by T. L Hodel
Mason cocked a brow at me. “Which one?”
Crap.
“You, the uh… that one that was one.”
Real smooth, Lana.
“Lana banana,” his lips twisted in a smirk, “Are you attempting small talk?”
“Pfft, no.”
He stifled a small snicker and nodded. “That’s good, because you suck at it.”
Screw making an effort.
“You know what, Mason,” I huffed out, frustrated at his amusement, “Nevermind.”
“No need to get your panties in a bunch,” he chuckled, “All I’m saying is there are better things to chat about. Like porn.”
This time my brow arched. Seriously? “Porn, really?”
“Porn is a sure fire way to a guy’s attention.”
Mrs. Grier growled from behind her desk. “That’s enough talk about porn, Mr. Kessler.”
“I bet she watches the freaky stuff,” Mason whispered to me.
I don’t think I’d ever been so happy to see Nan’s pissed off expression. The curl in her lip usually meant I was in shit, though this time it wasn’t directed at me. And I’d take Nan going head to head with Ashworth’s receptionist, over discussing porn with Mason any day.
“You,” Nan’s arm flew up, finger pointed at Mrs. Grier, “Tell your boss I’m here.”
Mrs. Grier’s brow rose. “Pardon me?”
“You heard me!” Nan’s chest puffed out as she stormed up to the stern woman’s desk and slammed her hands down. “You think you can kick my girl out? I’ll have twenty women storming these halls in minutes.”
My face dropped in my open palm. If Nan made that threat, that meant she had the girls riled up and ready. If God was up there watching, he’d kill me now.
“If you kept a better eye on your granddaughter, then perhaps we wouldn’t be having this meeting.”
The lines in Nan’s face deepened, intensifying her scowl.
Wrong move Mrs. Grier, it was nice knowing you.
“You listen here, you little chippy…”
Chippy? Nan really needed to learn some new insults.
Mason and I sat there watching the two older women bicker. Nan’s emotions openly displayed, while Mrs. Grier remained cool as a cucumber. Mason’s eyes lit up as he enjoyed the show, I however, was pretty sure this was how I was going to die. My tombstone would read: Here lies Lana, she died of mortification.
“Ah man,” Mason groaned when the principal stepped out of his office, “Well, there goes my good time.”
I sneered at him. “Do you always have to be a jerk?”
His answer was a single wink. Prick.
Nan’s attention was instantly redirected to Mr. Sampson. I almost felt sorry for the guy. As far as principals went, he wasn’t bad. Went a little too far trying to fit in with us kids, but he was nice. On a side note, it was really weird when someone close to sixty used teenage slang.
“I suppose you’re the one giving my girl a hard time?”
“I assure you, the last thing I want to do is give Lana a hard time.” Mr. Sampson’s hand flew to his chest as he gave Nan a sympathetic look. “We just feel there are better places for your granddaughter, given her situation.”
“Wait, “ Mason interrupted, “So you’re saying that all I have to do to get a girl kicked out of school is to knock her up?”
Mrs. Grier, Nan, Mr. Sampson, and I all stared at Mason. None of us were impressed, but it was Nan who voiced her opinion.
“Who is this fool?”
I’d complained about the prick beside me enough that Nan knew the name Mason Kessler, but she’d never met him.
My hand waved over to Mason, and back to Nan, as I spoke. “Nan, this is Mason. Mason, Nan.”
This should be interesting.
Nan’s eyes narrowed on Mason’s cocky grin. “This is Mason?”
I nodded.
Before any of us could blink, Nan was across the room, arm swinging through the air. I watched Mason’s expression morph from smug, to shocked, to confused, as her hand connected with his cheek.
“Ouch!” he cried out. “Why’d you hit me?”
“Because someone should,” Nan answered, and I couldn’t argue. If anyone in Ashworth needed a smack, it was Mason Kessler. “Picking on a sweet thing like Harper, you should be ashamed of yourself.”
