Total pages in book: 34
Estimated words: 32145 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 161(@200wpm)___ 129(@250wpm)___ 107(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 32145 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 161(@200wpm)___ 129(@250wpm)___ 107(@300wpm)
“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?”
“Nah, we’re a big, happy family.”
“Liar.”
I tap my fingers against the steering wheel. “We’re a big dysfunctional family trying to make everything work. One more person isn’t going to make it harder. If anything, it’ll be easier. It’s more even this way because right now it’s Sadie and Mom with Dunc, Dad, Cooper, and then me. Think of this as like, I don’t know, a women’s rights thing.”
“You’re saying that evening out the genders in your house is a contribution toward advancing feminism?”
“Yeah, and you don’t even have to burn your bras. See how awesome I am for suggesting this?”
“I really don’t think that’s how it works, but I can’t think of a way to argue myself out of this because it’s just so ludicrous.”
“You’re very sexy when you use those newspaper editor words.” She smiles over at me. “We’re home, and we need to make it through the Fischl gauntlet. She will want to know everything about you, including your underwear size. I’m guessing it’s a medium but she’s not going to want to hear it from me.” I park the car.
“How do you know my underwear size?”
“I’ve spent a good amount of time staring at your sweet ass.” I wink and then hop out, allowing her to choke on her embarrassment in private. Red and I are going to have a lot of fun tonight.
Chapter
Fifteen
FLEUR
“Fleur, right?” Of course, Van’s mom is in the kitchen when he drags me into his house. I don’t even get a chance to give him more reasons why we shouldn't be doing this.
“Yeah, I guess we didn’t exchange names at the game.” I’d been too busy trying to get the hell out of there. “Sorry.”
“Nothing to be sorry about. I’m Fischl.” I take her hand. She gives me the sweetest smile, putting me at ease. “You were at the birthday party.”
“Yes, ma’am. I left after the punch bowl incident.” That had been talked about for a week around school. Rose is still pissed.
“Do we have to bring that up again?” Van groans.
“Bring what up? That you spilled punch on a girl, and then you and your brother started fighting?” I give him a well-deserved dig.
“He’s not my brother,” Van mutters under his breath. I don’t miss the flash of sadness in his mom’s eyes. Seeing her puts a lot of it into perspective.