by Katy Kaylee
The seriousness in Eric’s tone caught my full attention immediately, and I clasped my hands in my lap as my excitement turned to gut rot. His smile dragged down from the gravity of the conversation, and there was a heavy moment of silence before he continued. Eyes locked, he couldn’t have made it any clearer that this wasn’t going to be postponed, and blood beat hard against my ear drums.
“I want to propose to you- not as a ploy to fool my mother, but because I want to. Everything we’ve been through, and the unorthodox way we came together… I think it’s a good next step. I know that you’re paranoid about Greg, and you have every right to be, but I need you to know that my feelings for you aren’t just because you’re in trouble, Delainne.” There was no expectation in Eric’s steady gaze, and my thundering, strained heart beat eased at that knowledge- of knowing that there was time to answer. “I want you to think about it- that’s all.”
“… When you proposed to me at Teagen’s wedding, it was because of your mom. I want- I want my dad and my step-mom to at least meet you, first, Eric. My dad isn’t the kind of man that’ll accept this- not with the way it all went down.” My words must’ve given him some sort of gratification, and I sighed as my thoughts went to my dad. “All of this needs to be over… you know that. I won’t commit to anything more- I wish things hadn’t happened this way with Greg looming over me. I won’t put Maggie through any more.”
“Trust me- I know, and I agree with that, Delainne. The fact of the matter, though, is that it did happen this way. I’m not saying we do anything drastic, but you and I are already doing all of the things that couples do. I’m giving you fair warning, here- once Greg is out of the pict-“ The fine hairs all over my body stood straight up just as Eric cut himself off, and my eyes widened in horror while his narrowed into fine points. Twisting as his gaze flickered over my shoulder, my body throbbed as wave after wave of anxiety surged through me.
Greg wore a very proper suit- almost too fancy for this upscale restaurant, and I watched with dread as he sauntered leisurely over to us. Nothing about him gave away that he shouldn’t be here, and he flashed me a warm smile from under deliberately tousled hair.
He was showing Eric his face- exactly what he looked like, and not just my description. Goosebumps washed my entire body, and my legs tingled from the urge to jump up and run out. The closer Greg came, the more violently my stomach roiled, and my throat closed.
Without asking or caring, Greg grabbed a chair from an adjoining table and sat down to my right wordlessly. He didn’t scream creepy predator upon first glance, but the abhorrent glance he shot me- his little smirk- made me tense. My fingernails dug into my palms, and I clenched my jaw as a tense silence descended on the table. Even the patrons closest to us noticed, but none of the staff came to tell Greg that he was a fire hazard, or that moving chairs wasn’t allowed.
“So-“ Finally speaking up, Greg drawled through his growing smirk, and I could only stare as Eric grew more and more red in the face. “It’s good I finally caught up to you, Delainne.”
Greg talked without looking at me, like I was just a tool to get a rise out of Eric. He was smarter than just barging in here to scream at me, but Greg had always been smart about how he operated. Dread dribbled down my back to seep into the fabric of my dress, and my toes curled in disgust in my short heels.
“You really, really don’t want to mess with me, kid.” For the first time, maybe, it occurred to me that Eric had at least 10 years on Greg, and his condescending tone showed it. Next to me, Greg tensed, and my lips would’ve curled in a smirk if they weren’t cushioning my teeth. “I can do a lot more than break your fucking nose.”
“You could, but I haven’t done anything, and I’m more than capable of pressing charges on you for assault. Wouldn’t want to explain being in jail to Maggie, huh?” The atmosphere dropped 100 degrees- so cold that I could see my breath leaking from beyond the lump in my throat. Across the table, Eric’s expression pinched, and his lips thinned even as molten hot rage blazed in his eyes.
Then, Greg faced me, and a fierce, instinctual incandescence of ravenous fury sent shivers down my spine.
Eric
Regret stained my tongue as I tapped my thigh, wishing my gun wasn’t in the car across the street. The douchebag sitting to my left only stared at Delainne like she’d crumble into dust, but she looked like she was ready to explode.
And I knew why- Greg said Maggie’s name. Suddenly, it wasn’t about Delainne- it was about Maggie. Maggie was in danger, even secondhandedly, and Delainne wasn’t going to let that happen.