Mason grumbled under his breath and slumped back with his arms crossed. I think Mrs. Grier was a little jealous that Nan had managed to shut him up.
I’m not sure if Ashworth’s principal was trying to save Mason from Nan’s wrath, or if he wanted to avoid the spectators gathering in the hall, but either way, the three of us wound up in Mr. Sampson’s office. Once we were alone, Nan went off. Pacing around the room and swinging her finger through the air. Every argument Mr. Sampson made, Nan had a better one prepared. The debate kept going back and forth for so long, I was starting to get dizzy.
I tried to get a word in here or there. That wasn’t happening. Every time I opened my mouth, one of them would interrupt me. Apparently my opinion didn’t matter. It wasn’t like this was my future they were deciding or anything. Playing on my phone seemed like a better option than getting between those two.
I was halfway through level six hundred and thirty nine in my puzzle game when the door to the office flew open. Seeing Parker there wasn’t a big shocker. Honestly, I thought he’d have shown up earlier. It was Micha, Logan and Preston standing in the doorway with him that had my mouth dropping in shock.
Mr. Sampson’s eyes locked on Parker’s glare. “This is a private meeting.”
“Not anymore,” Parker responded.
A shiver ran up my spine at the cold glint in his eyes. Parker looked downright deadly. Like he was ready to kill someone. Way too much like his brother.
Preston tipped his chin at me. “You sure you want her here for this?”
The second Parker’s gaze fell on me, his face softened. “Angel, do me a favor and go sit with Mase.”
I scanned the faces of the men funneling into the room and promptly got up. Whatever they had planned, I definitely didn’t want any part of.
Chapter 22
Lana
I have no idea what Parker and his friends did, but when they came out, Mr. Sampson was suddenly kissing my ass. Asking if I needed anything to help accommodate my education through my pregnancy? And that wasn’t the scary part. That was the look Nan gave Preston while she thanked Parker. Whatever happened in that room, I highly doubted she’d be hitting him again for cussing. Was it wrong that a part of me found what they did sweet?
“He should be here soon.” Harper wrung her hands nervously.
I felt for her. We’d been sitting in her kitchen for twenty minutes, waiting for Silas to show up. As suspected, her teacher paired them up. Today was the first day he could get together with her outside of school to work on their project.
“It’ll be okay,” I reassured her.
No matter how many times I told Harper that Silas would just want to work, she was terrified that Mason might show up with him. She was so pent up about it that when the doorbell chimed loudly, she physically jumped.
I grabbed her hand and gazed into her big doe eyes, trying to let her feed off my strength. “You’ve done projects with Silas before. Just concentrate on doing the work.”
She sucked in a deep breath and gave me a small nod. I’d seen her do this before. It was the calm before the storm. Her body stopped trembling and she’d sit up straight, pretending she was okay. But inside, there was a cloud of fear and sadness just waiting to burst out. If Mason stepped through that door, then the fragile dam keeping Harper together, would shatter.
Thankfully, that didn’t happen. The only people Harper’s maid Becca led in were Silas, and a younger boy.
“Sorry,” Silas placed his hand on the boy’s shoulder, “I had to bring my cousin.”
I’d never met the infamous genius of the Creswell family, he spent most of his time at a special school
, but the family resemblance was undeniable. They both had the same black hair and light eyes. My heart broke at the dark circles under Finn’s eyes. Everybody had heard about what happened to his parents. Their entire house had burnt down in an electrical fire, which Finn was home for.
The loss of my parents was a hole I could never fill, but I was so young when it happened. I couldn’t imagine the pain Finn was going through right now. His mom and dad weren’t faded images in the back of his mind. He had memories of them. He could remember how they smelled, and sounded. What they liked to do for Christmas. For him, their deaths weren’t a healed scar, they were a fresh cut wound. Still bleeding and raw.
I wanted to cry when Silas’s finger tightened on his cousin’s shoulder. Strictly by the books Silas had a reputation for being a grumpy, uncaring, jerk, but that single action had more emotion than any word, action, or expression. If he could, he’d take the pain for his cousin. Just like I would for Harper.
