《The Wright One》


 David 1

    DAVID


    Jasmine looks up at me with those pleading eyes. Her blond hair pulled up in a high ponytail. Her jeans and t-shirt looked like it was what she wore to bedst night, which is possible. She¡¯s a bitid back and doesn¡¯t care so much about being the picture of perfection. Yet she was still pretty, guys were constantly asking her out, much to mine and my brother¡¯s frustration. ¡°Please, I am begging you.¡±


    I shake my head. ¡°Look Jass, I don¡¯t really care what she does. It¡¯s not like we are even going to interact. I won¡¯t be mean to her if that is what you are asking.¡± I honestly have no clue what my sister is asking. Just something about her best friending to live here. Some girl she met in college and they hit it off and she is the best or whatever. Still no clue what that has to do with me. To be honest, it could mean quite literally anythinging from Jasmine.


    She makes the little pouty face that she loves to use whenever any of us don¡¯t agree with her about anything. I swear sometimes I think she is a spoiled brat. ¡°Davey, I want you to show her around.¡± That means spending time with a girl that I don¡¯t even know and I am not ok with that. I am a busy man. I have no desire to hang out with some chick that I don¡¯t even know and don¡¯t n on getting to know. To me she is some kid that will want to talk about crap that I have no interest in. I haven¡¯t had interest in the young scene in a long time.


    ¡°Yeah, that isn¡¯t going to happen.¡± Jasmine just asked me to show around her best friend from college who for some messed up reason is moving here. A new job I guess. A job, that I am guessing, that Jasmine managed to get for her. I am not going to be a tour guide for a girl that is barely out of college. I have too much shit to do as it is. ¡°Why can¡¯t you do it? It¡¯s your friend.¡± Yeah, that¡¯s my point, it¡¯s her friend not mine.


    She stomps her foot. Jasmine is a small woman, like five two at best. She still manages at twenty two to look like a kid throwing a tantrum. ¡°David, I am asking you to do it.¡± Yeah, that isn¡¯t an answer to my question at all.


    I re at her. ¡°No. I have too much to do. Hell, maybe Luke will do it. He¡¯s more free than me.¡± Luke is usually always free for crap like this because he is a bartender at nights for his own bar. So his schedule is a little bit more free than mine is.N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner.


    She rolls her eyes. ¡°I already asked him. He said that he can¡¯t because of work.¡± Of course, when I would rather him do it, he¡¯s busy. But to be honest Luke would have stepped up if he could. He is always trying to prove himself. I know William will have to work. And Justin is just as busy as me. Isabelle is working school hours and there isn¡¯t really much of a chance of her getting time off for this. It seems doors keep shutting in my face. I could just tell my sister no, but I just don¡¯t see that happening.


    ¡°Well, why can¡¯t you?¡± I ask again in hopes of getting out of this. This is seriously myst change. There is no way that I can do this. Or want to do this ever in my life.


    ¡°Because I have to be at this stupid meeting with dad and mom. I don¡¯t want to leave her alone on her first day here.¡± I remember our parents saying something about that. It¡¯s supposed to be a meeting, but in truth I am pretty sure it is just our parents trying to get Jasmine to settle down. They don¡¯t have much hope in Jasmine, but I happen to know that through all the tantrums and sassy attitude, she has a great mind and an even bigger heart. Which is why she is here begging me to show her friend around, rather than letting her friend just fend for herself.


    ¡°No promises. I¡¯ll see if I can rearrange my schedule, but I will probably be busy. See if you can find someone else.¡± I know that isn¡¯t going to happen. I am going to be stuck showing this girl around and that is the end of that story.


    She gets this little giddy look on her face. ¡°Thank you so much Davey.¡±


    I roll my eyes. ¡°Oh, now I¡¯m Davey again.¡± Well, at least I know that my sister has forgiven my attitude. She calls me David when she is upset with me. She calls me Davey when I¡¯m her favorite brother again. At least that is what she tells me, but I am pretty sure she tells our brothers the same thing.


    She hugs me. ¡°You are always Davey, I just have to give you a David every now and then for you to see me seriously.¡± She is so damn satisfied right now.


    Laughing, I hug her back. ¡°You are such a pain in the ass.¡±


    ¡°You won¡¯t regret it. I promise. She is awesome.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I am sure I will have so much inmon with a girl ten years my junior. I¡¯m going to show her around, but that¡¯s it.¡± I step away from Jasmine to get back to my work. She barged into my office this morning, not really caring that I have a mountain of paperwork that I am supposed to be doing. As CEO of thepany my work is never done, but that doesn¡¯t really matter to Jasmine. As far as she is concerned there is far more to life than work and we shouldn¡¯t live our lives devoted to work. ¡°Now let me get back to work.¡± Jasmine could care less about my work. She always said it was stupid and pointless. Yet she knows it is the familypany.


    Jasmine is grinning from ear to ear. ¡°Thank you so much. You won¡¯t regret it. I love you big brother.¡± She gives me one of her little waves as she leaves my office.


    I wave her off. ¡°Yeah, yeah. I love you too.¡±

 David 2

    MEGAN


    When the barista calls my name I am pleading for the caffeine in the cup to wake me up even a little bit. I drove six hoursst night to get here, only for my best friend to wake me up four hourster. I could have slept a bit longer. I even pleaded with her to get just a little more sleep, but she is one of those people that never sleeps so she really didn¡¯t understand. She asked me to meet her at this cafe on main street and I am yet to see her. I could still be sleeping. I am pretty sure I am halfway there already.


    It¡¯s a cute little cafe, with tables on the inside and a few outside on a patio as well. For a small town it is quite busy and it has charm too. If I was more awake I am sure I could really appreciate it.


    When I turn around with my cup in hand I bump into the most gorgeous wall that I have ever seen in my life. He reaches out to steady me. ¡°Hey there beautiful, wouldn¡¯t want you to fall over.¡± Those dazzling pearly whites are shing at me. I swear I am going to faint. He is tall, like at least ten inches to a foot taller than me. His broad chest fills in that t-shirt better than any man ever should. His jeans hang low on his waist and I would love nothing more than to curl up in this guy¡¯sp for the rest of my life. Yep, I am definitely still half asleep. Or maybe I am dreaming. A guy like this would definitely be in my dreams. One of those fantasies where I am whisked away by the strong gorgeous man that wants to love and take care of me. Not only in life but in bed too.


    He pulls his hands back and brushes a lock of his dark hair out of his face. ¡°So, do you have a name?¡± He seems to look me over with appreciation. Not that I really think that¡¯s it. I mean guys like him don¡¯t look at girls like me like that. Guys like him might be polite and ask if I¡¯m alright when I fall on my face. Which lets be honest happens too many times. Then they look around for an escape. I am sure that ising. There is no way this guy actually wants to talk to me. Hell, he¡¯s probably married. The look of appreciation is probably just my sleep deprived brain making things up.


    I feel myself blush as I curl my straight red hair behind my ear. ¡°Megan.¡± I need to back out of this conversation. I need to pretend to have something to do. Anything to be anywhere else but here.


    He holds out his hand for me to take. I take his hand to shake while he continues talking. ¡°David. So Megan, you seem new around here. Do you happen to need a guide? You know, someone who can navigate the dangers of the cafe.¡± Is it just me or does that sound like he is flirting with me? It is probably just me. I am just imagining it. That is the most logical conclusion. Because there is no way a guy like him is flirting with me. He has a small chuckle with his words and that damn sexy smile. I definitely need to go back to bed. My brain isn¡¯t firing on all cylinders.


    Iugh a little at his joke. ¡°I think I¡¯ll be fine. I¡¯m meeting a friend.¡± There is my out. I am meeting someone. I can¡¯t hang out and talk to the incredibly gorgeous guy because I need to meet someone.


    His smile falls a little. I am sure he is being polite. I mean he is a god and I am just a chunky girl that hasn¡¯t even achieved anything in my life yet. ¡°Well, I hope to see you around.¡± He gives me a little smile again and I am starting to wonder if I am the one that is imagining it. Or if it is real and I am just an idiot, who thinks no one likes her so when someone does, they just push them away unintentionally.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m supposed to start work tomorrow, so I may not be as free as I am today. But I appreciate the offer.¡± I decide that he is just being friendly and it¡¯s ok to banter a little with him. Heck, I will probably never see him again.This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Oh, yeah, where do you work?¡± He gets a curious expression on his face, but also that he¡¯s relieved. I am pretty sure I am imagining it again.


    Before I have a chance to answer, Jasmine leaps on me. ¡°Oh, Megan, I am so happy you are here.¡± Jasmine is one of those girls that is always hyper. Honestly I can hardly keep up with her. She turns and sees who I am talking to. ¡°Davey, what are you doing here?¡± She knows him. Well, shoot, he is probably someone that she has known her whole life and will think I am just like her. Look, I love Jasmine, but we are nothing alike. Not that there¡¯s anything wrong with Jasmine. She¡¯s just really outgoing and adventurous, that just isn¡¯t me.


    He looks at the both of us in shock. ¡°Um, just getting my coffee.¡± I can see this wall going up around him that wasn¡¯t there before. Suddenly I am on the other side and there is no crossing that barrier.


    Jasmine smiles. ¡°I told you Megan was great.¡± Only now do I realize this must be one of her brothers. Not the youngest one, I am guessing one of the older ones. ¡°So, you are going to show her aroundter right?¡±


    I cough and clear my throat. ¡°Um, actually I got in reallyte, maybe it would be best if I just caught up on rest for tomorrow.¡± I feel so embarrassed. I actually thought that he was flirting with me for a minute. Hell I was flirting back. Now I can see he was just being nice and I am embarrassed. It was different when I thought it was a guy that I probably wouldn¡¯t see again, but this is something else. Hell, half the time I thought I was dreaming and it wasn¡¯t real. Now it is all too real and I want to bury myself alive to escape this torture.


    Jasmine waves me off. ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous Davey took time off work for this. He is the CEO, but it is still a pain to take time off.¡±


    Holy shit, not only is he Jasmine¡¯s brother but the oldest and essentially my boss. This man is a god and I am but a pion in his little army. I have screwed up big time this time. ¡°Um, you shouldn¡¯t have asked your brother to do that. He has more important things to do than babysit me.¡±


    He scoffs. ¡°That¡¯s what I told her.¡± I can see his attitude has changed up. He doesn¡¯t seem as hospitable as he was a few minutes ago. Clearly he does have better things to do than to hang out with me today. Even though he was just asking me if I wanted a tour before his sister showed up. Would it have been different if I wasn¡¯t his sister¡¯s best friend? I doubt it. Like what I said, guys like him and girls like me, they just don¡¯t mix. Anything that was there, it was just in my head. He was being nice and now he doesn¡¯t have to, because I am just his little sister¡¯s best friend.


    I try to hold back my temper a little. I know he is just agreeing with me but he could have been a gentleman about it. ¡°Well, you could always go back to work. Like I said, I don¡¯t need a babysitter.¡± Suddenly I would rather be around anyone else than him. I would rather he just pretend that he never met me.


    David seems resigned to his fate. He sighs. ¡°No, I said I would show you around, I¡¯ll do it.¡±


    Jasmine ps her hands. ¡°Good that is decided. You two have fun. I have to go meet our parents.¡± She hugs me. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, he isn¡¯t as grumpy as he seems.¡± It is not settled, I don¡¯t want David to show me around. I would rather just go back to my apartment, sleep a little and then unpack. Jasmine can show me around town when she isn¡¯t busy. I don¡¯t even need to know that much. I could google what I need. The town isn¡¯t that big, I am sure I can¡¯t get that lost.


    ¡°I would rather not do this.¡± I try to quietly plead with Jasmine, I know it is futile, when she has her mind set on something she has no problem following through with it, and she always drags me along. Right now for some stupid reason she is determined that David needs to show me around. I don¡¯t want David to show me around. At least not anymore. I do not want to be an obligation to anyone. I have had enough of that in my life and I will be damned if I am going to start out an obligation in a new town.


    ¡°Nonsense.¡± She just waves at the both of us and walks off. ¡°Behave you two.¡±


    Once Jasmine is out of sight I turn to David. ¡°Look, it would be best if you just go back to work. As much as I think she had good intentions, it isn¡¯t necessary.¡± He seems to be more reasonable than Jasmine. I mean he is older and mature. I am sure he has to have a good head on his shoulders.


    He shakes his head. ¡°She would never let me hear the end of it.¡± Or not. Is he seriously that worried about pissing off his sister? I thought he was the eldest brother. Shouldn¡¯t he be making more of the rules? I saw it in school the way that Jasmine wouldmand anyone around her. Not in a mean way, but she just has this way of getting things done. I just thought he was immune to her charms.


    I cock an eyebrow at him. ¡°How would she know?¡± This is a logical question. If I don¡¯t say anything and he doesn¡¯t say anything. Then there is no way for her to know.


    ¡°Jasmine knows everything.¡± David just shrugs. Like this is some fact of life that we all need to face and move on with our lives. ¡°Let¡¯s get the show on the road. The sooner we get started the sooner we will be out of each other¡¯s hair.¡± That phrase alone is enough to raise my hackles. I don¡¯t think so.


    Honestly at this point I want to p him in his way too attractive face. ¡°You know what, I¡¯ll deal with Jasmine, go back to work.¡± I push past him and leave the cafe in a huff. I really did not have enough sleep for this crap. I don¡¯t need some wishy washy man acting like he is doing me any favors. I know perfectly well how to navigate a town on my own. Hell, I have been on my own more often in my life than not. Just because I have a best friend now, doesn¡¯t change that fact. I don¡¯t need a sitter and I will be damned if Jasmine is going to saddle me with the worst one.

 David 3

    DAVID


    I can not believe I was hitting on Jasmine¡¯s little friend yesterday. Her thick curvy body haunted my dreamsst night. She had this shy demeanor. She did not seem like a girl. She may have been shy, but she stood up to me like I was dirt beneath her shoes. She is nothing like Jasmine, how the hell are they best friends. What¡¯s worse is now I know she is off limits, but I can¡¯t stop thinking about her. It¡¯s like she is haunting me. Her curves were in my dreams and I woke up in a cold sweat. Dreaming of the woman that was always just out of reach. Jasmine would never forgive me if I dated her best friend. Even if they are the oddest pair I have ever met in my life.


    Justin calls me through our inner department lines. I quickly answered, because if he didn¡¯t just shoot me a text then it is probably important. ¡°Yeah?¡± I can hear the urgentness in my own voice. He could just be letting me know about a quick meeting. That is pretty much the only reason why we use this line. Or if we have an emergency that has to be dealt with as quickly as possible and not whenever I take a break to check my messages.


    ¡°What the hell did you do to piss off Jass?¡± His voice sounds pissed. I am sure Jasmine said something about never speaking to me again. That is usually how it goes. When she is mad at one of her brothers she tells the others she isn¡¯t speaking to the offending party. Which then leads the other brothers to attack the other brother that is now in the dog house. It is a system that Jasmine has used for thest twenty years and she isn¡¯t going to stop now. How did she find out anyway? The girl said that she wasn¡¯t going to tell Jasmine.


    ¡°Nothing, I was going to do what I said I was, it¡¯s not my fault that she ran off.¡± Maybe it is. I started treating her like an obligation after I found out who she was. I actually started treating her like she was poison and I needed to get away from her as fast as possible. Hell before that I was treating her like a possible date. If Jasmine would have shown up five minutester, she would have been. I am pretty sure I was on a roll. She was going to say yes.


    ¡°More like you pissed her off. I met her this morning, she seems like a nice girl.¡± He sounds pissed off at me on her behalf. I get it she is awesome but my brother doesn¡¯t need to know that. I mean he just met her, he can¡¯t decide that he likes her that much already to yell at me on her behalf. Especially since it pisses me off that he likes her.


    ¡°How did you meet her this morning?¡± Why does it bother me that she is meeting my brother? She is probably going to meet the whole Wright n now that she lives here. I¡¯m surprised that we didn¡¯t meet her earlier. My sister isn¡¯t going to let her best friend be on the sidelines. That is all the more reason that I need to control my feelings for her. I need to remember that it is just carnal lust and I can¡¯t act on it. My sister would never forgive me.


    ¡°Well the thing is, we hired her.¡± At least now he sounds a little ashamed of himself. How could he hire her? She is just out of college and the only job that he is hiring for is his second inmand. That seems like a big miscalction on his part. How is she going to perform a job that she doesn¡¯t know how to do? That doesn¡¯t make any sense.N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner.


    ¡°What?¡± Here I am thinking she is a good honest girl and she used my sister to get a job. That is the only thing that makes logical sense. I should have known when my sister said that she was moving here for a job. No one ever moves here for a job. It is usually because they already know someone here and that is how they get their job.


    ¡°Yeah I was surprised too. But it¡¯s a good thing.¡± I can hear the optimism in his voice and it makes me more irritated. Sometimes I wonder if he is even taking this seriously. I mean, I know he is, but it still pisses me off. It seems like he treats his duties here like an obligation that he will get to when he feels like it. Then there are times when it seems that work is all he does. I just don¡¯t understand him most of the time.


    ¡°How is this a good thing?¡± I growl into the line. We can¡¯t make decisions based on family friends. We have to do what is best for the business. I am just praying that she has some mundane job like the mailroom or something. It can¡¯t be that she is actually his second inmand.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. After all, she won¡¯t be your problem.¡± I can literally hear him rolling his eyes right now. There is even a hint of a growl in his voice, where he is irritated with me. I can just picture him at his desk rolling his eyes and mentally telling me off.


