CHAPTER 5: LIKE FATHER, LIKE SON

ADELINE

“Alright, talk.” I say, as I sit across from my mother in the VIP section of a fancy restaurant she picked out for us to have this ‘talk’ that we have never had before.

After all these years, it only just occurred to me on my way here that mum and I talk about everything; about our favourite shows, about school, about Cello and sometimes even boys, but never about her relationships.

Halfway through dinner—it was always halfway, always—she would simply say something like, “hey, I’m seeing someone new. His name is Matt and he works in finance,” and depending on what kind of mood I was in at that moment, I’d either nod or ask what went wrong with the last guy.

She would just shrug and then we would go back to our meal while I mentally prepare myself to start seeing Matt who works in finance in his boxer briefs, standing in the middle of our kitchen while sipping coffee from the ‘Best Mum in the World’ mug I got for mum on Mother’s Day.

So yes, it is weird sitting across from her now, to have a conversation that is ten years in the making and ten years too late. And it is glaringly obvious that we are both terrible at it.

“Don’t you wanna eat something first? You didn’t even finish your dinner last night, and you also didn’t wait for breakfast this morning.” My mother says, her attempt to stall loosely covered up by her concern for me. I see right through her soft placating voice and her tender gaze.

“I’m fine, just say what is you want to say.”

“The food here is great. Are you sure?” She is already an open book but she’s even worse when she’s nervous; fingers twiddling and all. “You’re really not hungry?”

Oh, I am hungry. Downright starving. But until we get this over with, the worms ravenously biting my stomach can eat their way to my intestines for all I care.

“Mum, I ditched a boy I was supposed to go on a date with to come here, don’t make me regret it.”

Her face instantly brightens with an excited smile, far from the reaction I was expecting when that smooth lie rolled out of my mouth. “Really? Is he cute? Is he from your school? Ouuu, is it a college boy? Those are the fun ones.”

“Jesus, mum.” I throw my hands up, frustrated and disappointed in myself for underestimating my mother’s innocent rage baiting abilities. She is just so…simple.

“If you don’t talk to me, I will go back home, pack my bags and spend summer break with Cassidy and her family and then you can have your dream wedding.” Cassidy would like that anyway and maybe I can finally sink my claws into one of her hot as fuck brothers.

Her smile vanishes, “That’s not fair, Addie. I went months without seeing you and when I finally get to, you won’t even stay at home with me?”

“What is not fair is my mother announcing her engagement over dinner—to a man I have never met by the way—like I am going to be just a guest at the wedding and not someone who will be directly affected by your decisions. Don’t you get it? This isn’t Wallace or Daryl or Rafael or Matt who never stuck around!”

This is a man who has gone down on one knee to ask her to be his wife for the rest of her life. A man who will not suddenly disappear like the others after a few months, a man who will be part of our lives in every sense of the word. A man who will replace dad, who will replace me.

I don’t say those words out loud because there is so much feelings attached to it, and my mother and I don’t talk about feelings. Look where that has gotten us. She is mute for what seems like forever and for a second, it feels like the next words that will leave her mouth will make this all go away.

“I called James before coming here.” She blurts.

“Okay?” I don’t see what that has to do with us finally unpacking years of bundled up emotions.

She loudly drags in a breath, “He’s on his way,” and when I still don’t get the reason for that information, she quickly adds, “He will make you understand.”

My mouth drops open, meaning for words to fill them but silence is all it can offer. My head reels, anger and disbelief coming together to form a toxic cocktail that makes my pulse race. Mum hates me. She definitely does.

This is meant to be just the both of us, but she can’t handle talking to me by herself so she chooses to pawn me off to a literal stranger to do it for her.

Freaking mother of the year.

“Wow,” I manage a mutter. I want to say more, but then the door opens, my mother’s head snaps up and her expression relaxes as she mouths, “Oh, thank God”

I turn around and then I freeze because of course, of all the men in the world, of all the James in the United States, it just had to be him.

James Sullivan (Senior) in the flesh, torn right from the financial sponsor’s pages of the school’s magazines. Walked right out of his framed pictures mounted in the Nexus Arts and sciences gallery.

My mind splits into too many places at once, unable to dwell too long on one thought long enough before another chases after it and they all drive me right to the edge of insanity.

This is the James with the cringey love emojis. My mother is engaged to THE James Sullivan, my school’s top sponsor and the father of the boy whose existence is a curse to me.

Wait, does this mean that that devil's incarnate will be my stepbrother? Oh my god. Oh my god. Oh my fucking god. I don’t know when Sullivan snr moved through the room, but he’s now sitting beside my mother, steady eyes looking me over, confidence that you’d expect from a millionaire of his caliber, oozing off him.

It’s like looking in a mirror, one that shows you what your high school tormentor will look like twenty seven years down the line. That bastard will age like fine wine instead of the rotten milk he is.

No, James Sullivan Junior can’t be my stepbrother. It’s a trap, a death sentence and my mother is the one brandishing the knife against my throat.

“Addie, um…this is James. I know you said you didn’t know him earlier but surely you recognize him from school.” My mum says carefully.

“Hi, kid. I don’t want to jump the gun here on the off chance that you don’t recognize me. But, like your mother said, I am James Sullivan and I have collaborated with Nexus High since its inception.”

I don’t say anything, not one word. They exchange looks, their discomfort so satisfying to see because I can’t be the only one who is going insane here.

