“Morning,” I croak out, offering him a slight wave as though his presence doesn’t bother me.

But it does bother me.

Everything about him and Levi bothers me.

“Morning,” he parrots. “You look a little green around the gills. Feeling okay?”

His voice almost sounds sincere, which has alarm bells ringing inside my head, making the hangover headache throb even harder. Darren isn’t the caring stepfather he portrays to the outside world. He’s a total dick.

“I’m fine,” I croak. “Where’s Mom?”

“She went into the office.” He sets his phone down on the table with a soft clank. “Want me to make breakfast? Sausage gravy and biscuits perhaps?”

I nearly throw up at the thought, which makes me think that was his intent. With a quick shake of my head, I reach into the cabinet and grab a box of PopTarts. “This will do.”

Mom never goes into the office on Saturdays. Usually, on the weekends, she sleeps. A lot. It’s when she takes many of her pills. It’s like she knows she has to put up with Darren and Levi too, but chooses to check out completely, leaving me on my own to deal with them.

“I should go visit her,” I say, not looking at him. “Maybe bring her lunch.”

“Don’t bother your mother. Besides, she should be home by lunchtime anyway.”

I snag a bottle of water from the fridge and am planning to take the whole box of PopTarts with me to my bedroom when I’m stopped by Darren’s laugh.

“This is too good to be true,” he murmurs, shaking his head with a grin splitting his face. “Unbelievable.”

“What’s too good to be true?”

He holds up his phone. “It’s all over the news this morning. Underage drinking bust at Park Mountain Lodge. Do you know what this means for my lawsuit?” He chuckles again and then glances over at me. “We should go to dinner tonight to celebrate.”

If it weren’t for my intense desire to leave Darren’s presence immediately, I’d have probably thrown up at his words. But I’m desperate to lock myself away in my room away from him.

Callum’s family is under scrutiny for last night’s party.

This will be bad for the campaign—the whole family really.

“I’m going to lie back down,” I murmur. “I’ll let you know if I’m feeling well enough for dinner later.”

I don’t wait for a reply and rush out of the kitchen. Once I’m safely in my room, I set down my stash on my dresser and then start for the door to block it with my nightstand. Just as I reach it, someone pushes inside.

Levi.

“Get out,” I hiss over the thunderous roar of my panicked heart.