“What about it?”
My mom gave me that saccharine smile she always used when she was about to ask for something unreasonable.
“Well, we’ve been talking, and we realized that maybe we were a little unfair to you before.”
I blinked a little. She ignored my sarcasm and continued.
“The thing is, Alex has been having a tough time keeping up with things at the house. There are property taxes, maintenance, and, well, he’s just got so much on his plate. We thought that maybe you could step in and help.”
I stared at her, waiting for the punch line.
“Help?”
“Yes,” my dad chimed in. “We were thinking you could start pitching and financially, you know, just to make sure everything is taken care of.”
I felt my jaw tighten.
“Let me get this straight. You told me I couldn’t live there when I needed a place to stay, but now you want me to pay for it? For Alex’s house?”
My brother finally looked up from his phone, rolling his eyes.
“It’s not just for me, Jess. It’s for the family.”
I let out a bitter laugh.
“Oh, now it’s a family thing? That’s funny because when I needed help, I was told to figure it out.”
My mom sighed dramatically, like I was being the unreasonable one.
“Jess, don’t be like this. We made decisions that we thought were best at the time, but now we really do need your help.”
I shook my head, feeling my temper rise.
“No, you don’t need my help. You need a scapegoat. You need someone to clean up the mess you made when you handed Grandpa’s house to Alex without thinking it through.”
My dad leaned forward, his expression hardening.
“Don’t talk like that. This is about doing what’s right for the family.”
I stood up, my heart pounding.
“You mean doing what’s right for Alex, because let’s be real, that’s all this has ever been about.”
Alex scoffed.
“Oh, come on, Jess. Stop playing the victim. You act like we threw you out on the street.”
I turned to him, my voice cold.
“You did. Maybe not literally, but you sure as hell didn’t care when I was struggling. You told me to figure it out, so guess what? Now it’s your turn.”
My mom gassed.