    ¡°I¡¯m the CEO, how is this not my business?¡± My voice may have reached a higher octave than I intended it to. He has no right to be irritated with me when he is the one that made the mistake. He is the one that thought about Jasmine¡¯s little friend more than he should have. He could really fuck us on this and he thinks he can be mad at me about it?


    ¡°Because I¡¯m the CFO and it¡¯s my business.¡± His voice definitely got louder. This is going to get heated before it gets better. I am so pissed I can¡¯t even see straight. How could he do that?


    ¡°If this bites us in the ass, I am throwing you under the bus.¡± I growl. I have a full right to, this was his choice. He¡¯s the one that fucked us.


    ¡°You are doing great on the family front. First you piss off your sister, then you insult your brother. Keep it up and even Luke won¡¯t talk to you.¡± You would figure that wouldn¡¯t be an insult, but Luke forgives everyone, if he is pissed at you that means you fucked up big time. Maybe he¡¯s right, but I don¡¯t think so. Luke is a businessman after all he would understand what I am saying.


    I hear the line click off and I am even more pissed. I¡¯m pissed at her and worst of all myself. Because no matter what I think of her behavior right now and how much I know she is off limits, I can¡¯t stop thinking of kissing those plump pink lips. Hell, I am even having thoughts of pinning her to my desk and taking her right here in this office. The fact that she works here makes it an even more prominent fantasy. Maybe I am the one that is fucked up.


    Shaking those thoughts I stand up and head to my brother¡¯s office. I need to talk to him in person. I need to know why he hired someone because our sister said it was a good idea. I think he might be losing his touch. Or else he is losing his damn mind and that I can¡¯t have. I need to be able to trust his judgments. That is why he is here in the first ce.

 David 4

    MEGAN


    Justin quickly went over what he expects me to do and I got right to work. This is my dream job. Ok, not really. My dream job would be Justin¡¯s job, but this is the next step down. This is what I went to college for. I studied hard, worked to be the best in my internships. I was born for this job. When I saw the opening for this job on the job board for thispany I jumped at the chance to throw my hat in the ring. Honestly I never thought I would be selected which is why I didn¡¯t tell Jasmine about it until after I got the job. I didn¡¯t want her to tell her brothers about my application. I wanted to get the job on my own. And I did. That gives me a sense of pride that I haven¡¯t felt in a long time. Sometimes I have to look at my own aplishments and feel that pride, because no one else really points them out. Sometimes Jasmine, but that¡¯s it. Ok, Jasmine is more of a cheerleader for me. She has supported me more in my life than anyone else and I love her all the more for it.


    I am going over thest five years worth of quarterly reports when I see a shadow loom over my desk. I figured it will just move on and then I can keep working. But after a minute I can see that it isn¡¯t moving. Maybe it is just a fellow employee that wants to introduce themselves. When I look up with a smile on my face, it quickly vanishes. Of all the people to see on my first day, why did it have to be him? I figured I wouldn¡¯t see him for days, he¡¯s too important to just be wandering around the office.


    David looms over me with a frown on his face. He actually looks really pissed. Like I personally pissed on his grave or something. Not that he looks dead in the least, but I figured that would be something that would insult someone the most. Except for the angry scowl on his face he actually looks really hot. I mean yesterday he lookedid back andfortable, but still hot. Today in a charcoal gray suit and tie he looks good enough to eat. ¡°What the hell did you honestly think you were doing?¡±


    I look around confused. I have no idea what the hell would have done to irritate him this much. I mean I just started here and I haven¡¯t even submitted my report so I don¡¯t understand what I could have done to piss him off. ¡°Um, my job.¡± I might sound a little irritated. Ok, no I am super irritated. He treated me like mud scum yesterday and now he is going to harass me at work. I didn¡¯t do anything wrong. That is bullshit. I guess Jasmine was right when she said that her brothers were nothing like her. She doesn¡¯t have a mean bone in her body.


    ¡°You weisled your way into this job through my sister. Do you honestly think you are qualified for this job?¡± He res at me and leans on my desk like he can intimidate me. His fists are clenched and he looks on the verge of exploding. I didn¡¯t do anything that he is using me of, so he can blow it out of whatever blowhole he has and leave me alone.


    There is no way in hell I am going to let David Wright diminish what I worked hard for. I am proud of what I have done and I am not going to let him tear me down about it. I have had enough of that crap in my life. I stand up leaning on my desk too, meeting his stance. I might be shorter but I will be damned if I will stand down to him. ¡°For your information, I earned this job. Maybe as CEO you should get all your information before you go casting usations. I never once used my rtionship with Jasmine to get anything. I have worked hard to get here. If you have a problem with my job, please take it up with Justin. As far as I am concerned we don¡¯t need to speak again.¡±


    His re gets more intense. ¡°You really don¡¯t value this job do you. Yelling at the CEO isn¡¯t the best way to keep your job.¡± Yeah, like he can just throw that around. As far as I am concerned, I can leave this job and it wouldn¡¯t bother me one bit because I know that I earned it. He will be the one to lose out. I got this job and I can get another.


    ¡°Well maybe the CEO should think a little bit before attacking his employees.¡± I am trying really hard not to shout, but I think I failed. I am not usually argumentative, but this guy just brings it out of me. It¡¯s like he automatically knows where all my buttons are and he ns to push every single one.


    Justin steps out of his office. He looks concerned, but then he sees his brother and he looks pissed. Good someone is on my side. ¡°David, what the hell are you doing?¡± He seemed like a pretty easy going guy when I met him this morning, but right now he looks like he is going to tackle his brother. It¡¯s not like he wouldn¡¯t deserve it. He is being a total jerk right now.


    He res at me. ¡°Just dealing with the problem in thepany.¡± Oh, hell no.


    Justin marches over and punches him in the shoulder. Honestly I didn¡¯t expect him to do that, but it is his brother so I guess they probably do that sort of thing all the time. ¡°Do you even know what the fuck you are doing?¡± Thank God for Justin because I am pretty sure I was one word away from quitting.


    David points at me. ¡°She used her rtionship with Jasmine to get this job.¡± The usation was clear on his face. He thinks I just had Jasmine get me the job. Like I didn¡¯t apply like everyone else.


    Justin res harder. ¡°You moron. I didn¡¯t even know she knew Jasmine until this morning. She got the job because she is the most qualified. All of her references couldn¡¯t stop giving her praises. If I didn¡¯t hire her I am sure she would have been picked up by anotherpany in a matter of minutes. We are lucky that she applied here.¡± I can tell that Justin is insulted. He doesn¡¯t seem like the kind of guy to raise his hand to a fly, but he seems to want to rearrange David¡¯s face right now.


    David looks at Justin, then back at me. ¡°You really didn¡¯t drop Jasmine¡¯s name?¡± He looks absolutely shocked. Like we both have to be lying because there is no way that I actually got the job. I find this incredibly insulting. I want to punch him, not for the first time in that attractive face of his. Thank God I have never acted on my impulses. I don¡¯t think it would be good for my career to punch the CEO in the face.This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°No, I didn¡¯t even use her as a reference.¡± I re at him. Just as pissed as he was, because of his assumption. Why the hell would I even use her name, except for her to actually just give me the job and I am not that type of person. I would never use Jasmine like that. She is my best friend. I love her just like a sister. As soon as I met her she was like this angel to me. I would never use our friendship.


    His face drops clearly seeing the errors in his conclusion. ¡°I am so sorry. I really feel like a jackass right now.¡± I almost feel sorry for him, Almost.


    I fold my arms over my chest. ¡°As you should.¡± He had no right to make that assumption, he hasn¡¯t even seen my work yet, just because I happen to know his sister is no reason to assume that she got me the job. That is just rude.


    Justin scoffs. ¡°As if I would hire someone because Jasmine asked me too. What the hell kind of a person do you think I am? I am not an idiot. No matter what you think. Jasmine doesn¡¯t even know what we do here. Why would I trust her judgment on who to hire, that just sounds stupid.¡±


    ¡°Wait, Justin, I don¡¯t think you are an idiot. I made a big mistake. I jumped to conclusions and that isn¡¯t right of me. I¡¯m the screw up this time.¡± He made it sound like Justin usually screws up. That isn¡¯t exactly the way to apologize, especially to your brother. I wouldn¡¯t be happy to ept that apology. Justin seems like a really good guy. I wouldn¡¯t want to make him feel bad. I have a feeling he does his best around here. He doesn¡¯t seem like the type of guy to ke off his duties, even if his heart isn¡¯t in it.


    Justin just res at David. ¡°Maybe it would be best if you just give us some space today. I think we all need to cool down. Just go back to your office and let us do our job.¡± I took a nce around and a few people stopped to stare, clearly this blow up will be the talk of the office. Just great, that is exactly what I wanted on my first day of work. Clearly I am cursed. Sure I feel proud that I got the job, but I am starting to feel like maybe I should have found another, there wouldn¡¯t have been these problems if I did. I just kind of thought of it as a sign that it was Jasmine¡¯s hometown and her brother¡¯spany. I don¡¯t really have many friends, Jasmine is mostly it. I was d that I would be going somewhere that I would have a friend. Now, I¡¯m not so sure.


    Justin turns and goes back to his office, leaving me with David. David turns to me and I can see the regret on his face. Only now it feels a little toote. ¡°I really am sorry.¡±


    I cast my gaze down. ¡°I think it is best we just take some space, like Justin says. Besides, it¡¯s not like you really need to look over my job anyway. I¡¯m not even sure why you are here.¡± Plopping back into my chair I start clicking on myputer to view the report I was working on again. I will just have to show everyone that I truly deserve this job, and then there will never be a doubt again.


    He stands there for a few minutes before he slides his hand across my desk and leaves. Only then can I breathe a sigh of relief. David is one man that I need to avoid for so many reasons.

 David 5

    DAVID


    I screwed up so badly. Now I can¡¯t even stop thinking about how much I screwed up. The way she looked at me, it was like I was the worst man on the face of the. I basically used her of being crap at her job when I don¡¯t even have any fucking clue. I don¡¯t know why I even fucking did that. I was just angry andshed out. Angry at myself more than anything, because I couldn¡¯t stand the fact that I kept thinking about her and she was doing something wrong. But she didn¡¯t do anything fucking wrong. I feel like such a fuck up right now. It was easier for me to think she was in the wrong. It was easier to think I could quit the feelings she stirs up if she is the one doing something wrong. Only she isn¡¯t.


    When I was yelling at her, she stood tall and proud. Well as tall as her short frame would let her. She looked so damn beautiful and it pissed me off even more when Justin tried toe to her rescue. Justin has always been a bit of adies man and I will be damned if he is going to hit on her. Not that I can, but Justin can¡¯t have her. I¡¯m not sure if anyone can. I¡¯m not sure I can allow it. How fucked up does that sound?N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.


    So now I am just back to my original thoughts:


    She is too young.


    She works for me.


    She is my little sister¡¯s best friend.


    I can¡¯t think of the thoughts that have been guing my mind since I met her yesterday. She is off limits and I need to get it through my thick skull. My body doesn¡¯t seem to get the message and keeps dragging up thoughts of her body against mine. Her lips against mine. My hands on every inch of her body.


    Yet, when that shy girl stood up to me and made sure that she didn¡¯t back down to a jackass like me. She made sure I knew that she earned her job. It is a really important job, Justin has been telling me for a while that he doesn¡¯t feel like he wants to keep doing this, she is supposed to be his support so he can step back a little. Which means we would be working closely together and I am already fucking it up. How am I supposed to keep my cool when she will be working with me all the time when Justin steps back? I can¡¯t, that¡¯s how. Because I am fucked up.


    There is a knock on my office door, I expect my assistant when I grunt a e in¡±, but it¡¯s her. She pokes her head in timidly.


    ¡°Um, Hey, can I talk to you for a second?¡± I still like this behavior. I mean she is sexy either way, but this way is just that little extra.


    I wave her into the office, too afraid to actually say anything. I don¡¯t need to screw this up any more than I already have. Shees in and stands in front of my desk with her hands folded in front of herself. She looks sexy as hell in her pencil skirt and blouse, the white on ck is hot as fuck. ¡°So, I think we should clear the air a little bit. I was harsh with you yesterday and I spoke rather rudely to you today. I just want to apologize and let you know that I will conduct myself in a more professional manner from now on.¡± The whole time that she was talking my eyes were raking over her body. Her ck pencil skirt ended a little above her knees and I wanted to see more of those legs. She was wearing a white button up blouse that was covered with a ck vest. The vest covered her plump breasts, I didn¡¯t like it.


    I can¡¯t help but give her a small smile. ¡°You have nothing to apologize for. I am the one that gave you attitude. I jumped to conclusions and yelled at you when you did nothing wrong. I understand that we are probably going to be working closely together in the future, so you are correct that we should move past this.¡± I want to be professional. At least that is what I keep telling myself. There are parts of me that wants to throw professionalism out the fucking window. Hell, I want to throw her on this desk and show her how I really feel.


    She nods with a confident smirk. ¡°Good, then back to work.¡± She turns to step away from me, but my dumbass decided that it wasn¡¯t going to be enough. I want to keep talking to her. Keep her attention on me. Thest thing I want is her to start spending too much time with Justin. He has that suaveness that I could never capture and she is a beautiful woman. I am sure that he has noticed.


    I make sure my voice catches her before she leaves the office. ¡°So, in the spirit of working together. Can you bring me a report on the marketing reports that you have been analyzing all day? At the end of the day.¡± I issue it like a challenge. I figured that would get to her the most.


    She nods, hesitantly, but she agrees. ¡°So, it¡¯s a test. You want to know if I know my job?¡± She can think whatever she wants, as long as she is back in this office at the end of the day. Just one more chance to see her before the day ends.


    ¡°I want to see if you are as good as my brother ims.¡± Plus it will get her back in my sights. I will have another excuse to see her today. Is this a good idea? Nope, not at all, but I am doing it. I think I have a problem, not that I will me it on anyone. I am fully to me here. I want her and I think I know the way to do it.


    Sheughs. ¡°I¡¯m better.¡± Damn that was actually hot. I mean she is shy and reserved, but when it matters, she is confident and in control. I can¡¯t wait to test that confidence.

 David 6

    MEGAN


    I worked all day on this report. I wasn¡¯t even working on the marketing report when he asked for it, so I had to start from scratch. I made it as detailed as possible with every bit of information that he could possibly need. Even though I know it is a bogus report and he doesn¡¯t actually need it, I want him to be blown out of the water. I even triple checked for spelling errors. This report covered thest five years of the marketing analysis. In my opinion there is more work that needs to be done in this department. The Chief Operating Officer seems to be cking, a lot. Expenses are way too high for the amount they bring in on the campaigns. In the long run that is going to bring in a loss for thepany. Because there was already a surplus from years prior, that is the only way they are getting away with it now. I am sure that David noticed, but he is just being thorough. At least that is what I think.


    It¡¯s the end of the day and most everyone else has left. I know that David hasn¡¯t, simply because he would have been at my desk to gloat that I didn¡¯t have the report on his desk already. I think of just emailing it and leaving the office, but I do not need him to give me shit for not delivering it to his office. He¡¯ll say something like I don¡¯t know how to follow directions. I am sure his jerkface would say something like that. Anything to make my work not as good as it actually is.


    I pull the report off my printer and walk it over to his office. I know I could have emailed it to him, which I did too, but I wanted to look him in the face when he got the report. His assistant is already gone for the day. I knock on his office to be polite, I know he is already expecting me, so he should be ready for me.


    His gruff ¡°Come in¡± sounds through the door. Taking the handle I push in the door. I am really just hoping that he is in a better mood now. He was almost too much to handle earlier. I pretty much lost my cool earlier and I don¡¯t want to keep doing that.


    ¡°I have that report for you. I emailed it, but I wasn¡¯t sure if you were going to check your email again this evening, so I am bringing you a hard copy since you requested it be done by the end of the day.¡± I set the packet of papers on his desk and he stares at it in shock.


    ¡°You really went all out didn¡¯t you?¡± I am pretty sure he is referring to the amount of pages in the report. I really was a bit excessive, but I will be damned if he will say that I didn¡¯t do a good enough job.


    ¡°Well, you said it was a test. I wanted to let you know that you hired the right person. I don¡¯t want you to have any doubts here.¡± That was part of it. The other part was that I wanted him to be proud of me. I don¡¯t know why I felt this way. I have no reason whatsoever to want his approval, but I do. I think it might be some deep repressed issue that I will need to deal with, but I am not going to delve into that right this minute.


    He leans back in his chair. ¡°Give me a summary.¡± He lookspletely rxed and at ease. It reminds me of those teachers in high school who expect you to get up in front of the ss and do an oral report without any notes. Just like they are waiting for you to get on with it so they can watch the horror unfold. Sadistic people if you ask me.


    What the fuck, he had me write this report and he isn¡¯t even going to look at it. He¡¯s just going to have my summary. I grit my teeth. ¡°My summary is that your COO is cking and not paying enough attention to the marketing department. They are overspending and not bringing enough in with their expenses. You either need some new rules and outlines or some new people to bring it in line.¡± I don¡¯t imagine that he is actually going to take my advice into ount, but there it is. The report is far more detailed and has charts, but the man in front of me is pushing my buttons again.


    He flicks the papers not really looking at it, but like he is lost in thought and debating what he should do. He opens his mouth a couple of times to talk but shuts it. When he starts talking it is nothing about what we were talking about. ¡°How old are you?¡±


    I am a little taken back by the question. I have no idea what that has to do with the report. Like nothing at all if I am understanding everything correctly. ¡°I don¡¯t really see why that is important.¡±


    He chuckles. ¡°Can you just answer the question?¡±


    ¡°Twenty one, I graduated a little early.¡± Actually I could have graduated earlier but I took a few extra sses to extend the time. I hate when people look at me like I am too young. I was in college at sixteen and I always got that look. That ¡®you are too young to be here¡¯ look. It didn¡¯t matter that I was smarter and more skilled than the other students. They looked at my age and made the choice that I wasn¡¯t good enough. So I extended college as long as possible to prevent that in the workce. I wanted people to take me seriously. Yet, I am still getting it.


