“David!” Ella gasps.
Dad’s words are so cruel that I momentarily feel sick at the fact that he thought it was okay to say such a thing, no matter how furious he is. It’s enough to cause me to become enraged myself, and I grind my teeth together so hard that I fear my entire mouth might just shatter. When I force myself to glance sideways at Tyler, I can see the pain and devastation in his eyes, and he reacts to Dad’s words the only way he knows how: with anger and violence, the way he was raised. The muscle in his jaw is twitching and his fist is clenching even harder beneath my hand, so I let go. Dad deserves it.
Tyler throws another punch without hesitation. Of course he does. This time, I can’t blame him. In fact, I even feel rather satisfied when his fist catches Dad’s nose. Dad only falls back a step or two this time, managing to keep his balance as he reaches up to touch his face, checking for blood. There is none, but he still raises his eyebrows and manages to smile in disbelief.
“Look at this!” Dad bellows. “Assaulted twice within a minute! God, Eden, your life choices are fantastic! First you choose some bullshit school halfway across the country and now you choose this asshole! Your stepbrother!” He starts to laugh, his entire demeanor vicious as he leans against the wall.
Tyler steps toward him again, ready to throw another punch. “Look who’s talking.”
Honestly, I think I could swing at Dad too by now. Ever since he walked out on Mom and me, my relationship with him has been strained. Maybe it’s the fact I didn’t see him for three years. Maybe it’s the fact he didn’t want to see me for three years. Something changed when he left, and ever since then it’s been hard, but it’s been stable for a while. We’ve been trying to get along and it’s been working, until now. He’s never been so nasty before, never so harsh. I’m trying my best to keep my temper cool, but it’s hard not to explode. There are a million things I could yell back at him, but before either Tyler or I can do anything stupid, Ella comes running through from the kitchen. I didn’t even notice her disappear, but she’s suddenly in front of us again, pushing both Tyler and I backward and away from Dad.
“Look, get out of here,” she says quickly in a low voice, forcing Tyler’s car keys into his palm and squeezing his hand closed around them. “I don’t know what to think right now and I’m sorry about him.” She throws a glance over her shoulder toward Dad. He’s still laughing, but now Jamie is attempting to shut him up, and when Ella turns back to face us, she’s frowning. “He’s got the rest of the week off work, so he’s had a few drinks and . . . Look, you two, I’m really sorry. We need to really talk about what’s going on between you both, but right now you need to leave.”
“Don’t be mad at us,” I whisper, swallowing hard. “Please don’t.”
Ella releases a heavy sigh, glancing back to check on Dad again. Her frown deepens. “Just let me think about it. Now go.” Gently, she pats Tyler’s cheek. “And fix up that hand.”
Both Tyler and I glance down at the exact same time. I don’t think he’s even noticed until now, but he’s busted open two knuckles on his right hand, and he’s bleeding. He sighs, shaking his hand and glancing back up. I try to meet his eyes, but he refuses to look at me. Instead, he reaches for his bag, which has been knocked onto the floor, at the same time as Ella returns to Dad, helping Jamie to calm him down. Chase is still hiding in the kitchen.
Tyler doesn’t say a word as he turns back around for the door, only brushes his shoulder against mine as he walks past me, heading straight outside. I immediately spin around and follow close on his heels, jogging to keep up with his strides as he marches across the lawn toward his car.
“Tyler,” I say. No reply. Just silence. “Tyler,” I say again, reaching for his elbow. When he senses my touch, he finally stops walking and turns around to look at me.
“What the hell do we do now?” he asks, eyes dark. All the color in his face has completely drained and his expression is blank.
“You can stay at my mom’s place,” I say immediately. Mom won’t mind. Mom likes Tyler, and given the circumstances, I’m sure she’ll let him spend the night. “C’mon, follow me over.”