(no subject)
For years now Angela, Jake's older sister, had carried on the tradition of hosting dinners in her house once a month. Jake had never really been a fan of them, because socializing had never really been his thing, but since he was usually guilt-tripped into going he'd show up more out of duty than anything else.
Like tonight, for example.
Angela always claimed it helped to get the family together, along with some other family friends, but to him it just never made sense why anyone would hold up the whole charade. So, after excusing himself once he walked around greeting people, he walked over to the kitchen so he could serve himself something stronger to drink than just wine. One of the good things about knowing Angela's place as well as he had known his own was that he knew the cabinets he needed to raid in order to get the good bottles.
"You're going to get her on your bad side if she catches you, you know."
Jake turned around to face Mia, who stood at the entrance of the kitchen with a small smile on her face, and he chuckled quietly under his breath. "Right." He turned back to the cabinet he had just opened. "That's why we're not going to tell her."
She walked to the island in the middle of the kitchen and refilled her glass of wine. Mia and Jake may have been divorced for two years now, but Mia still kept a good relationship with Angela. Jake never minded it; he thought it was good for everyone involved. Especially for Valerie. Sure, Jake felt awkward as all hell around his ex-wife, but if it was good for Valerie then who was he to complain.
"I've been meaning to talk to you, actually," he said after she didn't say anything else, setting a bottle of whiskey on the counter. Mia's eyebrows shot up slightly in surprise, and Jake leaned against the counter as he picked out his words. "...I want to get Valerie a car."
Now Mia's eyebrows shot up even more, and she let out an incredulous laugh. "You're joking." Jake didn't smile, though, and when it registered in Mia that he really was serious, she frowned. "No. Absolutely not."
"She's 16."
"Exactly. She's still a minor."
"Yeah, a minor with the right to drive." Moving to get a glass from another cabinet, he purposely didn't look at Mia. He didn't have to - as he filled his glass with whiskey he could already feel the glare on him. "I'll teach her to drive."
Mia scoffed, setting her wine down. "Yeah, because that makes me feel so much better."
Jake managed not to frown, but the smart-ass smirk that he knew she hated grew on his lips. "Fine. You teach her, then."
She stayed silent long enough for Jake to drink half of the whiskey he had served himself, both of them just staring at each other as if they were each waiting for the other to give in. After a moment, she shook her head. "You're impossible. She's 16; it's not safe for her to drive."
"And when is it going to be? When she goes off to college?" Mia looked away, and Jake looked down at the liquid in his glass. "I know you want to protect her, but there's only so much you can do, Mia."
The party kept going on out in the rest of the house, but the tension that grew in the kitchen was so thick that Jake couldn't help but wonder if the others felt it. With a humorless laugh, she shook her head as she turned back to him. "Don't you dare say that to me. Not you, Jake."
Feeling the words hit him like a ton of bricks, he frowned deeply. "What the hell does that mean?"
At first she didn't answer, drinking the wine in the glass she had put down earlier. "You know what it means," she finally responded quietly. "I don't know what kind of guilt trip you're on now with this nonsense, but no. You cannot get her a car."
A grim sort of smile crossed his lips, and he raised his glass a little. "See, one of the things about being divorced is that I can actually do that if I feel like it."
Mia stared at him, silent, before shaking her head and walking out of the kitchen. The party continued outside, but instead of going out and joining them Jake simply took out a couple of pills from the pill case in his pocket and popped them in his mouth before downing them with the last swig of whiskey he had left in the glass. Just as he was about to refill it, Angela walked in and sighed audibly. "Jake..."
"Great party," Jake answered as he brought up the glass to his lips, not bothering to look at his sister. He already knew the discontent look on her face without even turning to her.
Like tonight, for example.
Angela always claimed it helped to get the family together, along with some other family friends, but to him it just never made sense why anyone would hold up the whole charade. So, after excusing himself once he walked around greeting people, he walked over to the kitchen so he could serve himself something stronger to drink than just wine. One of the good things about knowing Angela's place as well as he had known his own was that he knew the cabinets he needed to raid in order to get the good bottles.
"You're going to get her on your bad side if she catches you, you know."
Jake turned around to face Mia, who stood at the entrance of the kitchen with a small smile on her face, and he chuckled quietly under his breath. "Right." He turned back to the cabinet he had just opened. "That's why we're not going to tell her."
She walked to the island in the middle of the kitchen and refilled her glass of wine. Mia and Jake may have been divorced for two years now, but Mia still kept a good relationship with Angela. Jake never minded it; he thought it was good for everyone involved. Especially for Valerie. Sure, Jake felt awkward as all hell around his ex-wife, but if it was good for Valerie then who was he to complain.
"I've been meaning to talk to you, actually," he said after she didn't say anything else, setting a bottle of whiskey on the counter. Mia's eyebrows shot up slightly in surprise, and Jake leaned against the counter as he picked out his words. "...I want to get Valerie a car."
Now Mia's eyebrows shot up even more, and she let out an incredulous laugh. "You're joking." Jake didn't smile, though, and when it registered in Mia that he really was serious, she frowned. "No. Absolutely not."
"She's 16."
"Exactly. She's still a minor."
"Yeah, a minor with the right to drive." Moving to get a glass from another cabinet, he purposely didn't look at Mia. He didn't have to - as he filled his glass with whiskey he could already feel the glare on him. "I'll teach her to drive."
Mia scoffed, setting her wine down. "Yeah, because that makes me feel so much better."
Jake managed not to frown, but the smart-ass smirk that he knew she hated grew on his lips. "Fine. You teach her, then."
She stayed silent long enough for Jake to drink half of the whiskey he had served himself, both of them just staring at each other as if they were each waiting for the other to give in. After a moment, she shook her head. "You're impossible. She's 16; it's not safe for her to drive."
"And when is it going to be? When she goes off to college?" Mia looked away, and Jake looked down at the liquid in his glass. "I know you want to protect her, but there's only so much you can do, Mia."
The party kept going on out in the rest of the house, but the tension that grew in the kitchen was so thick that Jake couldn't help but wonder if the others felt it. With a humorless laugh, she shook her head as she turned back to him. "Don't you dare say that to me. Not you, Jake."
Feeling the words hit him like a ton of bricks, he frowned deeply. "What the hell does that mean?"
At first she didn't answer, drinking the wine in the glass she had put down earlier. "You know what it means," she finally responded quietly. "I don't know what kind of guilt trip you're on now with this nonsense, but no. You cannot get her a car."
A grim sort of smile crossed his lips, and he raised his glass a little. "See, one of the things about being divorced is that I can actually do that if I feel like it."
Mia stared at him, silent, before shaking her head and walking out of the kitchen. The party continued outside, but instead of going out and joining them Jake simply took out a couple of pills from the pill case in his pocket and popped them in his mouth before downing them with the last swig of whiskey he had left in the glass. Just as he was about to refill it, Angela walked in and sighed audibly. "Jake..."
"Great party," Jake answered as he brought up the glass to his lips, not bothering to look at his sister. He already knew the discontent look on her face without even turning to her.