I threw myself in the chair opposite him and crossed my arms. I wasn’t going to pretend to like it. I knew he wasn’t planning on berating me for being out late. He had something else in mind.
“You have anything to tell me, Logan?” he asked, moving his hand so the contents of his glass swished carelessly around the rim. His voice was back to that soft, velvety tone he used to talk to most people.
“Nope.”
“Really?” he asked, pausing to take another long sip of his wine. “I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention how different you’ve been acting lately.”
“Different?”
“Your carelessness with the car for starters. Getting recruited by a top school has always been our goal, Logan. A goal you’ve seemed to abandon.”
“I didn’t want to hit the deer,” I scoffed.
My uncle smiled. “Of course not, Logan.”
Another sip.
I wanted to rip the glass from his hand and throw the contents in his face.
“Second, all this time you spend with Josephine Lambert. Not quite you’re usual type of girl. Not that I don’t approve. You’re far too young to be settling down with Jenna, but I must question your decisions. Something must have happened for you to even notice her.”
“We’re just friends,” I spat out between clenched teeth. How did he know about us hanging out? He’d only seen us once together.
“Friends. Of course. I understand, Logan. I am just a little surprised you’d even notice her. You haven’t always been the most appreciative of the uniquely pretty girls. You tend to go for the more obvious sort. Like your father in that regard.”
This was another thing my uncle always did that I hated. He would always make these comparisons to my father, knowing I couldn’t ever contradict them. I never knew the man.
“Like I said, we’re friends. Nothing’s going on. I’m sorry I didn’t play tonight. Are we done?” I asked, already standing up.
My uncle nodded. “Sure. We’re done. After I tell you this last thing, Logan. I know it doesn’t seem like it, but I’m here for you. If you need anything. Anything at all. I know things at your age seem pretty much like life or death, like the whole world could end, so if you have any questions, please do ask.”
There it was again. That sickening feeling that crept up on me when my uncle knew Jo’s name without me telling him. Instinct. The only thing I could trust utterly. The way my uncle looked at me, the pure amusement that shone at me from his eyes, told me what I’d been denying—My uncle knew something. He was involved.
I wasn’t sure which side he was on.
I wasn’t sure there were sides.
I just knew he’d been watching us.
Chapter 26
There’s only one time that PE teachers enjoy teaching Health. Sex Ed time. It’s not because they’re some kind of pervs, but because they like to watch us squirm. They have given us the talk every year since fifth grade, but as the years go on the discussions become more and more graphic. Like gross-graphic.
I never understood the parents who refused to sign the waivers to allow the students to take part in this segment of our Health education. Nothing discussed in the class made anyone want to have sex. Something about seeing diagrams of a uterus really stopped those hormones from raging. It was as if the teachers really took joy in temporarily destroying our sex drive with each picture they showed us of a STD infected individual, or recounting how some moms poop right after giving birth.
Sexy.
Mr. Williams, our PE teacher, was having a good old time. Usually, right before they get into the discussion on boners, the boys and girls were separated into two different classrooms. But Mr. Williams didn’t feel like doing it before spouting off some really inappropriate jokes about boners and big notebooks. As he went on and on about erections, I could feel the shift start.
I was kinda excited about it. At least wherever I went, we wouldn’t be discussing the male’s inability to control his penis. I shot my hand in the air only to see Mr. Williams look past me towards the back of the room.
Jo.
Right.
In my class.
Listening to the same discussion about boners.
Her hand also raised.
Her eyes met mine and her cheeks turned red.
“Ms. Lambert?”
“May I go to the restroom?” she whispered.
He sighed, unwilling to believe anyone wanted to miss a minute of his class. He curtly nodded and turned to me. “Yes, Logan?”
“I need to go too.”
“Look’s like all that talk about boners really inspired them,” Alec called out.
I glared at him. I could say something back, but the smile on Mr. Williams’ face alerted me he liked the joke, and anything I said back would only be seen as a disruption.