“You swear?”
“I fucking swear, babe. From now on, the only wedding you’re ever going to headline at is ours.” I raise a brow and he pulls back, his eyes bugging out as he realizes what the hell he just said.
I don’t say a word, just watch with amusement as he tries to dig himself out of this hole. “I mean…in a few years or you know…not at all, not if you don’t want to, but don’t think that I don’t want to…I do, it’s just…fuck.”
I shake my head, having way too much fun with this. “Shut up,” I tell him, crushing his lips to mine and picking up exactly where we left off.
Chapter 18
I wake with a start as two sets of tiny feet bolt up and down the hallway, their girly laughter bouncing off every wall in the house.
Oh, shit.
My eyes fly open as I recognize the sound to be Slade’s little sisters, Emma and Rain. What was I thinking of spending the night here?
Slade and I had gone out to the usual Aston Creek Friday night party after having an incredible week together. We were horny, tired, and drunk while we were making our way back home and as we passed Slade’s place first, that’s exactly where we ended up.
Slade groans as he pulls me tighter into his arms. “What time is it?”
I shake my head against his chest. I had my alarm set for 7 am so I could get out of here before we got sprung so it’s got to be sometime before that. I’m just about to share that bit of information with him when his sister’s sharp whisper-yell comes giggling from the living room. “I’m going to jump on Slade.”
I don’t know them well enough to work out which one had said it but what I do know is that this is not good. If I’m caught in here…shit.
My eyes bug out of my head as I glance under the blanket to realize I’m butt-fucking-naked. Damn it. Screw me and my horny need to screw my boyfriend. Do I have to be such a skank and sleep naked too? Fuck my life.
“Oh, fuck,” Slade panics.
“Not if I jump on him first,” his other sister bellows.
“No, no, no, no, no, no, no,” I start chanting as it sounds like a herd of elephants bounding back down the hallway towards Slade’s bedroom door. “I cannot have your sisters see me in my birthday suit. They will never forget this. Every single time I’m here they’re going to remind me that they saw my titties.”
“Well, they’re nice titties.”
“Slade,” I shriek, slamming my hand against his chest while trying to be as quiet as possible. “Seriously?”
He laughs. “I’ve got shorts on. You’re on your own here, babe.”
The girls get closer and I thank God that Slade is toward the end of the hallway, but I don’t have long. In fact, I have less than a second to figure out what the hell I’m going to do.
I hear the girls by his door as Slade glances around his bedroom. “What about the closet?”
I look over and shake my head. “I’ll never make it in time.”
The door handle begins turning and in a panic, I do the only thing any sane girl would do in my position; I drop my ass to the floor with a thud that’s going to leave one hell of a nasty bruise.
As the door swings open and the girls creep in on their tippy-toes, I slide myself under the bed, praying that they don’t look under here.
Slade must be pretending to sleep as they’re giggling softly to themselves while my titties freeze, causing my way too exposed nipples to harden.
Don’t look down here. Don’t look down here. Please, God, don’t look down here.
I glance across and watch as their light footsteps come to a standstill beside the bed then grin to myself as I hear their whispers. “One, two, three…CANNONBALL.”
Their feet disappear from beside the bed as Slade gasps. I throw a hand over my mouth, more than ready to start enjoying this sweet family moment when the girls actually hit the bed and the mattress above comes within an inch of my face. “Oh, holy fuck,” I murmur to myself with wide eyes.
I watch the mattress bouncing up and down as the girls jump and go apeshit on his bed, each time coming closer and closer to my face, making me suck in a breath and pray that I won’t need a nose job after this.
“Okay, okay, okay. I’m awake,” Slade laughs, grabbing the girls and throwing them down on his bed, keeping them pinned and making my heart race in adoration for the way he loves them. I’d give anything to peek my head up over the edge of his bed to watch him in action.
They squeal and laugh as he starts tickling them, easily winning the fight, but I give them credit for trying. Every little girl should be taught to take down her big brother, even if he’s ten years older than them and a freaking beast. I’ll have to teach them a few tricks as it could just save their lives one day.
“Get off me, you fat ass,” one squeals, making my eyes bugs out of my head.
Slade sucks in a gasp as all movement from above ceases. “What did you just call me?” he questions, trying to be stern but the laughter in his tone shines through as it suggests they should run as fast as their little feet can take them.
There’s no response for a moment before the other bursts out laughing. “You cursed. You’re in so much trouble.”
“No, don’t tell,” little miss potty mouth begs.
“MOM,” Slade hollers through the house.
My eyes bug out again. What the fuck? Is he a moron? It’s worse enough that I have his sisters bouncing around while I’m naked, I can’t possibly have the whole family come to join. There’s no way his mom would miss my feet hanging out the end.
I close my eyes and beg to be anywhere else but here when Daniella’s voice comes calling from down the hall. “Nope. I don’t want anything to do with it. You can handle it yourself.”
A devilish chuckle pulls from deep within Slade and something tells me that he knew that was going to be her response all along. If he could see me right now, I’d be narrowing my eyes at him. He called out to her not only to tease his sisters but to tease me too. That rat bastard. Three for the price of one. I should have realized instantly that he’d never rat out his sisters like that.
