We started wrestling the moment I knocked him to the floor. Even though I was stronger than him, KJ got a few good hits in against my face. But I got more in. I got a lot fucking more hits in.
“What the heck is going on!” Shay shouted as she darted toward us. She began to try to rip us apart from one another. “Stop it! Landon! Dad! Stop!” she urged, finally managing to separate us.
KJ and I landed separately across from each other, breathingheavily as Shay stood over us. She looked down in complete disbelief.
“How do you two know each other?” she asked. “Dad, why are you at Landon’s?”
“No, young lady, why are you at this kid’s house?” KJ asked back as he stood to his feet.
I stood, too. “He was Monica’s dealer, Shay. He’s been dealing to my friends for a while, too.”
All color drained from Shay’s face as she looked at her father. “You’re not just using, but you’re dealing again? Dad. What the fuck?”
KJ cleared his throat. “I don’t have to answer to you. Last time I checked, I was the parent, not you. And also when I checked, you were grounded and shouldn’t have been at this rotten kid’s house.”
“And last I checked, you were on parole. I bet after the cops find out about you dealing, you’re probably about to be grounded, too,” Shay spat back with fire burning behind her eyes.Good girl. Tell your father to fuck off.Before I could appreciate her slick tongue, she flipped toward me. “Are you on drugs, Landon?” she snapped. “Because if you are, after everything I’ve told you, I will never talk to you again. I mean ever—”
“I swear I’m not,” I hurriedly said.
“I used to sell that druggie everything,” KJ said, gesturing toward me.
“It’s true,” I said to Shay with a nod. “He did. But I got clean after Lance passed away, Shay. I swear.”
“He’s bullshitting. I know users. He’s an addict,” KJ swore.
I kept my eyes on Shay as she kept her eyes on me.
“Swear?” she whispered.
I nodded. “Swear.”
She blinked, and a few tears fell. “OK,” she replied. “I believe you.”
“You’d really trust him over your own old man, Shay?” KJ questioned. “You’d choose this fucking loser over your own father?”
“In a heartbeat,” she spat out, with so much courage behind the sound. “You’re disgusting,” she said toward KJ. “Dealing to kids? Monica almost died.”
“She’s a shit kid. Nothing like you, Shay.”
Then another reality settled in about KJ being Shay’s father. He slept with one of our classmates. An underage one at that.
“Shay,” I whispered, “Monica sent me a video a while back to try to make me jealous. It was her and your dad, um, hooking up.”
Shay grew even paler. I saw the panic in KJ’s eyes. He didn’t know what to say, because there was nothing he could say. There was video footage of him hooking up and doing drugs with a minor. That man deserved to rot deep in hell.
“Get out,” Shay hissed before moving over to her father and shoving him in the chest. “Get out, get out, get out!” she screamed until KJ was on the front porch. She kept shoving him until he fell down the front steps.
“I never want to see you again, you fucking monster,” Shay said as tears streamed down her face.
KJ stood to his feet, staring at his daughter. “Your mom will make you understand, princess. Fuck, Camila will make you understand. Everything I’ve ever done has been for you ladies. You’ll fucking see,” he said as he hurried off to his car.
I took a few steps toward Shay. Her eyes were focused solely on KJ’s car driving away.
“Chick—” I started as I stood behind her.
She turned sharply around as KJ’s vehicle turned the corner. She held her hand out toward me. “I need your phone.”
“For what?”