AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Fourteen
VAN
The lights are on in her apartment when I pull up. She squints, trying to make out who is home.
“Stay here. I’ll be right out.” She unbuckles her seat belt, but I’m fast and am out of the car and at the passenger door before she can sling her purse over her shoulder.
“That’s a negative.”
“My mom isn’t going to let me go with you. I know she seems like she doesn’t have many opinions on what’s going on, but I know she’ll draw the line at me sleeping over at your house.”
“It’s not my house. It’s Dunc’s house. Dad and I are just…” I pause because I don’t really know the state of Dad’s future in the Donovan household. He’s staying there because it makes the most sense for Mom and our new weird family. She missed out on eighteen years with Cooper and her first love, Duncan’s uncle. But Dad won’t want to stay there for the rest of his life. It’s too awkward. As for me, I’m leaving for college next year, so I’m just waiting it out. “We’re long-staying guests and you can be one of those.”
“Mom isn’t really going to care about that.”
I thread my fingers through Fleur’s. “You underestimate me, babe.”
Upstairs, Fleur’s mom isn’t the problem. She nods her head and smiles positively when I explain that I’m taking Fleur over to my house to spend the night with Sadie and my mom. I spin up the tale about how Mom wants to get to know all of Duncan and Sadie’s friends since she missed out on so much. “And since Dunc and Fleur were childhood buds, Mom’s dying to meet her,” I finish.
“I never knew you and Duncan Donovan were so close.” Fleur’s mom looks genuinely surprised.
“They’re selling you a bunch of bullshit, Krystal,” interjects Richard. He looms behind Krystal’s small frame like an ugly shadow ready to devour both women.
Without thinking, I step forward, putting my frame between him and Fleur. This action doesn’t go unnoticed by Richard, who narrows his eyes and scowls. “Admit it, son, you are trying to do the deed with this girl.”
I run my tongue over the top row of my teeth and order myself not to be antagonistic. “Sebastian York is my daddy.” Not you, asshole. “Fleur’s just coming over to the Donovan house to eat a piece of strawberry shortcake my mom has whipped up, trade stories with Sadie, and whip my butt in a game of Monopoly.”
“You think you’re pretty important being a star on your high school football team,” he continues as if I hadn’t said a single word, “but I’ve been there. I was the best damned quarterback in the entire county back in high school. Wasn’t I, Krystal?”
Fleur’s mom actually blushes. “You sure were, honey.” She wraps her hand around her ribcage. Richard takes this as an invitation to squeeze Krystal’s tit. Fleur makes a sad noise behind me. I point my gaze above Krystal’s head.
“Everyone loved me. Every girl wanted to ride my dick”—Fleur makes another choking sound while Krystal giggles—"right until my knee blew out.” Richard runs his eyes over my frame and stops at my knee, likely fantasizing about how great it would be if that injury would happen to me. “So I get what you’re doing here, taking advantage of your position at school, but as the man in Fleur’s life, I’d be doing a poor job of protecting the girl if I allowed her to go with you.”
“You’re not the man—” Fleur starts, but I stop her. I see where all of this is going. We’re going to fight, her mom is going to cry, and then Fleur’s going to feel like shit.
“You were right, Red. We shouldn’t have come here. There’s nothing here for you. We’ve got everything you need at the house.” I take her hand and arrow straight for the door. A big hand slams against the frame.
“You’re not going nowhere without my say-so,” Richard thunders.
I’m young and strong and probably dumbly fearless. I knock Richard’s hand to the side, whip open the door, and push Fleur through. Richard grabs my collar and tries to haul me back inside.
“Stop it, Richard!” Fleur yells.
“Don’t hit him,” Krystal cries.
I don’t know if she’s talking to me or her daughter. I twist out of Richard’s grip, grab Fleur’s hand again, and start running. She matches me without question. Richard curses but can’t catch us as we sprint down the stairs. He’s too big and too old.
We tumble into the car, out of breath and high on adrenaline. Fleur’s laughing as the car tires squeal against the pavement.
“Richard’s so pissed,” Fleur declares, twisting around in her seat.
“Is he back there?”
“Barely on the sidewalk. I think he lost his shoe on the way down.” Another giggle pops from her. Fuck, I love that sound.
“You’re not going back there. Not while your mom is still dating him.”
Fleur sighs and drops lower in the seat. “I can’t stay with you. All my stuff is back at the apartment, plus, your living situation is a mess, remember?”
