Page 57 of The Family Guest

“Honey, are you okay?” asked my mother.

“Mom, I’ve gotta go. I have to use the bathroom.” Leaving the water bottle behind, I bolted toward the French doors to our house, hoping my period wouldn’t come in front of all my classmates. That would be utterly mortifying. It had happened to me once before—in the middle of a basketball game—and I’d had to dash off the court to change out of my blood-soaked white shorts. I could still hear the heckles and laughs as I’d charged to the locker room.

Once inside, I sprinted to the guest bathroom. The door was closed. Without knocking, I turned the brass knob, relieved it wasn’t locked, and flung it open.

Oh. My. God.

Tomorrow, our housekeeper, Blanca, would be scraping my jaw from the floor.

TWENTY-NINE

PAIGE

I stopped dead in my tracks, not caring if my period assaulted me. I couldn’t believe my eyes. Making out before me were half-dressed Tanya and Lance. Groping. Kissing. Moaning. Panting.

“Oh, Lancey, you’re the best birthday present ever,” Tanya purred as his muscular body thrusted against hers.

“Happy birthday, baby.”

Baby? I thought I was going to puke. Fortifying myself with a deep breath, I folded my arms across my chest.

“Excuse me,” I said in my loudest, most obnoxious voice. “I have to use the bathroom.”

The twosome stopped what they were doing as if I’d said “freeze” and was about to shoot them. If I had my father’s gun, I might have. Catching their breath, they turned to face me. Tanya’s face was flushed, her lips wet and swollen. Lance’s was snapper-red and his lips gulped for air like the half-dead blowfish he’d posted on Instagram this summer.

“Paige—”

I immediately cut him off and sneered. A bitter mix of anger and disgust filled every atom of my being. Tears burned the backs of my eyes, but I held them back. I was determined not to let either of them see me cry. I especially didn’t want to give the birthday girl that satisfaction. My gaze fierce, I looked him straight in the eye.

“The line ‘it’s not what it seems’ is not going to work this time. It’s crystal clear to me, Lance.”

“W-what is?” he stuttered.

Jeez. Was he that much of a moron?

“Read my lips.” I pointed to them. “We’re over.” I spelled it out. “O-V-E-R.” He gawked at me, his face growing blanker. Rage surged inside me. Impulsively, I yanked off the heart necklace he’d given me, breaking the chain, and hurled it at him. It hit him in the face. I was disappointed he didn’t wince. The severed necklace fell to the marble floor with the tiniest of clinks.

Perplexed, he gazed down at it. “Why’d you have to do that?”

“Seriously, Lance?” I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. “You belong with her.”

I glimpsed Tanya shooting me a smug, triumphant smile while my eyes stayed fixed on Lance. My mouth curled into a snarl.

“And you know what, you’re not even a good kisser. You’re like a broken washing machine.”

“W-what do you mean?”

Using my hand, I pretended like I was holding a phone to my ear. “Hello… Whirlpool repair man… saliva overload.”

His jaw went slack. He looked seriously affronted. Make that mortified. And guess what—I was telling the truth. Whenever he kissed, spit leaked out of his mouth. He remained speechless as I hammered into him.

“For all I care, screw your new girlfriend. Give her your birthday present. I bet she’ll be seriously disappointed. It’s not a big deal. And who knows if it’ll work.” Lance gawped, his mouth agape like he was holding it open for a dentist. I paused, looking at the two of them heatedly. “Now, get the hell out of here. Both of you. This is my house, my bathroom, my rules.”

“Whatever.” Tanya shrugged before bending down to retrieve her sparkling halter top. She slipped it over her head, adjusting it over her big boobs. As she fixed her bra strap, a wicked glint lit her eyes.

“Whoops! I’m forgetting something.”

My gaze stayed on her as she squatted down again and snatched the gold necklace in her hand like a bird swooping down for a breadcrumb. She stood up, dangling the broken necklace between her fingers, and fired me a smirk. “You know what they say…Finders keepers, losers weepers.”