Filed to story: My Life with the Walter Boys Book (I & II) PDF Free
An impossibly large lump formed in my throat. “Thanks, Isaac. I appreciate the sentiment.”
“Hey, if you wanna give up what you have with Cole because you’re afraid something bad might happen, then do you,” Isaac said, letting go of my hand and giving it a patronizing little pat. “Just know that I think you’re being a massive idiot.”
“Noted,” I said, lowering my gaze to the half-eaten plate of fries in front of me, “but you got your answer, and I don’t want to talk about Cole anymore. It’s my turn.”
He blew out a breath in a let’s get this over with way, then nodded.
My fries had gone cold a while ago, but I popped one into my mouth as I contemplated the perfect question. Isaac probably expected me to inquire about homecoming, but asking why he set off the fire alarm didn’t guarantee an explanation for the rest of his angry, destructive behavior. While I wasn’t a hundred percent certain, I was willing to bet Isaac’s issues stemmed from his father. When he started pushing the rest of his eggs around his plate instead of eating them, I realized I was taking too long.
After washing down another fry with a sip of soda, I asked, “What happened between you and your dad when he came to visit this summer?”
Isaac’s jaw unhinged, and his fork clattered against the table, sending a chunk of scrambled egg flying. “How the hell do you know about that?” he exclaimed. “You weren’t even here.”
As if he needed to ask. “Family of gossips, remember?”
“I’m not sure I like this opening up to each other bullshit,” he grumbled.
With a little smirk, I yanked Isaac’s pie across the table in case he was thinking of backing out of our exchange. I’d already given him an answer. Now he owed me one. “I’m holding this hostage until you start talking.”
“Keep it,” he said, waving me off. “I’ll just order another.”
“
Isaac!
“
“My dad’s a selfish piece of shit, okay?” he snapped. “That’s what happened. That’s always what happens with him.” The muscles in his neck were corded, but when I looked into his eyes, the anger I expected to find there was missing. Instead, they were hollow. It was a startling expression to see on his face, and I—
Oh crap.
This was Nathan all over again, wasn’t it? All I wanted to do was be helpful and supportive, but somehow I’d made things worse by being pushy.
“I’m sorry,” I said, sliding the piece of pie back over. “We don’t have to talk about this.” It was obvious that I hadn’t simply asked an uncomfortable question or poked a bruise; I’d struck a nerve that went down to Isaac’s core.
“No, fair’s fair,” he said in a clipped tone. “You just surprised me.”
He scraped his fingers through his hair in such a rough manner that my own scalp ached, but before I could make a second attempt at letting him off the hook, Isaac dove into his story. Some of it I already knew. His mom left after Lee was born, and they stayed with Katherine and George because their dad had been stationed overseas since they were little. But most of what he shared was new information. Peter Walter’s MSO—military service obligation—was up this year, and he’d promised to request resignation and move home so they could be together as a family. What Isaac thought would be a permanent reunion turned into another too-short visit when his dad announced that he’d been promoted from lieutenant colonel to colonel. That meant he’d be stationed in Germany for the next six years, and while it wasn’t dangerous like some of his previous posts, Isaac’s dad didn’t want to uproot his kids from their lives.
Translation: just because George Walter was an outstanding father didn’t mean that good parenting ran in the family; evidently, his brother wasn’t up to the task.
“Isaac, I don’t know what to say.”
Your dad sucks didn’t quite do the situation justice.
A laugh broke free from his throat, but there was no humor to it. “Did you know I used to play soccer when I was younger?” he asked, paying no notice to my previous statement. Words kept spilling from his mouth, almost like he couldn’t stop talking now that he was finally letting out the poison. “I got into it because it’s my dad’s favorite sport but quit once I realized even that wouldn’t get him to come to one of my games. I was good too. Probably could’ve made varsity.”
I scrunched up my face. “I’m trying to picture you with a letter jacket instead of a leather one, and I just don’t see it.”
His lips twisted into a false smile. “You’ll get a kick out of this, then. Freshman year, I was on the AcaDeca team, and we won state. Of course, dear old dad didn’t even congratulate me, but that’s par for the course.”
My mouth fell open. “Hold on—
you did Academic Decathlon?”
“This might come as a shock to you,” he said matter-of-factly, “but I have the highest GPA out of all my cousins.”
“How is that even possible?” I asked, my voice pitching higher than usual. “You skip class all the time!”
He shrugged. “I don’t have to try. School’s always been easy for me. Besides, why should I waste my time when, no matter how well I do, my dad doesn’t give a shit?”
“So this summer when he told you he wasn’t coming home, you what? Decided to flip an asshole switch?” I said, ignoring the tinge of jealousy curling in my gut. My report cards were always flawless, but I worked hard for my grades, and it was annoying when others didn’t have to put in the same effort. “What were you trying to do? Get his attention some other way?”
Isaac flushed. “I wanted him to feel as pissed and disappointed as I did,” he admitted. “You don’t have to tell me. I already know it was stupid. Katherine contacted him after I was arrested, and guess what? He couldn’t even bother to be annoyed with me. Just promised to send me away to a military academy for my final semester if I get in trouble again.”
“He didn’t care at all?” I asked quietly. I couldn’t imagine how that felt.
“Nope,” Isaac said. “You’re lucky. Your parents might be gone, but at least they loved you.”
I sucked my cheeks in and counted to five. Nothing about my parents being gone was lucky, but I also understood that Isaac was too wrapped up in his own issues to realize how insensitive his words sounded. Reaching across the table, I whacked him over the head. “I’ve listened to a lot of stupid stuff come out of your mouth before,” I replied as calmly as I could, “but that was the most privileged, ignorant bullshit I’ve ever heard. My parents are dead. Don’t tell me I’m lucky.”
“Oh shit.” His face drained of color. “Jackie, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean—“
“I know you didn’t, Isaac,” I said, pinching the bridge of my nose, “but you’re so bitter about your dad that you’re forgetting the most important thing—Katherine and George love you. They’re your parents in all the ways that matter. You have this amazing, wonderful family that some people would kill to have, but if you keep hurting them, they won’t be there for you when you need them the most.”
He pressed his lips into a tight line. “You sound like my brother.”
Huh. That was interesting…
“Oh my God,” I gasped after a second. “Is he the one who gave you that black eye?”
“Maybe,” he mumbled in a disgruntled tone that made me giggle. “It was a cheap shot.”
“I’m honestly shocked,” I told him. “Lee’s done nothing but defend you, so whatever you did must’ve been spectacularly crappy. He even went so far as to sabotage a prank Jordan and Parker targeted you with.”
“Well, you’re not wrong.” Isaac dipped his chin, unable to meet my gaze. “He, um, didn’t like that…that I…”