Awkwardly Ever After by Marni Bates Page B

me with the total matter-of-factness with which he dropped that bomb. Then he turned to me and said calmly, “Melanie, would you please step back? I think this moment calls for a door slamming in his face. I know it’s overdone and kind of childish, but what the hell. You only get to brush off your deadbeat dad once, right?”
    â€œUm,” I said articulately. “Are you sure you want—”
    â€œWhat’s the holdup, Dylan?” Mackenzie rounded the corner, took one look at her brother’s stony expression, and bolted forward. “Everything o . . .” Her voice trailed off as she saw the visitor at the door. “Holy crap.”
    It was the first time I had ever heard Mackenzie swear, and even though the expletive was pretty mild, it still sounded wrong coming from her. Dylan didn’t hesitate any longer. He pulled me back and slammed the door shut.
    Right in his dad’s face.
    Then, ignoring my presence entirely, he focused on his older sister. “He says he wants to talk to you.”
    â€œIs it about Chase or Adam?” Mackenzie asked.
    Out of everything, that detail surprised me the most. They had two half brothers I had never heard either of them ever mention by name. Heck, I’d never heard them even bring up their dad. I always figured he had died in a car accident or something when they were young.
    It was kind of funny, because if there was one person who should have known better than to make assumptions about an absent father figure, it was me.
    â€œThey’re fine.”
    Mackenzie nodded, but there was a dazed look in her eyes, one that had been plastered across tabloid covers when her embarrassing YouTube video went viral. “How are you?”
    Dylan’s mouth kicked up at the side, but there was a grimness there that I hadn’t seen before. I couldn’t help thinking that if his father had shown up even a few hours earlier, he would have seen Dylan coated with mud. Somehow that seemed more appropriate given that this emotional battle was definitely going to get dirty.
    â€œFine,” Dylan lied so confidently, I might have believed him if I hadn’t witnessed his reaction to his father firsthand. “How do you want to play this, Mackenzie? I don’t think he’s going to budge from our doorstep anytime soon. He seemed pretty determined to talk to you.”
    â€œI can’t imagine why,” Mackenzie admitted. “Not when he hasn’t bothered to swing by since . . . what? Elementary school?”
    â€œYeah, well, that was before you became America’s Most Awkward Teenage Girl. My guess, he wants to sell the heartwarming story of your reunion to the tabloids.”
    â€œStill . . .” Mackenzie didn’t appear to have any idea what to say on that topic, so she shifted back to the more pressing matter. “What do you think we should do?”
    He shrugged. “He’s not here to see me, Mackenzie. If you want to rehash the past or whatever, that’s up to you. If you don’t want to say a word to him, I can make sure he keeps his distance while Logan drives you to his place. But either way, you need to make up your mind now.”
    â€œWhy are we going to my house?” Logan asked from behind me, and I jumped before swiveling around to see that at some point Spencer, Isobel, and Logan had gotten curious.
    â€œMackenzie?” Dylan said calmly. “Tell me what you want and I can handle this.”
    Her eyes were wild, and I could tell that she really didn’t want to be the one making such a huge decision. It wasn’t hard for me to relate. I mean, if my dad stopped drinking and I found myself in a position where he was asking me for forgiveness for spending years wasting away in front of the television, I’m not sure how I would respond either.
    Don’t get me wrong; I’d be thrilled.
    I just would have a really hard time believing he meant it.
    At some point,