    ¡°And how close are you and my sister actually?¡± This line of questioning is just out in left field. It makes no sense at all.


    I am so confused, this has nothing to do with work. None of these questions make sense based on the report. ¡°Well, we were roommates in college and we stuck pretty close together.¡± The first roommate I had sucked. Thankfully I only had to stick with her for a couple of years before Jasmine came along. My old roommate got a ce off campus. Jasmine and I hit it off right away. She is so sweet and nice. Adventurous but she respected that I wasn¡¯t as into everything that she was. She would give me little pushes here and there, but not too much to be bossy. It was like she understood me and embarrassed all my quirkiness.


    ¡°So you went to all the parties that she went to.¡± That is definitely not in the report. It ispletely off topic. David is not making any sense. He just sits there asking his questions with that damn smirk on his face. He is asking personal questions that have nothing to do with work.


    I shake my head. ¡°No, that really wasn¡¯t my cup of tea. I don¡¯t like parties.¡± I answer even if it seems stupid and pointless. I did go to a few of them, but not all of them. Jasmine went to almost every party. Like I said she liked to be outgoing and that just wasn¡¯t me.N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.


    He still seems to be lost in thought. ¡°So, you didn¡¯t really date a bunch?¡± Now that definitely doesn¡¯t have anything to do with work. Where the hell is he going with this? Is he trying to make a point? If he is, I don¡¯t get it. Does the fact that I didn¡¯t date a ton in college mean that I am not good at my job?


    I narrowed my eyes on him. ¡°What the hell are you talking about? What does this have to do with my job? What I do outside of here has nothing to do with work.¡± I do not need to discuss myck of a dating life with my boss. I am pretty sure that is a no no topic. Plus I don¡¯t need to be embarrassed twice in one day. I don¡¯t need this man tough at myck of a dating life.


    He stands and starts walking towards me. His body seems to be this imposing force. I step back a few steps to try to keep some distance between us, but his stride is so much bigger than mine. He over takes the distance in a few short strides. ¡°I asked because I am trying to figure out what kind of woman you are.¡± His voice seems deeper, his gaze needy and wanting. I can¡¯t figure it out and I am usually really smart. This just confuses me. Who the hell is David and what does he want from me? Why can¡¯t I figure this out?


    He is looking at me with those smoldering eyes. David has that same look on his face that he did yesterday, before he found out who I was. I wish it was lust, but girls like me don¡¯t get that look. Especially not from guys that look like David. At some point before I got in here he rolled up his sleeves and now all I can think about is those arms wrapped around me and pulling me close. ¡°I don¡¯t see that it matters. We will only know each other at work and asionally you will see me with your sister. I don¡¯t think it matters to you what kind of woman I am. I mean you are the type of guy that seems to hit on a woman until you get to know her then you shut down like a vault.¡± The look he is giving me is intense. It¡¯s like he is trying to eat me with his eyes. Dare I say it, it looks like desire. I have to temper down my own thoughts. I can¡¯t think about him like that. It¡¯s just not going to work.


    His arms wrap around me and I don¡¯t fight all that hard. After all, I was thinking about it already. It¡¯s like I¡¯m in a dream state. My chest heaving from the feelings that are stirring inside me. His touch is doing something to me. I have never had a guy make me feel like this. ¡°I was flirting with you yesterday. I shut it down because of my sister. But right now, I don¡¯t think I give a fuck.¡± I give out a gasp at his words, but he quickly mutes the sound.


    His mouth crashed into mine and I felt a fire inside me. It was like his lips had ignited an inferno that couldn¡¯t be stopped. My hands reached up on their own and dug into his hair, pulling him closer. His arms wrapped tighter around me, practically pulling me off my feet. I feel small in his arms,pared to how I have felt my whole life, this is enlightening. He makes me feel desired. Wanted.


    Now, I have been kissed before, I¡¯m not saying that they sucked, but they were nothing like this. David¡¯s lips move with mine. His tongue seems to be dancing the tango with mine. I feel breathless, dizzy with the taste of him. His masculine scent fills my nose and makes me slightly intoxicated. It is almost woodsy, which makes absolutely no sense, David doesn¡¯t seem like a woodsy type man, still it works. Yet, my brain doesn¡¯t care. I want him. I want him to consume me.


    He lifts me up and pushes me towards the wall. Pressing my back against it. David pulls my legs up around his waist and I start to panic, I am not that light. David must sense my panic, because he moves his mouth off of mine, kissing and nibbling my neck. ¡°Rx, I got you.¡±


    I moan, even though I think he is full of shit. His hands start sliding up my thighs. Pushing my skirt further up. He presses his manhood into me and I grind back in response. God I am a hussy. It was a response, I didn¡¯t mean for it to happen, my body just reacted to his. This is my boss. We are in his office. Yet for the first time in like ever I feel like a woman that a man would desire. That he could want me. And God help me I want him too. I don¡¯t care where we are, or that this is a really bad idea, I just want it.


    He reaches for my panties and I think I am going to faint. ¡°We can¡¯t tell my sister.¡±


    It was like the words were a cold shower. Suddenly everything stopped. He wanted just a fling and that wasn¡¯t me. ¡°Stop, put me down.¡± My voice is stern and final. I will not be this girl. I am not this girl. I will never be this girl. I don¡¯t care how much fire there was a minute ago, I will never be that girl.


    He pulls back looking at me in shock. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Put me down. I am not doing this with you.¡± I say in a voice that doesn¡¯t even sound like mine. But there is no doubt in my tone. I am determined not to be this girl. I am not the girl to sleep with my boss. I sure the fuck am not the girl that has some secret affair. For one fleeting moment I let myself think that I could be that girl. That I was desirable enough for a man like David to actually want me. But he just wants a toy and that isn¡¯t me.


    David doesn¡¯t put me down. ¡°Wait, what did I do?¡±


    ¡°Just put me down, this isn¡¯t going to work on so many levels.¡± I huff out in frustration. Can¡¯t he see what he said would be insulting? That I would like to be some fling that he found one nightte at the office. Hell, how many women has he done this with? I will not be one of those girls. If he thinks that he can get away with this then he seriously has some issues that I need to stir clear of. I will stay on my side of the building and he can stay on his.


    He backs up to give me some space as he sets me down. ¡°Can we talk about it? You seemed pretty willing a minute ago.¡±


    ¡°I let my hormones get the best of my brains for a minute. Don¡¯t worry it won¡¯t happen again.¡± I straighten my skirt. I am determined that it will never happen again. David will be my kryptonite and I will make sure that I never fall prey to it. There are just too many reasons not to. I would never be able to look Jasmine in the eye if I did this now. I couldn¡¯t lie to her.


    Taking a deep breath I stand tall and proud. Walking out of his office. I try not to make it look like I have my ass on fire, but honestly I can¡¯t get out of this office fast enough.


    ¡°Megan.¡± His voice causes me to stop just outside the door.


    ¡°Mr. Wright, it is better this way. We stopped before we did something that we would both regret.¡± I don¡¯t have the guts to look back at him.


    I just hear him mutter. ¡°I guess you¡¯re right.¡±


    It hurts to hear him agree with me like that, but it is for the best. I just need to get away from him. That is what is best for the both of us.

 David 7

    DAVID


    It has been three weeks since we kissed in my office. She treats me like I am some monster that will demand her first born child if she speaks to me for more than five sentences. I know she didn¡¯t say anything about me kissing her to Jasmine because I never would have heard the end of it. Jasmine would have demanded my head on a te if she had said anything.


    I still know it is a bad idea, but the more I talk to her the more I like her. The more I want to be with her. Not only is she beautiful, but she is smart and sassy. Her skills in the boardroom are exceptional. At this point, not one person doubts she can do the job. I had her file brought up from HR. Her academic career is exceptional. She could have graduated way sooner than she did, but she double majored. She started college when she was sixteen, at least if what she told me her age was, is correct, which I am assuming it is. Her second major is in English literature, which happens to be my passion as well. If I had the choice I would have majored in it myself. But that was never in the cards for me. Plus I am nowhere near as smart as her to double major.


    I make a point of checking in on her every day, just so I get the chance to talk to her. I am still not sure what I did to make her pull away from me that day, but I am sure I did something. Because she was into it, before I opened my mouth. I am sure it has to do with my sister. I think reminding her that I was her best friend¡¯s brother was probably not the best choice. I might have dug my own grave with thatment.


    I¡¯m making my way to her desk when I see Justin leaning over her. I pulled him back. ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    He res at me. ¡°Trying to convince her to go home. She is sick.¡± Justin and I really haven¡¯t made up after I made that scene about hiring Megan. I should probably talk to him about it, but Megan is all I can think about these days.


    I look over at her and instantly my anger for Justin fades and concern fills its ce. Her nose is red and her cheeks look puffy. Her eyes are zed over, clearly with a fever. She waves us both off. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±


    I sigh. ¡°No you aren¡¯t.¡± I turn to Justin. ¡°Have Jasmine text me her address. I¡¯m taking her home.¡±


    He looks at me shocked. ¡°You are doing what?¡±


    I point to her. ¡°It¡¯s not a good idea to have her at work like that. She obviously can¡¯t be here. She has a fever, I don¡¯t even have to feel her head, I can see it on her face. She is going to be contagious. We need to get her home.¡±


    He folds his arms over his chest. ¡°Yes, I get that, but why exactly do you need to be the one to bring her home?¡±


    ¡°Because Jasmine would ask me to anyway.¡± At least that sounds like a reasonable excuse.


    It must to him too, because he nods his head. ¡°I¡¯ll have it to you as soon as Jasmine sends it to me.¡±


    I push forward and bend to pick her up, but Megan looks horrified. ¡°You can¡¯t carry me. I¡¯m too heavy.¡±


    Iugh. ¡°No you aren¡¯t. I can carry you just fine.¡±


    She shakes her head. ¡°I don¡¯t need you to carry me. I can walk just fine.¡±


    Yet as she shook her head I saw her sway in her seat. She is dizzy, there is no way she is going to make it down to my car. Ignoring her, I pick her up around the waist and then adjust her so that she is bridal style across my arms. ¡°David put me down.¡± I don¡¯t even know what she isining about, she feels perfect in my arms.This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°I¡¯ll put you down when we get to my car. Jasmine would never let me hear the end of it if I let you fall over because you are dizzy.¡±


    She leans her head against my chest. ¡°I¡¯m not dizzy.¡± Her voice is softer now, like she is trying not to disturb her own rest.


    ¡°Agree to disagree.¡± Justin takes her purse and sets it in Megan¡¯sp. My assistant started following us. Clearly he knows I am leaving. He is a good assistant and he knows how to read me. ¡°Cancel my appointments for today.¡± My assistant runs ahead of us to push the button on the elevator. I am sure we are getting quite a few gawkers. This isn¡¯t exactly something they see every day and also it¡¯s not exactly something that I would ever do. I am sure they are going to jump to conclusions. But fuck it at this point.


    ¡°Do you need anything else sir?¡± Kyle, my assistant, holds the door for me. He¡¯s one of those skinny guys that is mousy, but he is the best assistant I have ever had.


    ¡°Yes, have gatorade and tylenol sent to Megan¡¯s house. Plus any cold medicine for a stuffy nose. Get the address from Justin. Soup too.¡±


    ¡°How do you want me to pay for it?¡± He is making a mental note, I can tell.


    ¡°Put it on my card, I¡¯ll have her pay me backter. Just take care of it.¡± Kyle nods and lets go of the door.


    Megan was actually quiet through that exchange. I am surprised. So when I look down at her and see that she has passed out, I feel like I am dodging a big bullet here. She is going to be pissed that I demanded all that stuff to be sent to her house. I¡¯m not going to ask her to pay me back either. I don¡¯t know why but I want to take care of her. I want to protect her. I want her to be mine and this is my job.


    By the time I have her put in the car and buckled in, I get the text from Justin and another from Jasmine.


    Justin: 436 West Mines road. Apartment 4 B.


    Jasmine: I¡¯ll be there as soon as I get done with our parents. They dragged me to another meeting.


    I text back Jasmine. Don¡¯t worry about it. I¡¯ll look after her. You finish your meeting.


    Jasmine: Thank you, you are the best big brother.


    I have to quickly set the record straight. I am not her big brother. I want that clear with Jasmine, because I am done pretending that I don¡¯t have feelings for this woman. I will tell everyone, including Jasmine. I may not hear the end of it from her, but I will take what I can get. As long as I have Megan by my side in the end.


    She just sends me a happy face emoji. I don¡¯t even know what that means. Does that mean she is joking or does that mean she thinks I am joking. Or does that mean she is a devious person and she nned all this. I wouldn¡¯t have put it past her to introduce me to the most perfect woman I have ever met and I can¡¯t have. Sometimes Jasmine liked toe up with the most tortuous things to get to me. That is what I get for having a sister that is ten years younger than me.


    When I get to her apartment, I have to dig in her purse for her keys. Thankfully Justin tossed it onto Megan¡¯sp when we were leaving or else I would have had to bring her to my ce and that would have changed everything. I carry her straight to the bedroom and she doesn¡¯t even wake the whole time. I take off her shoes and I know she would kill me if I changed her so I just cover her up and tuck her in.


    By the time that the delivery arrives I have put a cold cloth on her head and cleaned up the kitchen so that I can make her soup to go with the medicine that I am going to demand that she take. Her temperature was 101 degrees. I am on the verge of taking her to the hospital.


    I get everything ready after the delivery and bring her the medicine, soup and water on a tray that I found in the kitchen. She is still asleep, if she wasn¡¯t sick it would be a beautiful picture. I set the tray on the bedside table and gently shake her awake. ¡°Megan honey, you need to wake up. I need to give you some medicine.¡±


    Very groggily she wakes up and looks over at me. ¡°David, what are you doing in my apartment? I have to get to work.¡±


    Iugh. ¡°That isn¡¯t happening. You are sick. You passed out before I even got you out of the building. Now, you are going to take some medicine and let me try to get some soup in you. Can you do that for me honey?¡±


    She res up at me. ¡°Why are you being so nice to me?¡± I admit that is a good question. Considering where we have been for weeks. But I know that I am done.


    I lean closer to her, resting a fist on each side of her. ¡°Because regardless of what you think, I have feelings for you and I will be damned if I am going to let someone else take care of you right now.¡±


    She looks at me like I just told her that I was a blue alien and I was nning on sucking out her soul. ¡°What are you talking about? How bad is my fever?¡± It is possible that she thinks she is hallucinating right now. I wouldn¡¯t doubt it. But she¡¯s not.


    ¡°Will you just let me take care of you?¡±


    I hand her the medicine and the water. ¡°Drink as much of this water as you can, but not too fast. I don¡¯t know if you have thrown up or not.¡±


    ¡°I have not.¡± She states matter of factly. She tosses back the pills that I gave her and makes an ugly face. ¡°I hate taking pills.¡±


    ¡°Well, don¡¯t get sick and you won¡¯t have to take them.¡± I smile at her.


    She res at me. ¡°You find this funny don¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Actually I have to joke because it is very upsetting to me that you are sick and there isn¡¯t a damn thing I can do about it. So I am going to do anything I can to get you better, then we are going to sit down and talk about this thing that is going on between us.¡± I start spoon feeding her the soup, while she continues to re at me. I actually find it very cute. Her little nose scrunches up like she is thinking.


    ¡°What thing? I am not going to be some secret office fling. That isn¡¯t me.¡± So that is what she thought.


    I am shocked. ¡°Is that why you pulled away from me?¡± I shake my head, ¡°Honey that isn¡¯t what I meant. I just didn¡¯t want Jasmine jumping in the middle of it right now. We would have told her. I just wanted us to be us for now. You know how Jasmine is.¡±


    I hear something fall to the floor behind me. When I turn my head I see Jasmine with her hand on her hip and a grumpy look on her face. ¡°And how exactly am I?¡± Great, I have managed to piss off my testy sister. How did she even get in here? I swear I locked the door behind us.


    ¡°Jass, you know you would have wanted to know every aspect of our rtionship and wouldn¡¯t have given us a chance to get to know each other. I wanted time with her.¡± I know that they say honesty is the best policy, but that isn¡¯t always the case with my sister. This might have been one of those times I should have lied, just a little bit.


    She res at me too. ¡°I wanted you to meet Megan because I knew you would have hit it off. She is just like you, only a girl and way prettier.¡± She sounds so damn smug.


    I sigh. ¡°I figured. You were pretty insistent about us meeting.¡±


    When I turn back to Megan to give her another spoonful I see that she passed out again. I can¡¯t help but smile. ¡°Jass, can you change her?¡±


    Sheughs. ¡°It¡¯s not like you haven¡¯t seen her naked.¡±


    I look at her in horror. ¡°I haven¡¯t.¡± I put the bowl back on the tray. ¡°And for your information when I do see her naked, I won¡¯t be telling you about it.¡±


    She gives me a fake pout. ¡°Oh, but you don¡¯t have to. Megan will.¡±


    ¡°I doubt it.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right, but I figured I could get you to budge that way. Alright, I¡¯ll put her in light clothes. She looks like her fever is pretty high.¡± Jasmine does care about her friend a lot. Although she is the type of woman that would do the same for her enemy. She should have been a nurse, but our parents wouldn¡¯t let her.


