006

August’s POV

My father was a full mask-on villain, and the worst part was that everyone else could not see it. They were all blind, every single one of them. Everyone was eating out of his palm, and I could tell that he was enjoying it.

Angrily, I pushed my father away and straightened my shirt. He had terrified me, but I'd rather die than let that show. "Well, I'm here now, huh? That's what you wanted, wasn't it? Tomorrow we’re going to the grave site. We’re finishing this, and then you'd leave me alone. Yeah?"

“You would watch your tone if you knew that they're planning to pull your scholarship. Just waiting until the Nationals are over.” My father gave me a triumphant look as he dropped that bombshell.

I sank my hands into my pockets and forced a laugh. “You’ve gotta be kidding me.”

“Oh, I wouldn’t!” He replied, all faux-fatherly. “As a good father, I’ve got the solution. Stay here, finish school, play your hockey and then go wherever you want.”

“No.” I snapped. “I’m not rotting under the same roof as you. If people knew who you really were, you’d already be behind bars. But I’ll give you this: you’re excellent at covering your tracks.”

That was when I noticed Dona and her mother staring at us helplessly. Here was a man and his son, arguing in their house. Once again, my father and I had gone off in front of strangers... Or at least people who were not supposed to be.

Dona's hazel gaze drilled into me, burning right through my armor. Heat crawled up my neck, and I let out a sound of irritation. She wasn’t supposed to see me like this. Nobody was supposed to see me all cracked open and bleeding anger. To her, I was the untouchable hockey god. Not… this.

And of course, I knew her brain was already turning, dissecting every piece of me. And my father decided to add his useless two cents.

“Maybe if you cut down on the drinking and the smoking, you’d be able to call the shots instead.”

"Peter!" Dona’s mom yelled and yanked him back before I could snap.

I knew my father had said that just to hurt me. And then, because the universe hated me, Dona chuckled. “Well, well…”

Her tone was smug enough to make me feel embarrassed. I wanted to say a million things to her, most of them cruel, but I swallowed them down. She wasn’t ready to hear the fiery words sitting on my tongue. I wasn’t that heartless.

With another huff, I turned around and stormed out of the house.

********

I couldn't bear it any longer. I couldn't bear the lies and the secrets I knew my father was hiding, especially since I knew that he was dragging an innocent woman and her daughter into this mess as well. This was for myself and my father to deal with, not Dona and Samantha.

I found myself stopping at the porch outside, sinking into the cane swing-chair hanging from the roof. I threw my head into my hands and fought the urge to scream.

First I was transferred from my former college up north in Chicago, to Florida State University in the south. Then my hockey scholarship was now being threatened by my own father. And now I found out the girl I'd treated so terribly at the bar was my new stepsister. Was I ever going to catch a break?

"August?" Came a soft and familiar voice behind me.

“Don’t start with me, McNair,” I warned in a low voice.

But when I looked up, she had a sympathetic look on her face, which made me feel even worse about the way I'd spoken to her and her mother earlier.

“I’m sorry things are bad with your dad." She murmured, and it sounded like it took her a lot to admit that. "I know things are hard because you just transferred from Chicago and all of that. But maybe we could just set some ground rules?” She twisted her hands together nervously.

She was way too cute.

“You already know I’m just your stepbrother." I grunted, looking away from her. "A friendship is not gonna happen. You know it, I know it. Especially with this circus we call a family.”

"What?" She whispered, and I wished to take back the words, but I was too far gone to back down now.

"Look," I continued. "All I'm saying is that Samantha will never be my mom, neither will Peter be your dad. So can we drop the act?"

I expected her to crumble. Most people did when I threw the truth in their faces. Instead, Dona squared her shoulders like a soldier and glared daggers at me.

“Why are you such an asshole?" she asked, scrunching her eyebrows up. “Why did I even bother to be civil with you?"

Dona's voice cracked just slightly on that last word, and for a second it hit me where it hurt. But I shoved it down.

I stood to my feet and towered over her. She was forced to throw her head back to look at me, and I could see it in the darkening of her eyes, just how much it annoyed her to have to look up at me.

“That’s not why you’re mad, Dona.” My tone was cold. “You’re mad because I got under your skin, yeah? That I said you weren't my type, is that it?"

Her eyes blazed, cheeks flushed red-hot, and for a second I thought she might actually lunge at me.

Then her middle finger shot out, stabbing the air in my direction. “You know what? Suit yourself. You stay out of my space, I’ll stay out of yours! I can't deal with a person who is missing a few screws up there!"

That statement enraged me, because she was refusing to back down. She really was standing her ground and daring me to push harder. She was dangerous and oddly, it charmed me.

I placed my hands on my knees and crouched down to her height. "Don’t forget I’m your elder brother." I whispered, just to see her squirm.

But all she did was bare her teeth at me. "Fucking asshole!" She stopped right at the door, turned her head just slightly, and whispered, “You’re a pain in the ass. I hope that keeps you awake at night.”