Текст книги "Let Me Go"

Автор книги: Michelle Lynn

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Текущая страница: 8 (всего у книги 19 страниц)

“THANK YOU SO much, Kailey.” We walk over to her car and she unlocks it for me. It’s a sporty two door and for some reason I’m surprised by it.

“Nice car,” I comment and she waves me off.

“It’s Trey’s. Since he was home today, he gets the minivan. But usually the soccer mobile is mine.”

We both climb in and the leather is so soft and nice. She runs her hands over the steering wheel. “I do have to say, it’s nice to actually feel my age while driving this car.” She inserts the key into the ignition and starts the car.

“So, where are you parked?” She glances at me as we pull out of the parking lot. She found a premium spot before class and I caught up to her outside the building.

“All the way in lot F. I can’t thank you enough.”

“No problem. Trey’s got the kids, so I’m free for a little while.” She laughs and it’s so cute how they made this unexpected life work for them.

“Well, then you want to stop by the Loft?” I joke, but Kailey’s silence says maybe she’s considering it.

“You know what, we should plan a day for all of us girls to get out. With Jessa just having the baby, Sadie all wrapped around her wedding and me, I can’t even tell you how much I need time off.” She drives over and her phone dings in her purse.

“Maybe a spa day?” I raise my eyebrows a few times. I’ve never had very many girlfriends. Consider it Daddy’s occupational hazard. I would just be getting into a friendship with a girl, and then they’d find out who my dad was and they became obsessed. Then their parents would constantly ask about it. There was Clare, but she moved last year and I just never tried much. Until Chrissy.

She stops at a red light and the car jerks forward. Her eyes light up. “Perfect. Yes! Let’s plan it.” She does a little dance in her seat and I laugh.

“You are so fun. You must make a great aunt.” I compliment her and she waves her hand.

“There was a time, I wasn’t so much fun. A time when I took life way too serious. I had to learn the hard way, it’s short and honestly, I can thank Trey. He’s just . . . the one for me.” My heart sinks watching her talk about her husband. That seed of hope that I find the same thing one day. The one who pulls the best out of me and loves me for the crap part, too.

She reaches over and pats my knee. “You’ll find it.”

“Are you psychic, too?” She laughs, flooring the gas and my back presses to the back of my seat.

“Nah, I just see it on your face. You remind me of myself.”

“How is that?” I ask, shooting a text to Rob about Matty.

“Scared.” She turns into parking lot F and I stare at her in awe. She nailed it; I’m scared shitless of finding someone that loves me with no strings. I have no role models on how to make a relationship work, and I fear there will always be that issue of my trust fund, who my dad is, or anything else that goes along with my past.

Rob: I’m over at Trey’s. I can shoot home now.

“Oh.” I murmur and Kailey stops in front of my car and gives me her attention.

“What’s wrong?” she asks.

“Rob’s at your house with my brother.” My thumbs move over the screen.

“They’re still there? Perfect.” She drives away from my car and my palm presses against the window, watching my car pass by.

“Kailey?” I ask and she waves her hand at me. A signature move I’m figuring out.

“You can get your car later. Come on over and we’ll order pizza for the kids. Trey called earlier and said how much fun the girls were having with Matty.”

“Are you sure? If they’ve been there all day; we should give you guys time by yourselves.” I fight it, but she continues driving.

“No. No. When you get to know Trey, you’ll figure out, he prefers the company of a lot of people.”

“Okay,” I meekly agree, sinking down in my seat a little. It’s happening a little too fast. I like Rob’s friends from what I know of them, but it makes Rob, Matty and I like a package deal. Then a small piece of me whispers to ignore those fears and have fun.

Shooting a text to Rob, I tell him to sit tight because Kailey’s driving me over. He never responds and I figure he’s busy.

We park in the driveway, next to the minivan. I spot Rob’s Mustang on the street, along with another car I don’t recognize. When we step inside, it’s not children’s laughter, but adults from the entryway. Kailey drops her back-pack on the bench by the door and I do the same, slipping from my Tom’s.