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll wait in the kitchen until you are done.¡±


    As I am walking past her, she puts her hand on my arm. ¡°If you hurt her, I will never forgive you.¡± The convention in her voice is clear. She loves Megan like a sister and she won¡¯t let anyone hurt her.


    ¡°I promise that is never my intention.¡± I want to have Megan, not that Jasmine doesn¡¯t seem to mind then I am not going to stop until she is minepletely. Megan will see that really soon.


    She looks up at me. ¡°I mean it.¡± I will give it to Jasmine, she has a big heart but she can dish out rage at the drop of a hat. She has no desire whatsoever to see Megan be hurt by anyone. Especially me.


    I smile. ¡°I know.¡± I don¡¯t n to ever hurt Megan.


    I leave her to change Megan, as much as I would love to do it myself, I can¡¯t let Megan think that of me. Soon she will see that every word I told her is true.

 David 8

    MEGAN


    I wake up with my face stered to skin. It doesn¡¯t make sense in any logical world. Even if it was my own arm it wouldn¡¯t be half my face. I am sure I am drooling, which is even more embarrassing when I look up and see that the skin I am stered to belongs to David. His chest is bare and he has his arm around me while I was sleeping on his chest. How the hell did this happen? Am I still in some fever induced hallucination?


    I pull back. ¡°What are you doing here?¡±


    The grin on his face gets wider. ¡°I wonder if you will remember this time. You have asked me about five times now. Everytime you wake up. But your fever is down this time.¡± His full attention is on me. I don¡¯t know how I should feel about that.


    I shake my head. I thought I was dreaming that. There is no way that David is here because he wants to take care of me. ¡°Tell me one more time.¡±


    He drops the book he was reading against his chest. His hands reach up to cup my face. ¡°I am here to take care of you. You were really sick. I debated taking you to the hospital.¡±


    I hold his hand. ¡°Yes, but why did you stay? Jasmine should be with me. Not you.¡± That is what makes the most sense. Jasmine is my best friend. David is just her brother.


    ¡°Honey, I will always be here.¡± His thumb is rubbing gently on my face and I like it. I don¡¯t exactly know what is wrong with me, but I am sure it is something.


    I can feel myself start to tremble. ¡°David, what are you saying?¡±


    He leans in and kisses my forehead, then my nose. ¡°I am saying that I care about you. I have feelings for you. I already told Jasmine. I am not trying to keep us a secret. I want to tell everyone if you are ready for that.¡±


    ¡°Can we slow things down a little?¡± I can feel myself start to panic. The man that I have been having dreams about for weeks is finally telling me what I want to hear, but it¡¯s real. I told myself that this would never happen. That he didn¡¯t think of me like that. I mean why the hell would he.


    His arm that is behind my neck pulls me closer. ¡°Of course. You still need rest right now. You are still just getting better. Rest with me honey.¡±


    Iy back down on his chest. ¡°Um, why exactly is your chest bare?¡± God, how long has he been here?


    ¡°Well, a number of reasons.¡± I nuzzle a little more. ¡°One because it was morefortable. Another is that I read online that it can help with fevers to be skin to skin.¡±


    I can¡¯t help butugh. ¡°That¡¯s for babies.¡±N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.


    ¡°Who said it doesn¡¯t work for adults? I think it worked out just fine for you.¡±


    I look up at him. ¡°How long have you been here?¡±


    ¡°Two days.¡±


    I jumped up in shock. ¡°But thepany. We need to get back to work.¡± I try to scurry out of bed. I say try because he doesn¡¯t exactly let me.


    He grabs me back and holds me to his chest. ¡°I have been working from here. Justin has everything covered on your end. You need to rest so you can be the rockstar that you are.¡±


    As much as I wanted to protest, that sudden movement to get up from the bed made me dizzy. Iy back down against his chest. He getsfortable again and picks back up his book. I have no idea why I feel sofortable right here, but I do. I don¡¯t ever want it to stop. ¡°What are you reading?¡±


    ¡°The Three Musketeers. It¡¯s one of my favorites.¡±


    I smiled. ¡°I didn¡¯t know you liked to read.¡±


    ¡°There are a lot of things you don¡¯t know about me, but I can¡¯t wait to show you.¡± His arm holds me tight. ¡°Oh, boy, I am being an idiot right now. You haven¡¯t been up for hours. You are probably hungry. Plus you might want to get cleaned up.¡±


    ¡°Um, the bathroom would be great. No offense, but I¡¯m still kind of dizzy, and I am not really ready for you to see me naked.¡± I look down at myself. ¡°Wait, how the hell did I get changed?¡±


    ¡°Rx honey. Jasmine has been by to check on you. I had her change you. I respected you. I don¡¯t want to see you naked until you are ready. I mean, I want to see you naked, I really want to see you naked, just when you are ready for me to. I think maybe after we have been dating for a while.¡±


    I smile at that. ¡°You really want to date your little sister¡¯s best friend.¡±


    ¡°Ok, so not ideal. But you don¡¯t act like a kid. My sister is ok with it and you are exactly my type no matter what age you are. The only problem I see is what people will think at work. But they kind of saw me carry you out of the office when you were sick, so I am sure everyone knows at this point.¡± He kisses my cheek. ¡°I think we are covered on all fronts. Do you have anything to add?¡±


    ¡°I think I might be dreaming. I think I have actually had this dream before. Only I was far more appealing in it.¡± I look down at my sweat glistening skin and I am sure I smell. It hasn¡¯t been a great couple of days.


    He pulls my chin so that I am looking up at him. ¡°You are beautiful. Don¡¯t think I don¡¯t see it. Even when you were burning up with a fever you were beautiful to me. I was worried sick, but I still thought you were beautiful.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry I worried you. I honestly didn¡¯t think you cared that much.¡± I blush a little. To think that a man like David would care about me. A man that I am sure women have thrown themselves at.


    ¡°How could I not? I can hardly think of anything else but you. Ever since I met you, you have been all that was on my mind. Even on that first day, I wanted to kiss you. Then when I finally did, you pulled away from me.¡± He pulls me a little closer. ¡°When I saw you that sick, it was killing me. I couldn¡¯t do anything to make it better. All I could do was wait it out. I was going nuts inside.¡± His arms feel so strong and safe. I have never had this in my life. That isn¡¯t the reason why I am attracted to David. I mean there are a million reasons why I am attracted to him. Some are looks, I¡¯m not going to lie. But his mind is beautiful too. When I see him at work, it¡¯s like a hormone overload. Hemands a room and takes care of everything. Hell, he makes sure that all the employees are taken care of and that thepany runs as smoothly as it can.


    I don¡¯t know what makes me feel this way with David. I hardly know him. Yet with his arms around me, I don¡¯t want to be anywhere else.

 David 9

    DAVID


    I have spent four days with Megan. Two of which she was out of it, but thest two, werepletely us. We talked and got to know each other on a level that I have never had with a woman. I usually just stick to the basics for a while until I think we can move on to a deeper level. I have never found a woman that I wanted to know like Megan. The more I learn the more I am falling for her. The age difference means nothing at this point. Her intellect is superior to my own. The way she thinks about things is insightful and well thought out. She hasn¡¯t jumped to conclusions and she never goes without checking her facts. I love this quality in her.


    Today we have to actually leave the apartment, but I am not looking forward to that. We have to face the looks and the gossip that really I don¡¯t want to face yet. I know what people are going to think, I know what they are going to say. Most of all I know how they will treat Megan. I don¡¯t want that. But we can¡¯t stay in this apartment forever. As much as I wish we could sometimes.


    Megan needed a ride this morning because we left her car at the office days ago. I like the thought of us driving in together. I look forward to when we will do it every morning. We just have to get through this morning.


    When we get to the office I can see that Megan is nervous. She keeps fiddling with her purse. I reach over and take her hand before we get out of the car. ¡°Honey, we are in this together. Whatever happens.¡±


    She gives me one of her shy smiles. I eat it up. She is just going to be across the office and yet it seems like she will be a million miles away. For one she won¡¯t be in my arms all day. That is where she has been for thest four days and I loved every minute of it. ¡°Thank you David, it means a lot to me.¡±


    I get out of the car first so I can open her door for her. Then I take her hand. I want to hit this head on. I want no one gossiping or second guessing what is going on. I also want every man in that building to know that Megan belongs to me. She is my girl and I will be damned if some asshole is going to try to take her from me. Yes I am possessive. I don¡¯t give a crap what anyone else thinks. I want Megan and I will fucking have her.


    sping my hand she smiles up at me. She is still nervous, I can tell by the way she is fidgeting and digging her teeth into her top lip. I¡¯m nervous too, I want this day over with so that we can go on a date and maybe I can convince her toe to my house after.


    When the elevator door lets out the ding indicating that we have reached our floor. The doors slide open and I can feel us both let out a huge breath to steel ourselves. We step out and start to head towards our offices. People watch as we pass by. They greet us as if it is any other day. It¡¯s like they don¡¯t even notice the way we are holding hands. Either that or they really don¡¯t care.


    Once we are about to enter Megan¡¯s office we are stopped by a marketing analyst who works on this floor. His name is John and he usually takes charge of the things going on in his department. ¡°Hey, Mr. Wright. We just all wanted to say that we are happy for you guys. Mr. Wright exined that Ms. Quill was hired by him before you even met. So we know that there is no favoritism here. Plus any of us that have worked with Ms. Quill is aware of the work that she does and she deserves the job that she has. I know it doesn¡¯t really need to be said, but we are happy for you both.¡±


    He gives us a smile and we look around the office and everyone is looking at us. I look at Megan and she just shrugs like she hasn¡¯t a clue what to say. ¡°Well, John, thanks for that. We appreciate it. We wouldn¡¯t want to cause problems here at work, that was our biggest concern. Nothing is going to change at work. Ms. Quill is well again and we are both ready to get back to work.¡±


    A few people give us little whoops andughs. I look at John and realize that he is the perfect candidate for a problem that we have been having. When Megan brought up that problem with our COO a few weeks ago, I went to the board. They stated that as soon as I found another candidate that they would have no problem with the change over. Especially when I showed them the money that we were losing. I was worried because our current COO is the nephew of one of our board members. I thought that would make a problem, but they let money talk, so it worked out. ¡°John, meet me in my office in about thirty minutes. We need to talk.¡±


    I kiss Megan¡¯s cheek. ¡°See you for lunch.¡±


    She beams up at me. ¡°Look at us, being open. It seems like a whole new beginning.¡±N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.


    I can¡¯t help but smile at her. She is so fucking adorable. ¡°Lunch, Honey.¡±


    ¡°Yes, lunch.¡± She shakes her head and heads into her office.


    I look back at John when the door shuts. ¡°Thirty minutes John.¡± I give him a stern look. I don¡¯t want him to get too excited, but to be honest he has every right to be excited and he has earned it. I can¡¯t think of a better person to have the job.

 David 10

    MEGAN


    I don¡¯t know what I was expecting really, but that wasn¡¯t it. I think I expected there to be bitter words thrown around. Or people looking at me like I am some slut that slept my way into thepany. I didn¡¯t though, but that doesn¡¯t mean that people wouldn¡¯t think that. Sometimes people can make assumptions and just run with them. I have seen it a lot. Hell, a lot of people always thought that since I was so smart that I was some goodie two shoes and didn¡¯t even want me to hang out with them. I mean I do like to do what is right, but that doesn¡¯t mean that I can¡¯t have fun.


    At the end of the day I am eager to go out. David said that we were going to go on our first official date. I¡¯m excited. I mean it¡¯s been great just hanging out with him at my house, but I don¡¯t want that. I want everyone to know that he is with me and that he is mine. I don¡¯t want other girls to look at him again.


    I guess that is what I liked abouting to work this morning. Everyone here knew that David was mine. There wasn¡¯t any doubt. They epted it and moved on. I felt relieved. Not only that but proud. Can I be proud? Is that allowed? I¡¯m not sure, but that is what it feels like.


    My car has been here since the other day when I came to work and David took me home. I was just going to duck out and head home to get ready for our date, but I figured it would be best to go tell him in person. So I took a quick detour to his office.


    He smiles up at me as I knock on his open office door. ¡°Hey, honey.¡± He motions for me toe towards him. I have found that David likes it when we talk if I sit in hisp. He holds me close and talks into my neck more than anything, but he likes it.N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner.


    I sat on hisp, after he pushed out his chair so there was enough room for me to sit. ¡°I¡¯m just headed out.¡± I wrap my arms around his neck. I like this too if I am being honest. His arms wrap around my middle and I like it.


    His lips connect softly with my neck. ¡°So, I¡¯ll pick you up in about an hour?¡±


    ¡°Um, yeah. That should be enough time.¡± I don¡¯t really know if it is enough time. I¡¯m nervous. I haven¡¯t been on a date in a long time. The fact that it is a man like David, well, that makes me more nervous.


    I can feel his lips stretch into a smile. ¡°Well, if not then I will wait ok. I want you to be ready. Just remember you are beautiful just the way you are. You don¡¯t need to do a whole hell of a lot.¡±


    ¡°Says the guy.¡± I mutter yfully.


    ¡°I¡¯d take you out just like this, but you would probably bite my head off. Telling me how you don¡¯t look right. When to me you look perfect.¡± He nuzzles into my neck more.


    ¡°Well, I still think that I should go home and get dressed. You said we were going to a nice restaurant and I want to look nice too.¡± I blush a little. I almost never feel like I look nice, but I am going to try my damndest tonight. It really does help that David tells me that he thinks I am beautiful all the time. I like it. A lot. It makes me feel pretty.


    He kisses my neck again. ¡°Alright, you better get a move on, an hour.¡±


    I kiss his lips. ¡°I¡¯ll be ready.¡±


    His hand fists the back of my hair and brings me back to his lips. It¡¯s forceful and possessive, but I love it. I even moan as he sweeps his tongue into my mouth. I have quickly learned that David is a passionate man. At first I thought he was just a grumpy asshole, but the more we were together the more I noticed that he puts his all into everything. That was why he was so upset when he thought I got my job through Jasmine. He didn¡¯t want his hard work to be ruined by some girl who didn¡¯t know what she was doing. I have learned about him and me through this whole ordeal.


    When he lets go of my lips he leans his forehead to mine. ¡°How long before you let me fuck you?¡±


    Iugh. ¡°Not right now.¡±


    ¡°Damn. Well, then you better get going, before I make you change your mind.¡± He winks at me, but lets me go with a smile. I love that I get to see this side of him. Not many do. I am sure his family does, but no one in the office. Well, except Justin. But then sometimes I think he might be too hard on him too.


    I kiss his lips softly. ¡°One hour.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯ll be there honey.¡± He smirks and licks his lips.


    That small gesture sends heat rolling through my body and ending right at my core. Oh, damn this guy is going to be the end of me.

 David 11

    DAVID


    I swear I am sitting on needles as soon as she walks out the door. John even was a bit of a distraction, when he came in to confirm his new duties as the new COO. Yeah, I gave him the promotion that he deserved. I gave the other guy the boot. He wasn¡¯t doing his job and he was costing thepany. John knows what the hell he is doing and how to lead his underlings. John deserved the job.


    Anyway, it was hardly a distraction. All I could think about was Megan. Her lips on mine. The way her chest heaved up and down when I kissed her. Her nails dug into the back of my neck, pulling me closer. Shit she is a wild little kitten. I can¡¯t get enough.


    But nothing I imagined prepared me for the sight I got when I stepped into her apartment. She just called for me toe in. She was hoping on one foot, which is just fucking adorable. ¡°Sorry, I¡¯m just finishing up.¡±


    She is trying to put on heels while walking towards me. ¡°Slow down honey. There is no hurry.¡± Actually I don¡¯t want to leave at all. I want to turn her ass around and march her right back to that bedroom and fuck the shit out of her. But I know I have to be patient.


    Megan stands tall and rolls her shoulders back. Now that I am able to take a good look at her, I am more than willing to push her into that room. Hell, another minute and I might throw her over my shoulder like a caveman. She is wearing this blue dress that hugs her curves and ends about midthigh, so I can see her creamy legs. It¡¯s off the shoulders and does this little dip thing around her breasts. She looks like sex walking.


    She tries to y it off, like she has no idea what the hell she just did to me. She ys with her updo. ¡°Is this alright? I could change if you don¡¯t like it.¡±


    ¡°The only way you are changing out of that is if I make you naked, and the next thing covering your body will be me.¡± She blushes a beautiful shade of red. Now that we have worked through our issues, I am more than willing to tell her what I think about her. I hate that she looks down on herself so much. But I am here to remind her that she is perfect.


    I put my arm for her to take. ¡°Are you ready for our date?¡±


    She smiles, walking up to me to take my arm. Still a little nervous and red, but she looks amazing. I don¡¯t think I could ever get tired of looking at Megan. She seems way too perfect for me.


    She locks up her apartment, then I lead her to my car. We talked about the day and the promotion that I gave John on the way to the restaurant. It doesn¡¯t feel out of ce or weird. It¡¯s like we are justfortable with each other. We are able to talk about the day to day things and it is not weird. Which I guess should be odd to me, but I don¡¯t question it.


    When I pull up to the best restaurant in town I can see her face. ¡°Um, David, I¡¯m not sure I am dressed well enough for this ce.¡± She looks out the window like it is going to assault her just being next to the building. Literally like the building itself will assault her. How does she not see how gorgeous she is? She will look better than any woman in that building.


    ¡°Honey, you have nothing to worry about. You look great.¡± I climb out of the car and motion to the valet that I will open her door. I hand him the keys and open the door for Megan, giving her my hand to help her out. She takes it, but I can tell it is shaky. ¡°Rx honey, we are here to have a good time.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I know. It¡¯s just a little out of myfort zone.¡± She seems like she is concentrating on her feet, trying to make sure that she doesn¡¯t trip.