“He won’t be any trouble,” Silas promised when none of us answered.
“Don’t worry about him.” I stood up and walked over to Finn, “I’m sure we can find something to do.”
Finn eyed my hand warily for a second, but when I gave him a small smile, Silas nodded and Finn took my hand. I don’t know why I took him out back and led him down the small trail behind Harper’s house. The small beach below was one of the few places Harper felt safe. And I got the feeling that that was something Finn desperately needed. We followed the barely visible path down the hillside where my best friend’s house sat, and quietly enjoyed the day.
It was beautiful out. The sun was shining warmly down on us as the breeze carried the salty scent of ocean air. One of those days an author would write a poem about. Just like the beach we stopped at was the perfect portrait for a painter. Soft tan sand, and crystal clear water. Tucked inside a rocky cavern, as if God himself had carved a hole in the land. Harper and I had stumbled on this place when we were little. It was our secret getaway, complete with flower patches and fluffy green shrubs. The only other person that knew about it was Mason. The three of us used to play here.
Finn’s eyes wandered over the crystal pool and up the rocky walls. “This is pretty.”
“Harper and I used to come here a lot.” I glanced around, smiling at the memories of my happy friend.
Finn’s brows furrowed. “You don’t anymore?”
“Not as much as I’d like to.”
He didn’t say anything, just released my hand and walked over to the water, to swirl his fingers in it.
We stayed there for awhile, me sitting on the sand as the little boy took everything in. I couldn’t help but admire the curious glint in his light eyes. He was fascinated by everything. Touching all the plants, and feeling each surface as if he was committing the sense to memory. It was amazing to watch. When he sat down beside me and rolled those light eyes to my belly, I couldn’t help but smile.
“Does it hurt when you feel them?”
“No,” I chuckled. “It did freak me out the first time, though.”
“It did?”
“Uh huh,” I nodded. “Wanna feel?”
Before Finn could answer, I placed his hand on my stomach. When the baby kicked his palm, his eyes flew open in amazement. He moved closer and stared at my stomach as he placed his other hand flattened against my shirt. The next thing I knew, a million questions were flying out of his mouth. What’s my birthing plan, will Parker be in the room, how much do I eat? I answered each one, glad that the frown on his face had disappeared, if even for a little bit.
Once his curiosity was sated, he sat back down beside me and gazed out at the water. His lips tipped down in a small frown. Whatever happy moment he had, had passed. Finn was so different from the older boys. There was this aura of broken innocence around him that called to my protective instinct. I wanted to wrap him up in my arms and shield him from the world, because I knew the pain in his eyes all too well.
“I lost my parents too,” I said, while staring out at the water with him. “They died in a plane crash when I was three.”
A tear rolled down Finn’s cheek. “What do you do when you miss them?”
“I try and remember the good things I have.”
“I don’t have any good things,” he muttered, breaking my heart a little more.
“What about your cousin?” Silas seemed to love him.
“He knows too much.” Finn dropped his head on his knees and sighed. “He says he doesn’t look at me differently, but he does.”
He knows too much? I didn’t understand what he meant by that. Either way, I needed to help him. Make him see that there was good in the world. I pulled our Gramps’ pocket watch, and held it up.
“My Gramps gave me this.” The gold watch sparkled in the sunlight as I spoke. “He told me that anytime I felt like giving up, I should look at this and remember that time was too short to waste on sadness and misery. All that mattered in life was the memories you made with the people you loved.”
I could see the wheels turning in Finn’s mind as he stared at the watch in my hand.
“Here,” I said, passing it to him, “You should take it.”
His fingers reached out, gingerly tracing the eagle on the face. “I can’t.”
“Sure you can.” I dropped it in his palm before he could argue and nudged him with my shoulder. “Besides, I don’t need it anymore.”
I had a man that loved me, and a family on the way. Parker gave me everything I needed and more. It was time for Gramps to help someone else.