“Umm,” my mum continues, licking her lower lip, “I wanted you two to meet before the wedding and also because James can reassure you that it’s going to be okay. We’ll move into a bigger house and you’ll live with me and James’ son—”

A dry sound heaves out of me, a bitter laughter. I laugh because the only other option is to cry. “You’re unbelievable. You think that is what I want to hear or this is who I want to talk to?”

“Addie—” Sullivan Snr cuts in.

“It’s Adeline.” I snap, meaning it with every fiber of my being. He doesn’t get to shorten my name like we’re buddies. Heck, he doesn’t get to talk to me. “My name is Adeline.”

“Right, Adeline.” He corrects, nodding and falling in line rather quickly for a man who is known to command respect just by being present in a room.

“I understand how sudden and uncomfortable this must all be for you and I am willing to do anything to make you feel better about it.”

I cross my arms, feeling even more antagonistic because of his patronizing tone. “Fine then, call off the engagement. That should make me feel better.”

“Addie!” Mum exclaims but I refuse to take my eyes off Sullivan Snr who just chuckles, his composure totally unshaken.

“Anything but that.” He responds.

My chin lifts, “Then there is absolutely nothing you can do to make me feel better.”

Mum slaps her face into her palm.

“I know that. My son will probably have the same opinion as you and if you know James, you’d know just how difficult this will be on my part as well.” Like father like son, such staggering confidence and an ability to make you want to drive your head into the nearest wall.

“Oh, I know him alright.” I snort.

“You do?” Mum perks up.

“Yes, we’re friends. We exchange Christmas presents and what not.”

“Really?” Her face brightens, and it’s almost pathetic to see that hopeful look in her eyes at the thought of me getting along with that Devil’s spawn to make this pill easier to swallow.

I take that hope in my bare hands and shatter it as I say, “No mum, he’s an asshole.”

“Oh.” She recoils, eyes flickering over to Sullivan snr, a quiet cry for help that he instantly rises to. I swallow hard when he smiles at her, the reassurance in his eyes directed at her is so off-putting that I don’t know what to do with the feeling it leaves me with.

As I stare at the both of them seated side by side, I can’t help but wonder how their paths crossed. How my mother moved from men who crashed in our house because they couldn’t afford rent, to a talking, walking bank like James Sullivan (Snr). Talk about a 100x upgrade.

Sullivan faces me again, his face a picture of calmness. “Adeline, you have to know that your opinion will only delay my marriage to your mother, not stop it.”

“James, don’t say it like that.” Mum cautions him in a quiet voice but Sullivan is clearly not a patient man nor the gentle parenting type.

“No,” He says firmly, “It is better to rip the band-aid off right here and right now, whether they like it or not. That is why I also called James, that little rascal will be here any minute from now and then we can get this over with.”

My back snaps up straight at his words, a migraine quickly forming at the base of my head. “J-James is coming? H-here?”

My answer comes not even a second later when the door opens and James strolls in, hands in pockets. My breath catches for several seconds, a result of me being totally unprepared to face him even when I just saw him yesterday.

Who can blame me? I wasn’t supposed to see him for another three months! I was supposed to find peace before the hell begins again in three months' time, but the devil followed me home. His eyes land on me first, the bright blue orbs dimming the instant it registers who he is looking at.

“What the fuck are you doing here, Caldwell?” He bares his teeth, he literally bares his teeth at me like an animal.

My throat may be dry but I will always have enough saliva to spit a retort back at him, “Why don’t you ask your dad, Junior?”

His eyes leave me then, flitting across the room and the more he looks, the more that vein on his forehead protrudes like it is going to burst.

“Sit down.” Sullivan snr commands his son. The tone sends shivers skittering down my spine.

James, ever the stubborn brute, ignores his father’s command and pins my mother with a look that starts a fire inside of me and keeps me on my toes, ready to fly to her defense. He wouldn’t dare.

“What the fuck is going on here?”

“Watch your mouth and sit down.” His father commands again, harsher this time.

“What is going on here is that your father and my mother are getting married so why don’t you sit your ass down and stop being a nuisance, brother.” I supply.

A beat of tense silence passes, mum can’t even look at us anymore, seemingly more scared of James than she is scared of me and that riles me up even more.

“Is it true?” James looks at his father, his voice crackling, one touch and he’ll explode.

“Yes.” Sullivan snr responds in a heartbeat.

I don’t know what I expected James to do after that, but it is certainly not him turning around and heading back for the door.

“Get back here, James. This isn’t a joke.” His father calls.

James spins back around, a dark look in his eyes even though he’s smirking. “Are you sure? Because it sounds to me like one. I mean, you’re marrying one of your whores. Where did you get that idea from, a mad man?”

My mother gasps, Sullivan snr yells something but I don’t hear it above the roaring noise in my own ears as I shoot up from my seat to face James.

“Excuse me?” I am seeing absolutely nothing but red, the anger that’s been simmering underneath my skin since I walked in here rising to the surface. He has always been a grade A asshole but this…this takes the cake.

“You heard me.”

“Do not talk to my mum like that.” My fists are balled and the only thing separating me and this uncultured swine is air so thin I can smell the nicotine he tried to hide underneath the minty breath.

He leans in even more until our faces are only mere inches away from each other and my heart is stuttering in my chest. This is beyond the enmity that’s been festering between us for years, far from the childish games and the silly pranks.

“I will talk to a gold-digging whore however I damn well please.”

Crack.

The sharp sound slices through the room at the same time our names are yelled. Someone has slapped James. It takes a moment for me to realize who it is. My hand is trembling, shaking from the force of the hit and the rage that fueled it.

It’s me. I slapped my future stepbrother.