    ¡°You have nothing to worry about.¡± I pull her into my arms and whisper into her neck. ¡°You look way too good to be in there. But I need to take you out somewhere.¡±


    She chuckles and presses her lips to my ear. ¡°Alright, then lead the way.¡±


    I kiss her lips and keep one of my arms around her waist as I lead her into the restaurant. They have my reservation and seat us right away. Megan res at the hostess, who apparently was looking at me. I didn¡¯t even notice. I was watching Megan. Megan points to the hostess with a look that says ¡®can you believe her¡¯.


    I decided to help her out a little. ¡°Ok, honey. What would you like to drink?¡± I take her hand in mine. Making it clear to the hostess that Megan is the only woman I am interested in.


    Megan smiles. ¡°A white wine.¡±


    I don¡¯t even look away. ¡°Make that two.¡±


    The hostess has a disappointed tone in her voice. ¡°I¡¯ll let your waiter know.¡±


    Meganughs when the hostess walks away. ¡°You must get that all the time.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t even notice. I was too busy looking at the woman that I want.¡± My tone is way deeper than when we were talking in the car. This is serious to me. I need her to know that she is the only woman that I think about like this.


    She smiles. ¡°Well, that is very sweet of you. Even if I think it is impossible.¡±


    ¡°It isn¡¯t impossible because it happens. Anytime you are in the room you are all I have my eyes on. When you are not in the room, you are all I can think about. Hell I thought John was smirking at me all day because he knew what I was thinking.¡±


    Our waiter delivers our wine and his eyes go right to her breasts. What the fuck? ¡°Here is your wine ma¡¯am.¡±


    Megan doesn¡¯t notice. She is looking at me. ¡°Thank you.¡± She mutters.


    I, however, re at the guy so when he turns around he gets the full brunt of my re. ¡°Here, you go sir.¡±


    I growl so that the other tables can¡¯t hear, but the waiter sure the fuck can. ¡°You keep your eyes on her face and not her chest or I will punch you in the fucking face, is that clear.¡±


    ¡°David.¡± She gasps.


    ¡°I mean it.¡± I growl again.


    The waiter goes pale. ¡°Yes, sir. Won¡¯t happen again.¡±


    ¡°It better not.¡±


    He quickly leaves the table. He¡¯s acting like I lit his ass on fire, which to be honest if he stuck around for a minute longer then I might have. I am sure he will be back to get our orders, unless he begs someone else to take this table, which I would prefer, but whatever. Megan looks at me with shock. ¡°He was not looking at my chest.¡±


    ¡°Oh, yes he was honey. You were looking at me so you didn¡¯t see where his eyesnded, but I can guarantee that they were on your breasts. He pretty much admitted it. Didn¡¯t you hear him say, ¡®It won¡¯t happen again¡¯. That means he looked the first time.¡± I grip her hand a little tighter. I don¡¯t want her pissed at me about this, but I do want her to understand that I don¡¯t want men looking at her. She is mine.


    She sighs. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll take your word for it. But please, don¡¯t punch him. You don¡¯t need to get arrested.¡±


    Iugh, suddenly the mood is lighter. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t get arrested. Ok, maybe I would. But it would be worth it. Telling the world that you belong to me.¡±


    She quirks an eyebrow at me. ¡°Really. That is very possessive of you.¡±


    ¡°Damn straight.¡± I smirk.


    She just shakes her head andughs. ¡°What am I going to do with you?¡±


    ¡°Well, obviously you are going to have to be by my side and keep me out of trouble. What else would you do?¡± I chuckle back.


    We are bothughing when the same waiter returns with menus. He keeps his gaze on the chair in between us. ¡°Tonight¡¯s special is roasted duck in a cranberry ze. Would you like a few minutes to look over the menu?¡±


    Megan smiles at me. ¡°I would like the duck. Potatoes on the side. Also a side sd.¡±This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take the same.¡± I¡¯ve had it before. It is actually really good. The waiter takes our orders and leaves the table again.


    Megan leans in a little. ¡°I think you scared the shit out of him.¡±


    I lean forward. ¡°Good, then it worked.¡± I can¡¯t help but smirk at that.


    Sheughs again. ¡°You are hopeless.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m something.¡± I don¡¯t say the words that are on the tip of my tongue, but I think them. I am hopelessly in love with you.


    Dinner seems to go great and I think we are doing great. I would like everyday after work to be like this. Or just having dinner at home. She is home to me. I don¡¯t know when it happened or how, but it did. I just want to be with her. I don¡¯t care where we are, it could be her small apartment, my house, a restaurant or a boat in the middle of the ocean. As long as I am with her, that is all I need.

 David 12

    MEGAN


    The evening is going great. I feel sofortable with David. Weugh and talk for hours it seems. He holds my hand as often as he can through dinner. He makes me feel special and dare I say it, loved. His eyes never wander like some other guys that I have been out with have. He is here with me. Only me. He cares about what I say, and listens. Comments and talks about everything I wind up blubbering about. Things that have made past dates bored and ready to end the night. But David is hanging on every word.


    I excuse myself to the bathroom, after I finish my dinner. I just wanted a chance to catch my breath before we had dessert that David insisted on. I think I am getting swept away. I¡¯m like a ship on the ocean dock, my lead slowly loosening to drift me out to sea. David makes me that way. I am starting to not care that I am being swept away.


    In the bathroom I wash my hands and try to keep my breathing even. I can¡¯t think about these things. It¡¯s too soon. I don¡¯t know David all that well. I mean I know that Jasmine would have warned me if her brother was some user yboy, but what if she doesn¡¯t know. Like she is blind to it because it¡¯s her big brother. Guys like him don¡¯t fall this hard for a woman like me. Plus Jasmine has been away at school with me. It¡¯s possible that she just doesn¡¯t know.This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    Just as I am drying my hands a woman enters the bathroom. She looks so sure and elegant. Her silver floor length dress hugs her body. Her hair in this curly half updo, that makes her look beautiful. She smirks at me, doing some sort of pose with her hand on her hip. ¡°You think you are so hot don¡¯t you?¡±


    I shake my head. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± I am really confused. Who the hell is this woman and why would she ask me something like that? She looks so aggressive, I am not sure what I did to warrant this attention.


    ¡°You were on a date with David Wright. He does this all the time. I just wanted to warn you. You seemed to be falling a bit hard. But David is engaged to me. Has been for thest four months. I told him that he could have his little dates until the wedding, but then it all has to stop. He agreed.¡±


    I shake my head again. I can not believe what I am hearing. This doesn¡¯t sound like the David that I know. It doesn¡¯t sound like David at all. ¡°What is your name?¡± None of this is making sense. If he was engaged I am sure his sister would know.


    ¡°Cynthia Knowls. I am David¡¯s fiance.¡± She sounds so damn confident and sure of herself though. I think she wouldn¡¯t be this confident if she wasn¡¯t speaking some sort of truth.


    ¡°Well, thank you for letting me know.¡± I skirt around her. I have to ask David about this. I can¡¯t believe how hard I was falling for him. When I march back to the table I am determined to get to the bottom of this.


    He smiles when I sit back at the table, but mine is gone. I don¡¯t know if I will ever get it back. ¡°What do you want for dessert?¡±


    ¡°I think I don¡¯t want it. I want to go home.¡±


    His smile falls. ¡°Are you feeling ok? Was it too soon? Should we have waited longer? I¡¯m sorry, I should have noticed that you weren¡¯t feeling well.¡± He is blubbering.


    I re at him. ¡°Who is Cynthia Knowls?¡±


    His face changes. ¡°A girl.¡± He looks angry that I would even ask.


    ¡°Go on.¡± I am not going to let this go.


    ¡°It is a girl that my mother wanted me to marry.¡±


    I can¡¯t believe this. ¡°I think I¡¯ll take a cab home.¡±


    ¡°Wait, Megan, that sounded wrong.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to hear it.¡± I am probably yelling and causing a scene, but I am hurt. I never thought in a million years that David would do something like this. But he admitted it. That¡¯s what it sounded like from Cynthia, an arranged marriage. That is exactly what he just admitted to.


    He tries to grab my hand, but I yank my hand back. ¡°Just go talk to your fiance.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± He sounds shocked.


    ¡°She cornered me in the bathroom and told me about the whole thing. Don¡¯t you dare y dumb with me. You admitted that your mother wanted you two to get married. An arranged marriage, I get it, you wanted to sow your wild oats before the wedding. Well, I¡¯m not that kind of girl so just leave me alone.¡± I don¡¯t let the tears fall until after I am out of the restaurant and in a taxi that I managed to hail before David chased me out of the restaurant.


    But once I am in that cab, I can¡¯t stop them. I can¡¯t believe I was so stupid. Guys like David are never serious about girls like me.


    I should have known better.

 David 13

    DAVID


    What the fuck just happened? Everything was going perfectly. The girl of my dreams was across the table. We connected in a way that I never connected with another woman in my life. Then it was over. Just like that. She never wants to see me again. I am not going to allow that. I don¡¯t care what the fuck I have to do, I am going to fix it. You don¡¯t let the most perfect woman in the world just slip through your fingers. You grip on with everything you have.


    I march back into the restaurant. I spot Cynthia at a table by the window with a couple of other girls. All rich snobs just like her. I took her on one date because my mother wanted me to. I never told her that we were going to be anything else. Fuck that was four months ago and I never even called her. What made her think that telling Megan we were engaged was ok?


    When I reach her table, I make sure that she can¡¯t miss my presence. I lean over the middle of the table and re in her face. She at least has the decency to look scared. ¡°David, what are you doing here?¡±


    ¡°You little bitch. What, you couldn¡¯t handle that I didn¡¯t like you and I liked her? You had to spout a bunch of lies. I don¡¯t care what fucking lie you told yourself or her. But she is it. Not you. I am going to do whatever it takes to fix this fucking thing that you broke. You are never going to speak to her again. That is the woman that I am going to marry and I will be damned if you are going to fuck it up.¡±


    The two women snicker at her. She obviously told them some shit too. She looks shocked. ¡°David, your mother said that we were getting married.¡±


    ¡°My mother said she wanted us to get married. I told her no. I didn¡¯t like you. She dropped the subject. There was never any agreement between us. You are vapid and shallow. I would never marry a mindless twit like you. You are so full of shit it should be leaking out of your ears. Just stay away from me and Megan. This is yourst and only warning. Next time, I will make you regret ever saying a word to her.¡±


    I am still fuming mad when I leave that table. I can see that the restaurant is quiet and everyone is staring at me, but I really don¡¯t give a fuck. I want everyone to know that she is messed up and I am with Megan. She is mine. It goes both ways. If Cynthia was a man I would have punched her. I would have punched her until she couldn¡¯t see for a week. But sadly she is a woman and I would never hit a woman. So I can¡¯t take out my anger on her.


    I know where Megan is going. She would go home. At least that is where I am sure she would go. She doesn¡¯t really know anyone else in town, except my sister. I guess she could go there. Fuck that is even worse. Not only would Megan not speak to me, but neither would Jasmine. Jasmine made it clear that I can¡¯t hurt her. I didn¡¯t though, fucking Cynthia did.


    When the valet brings my car around I can¡¯t get to her ce fast enough. As a matter of fact I know I am speeding. So when the red and blue lights sh I am not surprised. What surprises me is seeing my brother at my window. ¡°David, you were going twenty over the speed limit. I have to ticket you.¡± At least he looks regretful about it. There is nothing worse than having your own brother give you a ticket.


    ¡°William, I have to hurry. You see this girl.¡±


    He sighs. ¡°Look, I know it¡¯s a bit of a joke to you and Justin that I did this instead of joining thepany like you two did. But I like my job. Please don¡¯t give me shit.¡± It¡¯s like he expected an argument as soon as he knew whose car it was that he pulled over.


    I groan. ¡°This is nothing about that. You do a great job. I just really need to get across town. I was on a date and she ran out. A misunderstanding. I need to fix it.¡± I know my brother would understand the urgency.


    ¡°Can¡¯t you just move on to the next one. Isn¡¯t that what you do? I mean mom has enough dates lined up for you.¡± He doesn¡¯t stop writing as he gives me shit. I love my brother, but he doesn¡¯t need to do this. He could give me a pass.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you a detective? What are you doing writing tickets?¡± Is he just out here to fuck with me?


    He takes a deep breath. ¡°Unfortunately even though I am a detective they throw me on this beat sometimes to try to break me in or something. They still think of me as a kid. Much like you do.¡± He gives me this eye, to make it clear that he knows I don¡¯t value what he does. But I do. He¡¯s wrong there. I guess I just don¡¯t show it all that much.


    ¡°William, I don¡¯t think you are a kid.¡± I am trying to be reassuring, but the truth is I just want to get to Megan.


    ¡°Sure you do. Which is why you are trying to guilt me out of this ticket.¡± He nods his head to me.


    ¡°Ok, fine, I was speeding. I just really need to get to this girl. She¡¯s the one. I¡¯m telling you, this one I can¡¯t let go.¡±


    He leans on the roof of my car. ¡°Howe I never heard about her?¡±


    ¡°Because we kind of just met and she is Jasmine¡¯s best friend so we were ying it slow.¡± I can see his eyes light up as I mention Jasmine.


    ¡°Oh, you are in so much trouble. Jasmine is going to kill you. What the fuck did you do?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t do it. Thatst chick that mom set me up with did. She told her that we were engaged, while we were on a date. She believed her. Took off and now I am trying to catch her. I love her.¡± I haven¡¯t admitted that to anyone, hell not even myself. William was always the one that I could talk to. He has a very open heart. I thought he was going to be a therapist to be honest. But I guess being a cop is good too.


    ¡°Well, I still have to write you a ticket. Because I don¡¯t need anymore shit. But I will also give you an escort. What¡¯s the address?¡± There is my brother. He might get a little shit at work for the escort but he¡¯s willing to take it.


    I will dly take the ticket as long as I can get to Megan. I give him her address and wait for him to lead the way. He shes his lights without the siren but it gets people moving. Thank God, I got there faster than I would have without him. I guess it is good to have a brother on the force.


    When we get to Megan¡¯s I thank William quickly and run up to her apartment. I start banging on the door. Praying that she didn¡¯t go to Jasmine¡¯s. I calm for a second and press my ear to the door, I can hear her crying inside. Good, I got the right ce. ¡°Megan, honey, open the door. It¡¯s a misunderstanding.¡±


    Her sad voice carries through the door. ¡°Just go away David. Leave me alone.¡± I can hear the sadness in her voice. It breaks my heart to hear it.


    ¡°Honey, I¡¯m not leaving. I can¡¯t leave you. I need you to listen to me.¡± I plead through the door. Praying it is enough to get her to open the door.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to listen. I just want to be left alone. I feel like an idiot.¡±


    I feel this pain in my chest. ¡°Honey, you are not an idiot. I love you. I¡¯m not engaged to Cynthia. She lied. Yes, my mom wanted us to get married, but I went on one date with her and I couldn¡¯t stand her. I told my mom no. It wasn¡¯t going to happen.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± I can hear her sniffle, like she is trying to make sense of what I just said.


    ¡°Honey, I love you. I¡¯m not with anyone else. I only want you. I never lied to you. I went on that date before I even met you. There was no ovep. I will call my mother right now to clear this up. But you would need to open the door honey.¡± I am begging. I never in my life thought I would be begging a woman to open the door for me. Just a simple little thing, but I¡¯m scared if she doesn¡¯t open that door, then I will never have another breath. I need Megan that much.


    The door cracks open and I see her tear stained face. ¡°Honey, please let me in.¡±


    ¡°How did you get here so fast? I thought I saw you go back into the restaurant.¡±


    ¡°I did, but my brother escorted me here. I don¡¯t know if you knew that we have a brother with the police force. I told him what happened and he got me here. I went back in to tell that liar that she is never to speak to either of us again. I¡¯m telling you honey, she lied. I love you.¡± I am still pleading with her. She has cracked the door, but she isn¡¯t letting me in.


    Just when I am terrified that she is going to m the door in my face. She thrusts it open and leaps in my arms. I have never been so happy to have a person in my arms in my life. I grip her hard. Shedding tears of my own. She grips me just as hard. Her tears haven¡¯t stopped. ¡°Please don¡¯t be lying. Please. I can¡¯t handle it if you lied to me.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not lying honey. I love you. You are the only woman in my life besides my sisters and my mother.¡±This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.

 David 14

    MEGAN


    David starts kissing my neck and I am lost. After everything that happened tonight, the highs and the lowest of the lows, I am spent and can¡¯t think straight. David lifts me up and carries me into the apartment. He kicks the door shut and I don¡¯t even care. I really hope that trusting my heart is the right call. Because my heart is screaming for me to believe every word thates out of David¡¯s mouth.


    Heys me down on the couch, his body hovering over mine. I grab his cheeks to get his attention. ¡°I love you. Don¡¯t hurt me, please.¡±


    ¡°I will never hurt you. I love you too.¡± I release his face and kiss his lips. He attacks my lips much like he did when I told him that I was leaving the office after work. His fingers are digging into my hair.


    We are both moaning panting messes. My nails dig into his neck, but then I feel bold. I want more. I start pulling at buttons on his shirt. Trying to get it off of him as quickly as possible. He sees what I am doing and leans back. He grips both sides of his shirt and tears it open. Buttons fly everywhere. ¡°David.¡± I gasp in shock.


    He smiles. ¡°It was in the way.¡± He doesn¡¯t even take the shirt off. He just returns to my lips and starts running his hands over my body.


    I pull off his shirt. I want more. I can¡¯t believe I am doing this. I never thought of myself as a girl that would go to bed with someone after the first date. But I guess even though it was our first date and it went horribly, I know David better than that. My heart trusts him. That is what matters.