Following Kailey, I don’t realize it until I see her myself. I’ve heard enough stories from Chrissy to know who’s sitting next to Rob. She’s gorgeous with her short bob haircut and tiny frame. Straightening my T-shirt down over my skinny jeans, I somehow wish I could shrink myself to her size. Rob has the baby in his arms, feeding the baby a bottle. He looks comfortable, but awkward all at the same time. His hand keeps moving to position the bottle in different ways.

“Man, a few hours and even Rob turns parental in this house,” Kailey jokes, wrapping her arms around Trey’s middle, lying her head on his back. He’s on the phone and hangs up at the same moment she kisses his shoulder blade. Twisting around, he pulls his wife in his arms.

“What can I say, I have that effect on him,” he winks, placing both his hands on the side of Kailey’s face, bringing his lips to hers.

Jessa’s eyes peer up and find me in the doorway. Quickly, she stands up and comes over to me. “You must be Paige. I’m Jessa.” She smiles and appears friendly enough. She’s Rob’s ex though, and it’s like she’s checking me out with a fine toothcomb.

“Yeah. Nice to meet you.” I shake her hand and smile back. Pleasantries I tell myself.

“Jessa, is Grant coming over?” Trey hollers over.

“Yeah, I think so. Let me text him again. I swear he’s at work more than home lately.” Oh great, her husband’s never home, somehow her and Rob have become all chummy. Why do I even care? I shouldn’t care.

“If so, I’ll have to order another pizza for his lard ass.” Trey kids and Kailey sweeps in, taking the baby from Rob’s arms.

“I’ll take her.” She goes over to the window and peers out, a smile quick to form on her face. “They are having so much fun.” Then she twists toward me. “Although, you might want to warn your mom, Paige. They’ve turned him into the prince. Foil sword and all.”

“Don’t knock the sword. I worked hard on that.” Rob stands up and ventures to the window, watching Matty hold the handmade sword from cardboard and foil in the air. “They were dressing him up as a princess; I had to put a stop to that shit.”

“Shit,” Drew mimics and Kailey’s head flips over to him sitting on the floor playing with some cars.

Her hand flies up in the air, Trey laughs and I bite my lip. “One day and you’ve already ruined my precious nephew.”

Rob backs up, holding his hands up. “I’m sorry, Kailey.” He truly appears to mean it, but Trey laughs harder and Kailey does, too.

“Please, Rob, let’s remember who lives in this house. He learned it from Trey about a month ago and it’s his favorite word lately.”

Rob’s hand covers his heart. “Thank the lord.” It’s nice to see him show his caring and considerate side. Not plaster on the usual asshole one.

“Grant’s in. He’s leaving now,” Jessa tells Trey and he nods. Jessa and Rob share a look and immediately Rob goes outside.

She goes to follow, but Kailey glances over to me. “Paige, you should see Matty out here.” Jessa stops and peers over to me.

I meet her by the window and find a happy Matty. It doesn’t happen nearly enough and it pulls a smile from my face. Then they veer to Rob and he’s sitting on the table, his fingers tapping along it. “Go talk to him.” Kailey nudges me with her shoulder.

Following her directions, I slide through the doors and sit down next to him. “I hope Matty wasn’t too much trouble today. Thank you again.” I cross my legs and Rob’s eyes watch them the whole way. A shot of electricity shoots through my veins.

“The kid is cool as shit. He opened up as soon as we walked through the door.” He watches Matty, raising his sword and the girl’s bow down to him. “He’s got game already. You had better watch out.”

I laugh and swivel my chair for a better view. “Don’t teach him too much now.”

“It’s not me. The kid’s a natural.” His fingers continue to tap in an uncomfortable drum.

Swiveling back around, his eyes are so lost, I’m not sure he’s entirely with me. “We can go. You can drop me off at my car, I’ll grab Matty. Then you’re free.”