The last person I expected to be standing outside my door when I pulled up was Luke. It felt strange to call him Mr. Lannister now. I considered him a friend. We talked every day at school, and had recently started texting. Parker wasn’t high on it. Said he didn’t like the way Luke looked at me, which was absolutely ridiculous. We were just friends. He also didn’t argue our relationship too much.
My head tipped at the plant in Luke’s hands. A tall leafy mini tree, with purple flowers.
He smiled when I got out of the car. “Hey, perfect timing. I was just about to ring the doorbell.”
“Hi,” I waved and walked over. “I’m surprised to see you here.”
“It’s not too weird, is it? I heard what happened in school today and wanted to make sure you were okay. And,” he nodded at the plant, “It’s kind of a tradition where I come from to bring friends house warming presents.”
Okay, that was sweet.
“Well, thank you.” I smiled up into his bright eyes and grazed my fingers over one of the leaves. “Would you like to come in?”
“I’d love to.”
We walked inside and Luke handed me the plant, which looked absolutely perfect on the table by the door. I had to hand it to him, he had impeccable taste. It was simple and exquisite. I led him into the kitchen, where I poured us both a cup of lemonade, and we chatted for a bit. I don’t think Luke had made many friends in Ashen Springs, and it was nice to have a normal conversation. He was one of the few people that didn’t bring up my pregnancy, or my abrupt move in with Parker. When I was with Luke, I was just Lana. And I missed being just Lana.
“I met Naomi’s mom today.”
“Oh God.” I rolled my eyes. Mrs. Prescott was almost as bad as her daughter, and the woman had a reputation. “Please tell me she didn’t hit on you.”
“She didn’t just hit on me, she outright offered to suck me off.” He took a sip of his lemonade and shook his head, “Right there on the field.”
I watched his dark hair flop forward and thought about Naomi’s mom. She was pretty, tall, and blonde like her daughter, and Luke was cute. It wouldn’t be the worst girl he could have a fling with. Jasmine’s mom, on the other hand…
“Did you take her up on it?”
He scowled. “God no.”
“Why not? She’s pretty, and you’re…” I clamped my mouth shut before I said something stupid.
Luke’s eyes sparkled back at me.
“She’s not really my type.”
That was fair. As Mason would say, different strokes for different folks. That did get me thinking though. Luke Lannister had been in town for a while now, and I hadn’t seen him with anyone. A guy like him should have all kinds of rumors floating around. Whispers about late night rendezvous and secret meetings, but I hadn’t heard a single word in the gossip mill.
“What is your type?” I asked, genuinely curious. “Do you even have one?”
His lips tipped up as his eyes skimmed over me. “Oh, I have a type.”
If I didn’t know any better, I’d say he was eyeing me. But that couldn’t be right. Luke Lannister was the gorgeous new staff member girls admired, and I was just a girl. And a pregnant one, at that. My stomach was getting fat and my boobs were too big. Who would want that? I had to be imagining things.
“Has anyone told you,” he turned around on his stool and swept my hair behind my ear, “You have beautiful eyes.”
Shocked, I pulled back a bit and thickly swallowed. Nope, not imagining things.
“Luke,” I stammered, not quite sure what to say or how to react. “I… huh…”
“Tell me you haven’t thought about it.” His thumb grazed over my bottom lip, sending a shiver up my spine.
This is bad, Lana.
“Parker should be home any minute,” was all I could think to say.
“Good,” he leaned in and whispered, “I’d like to fuck him too.”
Oh my god.
“Care to run that by me!” a deep voice boomed through the room.
Uh oh, hubby’s home.
Chapter 23
Parker
All I could think about while stepping through that door after a tough day at practice, was holding my girl. Sucking in her sweet scent and settling back into a nice quiet night at home. Get some food, watch a flick–Steel Magnolias, her favorite–and have myself a little dessert. The perfect night, with the perfect girl. And what did I find when I walked into that kitchen? Some motherfucker eyeing up my woman. Whispering shit in her ear.
