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Aspen
I jolt when there’s a knock on my bedroom door.
It’s Sunday night, and I’ve avoided Knox the entire weekend. Not that it was all that difficult considering neither of us go out of our way to speak to one another.
“Come in,” I mutter, staring down at my math textbook.
Mrs. Larsen gave us a shit ton of homework this weekend, and I haven’t even made a dent in it.
The door opens and my mom pops her head in. “Di
“I have a lot of homework to finish. Save me a plate.”
Or not. Either way, I don’t care.
She frowns. “Trent wants us to all eat di
A
“Tell Trent he can go fuck himself.”
She closes her eyes. “Aspen.”
I’m not sure what makes me cave. Maybe it’s the forlorn way she says my name, or the uneasy way she’s worrying her bottom lip between her teeth.
“What’s going on, mom?”
Her green eyes widen. “Nothing. What makes you ask that?”
“I don’t know,” I snap, closing my textbook. “Maybe because you’re suddenly acting like some kind of Stepford wife.”
And like you actually give a shit about being a decent mother.
She looks around the empty hallway, like she’s scared someone might overhear the next words out of her mouth.
“Mom—”
She presses a button on the vacuum and the abrupt hum cuts me off.
Before I can question her any further, she walks over to my bed.
“Trent’s late wife’s parents had a lot of money before they passed. Money Trent and his son inherited after she died.” She frames my face with her hands. “That money can set us up for life, baby. We just need to—”
I pull away from her touch. “I’m not doing a damn thing.”
God, she makes me sick.
Honestly, I should have known better. It’s always the same thing with her. Using men for money.
“Don’t look at me like that,” she hisses. “You know how hard things have been since your dad died.”
Yeah, hard enough I had no choice but to become a stripper.
Which is still a hell of a lot more noble than what she’s doing.
“Aspen—”
I shake my head. “No.”
I have absolutely no interest in conspiring with her like we’re Thelma and Louise. As far as I’m concerned, she’s on her own.
“Please,” she pleads, her lower lip trembling, “do this for me.”
It’s on the tip of my tongue to ask her what she’s ever done for me.
However, guilt prickles my chest. Because whether I like it or not, the woman is still my mother.
I ball my hands, hating the position she’s putting me in.
“Fine,” I concede. “I’ll go downstairs for di
“Thank you,” she says, walking over to the vacuum to shut it off. “I made Trent’s favorite—meatloaf and mashed potatoes.”
Of course she did.
“How was everyone’s weekend?” Trent asks after we’re all seated at the di
Knox and I stay silent.
“I joined a new fundraising committee,” my mom chirps after another minute passes. “We were thinking about throwing a party here next month—” her sentence trails off when her husband glowers. “I suppose I can always ask Janine if she’d be willing to host it at her house instead.”
“It’s fine,” Trent says. “Host the party here.”
My mom’s face lights up. “Really?”
Biting into his meatloaf, he nods. “Yeah. It’s about time we did something entertaining around here.”
I shift uncomfortably when I feel his attention swing to me. “How was your weekend, Aspen? Do anything fun?”
Took my clothes off for money and spun around a pole.
Gave a few old men lap dances.
Oh, and fucked your forty-eight-year-old brother in the back of his car while it was parked behind a grocery store.
That was kind of fun.
“Not really.” I push my food around my plate with my fork. “Studied with Violet.”
“I see.”
I’m not sure what to make of his tone, but I don’t have time to dwell on it because Knox pushes his chair back and gets up from the table.
“Di
Knox ambles over to the kitchen sink. “I told Shadow I’d give her a ride to work.”
“Don’t you think you should have cleared that with me first?”
Geez.
Then again, I can’t blame Trent for keeping him on a tight leash.
He killed his own mother.
Knox freezes, the tendons in his arms coiling as he grips the edge of the sink. “I didn’t think it would be a big deal.”
“Well, you thought wrong.” Trent wipes his mouth with a napkin. “You know how important your attendance at family di
Knox turns around. “It won’t happen again.” It looks like he’s swallowing nails before he utters, “Sir.”
“Make sure it doesn’t.” He waves a dismissive hand. “You may be excused.”
Knox starts to leave, but then Trent snarls, “Thank your mother for the lovely di
His back is turned so I can’t see his face. However, I do see his hands clench into fists…like it’s taking every ounce of his self-control not to flip the fuck out.
“Thanks for di
A moment later, the front door opens before slamming shut.
We finish the rest of di
I’m loading the plates from di
“You don’t like me,” he notes, leaning against the marble island.
Awkward.
However, I tell him the truth, “I don’t know enough about you to form an opinion.”
Okay, that’s a lie.
I don’t like the fact that he married my mother.
Or that he insists we all eat breakfast and di
I also don’t like that he referred to my mom as Knox’s mom earlier. Because she’s not.
Or that he thinks he can buy my approval with a car. Because he can’t.
“I get that,” he says softly, like I’m a bomb he’s afraid will detonate at any moment.
Taking a plate from me, he puts it into the dishwasher. “I’m not trying to be your father.”
“Good.”
Because my dad isn’t someone who can be replaced.
Especially by the likes of him.
“But I am hoping we can be friends one day.”
I raise a brow. “Friends?”
He chuckles a little. “Okay, friends is a bit of a stretch.” His expression turns serious. “I’m sorry about your father, Aspen. It was a terrible tragedy I wouldn’t wish on anyone. But I’m tired of feeling like I need to tip-toe around you in my own home.” He takes a step closer. “I just want to take care of you and your mother.”
The words are out of my mouth before I can stop myself, “I don’t need you to take care of me.”
He drags a hand down his face. “You’re not going to make this easy on me, are you?”
I scrub the dish in my hand with more vigor than necessary. “No.”
“That’s okay,” he says, and I feel his breath tickle my ear. “I like a challenge.”