His head tilts and his eyes dig into mine hard. “No. Matty’s having fun.”

“But you aren’t. I get it, so let’s just go.” I’m trying my best not to outwardly call him out on the yearning for his ex-girlfriend.

“What do you get?”

“That Grant’s coming. You know.” I fidget my hands in my lap. “That you probably don’t want to be around him, with Jessa being your ex.” Stashing all the insecurities that she’s everything I’m not. She’s got that whole punk girl image with her short hair, tattoos, and vintage clothes. I’m sitting here with unruly curly hair, lanky body and head-to-toe Express.

His lips drop a little and he licks his lips. “Paige? You think I want Jessa?” His condescending grin has me second-guessing my assumption.

“Sometimes it’s hard to let go.”

“Not in this case. We just had to clear the air. But I like it.”

“Like what?” I swivel my chair to check on Matty again, but Rob swivels me back around.

“I like it that you’re all, jealous and insecure.” I chew on the inside of my cheek. I wish my attraction for Rob would disappear. That I could believe he’s the scumbag he comes off to people. I’ve seen too many good things he’s done to lie to myself. The developing desire for him will only hurt me regardless of now or later.

“I’m not insecure.” I narrow my eyes and my head shakes a little, fighting his words.

He closes my hand in his and his thumb glides over the top of my knuckles. Goose bumps spread up my arm. “Good. Because you don’t even come close to her.” My mouth opens and I’m in awe of his asshole remark. “You’re so far ahead of her, your taillights are hardly visible.” I hate that I’m enlightened that he knocked Jessa down in order to boost me up, but I can’t lie. His admission is nice to hear. Especially since I feel exactly the same way about him.

“Rob?” I question and he doesn’t move his hand from mine. “What are we doing?” I whisper and he retracts his hand.

“Flirting.” He goes back to tapping the table and my stomach drops at his confession.

Standing up, I look down at him, but his eyes focus on the table in front of him. “If that’s all you’re doing, stop it.”

When my hand is on the knob of the screen door, he draws my attention. “Paige?”

I wait for him to finish the sentence. “I’m just being a good friend. Isn’t that what you wanted?”

“I’m not sure what I want,” I admit and escape inside the house.

THE NIGHT CARRIES on with a lot of inside jokes between Trey and Rob. Razzing each other about stories from their years before any of us. How the band started and their first gigs. I purposely sit on the opposite side of the table from Rob. I’m growing old from his hot and cold actions. I get the past and the hurt, but you can’t continue to fuck with people’s emotions and assume they’ll still be there.

“So Paige, what are you majoring in?” Grant leans across his wife to ask me.

“Hospitality.”

“Oh, that’s awesome. Like work for a hotel or restaurant?” Jessa sits up straighter and I watch Grant place his hand on her thigh. I crave to have someone that makes such simple movements of affection. As though Grant doesn’t consciously even know he’s doing it, he just loves her.

“Yeah, maybe I’ll be able to score you guys some killer rooms at a five-star hotel someday.”

“Could you imagine, babe?” Jessa shoots Grant a look. “Plush robes, deep tubs for soaking, five-star room service.” She leans back in her chair, her arms falling to her sides. “I’m there.” She closes her eyes and Trey throws a piece of crust, hitting her square in the chest.

“Wake up into mommy mode.” He points to her baby, wiggling in his arms.

She laughs and then pins Grant with her eyes. “Oh, no, it’s daddy time now.” Grant doesn’t skip a beat, swerving around the table and picking up his daughter. He cradles her in his all-American muscled arms and rocks back and forth.

“You know when baby number two comes, there isn’t going to be a ‘your turn-my turn’ debate, right?” Trey points to her stomach and I follow his finger in awe.

Jessa must notice my agape mouth. “Yes, he knocked me up again,” she jokes, massaging her nonexistent belly.

