"Thanks for the coffee, love," I simper and bat my eyelashes.

Dear Lord in heaven, please kill me now.

"Anytime," said Drew. He bit his lip and looked out the shop window. Probably thought he looked hot. He did though.

Halt thy traitorous thoughts! Stick to the bloody plan, Jay.

Drew walked me up to the door and I pulled out my keys. I had the key in the lock when suddenly... Bam! He kisses me.

Barely had our lips touched, when the front door opened of its own accord. Or rather, my dad's accord.

Shit.

"Jay, what is this?" my dad asked, running his fingers through his grey hair.

My dad is 43-years-old going on 70. He is a world-renowned lawyer and millionaire and hardly ever leaves work. He leaves for gym at 5:00 every morning and showers there and goes to work. He works all day, leaves the office at 18:00 and usually has dinner with a client. He arrives home at 20:00 and showers and goes to bed. And that is the average day in the life of James Wilde.

"Um, hey dad! This is, uh, Drew and he was just leaving. Right, Drew?"

"Yeah, that's right," Drew said, an evil smile forming on those lips. "Bye, babe."

And then he had the nerve to slap my ass! What a creep!

My dad's jaw drops but before he can say anything, Drew has jumped in his car and driven off.

"Inside, now," my dad's voice is level but I can tell he's angry.

"Who the hell was he?"

"Just a friend from school, dad."

"I can see he's very friendly. Jay, he's trouble. Plain and simple."

"So am I."

"This was meant to be a new start. We could move away from all the history we had in Australia. The divorce, Sebastian's death and your troubled life. But no, you throw it back in my face."

I laugh a bitter, twisted laugh, not unlike the Joker's. "This move was for you, so don't make this about me. YOU wanted to get away from losing Seb and didn't once ask me what I wanted. Do you know that we haven't had a proper conversation without fighting in 3 years?"

"Because you're always getting into trouble!"

"Because you're always ignoring me!"

"I work long and hard every single day. You have a everything you could possibly want."

"Except my dad! And maybe you should work a little longer and little harder on a relationship with your daughter."

I stormed up to my room. Every fight ended like this, with me leaving and there being nothing left to say.

I just want my brother back. Seb made everything ok, not perfect but ok.

But you can't change the past and I know that. I missed my old life and my old friends. I missed surfing and skateboarding on weekends. I missed waiting in line for those concert tickets that we had planning to get for months. I wanted to go home.

But this is home now. Accept it.

I grab my headphones and put on my All Time Low playlist. God save whoever dared to interrupt me when I'm in one of these moods.

An hour later my dad opens the door. I interrupt him before he can say a word.

"Why were you even home early in the first place?"

"I have a date tonight."

"With who?" I demanded.

"Christine, a lady from the office."

"Oh," I don't really know what to say. Then I remember. "Why did you come into my room?"

"I called the school and I'm sorry, Jay, but this is how things are if you're going to keep up your old ways. You have to see the school psychologist every Monday, Wednesday and Friday after school."

I scream at him. "You never listen! Did you even hear a word I said downstairs?"

"Jay," my dad says quietly and sadly, "I barely know what to do with you anymore. Please just see the psychologist. For me?"

I look into my dad's eyes. He's practically begging me.

"Fine. But don't think it's gonna change a thing."

"All I ask is that you see the shrink and stay out of trouble."

"Don't bank on the last one. Now get out of my room."

"I don't think that's the right tone of voice. Or the correct phrasing."

"Leave now or I won't go see the school shrink."

My dad gets up and goes and I am left alone with my murderous thoughts.

***
Above photo is Scarlett ^-^