The Dating Tutor: Alec's Story by Melissa Frost

me—”
    “I know what I told you! I changed my mind.” Jerich’s face began reddening, and his hands shook.
    Withdrawals. This wasn’t the first time Alec had seen his father go through this. Every time his old man had a few good days, this would happen. He never could handle staying sober. “It’s gone.” He shrugged helplessly. “I can’t get it back. Nor would I if I could.”
    “What did you say?” Jerich’s eyes flashed with rage.
    Alec calmly placed the remote back on the table and climbed to his feet. “I’m not dealing with this.” He started for the front door but stopped in his tracks at the warning tone of his father’s voice.
    “Don’t you dare walk out of this house.”
    Alec made a sound of disgust. “I’m not going to sit around and be dragged into your misery.” He yanked open the front door. “You’re not going to make me stay through that.” With that, he pushed out the front door and slammed it shut behind him.
    He was in such a blind rage as he stormed across the lawn to Ellie’s yard that he bypassed the front door. It was still early, and Mrs. Harper wouldn’t care if he came in, but he moved on autopilot. Usually when he left to escape his father, it was in the middle of the night.
    He was halfway through Ellie’s window before using the front door ever occurred to him. The thought obviously entered her mind as well, because as he entered her room, she asked, “Why didn’t you use the front door?”
    He shrugged noncommittally as he closed the window behind him and hopped down off her desk. Moving across the room, he silently plopped down to sit on the edge of her bed.
    “And why are you home so early on a Saturday night?” Ellie asked. “What happened to your date?”
    “She was boring.” He observed her reluctantly for a moment before asking, “And your date? You’re home early too, you know.”
    The giddy grin that spread across her lips at his question had Alec’s heart sinking.
    “My date was amazing!” She gave a girly little squeal. “The only reason I’m home before ten is because Jake is doing volunteer work at a church tomorrow. He is just…perfect.”
    “Oh yes. He’s so dreamy.” He tried to keep the bitterness out of his voice and instead went for sarcasm.
    “He is.”
    He regarded her for a moment in silence before asking, “I take it he kissed you then?” Even to his own ears, his voice sounded cold. He also doubted she wouldn’t notice the aggression in his tone.
    Either she truly didn’t notice or she was being cruel, because Ellie answered him in a sing-song voice. “There was a kiss.” She seemed lost in her own little dreamland, but after a pause, she spun to face him. “But I still need your help. Jake asked me to go out with him again, and I’m terrified I am going to screw things up. It’s still early in the dating game. I need my tutor.”
    Alec opened his mouth to protest, but she rushed forward and cut him off. “Please? Just for a little while longer? Once I start to get a feel for it, I’ll handle things on my own, but I just don’t feel confident enough about myself yet.”
    Her request had his stomach roiling with displeasure. He wasn’t sure he could do it anymore. He didn’t think he could tutor her and not get emotionally involved.
    She widened her green eyes with a pleading expression. “Please, Alec. I don’t trust anyone but you with this.”
    The problem was, he couldn’t tell her no either. He’d never been able to tell her no. He took a deep breath, then slowly let it out. “Fine.” At her excited clap, he held up a hand. “But only for a little while longer.”
    With a squeal of delight, Ellie threw her arms around his neck and gave him a squeezing hug. “You’re the best!”
    The best? No, he wasn’t the best. He was the chump who was about to let a girl trample all over his heart. The only thing he was best at was being a fool.

    Chapter Nine
     
    “What is up with you recently, man?” Matt