When I look at Grant, he just mouths love you to her and she shakes her head, clearly happy to be carrying his second child.

“Whoa, I suddenly feel like an underachiever around here.” Rob speaks up.

“You have a pseudo,” Kailey offers pointing to a passed out Matty on the couch.

I stand up to retrieve him. “He’s my pseudo. Rob’s just the babysitter.” I scoff and he follows me over to Matty. “I think it’s time I get him to bed.” I struggle to get my arms under his and he fights me in his asleep.

“I’ll carry him.” Rob’s hand brushes against my stomach, scooting me out of the way. With ease he hoists Matty up in his arms and begins walking to the door. “Thanks guys, it’s been fun.”

“I’ll walk you out.” Trey stands up and Kailey waves.

“Bye, you two. Hey, Rob, we’re always searching for great babysitters. So, if Paige ever frees you, come on over.” The whole table laughs and Rob stops and I bump into his back.

“If I’m lucky, Paige and I can act out seducing the babysitter when we get home.” My voice gets caught in my throat and everyone laughs harder.

Pushing him with my hands on his back, he steps forward. “Would you accept that as form of payment?”

He spins around to face me, luckily Matty separates us. “I accept many forms of payment, and you can pay in advance if you’d like.” With a wink of his eye, I literally become wet. Where is that stand-up girl from only hours before?

“Let’s just go home.” After the phrase leaves my lips, the words resonate in me. Trey smirks and I assume he’s thinking the same thing I am.

A few minutes later, Matty’s strapped in the back and we’re weaving through the dark streets of their neighborhood. “You can just drop me off at my car. I’ll take Matty,” I comment, my whole body facing the door.

“That’s ridiculous. I’ll drop you off in the morning before work.”

“No, you get up early. God knows when my mom will return.” I fight him, trying to somehow act like an independent woman that needs nothing from him.

“It’s fine. We’ll handle it. I’m not sure what’s wrong with you.” My head whips around and I glare at the side of his face.

“What exactly are you looking for from me?” I’m exhausted with his flirtatious acts to only drawback when I advance.

“Isn’t it friendship?” He lets out an empty laugh. Throwing my own words back to me.

“Listen.” I check on Matty in the backseat to assure he’s still asleep. “I’m not going to be your fuck buddy, so let it go. I want to be here as a friend to you, but maybe . . .” I trail off, embarrassed to convey the sparks between us. That maybe there’s something more, something long lasting.

He allows my words to disappear, not asking questions or adding another. Nonverbally giving me his answer that he’s not on the same wavelength as me. “Paige.” My name sounds so good coming from his mouth, but the rejection is clear before he responds. He drives up the driveway, never going back to grab my car.

He parks his car outside the garage and keeps it running, signaling he’ll be leaving Matty and me here. Twisting in his seat, his hand reaches for mine and I don’t pull away. Welcoming the warmth of his hands. “I wish I was different. That I was like my friends who believe in the fairytale, but I’m not. As much as I do want you, I’m not going to jeopardize someone else’s happiness for my own.”

“Rob,” I begin to speak and his finger lands on my lips to silence me.

His eyes are dark and intense as they swim with mine. “I’m sorry for the mixed signals and I’m going to be honest with you. I want to grab you, throw you over my shoulder and carry you up to my room. I want those long legs wrapped around me for hours while I cherish every inch of your body over and over again. Making you gasp for air as you scream my name. But, I won’t because you’re already too invested. So, I’m going to be the best Goddamn friend you’ve ever had and let you go.”

The truthful words mute me and I sit there, with closed eyes wondering how in such a short time it got here. That our non-existent relationship has already been doused in water before it ever ignited. It all makes me rethink that the whole friends with benefits option I declined weeks ago.

“Then tell me.” I press the issue, wanting to know what happened to him. He retracts his hand, placing them both on the steering wheel.

“Do you need help getting Matty in the house?” He stares out the window and I’ve lost him already.