“You’re coming back home, Delainne- your dad’s so worried about you that he’s physically declining.” Only vaguely did I remember Delainne talking about a similar instance in which Greg had used this ploy, and my heart beat ran wild. Part of me was impressed that Greg realized that being a crazy, scorned love interest wasn’t appropriate, but another part of me wondered how fucking stupid he was. He clearly expected her to believe him, and his arrogance nearly pushed me from my chair.
“You’re lying.” The strong, unwavering determination in Delainne’s tone drew a grunt of surprise from me, but she didn’t drop Greg’s gaze. His expression flickered, a tiny crack appearing in his mask, and he couldn’t repair it fast enough.
Definitely a fucking idiot.
“How would you know? You left him without any warning at all- he’s literally worried sick. My mom is worried, too- you think there aren’t consequences to what you did, Delainne?” The accusation was thick as it rolled off Greg’s tone, but Delainne just continued to surprise me. She gripped the edge of the table, causing the glass and ceramic to tinkle slightly when the cloth pulled taut. My muscles ached fiercely to just punch Greg in his rather handsome face, but this wasn’t my battle.
If she needed me, Delainne would let me know somehow to jump in. She didn’t want to make a scene and ruin other people’s dinners, but she must’ve not realized that everyone within a six-table radius was watching this go down. Glancing around through narrowed eyes, I caught to gaze of my waitress as she stood with lemon waters on a tray. She made no effort to come over and make things worse, and I clenched my jaw hard.
Delainne was quiet as I watched the waitress whisper nervously to who I assumed was her manager, and they both cast me weary glances. Discreetly gesturing them to stay back, I shook my head at the subsequent, quizzical look the older man shot me.
“If Dad and Georgia knew where I was, they would’ve come here themselves.” Tearing my attention violently from the underlying drama around us, Delainne shot Greg an accusatory glance of her own. Her loud, firm tone rang in my ears, and I clenched and released my fists as I watched her face contort in righteous anger. It was the same face she made at the wedding before storming off, and pride bubbled in my chest. “You never told them you found me- you don’t want them to know you found me, because you’re not here for them. You’re here to attack me. My parents don’t know about the cameras you put in my apartment, or that you tried to assault me. If they knew, my dad wouldn’t have given you my debit card statements so you could track me down.”
The more she talked, the more confident Delainne became, and uncertainty wavered on her step-brothers face. Standing up slowly, she held herself tall, chin out and shoulders back- like a goddess. Now, she had everyone’s attention, but she wasn’t going to make a scene, and my lips quirked in a smile as tender affection gripped my heart.
She must’ve realized they were all watching, but she could mitigate the damage.
“Do you think you’re the only resource my father has to find me? If his health was in danger, he wouldn’t go to you, Greg- he knows I wouldn’t believe you. All my dad has to do is follow my debit card transactions to know that I’m okay. I left with no warning, but our bank accounts are linked, and he can check them any time. Whatever you said to him, he probably knows is dubious at best.” Greg turned an enraged, purplish-red as he glanced around, no doubt realizing how many eyes wer
e on him. Delainne held her hand out to me, wiggling her fingers, and I automatically pulled out my cell phone. “Let’s call him right now and ask- Hey, Dad, did you know that Greg is here? No- well, he didn’t tell you? What could he possibly want to do with me if he’s not bringing me back home?”
She only held the phone to her ear, not bothering to turn on the display, and I barked a harsh laughter at the high-pitched, whiny quality in her voice. For some reason, it made her smile broadly, but her reaction was short lived as she glared sharply at her step-brother. Greg, who’d spoken so smoothly when he thought he had the advantage, was silent, trembling with rage that bulged the vein in his forehead.
That’s when I noticed his hair was covering an ugly, yellow-green mark, and I shoved my fist in my mouth to gobble my malicious mirth.
