Page 51 of Twisted Needs

I step out onto the back deck, slamming the sliding door closed a little louder than necessary. I wait a few seconds before walking down the stairs and across the yard to the long, wooden dock. There’s a little covered seating area at the end where the boat launch is, but no one usually comes down here because it isn’t child-proof according to Jen.

I feel him before I see him. He comes out ten minutes later, followed by the smell of a lit cigarette and the sweet, melodic voice of my Aunt Jen.

“Anders, sweetheart. The kids have been tearing the house apart looking all over for you,” Jen laughs, coming up from behind with a large glass of red. I’m surprised it isn’t the actual bottle. Jen and Emelie are never sober when we’re in Tahoe. Her red curls and small, dainty nose have always made her look like a fairy, but her loudness immediately draws away all of the poise.

“I’m on my thirty,” I joke weakly, giving her a polite smile. She reaches out and pulls me in for a hug, though she’s significantly shorter than me so it feels like I’m towering over her.

“Parker just told me you’re staying with him for your senior year,” she murmurs, pulling back and automatically fixing my hair like she’s always done. Then her face softens a bit like she’s suddenly looking at a child instead of a grown ass adult. She pinches my cheek and grins. “Unless you’d like to come stay with Vince and I. I know the kids would love to have their Uncle Andy there.”

“If Park acts up, you’ll be the first person I’ll call.”

She gives me a knowing look. “Good. Maybe it’ll be good for him.”

Parker lets out an annoyed scoff, folding his arms across his chest. “You see what I’m talking about? Em has him programmed to be mean to me.”

And then her husband calls out for her back up at the house, his voice not so melodic. “Jen, babe. The baby…”

Jen rolls her eyes, patting me on my shoulder once before sighing. “I’m getting a nanny.” She walks off a moment later, leaving Parker and I alone.

It feels like I’m trapped in the middle of some romcom where the main character is always in the wrong place at the wrong time.

When he leans over the railing beside me, he takes a drag of his cigarette before offering it to me. I scrunch my nose and take a step away from him.

He knows I don’t like the smell of cigarettes, but I don’t think he fully knows why. Hell…it’s not like I even remember what happened. All I know is that the smell of cigarettes sets a warning bell off inside of me.

I have an old-faded scar on my left shoulder blade that’s small and circular. There’s a few others…

“Put it out,” I mutter plainly.

“What’s wrong?” Parker taunts, closing the gap between us. He burns the butt of the cigarette on the wood railing before flicking it into the water like the piece of shit he is. “You’ve been in a bad mood since we got here.”

“Go back inside,” I tell him.

“Hey,” he murmurs a little softer now, nudging me with his elbow. “Are you mad at me?”

“No…”

He huffs. “Then talk to me.”

“I’m talking right now.”

Parker exhales sharply through his nose. “I’m sorry.”

“Whatever.”

“You have to understand⁠—”

I turn to look at him, and I immediately regret it. My body stalls…he’s standing so close…there’s a certain look in his eyes that shouldn’t excite me as much as it does. “I don’t want to hear it,” I tell him. “You kissed me. It was a mistake.”

He just looks at me for a moment, biting down on his bottom lip and nodding like he’s finally able to make peace with it. “Okay.”

Neither of us talk for a few minutes. We both just stare out onto the lake, listening to the sound of the cicadas buzzing and the water lapping softly against the old wooden beams of the dock.

I don’t know why he does it. There’s absolutely no reason to…but Parker runs a finger along the side of my head, tucking a curl behind my ear, as if he can just touch me like that.

“Stop,” I warn him. “Not in the mood.”

“I just…” He pauses for a moment before sighing like he’s in pain. “Whatever happened to the Anders who jumped at the opportunity to steal my beer?”