The Rules of the Red - 2014 Watty Award Winner |✓|

Chapter Eighteen - Part Three

“Are you serious?” I said with a smirk, and taking a seat beside him. “You don’t think of yourself as the ‘bad-boy type’? Hmm, let’s review. You snuck onto my property and went swimming in my pool the first day we met, you tricked me into making you my Champion, and let’s not forget how you helped me break into a morgue. Shall I continue?”

“Hey, I do what I have to to protect my investments, there’s a difference.” Ethan insisted.

“Oh of course.” I said, noticing that he still hadn’t picked up his drink.

It was time to shift the gears of this conversation.

“So, I noticed your dad wasn’t there last night at the gala. You seemed kind of upset about that. I’m sorry I didn’t have a chance to ask you about it earlier.”

“It’s ok,” Ethan said, hesitating for a moment before finally reaching for his drink. He took the first sip gingerly, but that was followed by a strong second taste. “He doesn’t usually come to town functions anymore – not the ones Kimber’s in charge of anyway. Besides, anything to do with the Fairway isn’t much his scene.”

“That’s understandable,” I said. “Paris wasn’t there either, and honestly I’m kind of glad she wasn’t. Growing up, I always had these visions in my head of what I expected her to be, but I’ve finally realized that she’s none of those – and probably never was.”

Ethan bit his lip and looked down at the floor. He was feeling a twinge from some deep, hidden place of sadness. And I regretted taking him there, truly I did.

“I mean, that’s pretty dysfunctional, right? A mother suing her daughter?”

Ethan took another, deeper draft of his whiskey.

“Not as dysfunctional as having a step-mother who slept with her step-son before coming on to his brother…”

I stared at Ethan with widened, unbelieving eyes.

“Are you serious?” I said.

“I wasn’t talking about me, I meant my brother.” he clarified. “Kimber slept with Eric. It was a couple of months ago. I mean, he’s nineteen now, and he can make his own dumb choices, but she still took advantage of him. Like I said, that’s pretty dysfunctional, right?”

“Well, my own mother probably murdered my father,” I said quietly, picking up my glass again. “I think I win.”

There was an awkward pause. I cleared my throat and stared down into my drink, momentarily absorbed by other thoughts, while Ethan stared broodingly off to the side.

“So,” I said, regaining my train of thought. “Have you told your dad? About Kimber and Eric?”

Ethan shook his head, drained the glass and set it back down, folding his fingers together and placing them behind his head as he leaned back on the couch.