“Well, Greg? Should I call Georgia? Should I tell her about what you did? Do you remember the last time I told her what you did? Do you remember the feeling of her slapping you- assaulting her own child for someone she didn’t give birth to? Do you remember having to sleep on your friend’s couch while she was putting security cameras in my room so you couldn’t sneak in anymore while I was asleep? Do you remember, huh? Do you?” Surprise shot through me, jolting my muscles to push me from my chair when Delainne actually shoved her finger in Greg’s face. He didn’t move, too consumed with rage and possibly embarrassment, but I thrummed intensely from the threat that rolled off him in powerful waves. “What about the consequences of your actions, Greg? What about t-“
“Delainne- that’s enough!” Rounding the table as I cut Delainne’s tirade off prematurely, I grabbed her to pull her to my chest. She was drowning in the power of breaking a powerless situation, and she couldn’t see what I saw. Holding her head to my chest, I kissed her crown while Greg glared daggers. “Stop, sweetheart. You’ve done enough.”
This was bad. Greg was fucking stupid, but he also wasn’t fucking stupid- not that that makes any sense. Still, he’d clearly lost this battle, and Delainne had humiliated him in front of an entire restaurant. Which meant that now, he had an axe to grind, and his behaviors would escalate.
“It’s okay- I’m okay.” Inhaling deeply, sharply, Delainne stroked the lapel of my casual suit before stepping back. She glanced around, ignoring Greg as he sat in cold, furious silence before spotting our waitress. The woman was good, striding over with a huge, beaming grin cresting her cheeks. “I would like a different table, please. He can have this one.”
“Of course.” The waitress was so giddy about Delainne’s display that she actually giggled, and I smiled even as tension roiled just under my skin. Keeping one eye on Greg as he sat and glared, I followed Delainne to a new table just a dozen feet away.
And Greg sat there, like a kid in time out after he misbehaved. It was fucking glorious- if not a little foreboding. He won’t do anything tonight, though. He’ll stew on it until it gets overwhelming, which gives me some time.
“I’m proud of you, sweetheart.” Delainne exhaled harshly from across the small table identical to our last one, and her face flooded a gentle shade of red. Pride bubbled up against my ribs like tar, and I reached across the table to hold her hand. Her engagement ring glittered brighter than before- or maybe it was a trick of the light. “It takes a lot of courage to deal with that. I’m proud of you. He doesn’t have a job, right?”
“No.” Curiosity laced Delainne’s tone, and I smirked broadly as I cast Greg another look. He was so pissed that he just sat there, glaring, radiating anger and apprehension, and my grin widened. “Why?”
“Excuse me-“ Ignoring the question to get our waitress’ attention as she sat our waters down, I squeezed Delainne’s hand even as I pointed to Greg. Mine was a personal indulgence- a little, testosterone-fueled fuck you- and she arched a brow as she pulled out her little pen and pad. “I’ll pay for whatever he wants to eat.”
“Of course- is there anything else I can get you?” Shaking my head, I stroked Delainne’s hand as the waitress bounced off, assuring us that our original meals would be out shortly. Out of the corner of my eye, Greg bounced up like he had rockets strapped to his shoes and fast-walked to the door. The tiny chime echoed around the huge floor, and I exhaled slowly before rolling my shoulders to ease the stiffness.
“Why did you offer to pay? I don’t get it.” Chuckling at the confusion painting Delainne’s expression, I tore my eyes off her to fiddle with her engagement ring. Should I get her a new one?
“Ah- it’s a guy thing. Being a loser is emasculating, you know. Your competitor knowing he’s better than you is a horse pill to swallow. When someone knows exactly how much of a little bitch you are, it forces the realization that she’s probably not going to leave him for you.” Delainne didn’t have anything to say to that, and affection barreled through my chest at her slight shrug. “Anyway, back to the issue at hand?”
Eric
Watching Delainne pace furiously across the kitchen, I narrowed my eyes over the rim of my coffee cup. The tension in the air could be cut with a knife, and she dragged her hand through her hair for the umpteenth time. Despite the anguish rippling across her face, she didn’t cry, and she paused to take a shuddering, deep breath before facing me fully.
“I just need to go by myself, okay? Tony’s here. It’ll be fine. I’ll be back before Maggie even knows I’m gone.” The high-pitched tone in her voice bounced off the tiled floor, and she screwed her lips in a grimace at her own rationale. “Greg wouldn’t come here, so she’ll be fine.”