They play around for a little while longer which is when I notice a box of tissues and what’s most likely his mom’s moisturizer cream. I bite down on my lip and thank whoever lives above that there are no ‘dirty’ socks or used condoms under here.
After what feels like a lifetime, Slade shuffles them out of his room and then his head drops down the side of the bed. My hands instinctively fly across my breasts as my knee shoots up, hiding my lady bits, despite the fact that he knows them better than I do.
“They’re gone,” he grins wide, reaching under the bed and sliding me out but before he pulls me up off the floor, he drops down on top of me, being careful not to crush me.
His lips fall down on mine as his hands travel up and down my body. “Have I told you how fucking delicious you look in the morning?”
“No,” I say, smiling against his lips. “But you can show me.”
An hour later, I somehow make it out of Slade’s house with him leaning out his open window, watching my ass as it sways in my jeans. I can’t help but grin back over my shoulder, absolutely loving the hungry expression on his face.
God, how did I get so lucky to find a guy like him?
I never thought I’d find a guy like that. I never thought I’d have a future worth looking forward to. I never thought I’d ever be free but here I am and I’ve never been so happy. My life is whole and my world is now filled with color. It was once the darkest shades of black, but now I finally see.
I get my ass back home before I start singing and dancing down the street like a fucking moron, only slowing down when I get to the front door. I let out a shaky breath. I didn’t warn Shay or Ben that I’d be out all night. Hell, the last time I saw Blake I told him that I was on my way home.
This is either going to go one of two ways. One, my ass is going to get handed to me. Two, I’m going to get a stern look, a lecture, and the
n my ass handed to me.
I suck it up. It’s inevitable that I’m going to get in trouble. I might as well face the music and get it over and done with.
My fingers curl around the door handle and I slowly push it open, only Shay’s piercing scream has me cringing before even stepping over the threshold. “Where the hell have you been?”
Fuck.
I push the door the rest of the way and let out a heavy sigh, realizing there will be no lecture today, just simply getting my ass handed to me. “I’m sorry, I…”
My brows furrow as I cut myself off. Shay isn’t screaming at me at all, but at Ben and fuck, he looks absolutely wasted. I’ve never seen him like this.
“I’ve been worried sick,” she yells, getting no reaction out of Ben in the slightest. “Where have you been?”
He burps and nearly makes himself sick as I walk through the living room. “What’s going on here?” I question slowly as Ben’s eyes snap up to mine and go wide.
“Don’t even get started,” Shay demands, pointing a finger at me “You’re in a world of trouble but I have other things to deal with first. Go down to your room, I’ll come and speak with you once I’ve handled this.”
I give her a tight, apologetic smile and nod before turning for the hallway.
“YOU,” Ben yells, making me glance back over my shoulder to see him falling off the couch and onto his knees as he drunkenly points at me. He tries to stabilize himself against the coffee table but tumbles forward and catches himself against the floor. After righting himself, he stares back at me, eyes glassy and filled with regret. “This is all your fault.”
“What?” I demand, looking back at Shaylee to see the same perplexed expression on her face as she glances between me and Ben. “What are you talking about? I haven’t done anything.”
“If you never came here, I would have been fine.”
“BEN,” Shay shrieks in horror, wide-eyed as she gapes at her husband. Hurt pours through me but I don’t have a moment to think on it as Shay glances back at me, shaking her head. “I’m sorry, sweetie. You know he didn’t mean that. He’s just…clearly, he’s drunk too much and needs to sleep it off. You know he loves having you here.”
“I, um…” I start, walking backward, retreating to my room as tears prick my eyes. “I’m going to go…”
“NO!” Ben yells then instantly starts sobbing. “You have to know.”
I come to a standstill, watching him in confusion. “Know what?” I question as Shay continues looking between us, just as unsure as to what’s going on.
“Ben, what are you talking about?”
He looks up again and he breaks. His sobs become loud and uncontrolled while guilt and regret come pouring out of him in waves. “It’s my fault. It’s all my fault.”
“Yo,” a voice says softly from behind me. I glance back to find Blake making his way up the hall and stopping to stand at my back. Clearly seeing something’s going down here. He leans into me and whispers. “What the fuck is going on?”
I shake my head and hold up a hand, blocking his way to stop him from idiotically running into something he probably doesn’t want to be involved in. “I don’t know,” I tell him. “Maybe it’s best we leave Shay and Ben to figure this out.”
“Ya, think,” Blake grumbles.
We go to walk away when Ben cries out. “No, don’t go. I have to tell you. It’s my fault, all of it. You have to forgive me.”
“Forgive what, man?” Blake questions, watching Ben over the top of my head and only now realizing that what’s going on out here is all sorts of fucked-up.
Ben looks up at Blake and devastation has him crushed. He sinks back against the couch with tears on his face, not daring to take his eyes off Blake. The two of them have formed a great friendship over the past two months and I don’t doubt that seeing him like this is silently killing my brother.
Ben’s head sinks into his hands. “It was me. They’re dead because of me.”
My chest tightens as I stare at Ben. My stomach is weighted down with dread and I repeat his words over and over again in my head, wishing that he’s referring to anyone apart from my parents, but who else could it be?
