Hate me

Knox

“What part of you have a meeting after school don’t you fucking understand?” my father booms the moment I pull in the driveway. 

I suck my cigarette down to the filter and toss it out the window. 

I knew he’d be pissed when I didn’t show up, but I was hoping I’d be able to get home and sneak downstairs before he started with his shit. 

I open my mouth to tell him something came up, but Aspen says, “It was my fault. I asked him to wait for me after school to give me a ride home, but my student council meeting ended up ru

My dad blanches, clearly caught off guard by her declaration. 

That makes two of us. 

“Oh.” I can tell he wants to scream some more, but he won’t because he still wants to make a good impression on her. “I see.” His dark eyes zero in on me again. “I’ll reschedule for next week. This time you better be there.” 

You can cut the tension between us with a knife. 

Apprehension flashes across Aspen’s face before she opens the door and hops out of my jeep. “I’m go

“Aspen,” I call out when she’s halfway up the driveway. 

She freezes. “Yes?” 

“What time are you going to Violet’s house?” 

I bite back a smirk when she swallows thickly. 

“Eight.” 

Liar. 

She usually leaves at ten, but she pushed it up by two hours because my dad’s still standing in front of us and going to a friend’s house to study at ten on a school night sounds suspect as fuck. 

“I’ll drive you.”  

She looks like a mouse hovering near a trap. She’s starving and wants the cheese so badly she can already taste it…

But she also knows one little bite might kill her. 

“You don’t have to. I can walk—”

“Walking alone at night is dangerous for a young lady,” my dad chimes in. “One of us will drive you.” 

Choose your poison wisely, Stray. 

She looks at me. “I’ll be ready by seven fifty.” 

Good girl. 

Aspen probably thinks I’m doing her a solid for covering for me, but I’m not.

I just enjoy watching her squirm. 

“She’s a beautiful girl,” my dad states after she walks into the house. “I’m glad you’re being a good brother and looking out for your new sister.”