Chapter 18

Iflitted through the TV channels, trying to find something of interest, as Chris flopped onto the cushion next to me. "Who died?"

I clicked so fast there was barely enough time to see what was on each channel before I moved past it. "Shut up."

He glanced between me and the TV. "You look like your new boyfriend kicked it."

I gave him a severe look. "Suicide isn't funny."

Chris paled, his eyebrows scrunched so tight they practically drew together. "Who said anything about suicide?"

I ignored him, biting the corner of my lip as I settled on a channel. By some miracle, he decided to drop it after staring at me for several long moments. Maybe he could sense I wasn't in the mood, and for once in his life, he left it alone.

"Mom's ordering Chinese food. I told her to get orange beef and shrimp lo mien." It was his version of a peace offering, and I was about to give him a semi-apologetic smile, but he continued. "On account of you acting depressed as fuck and all."

I scowled instead. "Would you go away?"

He grinned at my irritation, putting his feet on the coffee table. "There's the Alice I know and love."

My phone buzzed on the table next to his feet, and I stiffened before reaching for it. I slid my thumb across the screen, and Hunter's name popped up, but unlike the normal stomach-flipping excitement, my heart shuddered.

Want to come to a concert with me Friday night? It's a special kind of venue. Instead of a dress code, you have to be miserable and pathetic to get in

There was a smiley emoji at the end, and imagining Hunter scrolling through to find the right face before he pressed send was bewildering in the best way possible. I tried to control all the thoughts storming through me, but it felt like trying to wrangle a bronco with a packet of floss.

I stared out the front window, flipping my phone in my hand over and over and over. It wasn't quite snowing, but it wasn't raining either. The tree outside jerked as it conformed to the thudding wetness, its branches scratching against the glass.

I minimized the message and leaned forward to toss my phone on the table, but Chris snatched it from my hand and vaulted from the couch before I could even blink. He stood in the middle of the living room, inspecting my phone as he held it inches from his face, his eyes darting to either side. And then I was after him.

"What the fuck, Chris!" I flung my arms around his neck and grasped for my phone, but he held it above his head, shoving me away as if I was a gnat.

He jumped on the opposite couch to get away from me, standing on the middle cushion. I charged at him again and tried to shove his legs out from under him.

"Give me that!" I yelled. "What the hell is wrong with you!"

He faltered to one side but managed to stand back up. He kicked one foot out as he tried to keep me at bay, unfazed by my hysterics. "It's my job to make sure you aren't being bullied, Alice."

"Um, it's none of your business, actually!" I shrieked. I smacked his foot away, then tackled him again. He teetered and fell onto the couch but still managed to hold my phone away from me as he typed out words over his head. I punched every soft spot I could access, but he didn't even grunt. Instead, his laughter was manic. It was the same laughter he used to goad me with when we were younger, and I was blinded with childlike fury.

I jammed an elbow into his thigh. He did grunt in pain, but it didn't debilitate him the way I'd hoped. He shoved me with one foot, and then, just like that, he tossed my phone at me and put his hands up, as though he couldn't figure out why I was freaking out in the first place.

I grasped for it like an addict before I opened the conversation and stared at words that weren't mine.

Sounds exactly like the sort of dismal shit I'm into.

I bolted upright and aimed a kick at him, which he dodged with ease. "Chris!" Intent on inflicting some form of bodily harm, I flung myself at him. He leaped from the couch, avoiding me as he grinned, not even having the decency to look apologetic. "This is such an invasion of privacy!"

He rolled his eyes. "Oh, quit being so dramatic." He settled into my previously occupied spot on the couch, one hand tucked behind his head, as he changed the channel.

I stared between him and the TV, still fuming. "You're an obnoxious fly of a person who's good for nothing but buzzing your ugly self into other people's business, and I hate you."

He stared at me for several wide-eyed moments before collapsing into laughter. He shook with it as he fell onto his side, his entire body curled with hilarity.

I narrowed my eyes at him.

He straightened up, heaving breaths. "You're an obnoxious spider of a person who's good for nothing but causing drama when there isn't any."

I stalked toward the kitchen, unable to tolerate being in the same room as him.

"It's called matriphagy!" he called.

I stopped in the doorway.

He continued clicking the remote, searching for something new to watch, and the corner of his mouth lifted. "Some female spiders sacrifice themselves and let their offspring eat them instead of ... gee, I don't know, getting them some regular food." He lifted the remote again, shaking his head. "Talk about making a problem bigger than it needs to be."

"It's none of your business."

He twisted around, looking as annoyed as I felt. "Do you wanna go?"

I didn't answer. I was about to, but he scoffed before I could find the right words.

"Why can't you agree to hang out with someone you obviously like? I just don't understand you, Alice. You make yourself miserable on purpose, and it's infuriating to watch."

My chest heaved, my rib cage cracking against my erratic heartbeat. I opened my mouth to say something but changed my mind and stormed out instead.