anxiety tightened in my gut.

I’d hoped I’d be lucky enough to have a few moments with my mother before he returned. Guess luck didn’t shine on people like me.

Biting hard on my tongue, I killed the engine, grabbed my duffel and headed inside.