    I get his shirt off and throw it on the floor. Then I pull his undershirt over his head. I love his chest. Did I ever say that before? Well, if I didn¡¯t then well now I have. He has an amazing chest. Well defined muscles. Not too much hair, just enough to y with. Then you add his abs and I am done for. How the heck is this guy attracted to me? That still amazes me. I guess that was why it was so easy to believe Cynthia.


    He smiles down at me. ¡°You have me at a bit of a disadvantage honey. I can¡¯t find the damn zipper.¡±


    I giggle. ¡°That was what you were doing. It¡¯s in the back.¡±This content is ? N?velDrama.Org.


    He looks shocked. ¡°How the hell did you zip this up on your own?¡±


    ¡°I have a hanger thing that I use.¡± I started pushing him back so that I could sit up. His hands don¡¯t leave my body though. His hands reach around and find the zipper. I feel as the fabric loosens around my chest, and continues on down. He peels the dress off my body. Pushing me back down as he removes the rest of the dress. My breasts are now on full disy because the dress had a built in bra. I took off my shoes when I got home, so that just leaves my ckce panties.


    ¡°I am far more naked than you. I don¡¯t think that is very fair.¡± I pout.


    He grins down at me. ¡°You look far more sexy than I do.¡±


    I grab his belt and pull him towards me. ¡°I don¡¯t agree.¡± He toes off his shoes as I work on his belt. He starts helping me peel off his pants and then climbs back on top of me as soon as his pants hit the floor.


    His lips glide over my body. Kissing, sucking and sometimes nipping at my skin. David¡¯s fingers find the sides of my panties and start peeling them off. I do the same with his briefs. By the time that he reaches my toes we are both panting. Now we arepletely bare to each other. Holy shit we are really doing this. I think my mind is going to explode from over excitement.


    David smiles, kissing up my leg. ¡°I have wanted to do this since I met you in that cafe.¡± I can hardly breathe by the time he gets to my thigh. I expect him to continue up, but instead he spreads my legs apart. His lips moved closer to my sex.


    ¡°David.¡± He must hear the urgency in my voice because he stops.


    ¡°I can stop anytime you want. Do you want me to stop?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± I practically yell with need. I¡¯m just shocked that he would want to do it. I never figured that would be something that a man like David would want to do.


    ¡°Good, because I am going to eat your pussy until you are screaming my name. I am sure the neighbors might call my brother back by the time we are done.¡±


    That¡¯s it, then his mouth is on my sex. His tongue works its way in my slit. Circling my clit and then pushing its way into my hole. Hees back up and starts the cycle again. I have to grip the sides of the couch to keep myself from thrashing wildly. When his fingers make it to my hole and his tongue focuses on my clit I am lost. My hips thrust off the couch and right into his mouth. He groans with pleasure. His fingers thrust in and out of me and I scream with pleasure. I can feel my orgasm peaking, ready to blow over the edge. ¡°David, I¡¯m close.¡±


    He attacks with more fervor. It doesn¡¯t take much at that point. Just like he wanted I started screaming his name.


    His fingers keep thrusting but his mouthes up. ¡°That¡¯s it honey. Cum.¡±


    When Ie back down from the trip to oblivion. David is licking up my arousal. ¡°You taste so damn good.¡± He moans. I am shaking from the intense pleasure that he gave me. Every swipe of his tongue shoots electricity through my body.


    I look at him with hooded eyes. ¡°What about you?¡±


    He grins. ¡°I am getting mine.¡± David leaves my sex and works his way up my body. Then once he is lined up, I know exactly what he means. Oh, shit, am I ready for this?

 David 15

    DAVID


    I don¡¯t want to, but I know we have to have the talk. I just want to thrust into her and worry about the restter. ¡°I¡¯m clean.¡±


    Suddenly her eyes widened. ¡°Um, I am too. Are you sure you want to do this?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I want this so damn much. What about birth control?¡± It is seriously hurting me to hold this position and not thrust hard into her.


    ¡°I¡¯m on the pill.¡± She still looks panicked.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright Honey. Remember I will stop anytime you ask me to. Do you want me to stop?¡± I can see her start to rx. Thank God because if she told me to stop I would have had to and I think my dick would explode at this point.


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t.¡± She even juts her chin out a little like she is trying to show me how strong she is.


    I start working my way inside her. Just an inch at first. She is so tight that I can hardly even work my way inside. I want to keep her rxed though so I use my tongue to circle her nipples. First one and then the other. She rxes more and starts pushing her hips towards mine. It is so tight, I love it. This is the best pussy that I have ever been in in my life. At one point it seems to be a little harder to push through. Then she gasps as I push through.


    My eyes widened this time. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me?¡± I can¡¯t believe that just happened. There is no way that she was still a virgin, but there it was.


    She looks a little sad, like she disappointed me or something. Which is just in stupid. I don¡¯t know a man in this world who would be upset about finding out they were the first one to have a pussy. Especially this one. ¡°Because I didn¡¯t want you to back off because it was my first time.¡±


    I move back and forth gently. ¡°I might have gone a little nicer about it. But this was happening. I couldn¡¯t think of anything else. I am just surprised that you have never been with anyone before. You are perfect. Your pussy is out of this world.¡± I thrust more, simply to match her. She is pushing into my hips. I¡¯m not lying, it¡¯s like her pussy is out of this world. And the fact that no one else has ever touched it is driving me crazy. I want to mark it. Make sure that no one else will ever even think of touching my pussy. Yeah, that¡¯s right, my pussy.


    Somehow I manage to get myself under control and not cum like a damn fifteen year old. I want to make this feel good for her. I want her to do it with me again. Fuck all the time. So I need to give it my A game. I slow it down and make sure to let her grind her clit on my dick too. She is moaning and thrashing around. Her hips have taken over and she is riding my cock. Fuck that feels good. I circle her clit with my thumb and she starts to shutter. It takes a few cycles with my thumb and me thrusting my cock inside her, but her orgasm hits and her pussy tightens on my cock.


    I can¡¯t hold off any more. It¡¯s too much. Her pussy is too much. My cock explodes inside her. Spraying my seed all over inside her. I swear there is so much that it is leaking out. Not that I can really do anything about it, I wanted her that much. My dick was hungry for her.


    When we are done and able to breathe and move, I pick her up and plop my naked ass on her couch, pulling her into myp. ¡°That was amazing honey.¡±


    She giggles and wraps her arms around my neck. ¡°Are you sure?¡±


    ¡°It was worth the wait for sure.¡±


    She cocks her head to the side. ¡°What?¡±


    I grip her hips. ¡°I have wanted to do that to you since we met. I remember that day so much. When you bumped into me and I saw your eyes for the first time. All I wanted to do was possess you. I was so disappointed when I found out that you were my sister¡¯s best friend. I thought that Jasmine wouldn¡¯t want me to have anything to do with you. Do you know how ted I was when Jasmine told me that she wanted us to be together?¡±


    Sheughs. ¡°Jasmine said that?¡±


    ¡°Yes, she did. She said that she made me be the one to show you around that day. Only you ran out on me.¡± I squeeze her hips yfully.


    ¡°Well, you were being a jerk.¡±


    I pull her lips to mine. ¡°Do you still think I¡¯m a jerk?¡±


    ¡°Not to me.¡± She smiles against my lips. Then she does the unthinkable. She reaches between us and lines me up to her entrance again. Yes, I am hard again, she is straddling myp, it was bound to happen. She sinks onto my cock with a contented sigh.


    ¡°Oh, damn, you have a hungry pussy, don¡¯t you?¡± Thrusting up into her deeper. She wiggles back and forth.


    As she starts to get her rhythm she pants out. ¡°Are youining?¡±


    ¡°Oh, fuck no. Eat my cock.¡± I moan as I throw my head back to rest against the couch. She grinds down on my cock and I feel the depth inside her. I can¡¯t believe she is doing this to me. She is better than I ever imagined that she would be. My dirtiest dreams could neverpare to this feeling right here.


    She leans forward and takes my earlobe between her teeth, lightly biting it while her tongue swirls around it. ¡°Oh, fuck that feels good.¡± She keeps doing it and I feel like my body is on fire. ¡°Honey, I won¡¯tst.¡±


    As soon as the words are out of my mouth I feel her pussy tighten on my dick and she leans back screaming my name again. That is my license to let go too. I push into her deeper and faster. I don¡¯t hold out long before I am painting her insides again. It is definitely leaking out of her now. ¡°We better get you cleaned up.¡± I smile the goofiest smile that has ever graced my face in my life.


    She smiles. ¡°But it was so worth it.¡±N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner.


    Iugh. ¡°Yeah, it was. Don¡¯t worry we will do a lot more of that. But I don¡¯t want to over do it on your first night. You don¡¯t mind if I stay the night again, do you?¡±


    ¡°No, I want you here.¡± She lightly kisses my lips.


    Again I am reminded that I never want to be without this woman. I don¡¯t care what happens next, she is stuck with me. I just hope that she never gets tired of me. Because that is the only way that I would be without her. I would be crushed, but I would let her go if someone else made her happier. Not that I would ever give another man a chance. I¡¯m just saying in the grand scheme of things. I want her to be happy.

 David 16

    MEGAN


    I don¡¯t know how I get myself in these situations. So clearly after our first date I figured that David¡¯s mom wouldn¡¯t like me. I mean she picked that other woman. Thin and perfect. I am anything but. So when David mentioned that his family does a big get together for the fourth, I volunteered to help cook the food. David was thrilled. Saying she is always trying to get help but his sisters are only so helpful.


    David and I have been dating for a couple of months now. I have yet to meet his parents. I am pretty sure that is because they don¡¯t like me. I mean they know of me I am sure. They have family dinners once a month. David invited mest month, but I wasn¡¯t ready to face them. He told me not to worry, but I am worried. If she doesn¡¯t like me then she could make David leave me. I don¡¯t want that.


    So bright and early on the fourth, Jasmine shows up at my apartment to pick me up. David is still in bed. I told him that he should probably go home, but that hardly ever happens. This is always where he is. So I give him a kiss goodbye then I am off to the battle of the Wrights.


    Jasmine looks at my face. ¡°You look like you are going to your own funeral. Lighten up. We are celebrating.¡± She slightlyughs at me.


    ¡°What if your mom hates me? Or what about your sister? She hasn¡¯t met me yet. Or your other brothers? Justin likes me enough, but what if Luke and William don¡¯t?¡±


    Jasmineughs. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. They are going to love you. Besides if they don¡¯t, the only one that you really have to worry about is David. As long as he loves you then you are fine.¡±


    ¡°But what if he finds out that his family doesn¡¯t like me so he decides that he doesn¡¯t want to be with me?¡±


    She shakes her head, giggling at me. ¡°You are nuts. I know how much he loves you. I mean when was thest time he left your apartment? Have you ever seen his ce? It¡¯s huge. Why the hell would he sleep in your apartment if he didn¡¯t love you?¡±


    I am not convinced. ¡°Yes, I have seen his house. I actually love it, but I am not ready to stay there. I don¡¯t want the rest of your family to think I am only with your brother for his money.¡±


    She looks at me like I am ridiculous. ¡°No one is going to think that. I swear sometimes you let your imagination off its leash and ites back with some oundish things.¡±


    ¡°These are real concerns.¡± I protest. Adjusting my seat belt for like the tenth time. Because maybe she is right. Maybe I am overthinking things. I do that sometimes.


    ¡°Well, stop it. You are going to worry yourself sick.¡± She moves the car through some traffic that is headed towards the festival in town. ¡°Next year I want to take you to the festival. I¡¯m sure we will stop byter, but it would be cool to spend a little extra time there.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, what all do they do?¡±


    ¡°Oh, all kinds of booths and stuff. Then there is the parade. That will be in about three hours. Dad saves us a spot for that one. We will be there for that. Then there is the rodeo. That is cool. There is a baking contest. You know everyone brings something. Mom used topete in it. But she says she doesn¡¯t feel like it anymore. I think she wants Isabelle to take over.¡±


    She seems really excited talking about it all. I guess that is what I love about living here. It is small enough to do things like this and everyone involved. I really love living here. I have lived here for two months and met so many people. Some people are grumpy and hate new people but most of them are great and good hearted people.


    ¡°So what is this thing that we are doing?¡± I honestly have no clue what the hell I am doing today.


    She looks at me confused. ¡°Wait David didn¡¯t tell you?¡±


    I shake my head. ¡°He just said it was a family get together. Like a barbecue or something.¡±


    Jasmine rolls her eyes. ¡°It¡¯s more than that. There is a barbecue for sure, but there is also a parade. Plus like it¡¯s not just the family, it¡¯s like a big party thing.¡±


    I can feel myself start to panic. ¡°Wait, I didn¡¯t know about that. I¡¯m not dressed for some big party thing.¡±


    She looks down at my jeans and t-shirt. ¡°Actually you are dressed fine. It¡¯s casual, but there are a lot of people.¡±


    ¡°Oh, God I am so screwed. I know I am going to mess something up.¡±


    ¡°Rx, It¡¯s not as bad as you are making it out to be. That is your imagination running away again.¡± She rolls her eyes. I know it has been this way since we met. She is always trying to calm me down. Maybe that is why she wanted me to be with David, he is so grounded. I probably need him to even me out.


    ¡°Alright, I will breathe.¡±


    Thankfully it doesn¡¯t take much longer for us to get to the Wright estate. I say estate because it has a damn iron gate. You know one of those ones with the guy at the gate to let people in. Yeah, that is happening right now. ¡°Why doesn¡¯t your mom hire a caterer?¡±


    ¡°Because my mom loves to cook. Also she doesn¡¯t like the money. My dad doesn¡¯t really either. They have security but that is pretty much all you will see here. Oh, and the gardener. But I don¡¯t think he is here right now.¡± She looks around like she can spot the guy from here. I don¡¯t know, maybe she can.


    When I can see the house I am trying desperately to breathe. This house is even bigger than David¡¯s. It¡¯s like thisrge colonial style house with the grand stairs to the front door. The nts ent the house really well. It is the most beautiful house I have ever seen. Therge windows really seem to make the house look like one of those ones that you would have arge ball in or something. I could totally see that.


    She pulls in front of the house. Taking a deep breath I get out. We are only up about three steps of the front walk when a woman with blond hair like Jasminees rushing out. ¡°Oh, my God you are finally here. I swear I thought David was hiding you.¡± She gushes. She is beautiful. A lot like Jasmine but withugh lines and a little rounder belly. But she had six kids who would me her?


    She hugs me like I am one of her kids. ¡°Both my babies told me so much about you. When you volunteered to help with the cooking I was so thrilled. I would finally meet you.¡± I hug her back because it feels so nice my mother never treated me like this. I was always a disappointment to mine.


    ¡°I¡¯m not much of a cook, but I can make pie and cake.¡± I point out. I don¡¯t want her to get her hopes up too high.


    She pulls back with a grin. ¡°Two of my favorite things. Plus I can teach you some of my recipes. It will be great. We have a few hours before the parade. Your father is already there.¡± She shifts herself so that she is in between Jasmine and me with her arms linked through ours. ¡°So we take care of the basics and finish up after the parade. David will be here before the parade. He said that he wanted to take you himself. Oh and Isabelle will be in the parade with her ss this year.¡±


    I smile at her. ¡°That sounds great Mrs. Wright.¡±


    ¡°Oh, call me Lauren or mom. We are like family. Trust me I have never seen David this head over heels for a woman in all his life. You will be family soon enough.¡± She gives me a confident smile. She truly believes what she is telling me.


    I am shocked. Did she really say that? Jasmine sees the look on my face. ¡°See I told you your imagination needed a leash.¡±


    Laurenughs. ¡°What?¡±


    I blush. ¡°I was a little worried that you would hate me for some reason, I wasn¡¯t sure what reason but I was determined that there was one.¡±


    She giggles a little. ¡°No dear. I am relieved that David met a woman like you. I was starting to think he would be single for the rest of his life. I started fixing him up with any woman that I could find that was single simply to get him out there.¡±


    I pause, ¡°So you didn¡¯t really want him to marry Cynthia?¡±N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.


    She scoffs. ¡°No dear. I told her that so that she would go on the date. She is one of those women who is a professional wife. She doesn¡¯t n to ever hold a job. I didn¡¯t really like her but her parents are friends of mine. She will actually be here tonight, but don¡¯t worry, David won¡¯t let you out of his sight for any reason.¡±


    ¡°Now, her, I have a reason to be worried because she was very rude to mest time I saw her. She was determined that she was going to marry David and I was some homewrecker.¡± I state. She did, she acted like I was stealing her man, not her trying to break us up.


    Laurenughs. ¡°Well, you have a backup crew tonight. She won¡¯t say anything tonight.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s get on those treats. I have to make a good impression.¡± I smiled.


    Jasmineughs. ¡°Haven¡¯t you already seen that you don¡¯t need to do that? David loves you, that is enough. Not to mention you are my best friend. I don¡¯t pick crap friends.¡± She is the best friend that a person can have. There are some that tried to take advantage of her in the past but she quickly noticed and got rid of them.


    The rest of the morning goes on much like that. Weugh and banter. Baking and cooking. I feel like a part of the family and it feels so great. Something that I have craved in my life for a long time. I don¡¯t want to totally me my mother, but she just never really understood me and I feel like this family just gets me. They want me here. I could never ask for more.

 David 17

    DAVID


    So I knew she would be amazing. When I walk into the kitchen I am not even close to surprised to see Jasmine, Megan and my momughing and enjoying themselves like they are a real family. Their aprons are covered in flour and other foods. But they look amazing to me. My family. I can¡¯t wait to add to it. I have already decided that I will marry Megan, I just have to convince her.


