Athena

30. Biting The Hand That Feeds

Quick, heavy footsteps start stomping up the stairs toward us. 

Cruz and I freeze in each other's arms. 

I stare at him with round, panicked eyes. "Fuck!"

He looks back at me anxiously. "Shit!"

We scramble to get away from each other.

Trying not to freak out, I squeak, "He's coming! What should we do?"

Cruz orders in surprisingly calm tones, "Get out of my room before my dad sees you."

Despite my distress, I still insist on staying with Cruz, "I'm not leaving you. Your dad sounds like he wants to kill someone."

Cruz only got suspended because of me. This whole shitshow is my fault. I'm not about to abandon Cruz when Ron's on a rampage.

"Let me handle him," Cruz pleads, "if my dad finds you in here, it'll only make things worse and harder to explain. I'll be fine, I promise. Don't worry."

The footsteps are growing louder. They're coming closer.

Anxiously, I think back to Ron's overblown reaction to my googly-eyed prank on Cruz's laptop.

Goddamnit!

Maybe Cruz is right?

Maybe I'll only make things worse for him by sticking around?

"Fine," I relent reluctantly, "but I'll be eavesdropping the whole time. The moment something doesn't sound right to me, I'm rushing in!"

Cruz gives me a small, reassuring smile and urges, "Just hand me those earbuds on my desk and get the hell outta here. Please."

I don't question his request and do as I'm told. I sprint over to grab the earbuds and toss them at Cruz. He catches the earbuds with one hand as I dash out the door. From there, I head straight into the guest room that shares a wall with Cruz's bedroom. I press my ear against the shared wall to listen, to wait, to see what Ron will do to Cruz.

My heart is beating like crazy in my chest.

I'm scared for him.

Seconds later, I hear Ron enter Cruz's room and growl in menacing tones, "The fuck, Cruz! Why are you still here? Sitting on your lazy ass? Didn't you hear me call for you downstairs?"

"Sorry, dad, I didn't hear you. I had my earbuds on."

Cruz's lie sounds muffled through the wall.

Ron snaps, "Funny how you're in the mood for music after the shit you pulled today."

"I know what I did was wrong. I'm so sorry, dad. I swear, I won't let this happen again."

To my ears, Cruz's reply sounds emotionless, monotone, like, he's reading from someone else's script in someone else's life.

It sets me on edge.

Ron continues to rail at Cruz, "What the hell were you thinking? Don't you know who Brody's father is? Carson Carlisle is one of my golfing buddies. How am I supposed to look him in the eye after what you did to his son?"

Ron's hostile demeanor is making me nervous.

Is he about to get violent again?

What if he chucks a book or something at Cruz?

The muscles in my calves tense up as I get ready to run back into Cruz's room at a moment's notice.

Cruz offers, "I can talk to Brody if you want—"