Amber Eyes

FORTY ONE

"What?" I snap the moment I pick up the call without even reading the caller ID.

A small laugh. "You really are grumpy today, aren't you?" The moment I recognise the voice, I regret reacting the way I had. Cursing under my breath, I press my lips in a thin line.

"Sorry," I mutter. "Hi, Sam. Is there something you want?"

He hums and sighs. I can almost hear his nervousness through the call. I don't blame him for it, honestly. "Yeah, well, I just wanted to - see, here's the thing. Are you free this evening?"

I blink. "Yeah. After seven or something, I guess. Why?"

"We need to talk. About a few things. And," he pauses. "I need help with my assignments."

"I'm not helping you with your assignments," I deadpan.

"You don't have a choice."

"Sam-"

"Please?" His voice is so soft, so calm that I just can't say no to him. He knows this and I can almost see him smiling through the phone. I roll my eyes, cursing under my breath once again as he begins to laugh. "I'll take it as a yes."

Before I can say anything to him, he cuts the call. Guess I have no choice, then. I read Nate's text through the notifications again but don't get the opportunity to reply to him since my phone begins to ring all over again. Irritation creeps under my skin as I furrow my brows to read the contact on screen. My dad. I would have declined the call if I thought that he'd give up. It's him first. Then it will be Zack. And then it will be Mom. Or maybe even my sister, if she can.

"Morning, dad," I mutter as I accept the call. I try to hide the annoyance in my voice and I know I'm doing a good job at it when Jude glances at me, noticing the sudden change of tone and chuckles.

"It's almost noon," he says, his voice low and cold. I do sense that he's trying to be kind but I know that he cannot be so. Especially with me. "Did you just wake up?"

Almost noon is still morning, I want to say to him but I don't. "Yeah," I say. "Why did you call?"

He sighs in disappointment. "Is it bad that I want to make sure that you're okay? I haven't talked to you in months, Lee."

"Exactly my point." I run a hand through my hair, breathing out. "Just tell me what happened that made you remember that I exist?"

There's a pause. I can literally see him fuming on the other side but even if he is, he tries not to show it in his voice. "Next month, there's a dinner party here. You've never attended it before but this time, you have to. For the sake of my reputation, do it."

The annoyance running through and through my head only seemed to increase. "I'm not doing that. You've never cared about it before. No. I'm not coming."

"Harley," he breathes out. "You don't have a choice. Usually it would be your sister attending these but since-"

"Then why don't you fucking ask her to attend it again?" I snap. "I do not fucking care about your work. Not even a little bit."

"You know I can't-"

"Cool. I'm not interested at all."

With that, I cut the call. I switch off my phone, tired and pissed by the number of calls and texts I'm getting. I fall back on the bed, keeping my eyes shut as I try to keep all the thoughts that have started to trigger in my mind just because of a single call.

"You're a fuckin' disappointment. You do not deserve my family name."

All those nights when he'd call me out for things I didn't do just for the sake of distracting himself from my mother's vile words. When I'd try my best to just walk by him without letting them get to my head. Just like all the things I've mastered, I began to excel in the art of ignoring what people, even when they are close to me and their opinion on me should matter to me, said no matter what. Never let it get to your head, I'd tell myself. Just do what you have to do.