    When Megan sees me her eyes light up. She runs to me and leaps in my arms. ¡°Your family is amazing.¡± She says as I swing her around.


    ¡°I told you they would love you.¡± I kiss her lips. It¡¯s chast because my mom is in the room, but that doesn¡¯t stop me from wanting more.


    ¡°Yeah, but you know why it was a little hard for me to ept.¡± She shies away. I do know. Her mom is a piece of work. She called a month ago and Megan was so happy to tell her that we were together. Her mom just lectured her for an hour on how to keep a man because Lord knows that he would never be interested in her for her. It took me two days to convince her that I loved her for her and her mom was full of shit. Apparently her mom did that all the time. I suggested that we just not take her calls. But Megan sighed and said ¡®it is my mother.¡¯ I don¡¯t really give a shit. Megan is great and if her mom can¡¯t see that, then maybe her mother needs to hit the road.


    ¡°Well, honey, that all changes now. You see that right?¡±


    She nods with a grin on her face. ¡°Yeah, I do.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡± I kissed her again. I look at the other women in the room. ¡°We better get to that parade soon or Dad is going to be fuming.¡±


    They all start stripping off their aprons. It¡¯s adorable to see them all like this. They hang them up so they can use them again when they get back. They put a few things in the fridge and cover up some other things. Then we are all out the door.


    When we get to the parade dad is looking pleased as punch. William and Isabelle are both in the parade this year. He has his camera around his neck, ready to document the whole thing. Justin is already by his side. He looks like he is on the beach and not on the side of the street. He pulls his sses down. ¡°Hey Megan,e sit by me.¡±


    Iugh and pull her back. ¡°Get your own.¡±


    Justinughs too. ¡°Damn, I thought I would give it a try. But I know how much she loves you. I knew it was a long shot.¡±


    We take up most of the rest of the seats. One seat remains. Megan points at it. ¡°Where is Luke?¡±


    ¡°He alwayses at thest minute. All of themte nights. I wish he would get a real job.¡± Dad grunts. He makes it clear anytime that Luke is brought up how much he is disappointed in him. It¡¯s actually kind of sad.


    A shadow falls over all of us. ¡°Well, d to hear it Dad.¡± Luke keeps his face totally straight, but I can tell how much Dad¡¯s words hurt him. He always feels like he ispeting for Dad¡¯s affection, but I know Dad really does love him. He just doesn¡¯t express it enough to Luke. I guess by the time he got to Luke he was just worn out, or whatever, but Luke should feel it a little bit more.


    Megan stands and puts her hand out to Luke. ¡°I¡¯m Megan, I have been looking forward to meeting you.¡±


    Luke smiles. ¡°Well at least someone in this family is d to see me.¡±N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.


    Justin looks hurt, but it is all in jest. ¡°d to see the pretty girl rates higher than your brothers.¡±


    Jasmine res at Luke. ¡°How dare you say that? Now I won¡¯t talk to you for a week, if you are lucky.¡±


    Luke sighs. ¡°You know I didn¡¯t mean you Jasmine.¡±


    She shakes her head. ¡°Nope, you lose.¡±


    Luke gets a grin on his face. Hees up behind Jasmine and tickles her sides. She startsughing uncontrobly. People are staring but I don¡¯t think Luke cares. ¡°Do you forgive me yet?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Jasmineughs.


    Luke throws his arm around her. ¡°Good, I would hate to piss you off.¡±


    They were usually the closest since they are the closest in age. Whenever they had problems they would go to one or the other. Luke looks up at Megan. ¡°It was nice to meet you.¡± He gives her a pleasant smile.


    Megan smiles and takes the seat next to me again. She leans onto my shoulder. I don¡¯t know how I got this lucky, but I am sure the luckiest man in the world.

 David 18

    MEGAN


    The parade was awesome. William hated it, said that he should be doing something more important, but was roped in because he was one of the youngest and they wanted to bring in the young people. I thought he looked great out there.


    Isabelle looked amazing with her ss. She waved and the kids all waved their gs. It was adorable.


    Now it is time for the party and everyone seems to be having a good time. I officially met Isabelle and William, they epted me just the same as everyone else did. I can¡¯t believe this is actually happening. I expected to be critiqued and ridiculed. None of that happened. Maybe it is my mom that has the problem. The more time I spend with the Wrights the more I see that I am not as bad as my mom made me feel.


    William and I are talking when I get a tap on my shoulder. When I turn around instantly my gut clenches and I feel like I am going to throw up. Nerves that is all it is. Cynthia stands there with a wicked grin on her face.


    ¡°So the homewrecker is making her rounds.¡± She sneers at me like I am the gum on her gardener¡¯s shoes, because Lord knows she would never get gum on her own shoe.


    I have nothing to say to that. I mean one, I¡¯m not a homewrecker. Second, I am not making any rounds. ¡°I haven¡¯t the foggiest idea what you are talking about.¡± Her statement didn¡¯t even make sense.


    She sneers. ¡°Really, you took David from me and now you are throwing yourself at William. Isn¡¯t one Wright brother enough?¡±This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    Williams pulls me to his side. ¡°She wasn¡¯t hitting on me. We were talking like civilized people. You should look it up. Because you are seriouslycking in that social standing.¡± Clearly William is not a fan either.


    Cynthia res again. ¡°Oh, so now you are defending her.¡±


    I re right back. ¡°I don¡¯t need anyone to defend me. I didn¡¯t do anything wrong.¡±


    We all hear a grumble. ¡°Really, you don¡¯t listen very well do you Cynthia.¡±


    Suddenly she turns all sweet and turns to David. ¡°David, honey, I just saw her flirting with William. She is a cheater.¡± My jaw hangs open because I can not believe the bold faced lie that she is telling.


    I don¡¯t even look at David because I don¡¯t want to see him buying this crap. William is the one to answer. ¡°She wasn¡¯t flirting with me. We were talking about the family.¡±


    David¡¯s voice rings out in anger. ¡°I don¡¯t need to hear it from you William. I know that Megan wouldn¡¯t do that to me. What pisses me off is this woman thinks she can spout lies at every turn and no one will call her on her bullshit.¡±


    This time I looked up at David, he didn¡¯t buy it. He smiled down at me. ¡°And she is ruining something very special. But this should make her see.¡±


    I gasp as David drops to one knee. He takes my hand. I can¡¯t even believe I am seeing this right now. He even pulls out a little ck box and seems to effortlessly open it with one hand. ¡°Megan, I would love nothing more than for you to be my wife. Please, will you marry me?¡±


    I don¡¯t even realize that I am frozen, until William nudges me from behind. ¡°Oh, God yes.¡± I cry out. There is apuse from all around us. David pulls out the ring from the box and quickly discards it on the ground, cing the simple diamond ring on my finger. He thought about this. He knew I wouldn¡¯t have wanted one of those big ones that he clearly would have favored, but a simple one that I could wear all the time and I would treasure it just as much.


    He gets off his knee and wraps his arms around me as I do the same to him. He kisses my lips as he whispers to me. ¡°I know it hasn¡¯t been that long, but I am so happy that you feel the way that I do. I love you.¡±


    ¡°I love you too.¡± I held him tight, grateful that he didn¡¯t believe Cynthia. Amazed that he wanted to marry a in girl like me. And just overwhelmed with the love that I have for this man and the love that he showers on me.


    William taps David on the shoulder and reluctantly we break apart. ¡°You are a lucky man.¡±


    David smiles. ¡°I know.¡±


    We all turn to Cynthia, she is fuming. David sighs and addresses her. ¡°I don¡¯t want you at family functions any more. If you are only going to cause problems then we don¡¯t want you here.¡±


    William nods. ¡°I didn¡¯t really appreciate being used of trying something with my brother¡¯s girl.¡±


    Cynthia grinds her teeth. ¡°You will regret this.¡±


    David shakes his head. ¡°I regret the one date that we went on. I should have you brought up on stalker charges and get you help. You have issues.¡±


    It seems like a good chunk of town is here. Everyone can see this exchange and a small part of me feels sorry for Cynthia. She does need help. She has a problem. She went on one date with David and she thought they were getting married. I pat David on his chest. ¡°Maybe we should just talk to her parents about getting her help. You¡¯re right, that is what is best for her.¡± I make sure to whisper so that she can¡¯t exactly hear me.


    David just nods so that I get that he understands. ¡°Cynthia, can you just leave us alone?¡±


    We walk away from her, holding each other with William behind us. The rest of the family descends on us and starts talking all at once about us being engaged. Lauren is the loudest. ¡°Oh, my God, my first baby is getting married.¡± She hugs us both and practically squeezes the air from us.


    ¡°Mom, we might need to breathe.¡± Davidughs.


    I have never felt so light in my life. To feel this epted makes me feel the happiest I have ever felt.

 David 19

    EPILOGUE


    DAVID


    Holding Megan in my arms has never been better. Knowing that she is ready to marry me and be mine for the rest of our lives is just the best feeling I have ever had in my life. I finally managed to get her to move out of that apartment and into my house. It felt like we were official. Like she wasn¡¯t going to kick me out of her life at any minute.


    Justin stepped down mostly in ourpany about a week ago so that he can open his own ounting firm. It¡¯s something that he wanted to do to prove to all of us that he is just as good as me. I always thought that he was, but I understand that this is something that he is going to need to work through on his own. He is still the CFO, but Megan takes care of most of his duties and sends him detailed reports so that he can be responsible to the board.


    Things are going great and I want them to get even better. ¡°Megan, honey, when do you want to get this show on the road?¡±


    She looks up at me confused. ¡°What are you talking about? Are we going somewhere?¡±


    Iugh. ¡°No, not that. I want to get married. Then I want to start having kids. I want everything with you.¡±


    She giggles. ¡°Oh, well, I do too. But don¡¯t you think we should wait a little. With Justin stepping down, I¡¯ll be needed more at work. Taking time off for the kids, well that seems like a lot and we would have to probably call Justin back.¡±


    I nod because she is right. ¡°I know, maybe not the best timing, but Soon. We can do what Justin did and hire people to partner with us. Someone that we can delegate work to so we can handle stuff with the kids. There are both of us. Plus you know we can handle work from home sometimes. It is doable.¡±


    ¡°I know other families do it, but I don¡¯t want to be one of those parents that are too busy to spend time with their kids. I want to be able to do their activities and be present for their silly ys and stuff. You know.¡± She looks so adorable talking about our future kids like this.


    I pull her tighter. ¡°We will be. I promise. My dad managed, I am sure we can too.¡±


    Sheughs. ¡°Your mom already told me to get ready to have six kids. Because it¡¯s like something with your family. I am not sure I can do that.¡±This content is ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°We can do anything. Plus, I want to have as many kids with you as possible. So I think six is a good number.¡± I grin down at her.


    She looks up at me shocked. ¡°Are you out of your mind? Maybe you should carry them.¡±


    I¡¯m about to respond when my phone starts ringing. I pull it off the nightstand because I am sure it has to be family at this hour.


    Justin¡¯s name shes across the screen. I quickly answer because there has to be a reason why he is calling me now. ¡°Hello.¡±


    ¡°David. I need you toe get me.¡± He sounds drunk as fuck.


    ¡°Where are you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m at Luke¡¯s.¡± He¡¯s obviously at the bar, not the apartment that Luke keeps upstairs. Because then he wouldn¡¯t need to call me.


    ¡°What the hell happened?¡± Megan looks up at me concerned. In just this short amount of time they have be her brothers too.


    ¡°I fucked up. I am a fuck up. You all thought I sucked. Well, I do. I fucked up so bad.¡± He doesn¡¯t make a whole hell of a lot of sense right now.


    ¡°Look, just hang tight and I will be there. Don¡¯t do anything stupid.¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you listening? I already did. He looks just like me.¡± Yeah, that made no damn sense.


    ¡°I¡¯m on my way.¡± I click the end button. I look down at Megan. ¡°Justin is drunk. He isn¡¯t making any sense. I¡¯m going to have to get him home.


    She nods. ¡°Let me know what happens when you get home.¡±


    ¡°I will honey.¡± I kiss her lips and head to pick up my idiot brother who has done something that he deems stupid. I guess I¡¯ll find out when I get there.


    A/N: Next time we will be looking at Justin¡¯s story. You will still see David and Megan, but you will be introduced to new characters.

 Justin 1

    JUSTIN


    Finally I get on my own two feet. I am no longer going to be in my brother¡¯s shadow. I finally get to show my dad that I am just as good as David. Now he and his new girl Megan can take my responsibilities with the familypany and I can do something myself. Something that is all me, that will show everyone that I am not just a second rate. My whole life I have felt behind my big brother David. Don¡¯t get me wrong I love him, he¡¯s my brother, but it was like everything I tried to do David had already done it. It didn¡¯t matter if I had done it better or how I even did it. All that mattered is that I was following in my brother¡¯s footsteps.


    I got everything together and now it is just a matter of hiring the right people. I have been interviewing all day for the positions that I have to fill. I am getting to the bottom of the lists and I am ready to take a break. Only I still have one more interview for the day. This is a small firm so there isn¡¯t really an HR department. I have that outsourced, but I want to do the initial hiring myself. I want to build the first team myself.


    I¡¯m extremely shocked when a woman walks in with a kid about eight. She quietly tells him to take a seat in the waiting room and then proceeds to my desk. Or rather the desk that I am sitting at to do the interviews. It¡¯s in another room, but with arge window in the front so that you can see into the waiting room. ¡°Mr. Wright, I am here for my interview. My name is Hannah Mason.¡± She passes over her resume. She looks really familiar. Really put together, but that doesn¡¯t go with bringing her kid to the interview.


    I point to the kid. ¡°Do you always bring your kid to interviews?¡± She hasn¡¯t even sat down yet. She really looks familiar. I am trying to figure out where I know her from. I mean this town isn¡¯t that big, I am sure I have seen her somewhere before. She is an attractive woman. Her hair is up in a bun, but her eyes are what catch me the most.


    She looks back at her son. ¡°No, I usually have a sitter, but she dropped out at thest minute. It is either bring him or cancel the interview. It was really toote to do thetter. So I brought him. He will stay out of the way and won¡¯t be a bother.¡±


    I look at the kid. Who seems to be just ying a video game at this point. He looks familiar too. What the hell? Where have I seen them before? She quickly moves into my vision so I can¡¯t look at her son. ¡°I recently had to move back to town, so finding a job is a top priority.¡± She seems serious enough.This content is ? N?velDrama.Org.


    I blink and look over her resume. ¡°It looks like you have been in Fairview for thest eight years. Youpleted high school online. You worked while you were in college. What happened to make you leave here?¡± I look back up to her so I can see her reaction.


    ¡°Um, that is rather personal.¡± She fidgets. ¡°Look, I understand if you don¡¯t want to  hire me because I made a choice to bring my son to the interview. I am not going to hold it against you.¡± She doesn¡¯t actually look like she wants to be here.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t say that.¡± I counter. Looking over her resume again. ¡°I can see that you have some excellent references. I know a couple of these guys that you worked for. From your application it looks like you are looking for a receptionist position. Is that correct?¡± That doesn¡¯t make a whole hell of a lot of sense based on her resume. A personal assistant would be better. Better pay at least. She has been doing that for thest four years. I¡¯m not sure why she would apply for a position with less pay.


    She nods. ¡°Yes, I have been an assistant to several others in the Fairview area. All of which have given me letters of rmendations. Myst employer was sad to see me go. But it was too long of amute.¡± Completely understandable.


    I agree, that is an hour one way. ¡°So what brings you back to Eden Brook?¡±


    She looks down. ¡°Um, well, my father passedst year and my mother is kind of on her own. Things were getting too hard for her to handle and she was about to lose her home. So I came back to help her out.¡± Is she ashamed of that? That seems an odd thing to be ashamed of. Plus if that isn¡¯t personal then what is so personal that she couldn¡¯t tell me about having to leave town in the first ce?


    ¡°So, here is what I am thinking. I think after I check these references I might have a position for you. But I have to be honest, I¡¯m not too happy with you showing up with your son. It might be something that could be a problem in the future.¡±


    She sighs. ¡°I understand. I assure you this will not happen again. I have interviews for another sitter. Plus he has school. I will not just be bringing him to work. I promise.¡± She looks up at me, and suddenly I recognize those eyes. It was a little hard at first because it¡¯s been years and they are new sses, but those eyes looked up at me a lot at one point. Eyes that I wanted to look at me more than anything.


    ¡°Hannah?¡±


    She looks stunned, but tries to look confused. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s what I said my name was.¡± Is she really going to act like she doesn¡¯t know who I am?


    I shake my head. ¡°You went to my high school. You were my tutor, then you just disappeared.¡±


    She slumps back in her chair. ¡°Yep, that was me.¡± She sounds so defeated. Like it is the worst thing in the world that I recognized her.


    But now I am even more confused. How can her son look familiar when she has been living in Fairview like his whole life? I stand and look at the kid again. She stands to try to block my view. ¡°So, do you still want to hire me?¡±


    I move to the side. It can¡¯t be. She wouldn¡¯t do this to me. I look at the boy really closely. He has my hair, my chin, he looks like me when I was eight. I look back at Hannah. ¡°You didn¡¯t.¡± I feel this pain in my chest when I look down at her. It¡¯s clear on her face that she did.


    She looks hurt. ¡°I didn¡¯t know what else to do.¡± She falls into the chair and starts crying. ¡°You had so much going for you. Thepany and just everything. I couldn¡¯t change your life like that. Plus we were just something that happened, you said so yourself.¡± She looks so broken and at the end of her rope. Like the weight of the world is crushing in on her. I am sure she felt that way, doing this all on her own and then having toe to me for a job. That exins why she didn¡¯t want to be a personal assistant. She didn¡¯t want to work that closely with me.


