AllFreeNovel
Share Us
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
“Is that fucker for real?”Ryan boomed after the porch screen door slammed shut behind him in the kitchen. Teagan was just about to put her sneakers on and ask her mom to drive her into Austin.
“What’s going on?” Shauni asked as she furrowed her brows.
“You told mom you were at Gwenn’s last night. Is there more bullshit you’ve lied about?” Ryan asked as he held still in front of her seat. She kept her eyes trained on fastening her shoelaces, needing a moment before she would face the music.
“Look at me, T.”
She met his icy glare, and it turned her stomach. “Don’t look at me like that.”
“Like what?”
Teagan stood from her seat. “Like I’m not your sister, but a stranger.”
He scoffed. “You sure feel like one. I can’t believe you’d let that older man touch you.”
She rolled her eyes. He made it sound like Devlin was some eighty-year-old pervert and she was his arm candy.
Her mom entered the kitchen and eyed her children. “What’s goin’ on here?” Shauni asked as she placed her hand on Teagan’s shoulder. Teagan groaned. She needed to get to the pub and didn’t have time to tell her mother how her entire life had tilted on its axis in a few days’ time.
“I can’t get into it right now, Mom. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you I was spending the night at Devlin’s. I’m just figuring this thing out between us, and I didn’t want everyone butting in and telling me how to live my life.”
Shauni brought her weathered hand to her chest, her round face crestfallen as her bottom lip wobbled. “Is that how you see us?”
“Mom…”
Shauni’s straight, gray hair swished before her dark blue eyes as she shook her head. “I can’t believe it has come to this. How long have you’ve been seeing this man? Who is it?”
Before she could answer her mother, Ryan said, “It’s that biker. Devlin Walker.”
Shauni’s brows furrowed. “The oldest half brother of the Ryan sisters?”
Teagan watched them discuss her life without her while she stood watching them from the sidelines. It irritated her tremendously as it brought out painful memories.
“Can I borrow the truck?” She needed to get out of here before she would say things she would regret.
Her mother sat down on a chair and tapped her index finger on the kitchen table. “You’re goin’ to call your cousin Brennan and tell him you’ll not be coming in tonight.”
“What? No! I’m not doing that. Can’t we discuss this tomorrow? They need me at the pub.” Teagan’s heart raced in her chest. Why couldn’t her mother agree with her they should talk things through without her brother present, who was ready to go on a warpath?
“He said he was headin’ to Lucky tonight. Maybe that’s why you want to go over there so bad?”
She raised her chin and said, “I just want to get to work. Against everything you think of me—I’m a responsible person and I’ll not leave Errin and Brennan hanging when there’s no reason for me to stay home. If I can’t borrow the truck, I’ll ask Devlin to come pick me up.”
She knew she was pushing her luck, but they had themselves to thank for that. Why were they jumping to conclusions without even hearing her side?
“I’ll drive you,” Mae said from the hall doorway. Teagan swallowed the emotional lump in her throat. She hadn’t expected her sister to come to her aid. Not after Mae texting her last night that she needed to be honest and tell her family she was staying at Devlin’s.
As usual, Mae had seen this disaster coming from a mile away and had warned her. But did she listen to Mae? No. Of course not.
She turned to her mother and said, “I’m sorry that I lied about sleeping at Gwenn’s. I know it was stupid. And it will not happen again.”
“That’s right. Because you’re not goin’ to see him again,” Ryan said as he folded his arms.
“Come again? You can’t tell me what to do. You’re not my dad, Ry!” She felt the urge to kick his overprotective ass.
“Well, I’m your mother, and I also don’t like this one bit. You’re already changing before our eyes, dear. If you felt the need to lie about him, then that’s your first clue that things are not right.”