Shay stands like a statue, her face white and staring in horror. “What are you talking about?”
“Rochelle and Jacob. It’s my fault that they’re gone. I thought I could put it behind me but since they showed up the guilt has been eating me alive.”
Shay’s eyes fill with tears. “Tell me you’re lying, Ben,” she begs. “That’s my big sister you’re talking about. Tell me you had nothing to do with this.”
He meets his wife’s heavy stare and slowly shakes his head. “I’m sorry, baby,” he whispers. “I can’t do that.”
I take a hesitant step forward and Blake instantly curls his fingers into the back of my shirt, holding me in place and stopping me from making any rash decisions. My eyes blaze with anger. “What did you do?”
“I…” he cuts himself off, looking away in shame.
I force myself forward, catching myself against Blake’s strong hold. “YOU HAVE THREE FUCKING SECONDS. WHAT DID YOU DO TO MY PARENTS, BEN?”
“I GAVE THEM UP,” he yells back at me. “Anton Mather’s came for me and I gave them up.”
Shaylee sucks in a sharp gasp. “What?”
Ben looks back at her and the emotions are almost too much for me to handle. “Chelle and Jake were short on cash and when they asked me for a loan, I couldn’t help them. I gave them Anton’s number and…fuck, Shay, I really fucked up.”
“What happened?” I demand, spitting through my teeth as Blake stands as an imposing, shaking mess behind me.
Ben’s head drops back to his hands. “Anton gave them the money and when they couldn’t pay it back on time, he went looking for them.”
“I don’t understand,” Shay says. “We have plenty of money. Why couldn’t we help them? Why did you send them to that…that man?”
“Because we had no money,” Ben shouts. “I gambled it. Every single cent. We were broke and I hid it all from you. There were days we barely scraped by. That’s how I knew Anton in the first place. He gave me the money to get by and I was able to pay him back with your car.”
“My car?” she gasps. “You told me it was stolen.”
Ben shakes his head and continues. “Anton isn’t a man who allows his debts to go unpaid and when Chelle and Jake couldn’t pay him back, Anton came to me. He didn’t know where to find them and…”
“And you gave them up,” I cry
“I had no choice.”
“YOU ALWAYS HAVE A CHOICE,” Shay shrieks. “That was my sister. How could you?”
“I…he would have killed me.”
“And instead, he killed them. Their blood is on your hands. How could you have kept this from me all these years? What kind of marriage is this?”
“You would have left me.”
“You’re damn straight I would,” she yells, dropping to her knees as her face falls into her hands. Sobs come tearing out of her. “I wish it was you. They had children, a family to look out for and you were only looking out for yourself.”
“Shay,” he whispers.
“GET OUT! I don’t ever want to see you again.”
Ben glances around, begging us for some kind of help, but he won’t get it, not from us and especially not right now. Realizing that now isn’t the time to try and fight for what’s left of his marriage, he silently picks himself up off the floor and trudges out the front door, leaving nothing but torment and destruction behind.
Ben betrayed our parents. He was the one who introduced them to Anton, he was the one who told him where to find them. This is all on him. He was family. He should have protected them instead of throwing them to the wolves. Because of this man, my parents were killed and Blake and I spent thirteen years living in hell.
How are we ever supposed to move on from this? How is this ever going to be okay?
Chapter 19
I run down the street with tears streaming down my face.
How could he have done that? How could he betray my parents like that? Because of that man, my parents are gone. How am I ever supposed to live under the same roof as him?
My eyes are glassy and I find it near impossible to see the street in front of me.
Thirteen years of pain. Thirteen years he’s lied to Shay. Thirteen years of betrayal.
My chest rises and falls with rapid movements and I try my best to concentrate on putting one foot in front of the other. Despite only seeing him less than twenty minutes ago, I need him now more than ever.
I find Slade out front with his sisters, running around with a basketball. They’re desperately trying to steal it from him and take any measures possible. Emma is dangling from his shorts, making him lose one hand as he tries to hold both her and his shorts up while Rain jumps up his back, trying to grab the ball that he holds high above his head.
Any other time, this vision would have my heart melting but right now, all it does is make me think about all the times that Blake and I would have missed out on playing ball with my dad. It makes me wonder if one day these little girls will grow up and betray their brother, it makes me break.
I get just a few houses down when Slade notices me. I don’t know if it’s from my crying or the sound of my feet against the sidewalk, but he’s quick to drop the ball and peel his sisters off him. “Go inside,” he demands in his no-bullshit tone that has them both straightening out and looking up at him, wondering why the sudden change.
“Go,” he repeats a little firmer, making them both jump and start walking toward the door while grumbling between themselves.
The second the door closes behind them, Slade rushes me. His body crashes against mine and his warm, loving arms close around me. His hand takes the back of my head and he holds me against his chest right where I can hear the heavy thump of his strong heart.
I nuzzle my face into him, desperately needing him to take the pain away. “What happened?” he demands, holding me tight, not caring if the whole damn street is peering out their windows and watching the show.
Lost Girl: Aston Creek High (Book 2) Page 15
