“Stop,” he hissed. His hand was permanently attached to my shoulder now, as if holding himself back. “I’m pursuing basketball as far as it’ll take me.”
“But the endorsements would help—”
“No, they wouldn’t. I have to prove myself before the endorsements. I have years to still prove myself.”
“Oh, come on. I can name a ton of athletes that have endorsements.”
“Not in college. Are you kidding me?”
“Alexandra,” my father interrupted them. The chill from him sent shivers down my back. “Since Jesse isn’t answering my questions. You will. When did this become serious with you two? Did you give him your virginity?”
“Don,” my mother joined the conversation. She placed a hand to her husband’s arm. “Not here.”
“No, Shelby. We need to know. We were ignorant the last time. I want to get on top of this one before it grows into something like before.”
My mother fell back against her chair, ashen. She looked down and drew her cashmere sweater tighter around herself, but I caught the trembling in her arm.
Jesse bit out a laugh. “Like last time? Are you kidding me?”
My father looked ready to reach over the table and strangle Jesse with his bare hands.
Things had definitely changed between him and my parents. And I sat up. He wasn’t going to take them on alone.
“Last time?” Malcolm was in the dark. “What are you talking about? This has happened before?” He swept his gaze over me. “I thought you said you weren’t together before that day?”
“Not us, father.” Jesse’s gaze never left my father’s. “Ethan.”
“Oh.” He frowned. “What are you talking about?”
Then Jesse shifted to me. There was hidden meaning behind his depths and he looked to my father. He hadn’t said a word, but I knew he was trying to tell me something. I sat up further. Jesse’s hand fell to my back. He trailed a finger down my spine. He was the epitome of calm and calculating now while my father was squirming in his seat. Something was going on here and Jesse was trying to give me answers. I felt it in my gut. He couldn’t tell me, but then a light bulb went off in me. My parents could. My parents knew.
Determination kicked in. I was going to find out Ethan’s secret, one way or another.
“I don’t think this is like the last time. From what I recall, I doubt my mother had been sleeping with you.”
My mother sucked in her breath. Her trembling started up again.
My father didn’t move. He didn’t say a word, but I knew he was enraged. The threat of violence was imminent in the room. And Malcolm had been reaching for his water. His hand jerked, sending his glass to the side. All the water spilled onto his girlfriend’s lap. She screeched, pushing up from the table and started dabbing at her lap. “Malcolm!”
“Oh.” He blinked rapidly, but only turned back to Jesse. “Your mother and Don?”
“No, Dad.” Jesse never tore his gaze from my dad’s. “That’s the point. Mom was faithful to you.”
“Oh Jesse,” my mother whimpered. “You went there.”
Then my father erupted. He burst out of his chair and leaned across the table. His hand reached out, but Jesse never moved. He didn’t bat an eyelash and my father was forced to retract his hand, but he shook his finger in Jesse’s face. “You stop this. Right now. I won’t have you drag my name through the mud.”
“Not like last time, right?” Jesse’s tone had cooled. My father was boiling mad, but I grew wary. I knew my father would never touch Jesse, not the son of Malcolm Hunt, but that didn’t go for Jesse. He would do violence. This was the Jesse that was starting not to give a damn. And his father grew quiet as well. This was the son he was used to over the years. We shared a look, both concerned, but I didn’t say anything. Jesse was making my father like this. He was doing it on purpose so I could hear the truth. My gut was telling me that’s what was going on. He added, so cold and disdainful, “Not like Ethan did.”
A vein popped from my dad’s throat. His hands slammed down on the table and a pin could’ve been heard. I glanced towards the end of the table. All eyes were on us. Cord was watching Jesse, as was his other roommates. Kara had a hand to her mouth. Cord’s date seemed confused, but Tiffany surprised me like last time. She was watching me. There was no fear. She looked ready to handle anything.
I took a deep breath. If Tiffany was this cool, calm, and collected, by damn that I wasn’t going to be. I met Jesse’s gaze. He’d been holding my father’s in a standoff, but he caught my gaze. I felt his push then. He wanted me to take over so I put my napkin on the table and stood. I felt everyone’s eyes now on me and my father stepped away from the table. It was a small movement, but enough for me.
My mother lifted a hand to her husband’s arm. She began to shake her head and her fingers tightened.
“Stop.”
She looked to me. I caught the fear there, and the guilt. She was so damned guilty. How had I not seen this before? This wasn’t about me. This was about Ethan, whatever secret there was. I remembered Barbie’s revelations. Ethan had become friends with her and Jeremy Benson. They were known for using drugs. She told me that Ethan had been with her on his last night before Jesse called.
I shook my head, trying to clear my thoughts. “I blamed Jesse, but I was wrong.”