Caught Between My Bully and My Stepbrother novel · Chapter 7 of 32

Chapter 7: The Table

Corey put his fork down.

He looked at my mother for a long time.

"Yes," he said.

My stepfather's hand came down on the table so hard the gravy boat jumped.

"What the hell is this, Dawn? What video?"

"Ask your son."

"I'm asking you. In my house."

"It was me," Corey said. "I said it. All of it."

"Said what?"

Corey looked at me.

Then back at his father.

"The things I said to her at the party." His voice didn't shake once. "All of them. In front of everybody."

Crew went very still beside me.

My stepfather stared at his son.

Then, unbelievably, he looked at me.

"What were you wearing?"

"Don't," my mother said.

"I'm asking a question."

"And I said don't." She'd never once used that voice on him. "Sit there and eat your roast."

He didn't eat it.

He didn't leave either.

Corey pushed his chair back.

"You want to know why?" he said to my mother. "You really want to know?"

"Yes."

"You were in my dad's truck while my mom was setting the table."

The kitchen clock ticked.

"Every Tuesday that spring," he said. "I saw it from the bus. Your car at the hardware store after close. I didn't tell her. I was thirteen and I didn't tell her, and then she found out anyway, and it was like I'd done it too."

I'd never heard that part.

Nobody had.

I waited for my mother to say it wasn't like that.

She'd said that to Bell Creek for nine years.

She didn't say it.

"It's true," she said. "All of it. I knew he was married. I knew your mom. I bought bread from her at the bake sale."

Corey's face did something terrible.

"I'm sorry," my mother said. "I should have said it the first night you lived with me. I was ashamed, so I was nice to you instead, and I let that count. It didn't count."

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