“Delainne, why can’t you just go with Tony? I know he’s on crutches, but he’s perfectly capable.” Immediately, Delainne shook her head viciously and began pacing again, and I glanced at my watch as I held back a sigh. “I need to go to work- why don’t I drop you off?”
“I can go by myself, Eric.” She halted again, midstride, to frown at me, and my heart ached for her. Setting my cup down, I wandered over to wrap her in my arms as my mind circled through the shit-show that’d been the last 15 hours.
“I’m not saying you can’t. I’m saying- I’ll give you a ride. That’s all.” Delainne was in full power-trip mode, and I couldn’t help but grimace at the tension that bristled through her back muscles. She’d stood up to Greg all by herself, and she was desperate to cling on to that lever of control. Rubbing her back in deep, long sweeps, I kissed her crown as her slender arms wrapped around my waist. “Just relax, sweetheart. Everything will be fine. I just am suggesting going with Tony and Maggie so that Maggie doesn’t feel left out. She loves doing things with you.”
“I guess so…” Just in that moment, Maggie’s heavy, fast footfall on the stairs echoed through the house, and Delainne inhaled sharply. Her body deflated like a popped balloon, and I squeezed her before letting her go. Snatching up my coffee, I went bottoms up as my daughter bounced into the kitchen.
Beyond the rim of my mug, Delainne’s entire body language changed, and a powerful wave of affection slammed into my chest. Her smile was big and bright, and there wasn’t the slightest hint of her turbulence as Maggie jumped in excitement.
“♪We’re going shopping!♪” She was all dressed, my daughter, and she couldn’t keep her excitement at bay. Setting my empty mug in the sink, I couldn’t help but chuckle as Delainne nodded furiously- only moments ago, she was totally against this.
But, Delainne needed clothes, and Maggie needed school clothes. This was a win-win in my opinion.
“I’m all ready to go. Where’s Tony?” She talked and acted as if she hadn’t just tried to sneak out alone, and Delainne picked Maggie up effortlessly. “I haven’t seen him yet.”
“Maggie.” Closing the small distance between us, I dropped a kiss on her temple and messed her wild bedhead. “I gotta go to work. Make sure Delainne doesn’t get lost in the mall, okay?”
“Yeah. This is gunna be so fun- I’ll go get my hair box.” Wiggling down to rush upstairs once again, Maggie left Delainne and I in a pleasant silence. Hooking my arm around her waist, I ki
ssed her lips hard, and she braced her palms against my chest with a soft moan. My need for her raged, tightening my abs under my uniform, and a growl built up in my chest before I pulled back.
“Are you sure you don’t want to use my card? It’s not a big deal.” Shaking her head, Delainne cracked a grateful smile at my probing. She had her own money- money that she’d saved up working with her father- but it still left a bad taste in my mouth. Living out of a motel was expensive, after all, and she’d done it for well over two months if my math was correct.
“It’s fine. Everything will be fine- just like you said.” Nodding firmly, I twisted as Maggie came thumping down the stairs, a small tote full of hair ties and brushes jostling in her hands. “You should go. I can handle this.”
“I know you can, Delainne.” Giving her one last, pointed, look, I headed for the front door as Maggie launched into a tirade about how she wanted her hair. Until Delainne showed up, I only knew how to put her hair in a pony-tail, and even then, it was a 50-50 chance of being a disaster.
My mind filled with all of the things that Delainne made up for in my parenting as I climbed in my car and backed out of the driveway. Doing Maggie’s hair might’ve seemed small, but my daughter was ecstatic that she could have a braid or proper pigtails or curls. Watching Maggie while I was at work, Delainne was giving Maggie experiences that a normal babysitter wouldn’t bother with.
A normal babysitter wouldn’t go shopping, and I knew full well that Delainne would come back with some crazy choices.
Glancing in my rearview mirror, I frowned at the ugly, beat up, yellow car that rode my tail end. I hadn’t even made it to the first turn off my street, and irritation swirled in my chest. The sun reflected off the windshield, and I grumbled to myself as I flicked on my blinker and slowed for a stop sign.
