Tiny Tim полностью

“Oh no!” Aunt Danielle breathed out, as she spun around to face me with her hand covering her mouth. The intensity of her reaction told me that she not only remembered my birthdate now, but also remembered what had happened when I came home the evening before. She also seemed to finally realize the implications of that. Uncle John just gave me an uncomfortable look.

“It’s quite alright.” I told her coldly, as I stood up and walked over to Tess. “Tess here made more than up for it. She made it a very memorable, and very enjoyable, day for me. Until I came home, at least. But, since I didn’t expect anything else anyway, it’s hard to be disappointed.”

I didn’t plan on sounding as pissed as I did when dealing with those two, but the way John talked about Tess had instantly killed my resolve to be lenient with them. Seriously, how many uncles and aunts do you know who take part in their nephews’ birthdays? It’s not their job; I’m not their child. Sure, they were both involved in the core issue plaguing me, but they didn’t cause it. At least not that I knew of.

“But that means you turned sixteen yesterday!” she said, throwing an expressive look at her husband, who, unlike me, seemed to immediately get the hidden meaning her words held and closed his eyes, letting out a small sigh.

“Yes ... so?” I blinked in confusion. Then, finally understanding but not wanting to let on that I indeed knew what she probably meant, I added “Oh, don’t worry, I already got a car myself. A small Jeep! As I said, I didn’t expect any of you to remember anyway. And even if you had, there’s no way they’d go out of their way to get me a car. The guys here helped me get my license.”

“Yes ... a car. That ... was nice of them.” Aunt Danielle replied, but she was throwing a pleading look at John.

Did I get this right? Were they supposed to let me in on their activities when I turned sixteen? Was that what I witnessed at Ava’s sixteenth? It would certainly line up with the changes at home that happened after Logan’s sixteenth. But this didn’t make any sense ... People don’t just suddenly start fucking family members, just because they got the chance to. This is something I would have needed to be slowly and carefully introduced to, long before my birthday came around, so I wouldn’t run off and tell anybody about it. Well, at least I would have had to be introduced to it long before my birthday, if I hadn’t already known about it. There was no way they knew that I had walked in on their little family orgy on Ava’s birthday.

I suddenly remembered the phone call with Grandma. Maybe, when she was confused about me being oblivious to their Thanksgiving plans, it wasn’t about Thanksgiving itself, but rather something that was happening when the whole family got together. Were the parents expected to have that talk with me? That would, for sure, be better than being resented and unwanted, but it didn’t fit with the blatant disinterest the parents showed me.

In fact, I had refused to refer to them as ‘my’ parents for a while now, after they had basically abandoned me. What Princess Ava did to me would not be forgotten simply because I’d maybe get to fuck her. And Golden Boy Logan, after smiling happily upon seeing me beaten on the ground, was unredeemable as a brother to me. So, even if they suddenly decided I was worth their time, I didn’t think they were worth mine. Nothing made sense at that moment. My thoughts were interrupted, however, when Tess had a sudden outburst.

“Wait a minute! Are you saying that your WHOLE family simply FORGOT about your sweet sixteen!? ALL of them!?” The tone of her voice was clear disbelief. But there was also something else mixed in. Was she angry for me?

“Why do you think I’m working so much while still being in high school? It’s to get out of that damn house.” I shrugged, ignoring how Aunt Danielle’s eyes widened. “But speaking of working, I have to get back to it if I want to get through that mountain of old hardware anytime soon.”

I pulled Tess tightly into my body as I gave her a loving parting kiss, thanked her for the gift, and led the three of them out of my office. As I did, Uncle John tried to rejoin the conversation.

“I’ll have a talk with my little sister about...” he started, but I already suspected this would happen and I wouldn’t have any of it.

“Fuck, no!” I said sternly. “What’s going on in that house will not be solved by a simple conversation. And certainly not by one started by either of you.” I said that last word in a mocking tone and, again, ignored it when Aunt Danielle’s eyes widened even more. “If there is one thing I seriously don’t need, it’s them spending time with me because someone else made them feel obligated to. That would be even worse than what I have right now! If they prefer their two other children, I’m very much okay with it.”