“Rob, who is Carly?” His head flips around, blue eyes of steel boring into me. Then he focuses forward again, his thumb weaving along the steering wheel.

“Get out, Paige.” His words are cold and sharp.

“Let me be a friend to you.” I go to place my hand on his thigh, but he jerks it out of my reach.

Not wanting to impel too hard, I exit the car. I push the front seat up and retrieve Matty, My throat constricts when Rob never glances our way. The second my door shuts and I’m a step away, he throws the car in reverse and his loud muffler roars down the street. “Well, that didn’t go very well,” I mumble to myself and Matty stirs in my arms.

“Mommy?” he murmurs and I place my hand on his blond hair.

“No baby, it’s Paige.”

His head picks up and thankfully I can place him back down to get my keys and open the door. Once we are secure in the house, he searches around the kitchen and then up to me. “Where’s Rob?” he asks and I shrug, the tears welling up in my eyes about to break.

“He had to go out. Why don’t we have a bath and then get ready for bed? We can watch a movie together.”

“YAY!” He jumps up and down. Amazing the energy he has after being knocked out for a half hour. “I wish Rob would have stayed. We could have all watched it together.” Matty’s pouting because of Rob shouldn’t surprise me. His own dad isn’t much of a presence in his life. Even though Rob is a complete douche, he did win Matty over easily.

I ruffle his hair and wait for him to look up at me. “Maybe next time, okay?” He nods his head, but the hurt isn’t hard to miss. People have always left Matty behind and I fear he’ll end up like Rob one day. So closed off from anyone, he won’t enjoy life.

“FUCK.” MY HAND slams into the steering wheel and my Mustang zigzags in the lane. The gas can’t hit the engine fast enough right now. Even if the drag strip was open tonight, it would do me no good. I need a long stretch of road to pour my frustrations out on. Isn’t this the reason I started to race again, for the shit in my head to disappear? To put the nightmares I can’t control to rest. Allow everything I lost all those years ago to vanish, making it only the car and me in the next lane. The adrenaline, the competition, and the win have been my remedy.

Having nowhere to disappear to, I drive aimlessly through Western. At least there aren’t haunted memories of Carly and me here. No flicker bombs that uproot the vision of her red hair or freckled cheeks. Nothing triggering what we had, and the nightmare on that dark road. The last twenty-four hours, my mind has been a fucking twister, swirling around my old shit with new shit. Carly and Paige fiercely fighting over dominance in my head. Well, not Carly, she couldn’t give a fuck about me, but my own brick wall will never fully break down to allow Paige in. For that I do blame Carly, not myself.

When Paige asked me to open up to her tonight—to allow her in, God, I wanted to. For some reason, I want her to understand why I’m unable to just flop it all down on the table for her to sort through. She’ll try to fix me, but all I want is for her to understand that I’m damaged. The settled-down life with a house and kids she witnessed tonight with my friends will never be me. Growing up, I assumed one day, I’d have kids, a wife, and a house—with Carly. My perfectly paved life path I was born on took a sharp turn that night down a very rough and bumpy uncharted trail. I may stop on the main highway now and then, but I will always return to my own isolated path.

She doesn’t make it easy to ignore my yearning for love. She’s the first girl since Jessa that propels me to crave more than a fuck. The first girl ever, whose arms around me sounds a hell of a lot better than her pussy. That’s exactly why I’ll remain her friend, but it stops there. It can’t go any further and keeping it at friendship level may test me to my limits, but I’ll make it happen—for her.

I stop outside The Loft, sitting in the driver’s seat, staring at the few young kids going in and out of the bar. Drowning my sorrows in Yeager or Jack doesn’t feel right tonight, so I lodge the keys back into the ignition and drive away. When I hit the campus drive and the historical buildings, my heart pounds against my chest. If I’m honest with myself, which I hardly am, the urge to finish my degree is tempting. The garage is getting old, and I’m fairly certain a music career isn’t for me unless I want to be a statistic and die before I reach thirty. Krypto’s tour proved one thing—the demons are everywhere and only terrorize me the more I drink.

