Between dealing with my roommate and everything at home, my parents had pulled me out of the dorm, and I ended up living with them for a couple of semesters until I couldn’t take it anymore. Then, I’d been lucky enough to find a place with Dillon, Pacey, and Tanner, as well as Sanders.
Sanders no longer lived with us and was a complete asshole. I was grateful he was gone. He had always had a stick up his ass and had treated me much like my old roommate had. When he ended up cheating on his girlfriend, Mackenzie—who now dated Pacey—Sanders had ended up leaving to live in an apartment that his parents paid for. My parents helped pay for school so I wouldn’t begrudge him that. However, the fact that he lorded it over us even after he cheated on a girl we all liked? That pissed me off.
“Tanner’s being a jerk, so I can’t come over…” Aaron said, wiping his hands after he’d finished his meal, still eyeing my burger. I sighed and shoved the basket at him, and Aaron began devouring it. He was a growing boy. I didn’t blame him.
“He’s dealing with some shit, so I’m just going to let him wallow in his feelings for a bit. He’s not a jerk. He’s having a tough semester, and I figured he could use some space and time alone. The other guys are out today.”
“With their girls?” Aaron asked, and I rolled my eyes.
“Pacey is. I think he’s at the girls’ house now, working on something. Dillon, however, is at the family’s bar.”
“I want to go there and see it,” Aaron said.
I laughed outright. “Yes, because I can just imagine Mom and Dad letting me take you to a bar.”
“They serve food there, don’t they?”
“Yes, they do. Some of the most amazing food I’ve ever had. But I’m still not taking you.”
“You’re no fun.”
Even though I knew he was teasing, I made sure Aaron met my gaze as I spoke. “I’m not taking you to a bar. You know why.”
I hated having to do it, making him remember. But there were reasons our parents were overprotective, and I had to make sure he thought about those things and didn’t set them off.
My parents weren’t cruel. They didn’t yell. But they were broken inside and always would be until they learned to heal. Though I didn’t think they wanted to. Somehow, I had pieced myself back together, even though the jagged remains still cut every once in a while. My parents may never find a way to sew themselves back together.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t think.” Aaron’s voice was so small I wanted to reach out and tell him that everything would be okay, even if I didn’t believe it.
“I hate that you even have to. I don’t want you to ask Mom and Dad out of the blue because you want to see Dillon’s place. You’ll end up hurting them in the end. You know?”
“I do. I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be. Seriously. Speaking of, Mom and Dad will be here to pick you up any minute.”
“I guess I should go wash my hands so I’m not covered in grease.”
“Yes, let’s do that.”
Aaron got up, stuffed the rest of my burger into his mouth, and went to the restroom to wash his hands. I cleaned up the table a bit and made sure I left a big tip for the waitress.
I had waited tables my first two years of college because I needed money for school and other things. Somehow, I’d made my way through, even broken, but over the past year and a half or so, I had been lucky in that I had gotten a job at the school. I was a TA and made the same money I had when I’d waited tables at a diner much like this one. I knew Pacey worked off and on, though he had taken the last semester off because he had gotten sick. Dillon worked hard at his family’s bar, and I knew Tanner worked, too, though he didn’t talk about it. If I remembered correctly, he’d said he was a bouncer somewhere, but he also worked odd jobs at strange hours because he was saving up as much money as possible.
Either way, all of us did our best to focus on what we could to make money for our futures and to figure out exactly who we wanted to be when we left the hallowed halls of college.
Aaron returned, and I nodded at the waitress as we headed out to the parking lot. My parents were waiting, slight smiles on their faces.
“There you are. We were thinking of heading to one of the antique shops on the way home. What do you think, Aaron?” Mom asked as she kissed the top of his head, though she barely had to bend down to do it. Aaron wasn’t a baby anymore and was nearly as tall as I was.
My mom ran her hands through his hair, and he grumbled but let her do it anyway. I moved closer to her and wrapped her in a hug. My parents might want to control my life sometimes and make things difficult and awkward, but I loved them.
She hugged me tightly and kissed my cheek. “Look at you. I swear you’re getting more muscular. Like a real man.”
Aaron snickered.
My father sighed. “Please, think about what you say before you speak, darling,” he muttered under his breath as he squeezed my shoulder. “But you are looking good.”
“Thanks,” I said, blushing hard.
“Why are you wearing your glasses? Did we not set you up for your new prescription for your contacts? Here, let me look in my phone. I can make you an appointment with Dr. Morgan.”
“No, I’m fine. I’ve just had some bad allergies recently and have been wearing my glasses more. It’s good for my eyes to let them breathe.”
“Allergies?” mom asked as she frowned. “Have we looked into the allergist recently?”
“We have. I promise. Thank you, Mom. I have all my appointments set up on my phone.”
“They’re not in mine. You should sync your calendar with mine like I keep saying.”
Then my mother would know where I was at all times. She would be happy with that, but I was an adult. I loved her and knew there were reasons she was this overprotective, yet I needed to set boundaries.
Even if it pained me to do it because of the look in her eyes.
“I need to head out. I have papers to finish, homework to work on, as well as some applications to complete.”
“Are we still talking about the same eight colleges?” Dad asked, and I nodded.
“Yes, they have the best programs for me and high financial aid and stipends. That’s the goal.”
“You’re going to do great, wherever you go. Although, if it could be CU, that would be wonderful,” Mom said, giving me a pointed look.
Anywhere that was in the state and not too far away, where they could drive down the road to me? Yes, that would be perfect for them.
It didn’t matter that I explained that going to schools in different states in entirely different programs looked best for jobs if I wanted to go into academia—though I wasn’t sure I did. I had already mentioned it more than once, but nothing I said would change her mind. There was a perfect in-state school, but it was hard to get into.
As it was, I looked over at Aaron, and he just gave me a small wave. Even though I knew me branching out on my own and going to grad school in a different state would be good for me, I would be leaving my little brother, and that wasn’t something I was sure I could do.
“Drive safe. Text me when you get home.”
“Mom…” I began.