Living With The Bad Boy [COMPLETE][VERSION ONE]

Chapter 21

"I'll trust Jason when he proves himself trustworthy," Brad says, the gruff quality in his voice like scratching sandpaper. I can hear it all the way upstairs from the bathroom, where I'm trying to inspect Connie's braiding skills. They're pretty impressive, I have to say, but the importance of my hair pales when I hear their conversation."

"-treating him like a criminal!"

"Lizbeth. He is a criminal."

I step out of the bathroom, trying to hear more easily, when there's a creak on the wood panel I'm standing on. The conversation below me grows silent for a minute, then returns in hushed whispers that are too low for me to make out.

I probably shouldn't be listening, anyway, I decide, returning to the den where Connie and my mother are talking obliviously.

But I can't stop thinking about it. Where is Jase? And what did he do that makes him a criminal?

It's not until hours later that I finally have my answer.

The smack of the slammed door below me jolts me awake, and I look down at my watch: 2:59 a.m. Who on earth is coming into the house at 3 in the morning?

Looking at Connie and my mother, who are both fast asleep on the couch, I get up and tiptoe out of the room, stopping when I reach a part of the wall that juts out next to the stair landing. My heart hammering in my chest, I look over to see Jase practically tiptoeing up the stairs. His movements are sloppy and uncoordinated, but somehow he seems to have regained at least the sobriety to be quiet. He reaches the floor I'm on and, even in the dark, I can see a flicker of light, illuminating his face as he looks around, as though he's afraid someone is going to jump out at him from the shadows. I shrink back and wait a few seconds, then turn back around to see him start on the next set of stairs up to the third floor. He's being so silent I instinctively hold my breath, like that noise alone is enough to wake up the whole house.

Creeeak.

The step creaks below Jase, and I swear I can hear him curse under his breath. He pauses for a second, making sure he doesn't hear a sound from his parents' room upstairs, then continues on, just as silently, until his head is completely out of my view. He's almost reached the top of the staircase, and I think he's going to actually make it, when the upstairs hallway is flooded with light that travels down to meet my eyes. The brightness makes my eyes tear up and I turn away. It's not like I can see anything anymore, anyway.

"What the hell?" Jase says, his voice slurring just a little bit. "What are you doing here?"
"Quiet!" Jase's father hisses, his voice as sharp and piercing as a glass shard, and I swear I can hear Jase gasp. "Are you trying to wake up the whole house? Because if so, you're doing a damned good job at it."

"What are you guys doing here?" Jase asks, and this time it's quiet enough that I can barely hear it. Lizbeth says something, but the words fade in and out in my comprehension. "...worried about you... can't keep doing things like this... you're going to get hurt, Jase."

"-pretending to be worried. You just care about your reputation."

There's some more mumbling that I can't hear as they're all talking over each other. Finally, I think I'm able to discern "-a fucking DUI the last time you went out, Jason."

Holy shit.

Jase has a DUI?

"...got lucky this time. But... can't let you do this again," Lizbeth's voice, as smooth as honey even now.

"You can't control me!" Jase says.

"Shut. Up!"

"Brad, darling-"