I park the Mustang outside Hammel Hall and climb out. Staring up at the building that proved the demise of my college years, I could turn my fist to myself for how immature I was that day Professor Bridges called me out right in the middle of class for not knowing my shit. My cocky self-created a dramatic scene and scuffed out of the class, leaving my books behind. Brady fought me on it, trying to reason with me to push my ego aside and stay in school. But I wasn’t about to grovel down to the same professor that pulled me aside my freshman year, spouting how great my future would be and how intelligent I was. Little did he know, my future was plowed well before I came to Western.

The stars scatter along the dark sky; I wish a shooting star would fly across the sky and I could make a wish to be released from the boulder strapped on my back. Paige has been a wicked storm, uplifting my life in every facet. I’m not sure I’ll land on my feet when she’s done with me. But as long as that double layer brick wall remains, Paige’s chipping will never break through.

A dim light through a classroom window lights up the red brick building and I inch closer. Seeing the auditorium, with lines of chairs and a podium for the instructor to teach their students teases me. A pang of jealousy ignites inside me of the students who will graduate and move on to their future. Everyone that weaves through the sidewalks of this campus every day is moving forward and I’m stalled. Due to my own idiotism. It took Brady two months to convince me to go back to school, but my dad pulled his stunt and my mom fell into a depression. The Krypto tour was a reprieve from the responsibility of taking care of her once she threw me out of her house. Maybe I should take the money from my dad, enroll back in school, and build a future for myself.

Just then my phone dings in my pocket. Paige’s name lights up and I wonder why she’d be calling me. I want to answer and scream to leave my past alone. That I’m a grown man and can take care of my shit myself. When I slide the bar over, all I hear is labored breathing on the other end of the line. She doesn’t say a word and I know instantly that something isn’t right.

“Paige!” I scream and I hear a whimper on the other end, but nothing else.

“No!” Matty yells and then a man’s voice shouts behind him.

“Go upstairs, Matty, this is between me and Paige.”

“You’re hurting me, Carl. Please stop.” My heart calms when I hear Paige, but when her words register, I go into panic mode.

I run to my car, leaving my phone to my ear the entire time. I fumble with my keys, to get them into the ignition. Once I start the car, I peel out of the lot, my foot slams on the gas and the car’s back tires lose traction on the gravel. My hands shake has I try to keep control of the car. The image of a man’s hands on Paige takes over any line of thinking and my heartbeat matches the speed of the car. Clicking over to another line, I dial up Brady.

“What’s up?” A sense of relief arises when he answers on the first ring.

“Get over to my house right now.”

“Why?” He’s too laid back.

“Just go. Some guy’s there. Paige.”

“Sadie! Stay here. I’ll be right back,” he yells into the receiver and I hear the front door slam shut.

“Okay, where are you?” he asks and I can hear his footsteps crossing the street. “There’s a beat up blue Honda in the driveway.”

“I’m turning down Park right now.” I skid around the corner, finally speeding down our street.

“Get the fuck out,” Brady screams just as I throw the car into park in front of the house.

Adrenaline rushes through my veins as nightmare situations flash in my head. If she’s safe, if Matty’s okay. Regret that I should have stayed with them pours out of me. Was the creep waiting for them to come home?

I run up the small hill in front of our house, the screen door wide open. Matty’s small body shakes on the stairs and I point upstairs. “Matty, go upstairs and I’ll be right there.” The kid scurries up, his bare feet barreling up the wooden stairs.

When I enter the living room, Paige is on the ground, holding her cheek and Brady’s on top of the piece of shit. “Get off him, Brady.” I come alongside of him, my voice surprisingly calm because I’m about to go MMA on the man, and there’s no tapping out in my ring.

