Babysitting the Player

Chapter 22

Ironic how such a nice day can bring so much stress.

I get up from my bed and open my top left dresser drawer.

Do prisons have a dress code? Obviously they have one for the inmates, but what about for visitors?

I grab my phone off my comforter and call Cassie.

"Nice of you to remember I exist." She laughs.

"Oh, shut up. My life has been stressful."

"Wouldn't ranting to your best friend be a nice way to get some of that stress off your shoulders?"

"That's what I'm trying to do right now, brat."

"Then spill the beans, bitch."

I let out a laugh. "I have a lot to fill you in on. For starters, wait, are you drinking something right now?"

"Like alcohol?"

"No, just anything in general."

"Oh, yeah, I have water."

"Don't drink for a minute because if you do and you have it in your mouth it will end up all over whatever is in front of you."

"Oh my, okay. What's up?"

"Johnny and Bryce are half siblings."

"They're what?" she yells.

"I know. Apparently Johnny's dad wasn't so loyal to Johnny's mom. He's got Johnny, Bryce, Bryce's sister who's four, and a random nine year old we know nothing about."

"Holy shit."

"I know. And ever since Johnny found that out, he's been harassing me."

"Wait, how did Johnny find all this out?"

"I'm not sure if Johnny's mom knows and told him or if his dad told him himself or if he snooped and found out somehow but he showed up when Bryce was talking to James."

"Holy shit."

"I know. And now Johnny is obsessed with the whole situation."

"To be fair, I'm sure it kinda turned his world upside down."

"I know. But he's been harassing me over it."

"He's misdirecting his anger."

"For sure."

"So what are you gonna do?"

"About what?"

"Well, are you gonna keep dating Bryce?"

"Why wouldn't I?"

"Isn't it kind of weird to be dating your ex's brother?"

"Half. And a bit, I guess. But I didn't know that when I started dating him."

"You know now."

"Yeah."

"Look, you don't have to stop seeing him. Just know that this is gonna get out eventually and it's probably a good idea to know how you're gonna handle it."

"That's true. This actually isn't the main reason why I called."

"Okay. What else is up?"

"I'm visiting my dad today."

"Alex, what?"

"I know."

"Today?"

"Today. I'm leaving at one."

"Oh my God. Why didn't you start with that?"

"I figured the rest of the gossip was juicier."

"It was, but this is bigger."