“The two of them!” Dad almost chokes on his words, so wrapped up in fury and disbelief that he can hardly string his sentences together. His voice is still loud and coarse, though, and he manages to give a clipped nod in my direction. “Him and Eden! God, I—I don’t even know what to think!”
Tyler finally pushes Dad away from him with one firm shove, immediately straightening up. The veins in his neck stand out as he mutters, “Let us fucking explain.”
Ella still doesn’t understand what’s going on. She glances around Dad, Tyler and me for a few moments as though she’s searching our expressions for answers. Dad’s breathing heavily, both hands pressed to his temples as he shakes his head at the floor, trying to comprehend this new information. And so she turns to Tyler instead, her features twisting with worry the same way my mom’s did. I can only imagine what’s running through her mind right now. “Explain what, Tyler?”
Tyler runs a hand back through his hair as he looks at her, taking a second to think of the right words to say. Dad’s glanced up again to glare at him as he waits to hear what the explanation will be, and his breathing is so loud that the only sound we can all hear right now is that and the TV. But Tyler doesn’t even look at my dad. He only keeps on looking straight at Ella and occasionally at Chase, who doesn’t really know what’s going on but is listening anyway. And after a while, Tyler finally drops his eyes to the floor and exhales, ready to talk for us both. “None of this was supposed to happen,” he says quietly, never looking up, “but all of it did. I can’t feel bad about it and I can’t feel sorry about it, because I’m not. It’s just the way things have turned out, and honestly, it’s not our fault. If it’s anyone’s, it’s yours.” He tilts his face up now, glancing between Ella and my dad. He swallows hard. “It’s your fault for putting us together in the first place.”
Dad immediately scoffs, placing his hands on his hips as he turns to face the opposite direction, still shaking his head. Ella, however, only blinks. She looks more perplexed than she did a few seconds ago.
“What are you talking about?” she asks.
“I’m talking about Eden,” Tyler says without a moment’s pause. He glances over his shoulder at me, locking his eyes with mine. They soften briefly, and he nods, so I edge forward, joining him by his side. I’m so thankful that he’s doing all the talking. I can hardly even look Dad and Ella in the eye, let alone come clean to them. Tyler, on the other hand, keeps on going now that he’s gotten started. “I’m talking about the fact that I’m in love with her. Have been for two years. So sure, Dave, it’s true.”
Ella’s jaw falls open slightly and she barely manages to whisper, “What?” as she blinks fast and rapidly.
“This is disgraceful! You’re making a mockery out of this family! Is that what you want to do? Make us all look like fools? God, can you imagine the laughter if this ever gets out!” Dad spits, turning back around to face us all. The wrinkles around his eyes seem even more noticeable right now, perhaps with how narrowed his glower has become. And as though he can no longer bear the sight of us, he begins to walk away, muttering, “You disgust me.” It’s to me, of course, and as he storms by, he shoulders me out of the way.
Suddenly Tyler jolts from beside me, taking a step forward and hurling his clenched fist through the air. It hits the exact center of my dad’s cheek with a sickening thud. Dad instantly spirals to one side, his body falling against the stairs as he lands in a sprawling heap.
“Tyler!” Ella yells, jumping forward. She doesn’t go to her son, though. She goes to Dad, bending down to check if he’s okay, rubbing softly at his face.
At the exact same time, I turn to Tyler. I throw my hands up in exasperation at him, wondering what the hell he’s playing at. His chest is rising and falling rapidly as he breathes and his eyes are still set on my dad, so as a precaution I grab his fist. Just in case.
Jamie has descended a few steps toward Dad while trying his best not to make eye contact with Tyler and me. His cheeks are rather flushed by now and maybe he’s feeling too guilty to get involved, because he just lingers in the background, observing but not helping. Even Chase decides to stay out of the situation. He backs slowly away toward the kitchen, watching from afar.
“Hey, Eden,” Dad mutters in contempt, drawing my attention to him as he rises to his feet again, his eyes fierce, “even if Tyler wasn’t your damn stepbrother . . . is this the kinda guy you wanna be with, huh?” He points to his cheek and then nods toward Tyler. “Some out-of-control kid who’s gonna end up in a cell just like his father?”