Brady hears the anger in my voice and places his hands on my chest. “Let’s just talk to him. Calm down, Rob.” My fists clench at my sides and my blood is pumping so fast, I’m afraid I’ll pass out. I haven’t felt this way since that night long ago when I was trying to save another girl from something extremely different.

When the middle-aged man wobbles to his feet, I punch him in his face and he stumbles back down. “Who is this, Paige?” I keep my eyes glued to his, waiting for one of them to answer.

“Matty’s dad, Carl.”

“Carl, huh? Tell me Carl, why the fuck do you think you’re allowed to come into my house?” I glower down above him for an intimidation factor. I’m younger and a hell of a lot stronger than him.

He scoots back on his hands and feet until his back hits our wall. “I’m here for Matty.” He crawls up the wall and I see now, I have a few inches on him, too.

“If you’re here for Matty, why on Earth are your hands on Paige?” I step chest to chest, peering down on him once again. It’s taking everything inside of me not to beat the shit to a pulp.

He leers over to her and I punch the wall next to his face. He startles, eyes wide, focusing on me once again. “Don’t look at her. Look at me, dipshit.” I point to my eyes.

“I don’t know.” His face is pure white.

“You don’t know?” I huff and I catch Paige standing now from the corner of my eye. “Well, then why are you here for Matty?” I cross my arms across my chest and Brady sits on the edge of the couch, remaining close in case I need him.

“Linda told me to come and get him.” He shoves his hands in his pockets.

I glance over to Paige and her eyes fall to the floor and she shakes her head. I guess I’m not the only one with a fucked-up family. “Well, Linda should have called Paige.”

He nods. “And you should have kept your slimy hands off of her.” He nods again. “Tell me why you didn’t?” I egg on because that guilt is already embedded in me that I didn’t stay with her to keep fuck heads like him away.

“What do you want me to tell ya? You have me cornered with a second guy in the wing. I need the money.” He peers at her through the corner of his eye.

“Money?” I cock my head.

“Well . . . yeah,” he stutters and I so want to cold cock him.

“Why would you come to Paige for money?” Paige stalks over, placing her hand on my arm. When Carl doesn’t answer, I inch forward. “Why?”

His head rears back, hitting the wall. “Her dad.”

My head spins to her and her eyes widen in surprise. The Infiniti, nice clothes, movers. “Your dad?” I question and she nibbles on the inside of her cheek and nods.

“You don’t even know who her dad is?” Carl scoffs and my hand lands on his throat, pinning him to the wall.

As Carl’s nails are scratching at my hands in an eager attempt for air, I keep my focus on Paige. “He supports me. Carl seems to think since we are related through Matty, he deserves some of the money I get from my dad.” She steps up to him, her hand on my forearm. “He’s the reason I left my last apartment.”

My arm falls and she links my fingers with hers. Damn, she has a way with me not many have had before her. “Well, he won’t be the reason you leave this one.” I think we both know it will be me.

I tighten my grip on her hand. “Forget this address. You should feel damn lucky you didn’t barge in here when her other two roommates were here. They’re crazy mother fuckers.” He doesn’t need to know Chrissy’s all of five-four. Even though, I do imagine she can hold her own pretty well. Then I inch closer. “See, Paige is mine and I don’t like it when people fuck with what’s mine. I strongly suggest you don’t come here again.” I painfully release my hand from Paige’s in order to punch the wall for dramatic effect again. He flinches. “Never. You hear me? Or you’ll be face to face with my Glock.” I don’t own a gun, but this asshole is on a need to know basis. This will only insure he won’t bother Paige again. “Matty will stay with us tonight and be returned to his mother tomorrow.” I double-check with Paige, only finding sadness as she nods. “Maybe.” I add because I’m not sure Linda is the best person for Matty, Paige either for that matter.

He takes a deep breath and I step back, making sure Paige joins me. Brady hands her an icepack and she places it on the small of her back. “This is good-bye, Carl.” I wait for him to escape toward the door. He finally does and I follow him. “Brady, I’ll be right back.”