Chapter 3

Then I did not want that kind of good.

Dad finished yelling, dragged a hand down his face, and stood up. The anger settled back into its usual exhaustion.

“That is enough. Go to bed. We are visiting family again tomorrow, and I do not need you embarrassing me and giving people something to laugh about.”

There it was again.

I lowered my head and went to my room without a word. Tears hit the floor with every step.

My fists hung at my sides, and my fingers traced the raw lines on my palms.

I could not do this anymore. I was done living like this.

We went to Uncle Ray’s the next day.

The living room was packed. People picked at snack bowls, chatted, and bounced kids on their knees. The noise filled every corner.

I pressed myself into the edge of the couch, too afraid to speak or move. All I could think about was not giving Dad a reason to feel humiliated, not hearing those words again.

Soon enough, it was time for Uncle Ray to hand out gift cards. He passed them to each of the kids one by one, and the room buzzed with laughter and thank-yous.

I stood at the back, clutching the hem of my shirt, a sick feeling building in my stomach.

Something bad was going to happen. I could feel it. It did. When Uncle Ray reached me, his hands were empty.

He blinked, embarrassed. “Kellen, I am sorry. I miscounted this time and came up one short. I will make it up to you later, okay?”

My whole body started to shake. I knew what was coming. Dad was going to lose it, and those words were going to come out of his mouth.

Dad’s face went dark. He called my name across the room in front of everyone.

“Kellen Avery, get over here.”

I walked over still gripping my shirt and tried to explain in a low voice. “Dad, Uncle Ray said he miscounted. He will give it to me later.”

“Miscounted?” Dad cut me off. “Everyone else got one except you. What did you do to make yourself so unwelcome?

“You are that desperate for a gift card? Do you have any idea how that looks?

“You will not be happy until everyone is laughing at me for raising a greedy little brat, will you?”

The response tore through me before I could brace for it. My fingers clawed at my arm, digging until the skin broke and the flesh went raw. The physical pain did nothing to ease it.

Brady tugged at Dad’s sleeve and spoke in a careful, timid voice. “Uncle Phil, I saw Kellen go through Uncle Ray’s bag earlier. I think he took something out of it.

“Maybe he already took his gift card himself.”

Every pair of eyes in the room landed on me at once, curious and probing and mocking. There was nowhere to hide. I might as well have been a thief caught with his hand in someone’s wallet.

I scraped together every ounce of strength I had left just to get the words out. “You are lying. I did not take anything.”

My voice came out at the same moment as Dad’s. “Kellen Avery.”

Dad closed the distance in a single stride and seized my arm, right over the torn skin. “You are still talking back? Still lying to my face? You have humiliated me completely. Everyone in this room is laughing at me because of you. I am going to teach you a lesson you will not forget.”

His fingers clamped down on the wound. The pain bored straight to the bone. I could not feel it anymore.

I was done. That was the only thought left. This time, there was no way out.

He dragged me toward the door, my feet stumbling to keep up, my arm screaming where he gripped it.

I was still trying to explain. “Dad, I did not do it. Uncle Ray miscounted. Brady made it up. I did not give anyone a reason to laugh at you.”

“Did not do it? Brady saw it with his own eyes, and you are still denying it?”

Dad wrenched the front door open. Cold air rushed in.

“I will teach you a lesson right now so you never forget what it feels like when people laugh at you.”

Through blurred vision, I saw the living room full of watching eyes. I saw the satisfaction at the corner of Brady’s mouth.

Through it all, those words kept echoing, clinging to me like a curse that would not let go.

Dad grabbed me by the shoulders. I wore nothing but a thin shirt, but he shoved me out the door anyway.