    I did say that to her. I was being a dick. I didn¡¯t want anyone to know that I had fallen for the cutest little nerd that I had ever seen in my life. She is still kind of blubbering, but I don¡¯t even know what to say. I mean it¡¯s not every day that you find out that you have a kid. Not only a kid but a seven year old that his mother has been raising on her own. I fell to my knees. I seriously have no idea what the hell else I am supposed to do. I am vaguely aware of Hannah leaving the office, but I can¡¯t register anything else. It¡¯s like I am broken at this point. My body and brain aren¡¯t focusing.


    How the hell did I get myself into this shit?

 Justin 2

    HANNAH


    I knew when I found out that it was Justin¡¯s business that I should have just backed out. Even if it is getting harder to find a job in this town. I can¡¯t help my mother without a job. That is the only thing that brought me to that interview or made me apply in the first ce. I never wanted Justin to find out about Caden. As far as Caden knows, his father is gone. That is all he ever needs to know. Justin would have never wanted him in the first ce. At least not then. I can¡¯t say that I know him now after eight years, but still. Justin cared too much about his reputation and everything that was going on with all his friends that he didn¡¯t even acknowledge me at school. It always made me feel like some secret. I quickly learned that was all I was. I didn¡¯t want that for Caden.


    Caden looks up at me surprised as I take his arm to take him out of the office. ¡°Did you get the job mom?¡± He wasn¡¯t listening in, thank God. With his headphones for his game in, he didn¡¯t hear anything that we had to say.


    I smile down at him. ¡°This one just isn¡¯t a good fit. I am sure the next one will be the best job ever.¡± I definitely do not want to exin more. I know that things might change and Justin may want to meet Caden, but I am not going to bring that up until I know for sure. I don¡¯t want to get his hopes up.


    He smiles up at me. ¡°Ok, mom.¡± He always epts everything that I say. Even when things are at their bleakest he takes what I say with a smile on his face. I love this little boy and I will be damned if that will change because of Justin Wright.


    I honestly wish I could just get ahead so that I can be able to spend more time with him. I have worked his whole life. When he was a baby I was going to school and work. I did as much from home as I could, but that wasn¡¯t always possible. I just feel like I have been failing him his whole life.


    I could have done the bitch thing years ago and told Justin, then have him paying child support and easing my burden a little bit. But I always felt this was more on me then him. Don¡¯t ask me why it doesn¡¯t make sense, but that is how I felt. I guess since I was the smarter of the two of us. Not that Justin is stupid. We used protection, we just obviously didn¡¯t notice that it had a hole or something. Because that is the only exnation that I cane up with.


    And damn him for still being so damn attractive. While I am stuck with stretch marks and worry lines. That isn¡¯t fair. I still had to catch my breath when I saw him. Why after all these years does he have to affect me so much? It¡¯s not fair. He probably never even thought of me. I was probably just some footnote to his high school experience that he never even thinks about.


    Caden pulls my hand. ¡°Mom, can we go to the park?¡±


    Shaking myself out of my head. I nod to him. ¡°Yeah, that is a great idea.¡± We walk to the park from the office. We actually walked the eight blocks here. I figured it was better than wasting the gas money to get here. Every penny right? Seems stupid when I know how much money his dad has, but I am not going to take anything from him. I can do it on my own. Even if I have to bag groceries. Which is actually my next interview. Not the most prominent job out there. But it is what I can get. Or at least what I hope I can get.


    When Caden sees the park he starts to pull out of my hand. ¡°Just stay where I can see you. If you can¡¯t see me then you have gone too far.¡±


    ¡°Ok mom.¡± He runs off. He has so much energy. He reminds me of his dad when he acts like this. His dad was always on the go.


    Watching him like this, I know I am making the right choice. We weren¡¯t living in the best neighborhood in Fairview. I couldn¡¯t let him y at the park because it was full of people not doing the best things in the world. This right here makes this move mean so much more to me. Sure I have to live with my mom, but this is what is best for us all. My mom needs help and I need a safe ce to raise my son. I am sure I can make this work. No matter how hard it is.


    I take a seat on a vacant bench and watch Caden y with some other kids his own age. They are in a game of tag and it looks like he is having so much fun. Someone takes a seat on the other end of the bench and I don¡¯t pay any attention because I am just watching my son. It¡¯s a public park so it could be anyone.


    It isn¡¯t until he starts talking to me that I take notice of him. ¡°Which one is your boy?¡± Not sure how he knew I had a boy except that I am watching a bunch of boys y.


    I look over at him and see an attractive man. He¡¯s a little older than me but not too old. He is smiling at me. ¡°Um, the one in the blue shirt.¡± He looks pretty well put together. His t-shirt tight and his jeans clean and not with all those tears that people do these days. I find it tacky. But what do I know about fashion?


    He nods. ¡°Mine is the one in the yellow shirt.¡± I look and I see the boy with the yellow shirt, he has a big grin on his face and he is chasing Caden up the stairs to the yground.


    ¡°He seems happy.¡± I say. I have no idea what else I am supposed to say. I mean I don¡¯t know him or his son.


    ¡°Yeah, he loves the park. I don¡¯t get him out as much as I like.¡± He¡¯s watching me, it¡¯s while we are talking so I don¡¯t think it¡¯s too weird. I am just not so sure why he is talking to me in the first ce.


    I nod. ¡°Yeah, me too. I love taking Caden to the park but it just seems like it¡¯s always the wrong time.¡±


    He turns more on the bench so he is facing me. ¡°Maybe we could arrange ydates. That way we can work together to get the kids to the park. They seem to be getting along great.¡±


    Now, to me this sounds weird. We don¡¯t know each other. I am not just going to let him just take my son to the park. I just nod to be polite. ¡°Um, sure. We shall see.¡±


    He backs off a little. ¡°Crap. I just sounded like a creep didn¡¯t I?¡±


    I shrug. ¡°Yeah, a little bit.¡±


    He blushes a little. ¡°Honestly I thought you were cute and I was using my kid as a way to ask you out.¡± He didn¡¯t seem to have as much shame in that as I would think he should.


    Iugh. ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Yep. I know, cringe or whatever the kids say these days.¡± He takes a deep breath. ¡°My name is Cole. What¡¯s yours?¡± He puts his hand out for me to shake.


    I take his hand with a small smile. ¡°Hannah.¡± Just as I am pulling my hand back my phone starts vibrating. I look down and I don¡¯t have the number saved, so I put my finger up to Cole to let him know that I need a minute. ¡°Hello, this is Hannah.¡± I use my sweet business voice, because I am really hoping it is a call back from an interview. Maybe someone changed their mind.


    ¡°Hannah, I think we need to talk.¡± It¡¯s not a call back. It¡¯s Justin. Not so sure I am happy to hear his voice right now. But I have no idea what he is going to say.


    My voice changes in a second. ¡°I think it would be best if you just forget I ever came to the office today. It would be best for everyone.¡±


    ¡°Hannah, you can¡¯t do that to me. I have rights too. You can¡¯t just keep him from me. Even if you hate my guts you can¡¯t do that to me.¡± He sounds like he is lost. I hate hearing him like that. Justin was never lost. He would always plow through even if he had no idea what the hell he was doing. He was sure of it.


    ¡°Just, I don¡¯t know. Just let¡¯s talk about thister.¡± I don¡¯t want to start crying in the park in front of this perfect stranger that I was talking to a second ago.


    ¡°Can I talk to you tomorrow?¡±


    ¡°I am busy tomorrow.¡± I do have an interview tomorrow, but I could make time to see him. I just need time to deal with this.This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    Plus it is not lost on me that Cole is sitting next to me watching my one sided conversation.


    Justin must sense my unease because he sighs. ¡°Hannah, please just call me when you are ready, but if I don¡¯t hear from you in the next couple of days, I am hunting you down and you know I will do it.¡± He will. He was never one to back down from anything. He would head straight into a fire if he knew that was what he needed to do. That was what I always liked about him. No matter how hard something was, he did what he needed to do.


    ¡°I think it would be best to just not.¡± I know it is pointless to say this. Justin will do whatever the hell he wants.


    ¡°I¡¯m not letting this go. Don¡¯t fight me on this, the sooner you ept it the better it is for everyone.¡± I do know him. He is like a dog with a bone when he is after something. I am sure eight years hasn¡¯t changed that.


    ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll call you tomorrow.¡± I sigh in defeat.


    ¡°You better.¡± It isn¡¯t rude but a little like he is gloating.


    ¡°Bye.¡± I watch as Caden runs past me with his new little friend. How am I going to exin this to him? I honestly thought he would just ept my way out. I should have known that Justin was a stubborn asshole.


    I set my phone back down and Cole waves his hand in front of my face. ¡°Are you alright?¡±


    I sigh. ¡°Yeah, just bad news.¡±


    Heughs a little. ¡°It sounded like you were talking to an ex or something.¡±


    ¡°Or something.¡± I mutter. ¡°It¡¯s Caden¡¯s dad. Only Caden doesn¡¯t know who he is, it¡¯splicated.¡± I don¡¯t know if I should go into any of this with Cole. I don¡¯t really know him.


    He leans back on the bench. ¡°Is he a bad guy or something?¡±


    I quickly shake my head. ¡°Oh, no nothing like that. He¡¯s a great guy. A bit full of himself, but he¡¯s not bad.¡±


    He looks confused. ¡°Then why are you keeping his son from him?¡±


    ¡°Because he is the type of guy to drop everything for family. It¡¯s just never a good time to tell him. I don¡¯t want him to have to change his life for Caden. Only he found out and he doesn¡¯t want to back off. He wants to know him. I can¡¯t really me him. But what we had was a mistake. It¡¯s not something that either of us intended. I just never wanted him to be held back because of it.¡± Yep, here I am pouring myself out to this guy that I just met at the park. Can I get any lower?


    He nods. ¡°Oh, I see, a one night stand thatsted longer than it was supposed to.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. We were in high school. It wasn¡¯t a good time. He had a future and I was going to be lucky to make it to college. So I made the choice to take it all on myself. I don¡¯t regret it. I just wonder sometimes if it is hurting Caden.¡± I look up at him. He isughing and rolling on the grass after him and another kid got tagged by Cole¡¯s son at the same time.


    He leans forward again. ¡°Look, I know it is none of my business. You literally just met me. But I am kind of in the same boat. Only the man¡¯s side of things. We had a one night fling and it turned into Brodie. I love Brodie, but I¡¯m not in love with his mother. Never was. We are co-parents. Which is ok, but it¡¯s hard sometimes too. But I will tell you this, I would never trade a minute I have with Brodie for anything. I didn¡¯t know about Brodie for a couple of years. Then his mom got in a tight spot and needed some help. She called me and we worked it out together. It works, not the best thing in the world. Maybe this guy just wants a chance to be a good dad.¡±


    I nod. ¡°Maybe you¡¯re right. I just want a little time to think about it. I don¡¯t want to throw a wrench in his life. He has so much going on right now it would just be too much to add this on too.¡± It could deter from the business that he is trying to start and cause him trouble that he doesn¡¯t need right now. Justin just has too much on his te.


    He smiles. ¡°I think that ship has sailed. It might be better to just jump in the ocean at this point.¡± He passes me his phone. ¡°Put your number in there. I promise I¡¯ll just be an ear for you to talk to. If you ever want to go out, you can call me too. But for now, I know you need a friend. Someone who will understand.¡±


    I smile. ¡°That would be nice.¡± I take his phone from his hand. Putting my number in it before I can doubt myself.¡±


    He takes his phone back. ¡°Do you believe in fate?¡±


    Iugh and shake my head. ¡°No.¡±


    He smiles. ¡°Well, even if you don¡¯t, I think it is perfect timing that we met right now. Right when you needed someone to talk about this. So, I believe it is fate.¡±


    I giggle. ¡°So, what does that mean?¡±


    ¡°It means either I am going to be your new best friend. Or you will take me up on my offer of a date.¡± He smiles confidently.


    I shake my head. ¡°You are pretty sure of yourself aren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Mostly, but there is doubt. It all depends on how the cards y out.¡±


    Caden runs up to me, out of breath and the happiest grin I have ever seen on his face. ¡°Mom, can wee and y with Brodie tomorrow?¡±


    I smile. ¡°I¡¯ll see what we can do.¡±


    Brodie looks over at his dad. ¡°Can we dad?¡±


    Cole leans back. ¡°I¡¯m sure we can work something out. I¡¯ll call Caden¡¯s mom and we can do something.¡±


    Brodie and Caden both do this little happy shuffle with fists in the air and then they run off again.


    Cole and I bothugh. I guess he is right about one thing. I do need a friend who would understand right now.

 Justin 3

    JUSTIN


    I had no fucking clue what to do. So I did the only thing that came to mind. I went to Luke¡¯s bar. He wasn¡¯t there at first, but by the time he got there I was three sheets to the wind. He started grumbling to his bartender about letting me drink so much. He just shrugged. ¡°He¡¯s your brother.¡± Yeah that is what I said to get him to keep ¡¯eming.


    Luke sat in the chair next to me. ¡°What the hell happened to you?¡± He is my youngest brother, but he is the one with the biggest heart. I think that is why he didn¡¯t want to be in the corporate world. He¡¯s too emotional for it. When the chance came up for him to buy the Eden bar from our new sheriff he jumped at the chance.


    I shake my head. ¡°You don¡¯t want to know.¡± Then I lean back. ¡°Or maybe you do. Another way to show what a fuck up I am. I am always second to David, now I am going to be the worst one in the family.¡±


    Lukeughs. ¡°Really. I am the ck sheep of the family. Do you think you got me beat?¡± Dad puts him down a lot about opening a bar and not doing something more productive with his life. My dad¡¯s words, not mine. I happen to like Luke¡¯s bar. Especially right now.


    Iugh. ¡°Well, did you get a girl pregnant in high school and just find out about it now because after you slept with her you treated her like some dork that you couldn¡¯t be bothered with. Now she doesn¡¯t even want me to meet my son. She says it¡¯s too much or some stupid shit.¡±


    Luke shakes his head. ¡°Nope, can¡¯t say that I have. Boy that really is fucked up.¡±


    I wave my hands around in my drunken state. At this point I probably look like some mad conductor. ¡°See, I am a fuck up.¡±


    Luke doesn¡¯t take the bait though. ¡°I said it was a fucked up situation. I didn¡¯t say you were a fuck up. I think maybe we should call David to take you home though.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t call David. He will hate me.¡± I pout.


    Luke sighs. ¡°Well, William is working so that leaves Dad, do you want to call him, because I do not rmend calling one of our sisters because then you will be even more screwed when Dad finds out.¡±This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    I groan. ¡°Alright, I will call David.¡± I pull out my phone and try to find his name, but everything is blurry and looks like a wet spider web. I guess Luke can see it on my face because he takes my phone. He puts in David¡¯s number and hands the phone back to me.


    David answers with a concerned ¡°Hello.¡±


    ¡°David. I need you toe get me.¡± I am kind of holding it together. I am actually swaying in my seat a little bit. I am not really sure how much I had to drink but it was probably too much. Yeah it was way too much.


    ¡°Where are you?¡± He sounds pissed.


    ¡°I¡¯m at Luke¡¯s.¡± I hope this is specific enough, because words are bing harder. I think my brain is ready for the shut down sequence.


    ¡°What the hell happened?¡± David still sounds concerned but also a little pissed.


    ¡°I fucked up. I am a fuck up. You all thought I sucked. Well, I do. I fucked up so bad.¡± I can¡¯t even hold the words back anymore. Not sure they are making sense but I am purging here.


    ¡°Look, just hang tight and I will be there. Don¡¯t do anything stupid.¡± What the hell could I do that would be any stupider than what I have already done?


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you listening? I already did. He looks just like me.¡± He does. It¡¯s a mini me. He¡¯s an adorable kid. I am sure he is smart too. Just like his mom. Maybe he¡¯s athletic like me. That would be so awesome. The best of the both of us.


    ¡°I¡¯m on my way.¡±


    My brother clicks off the phone and I justy mine on the table. ¡°How about another round.¡± I look up at Luke.


    He shakes his head. ¡°Not a chance. You need to sober up. You aren¡¯t going to face this at the bottom of a whiskey bottle. You need to man up and be a dad to this kid. That is the only way you are going to do this right.¡±


    I know he is right but right now the bottle seems like a really wee relief from the stress and pain.


    Luke keeps mepany until David gets here. He only leaves me for a minute to deal with something at the bar. I keep trying to get another drink, but he isn¡¯t letting that happen.


    When David gets here I know all hell is going to break loose. He looks ready to kick my ass. ¡°Hey, big brother.¡± I wave at him with a big grin on my face.


    He grunts. ¡°Now, exin, why the fuck are you shit faced? You have Megan at home worried sick about you.¡±


    I start shaking my head. ¡°I didn¡¯t want Megan to worry. Fuck. I¡¯m so sorry.¡± I drop my head on the table in disgust.


    Luke starts talking to David. ¡°Apparently from what I can gather he knocked some girl up in high school and found out about it today.¡±


    David turns his wrath on Luke. ¡°You let him get this fucked up?¡±


    ¡°No, he was this fucked up when I got here. I yelled at my bartender for it. He pulled the brother card and got more drinks than he should have.¡± Luke protests. ¡°The point is, Justin needs help. He needs to get sobered up and then deal with this problem. You know him and he isn¡¯t going to be happy not having that kid in his life.¡±


    David sighs. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll take him back to my ce for the night. Megan cleared out all the liquor because she didn¡¯t want so much of it around. All I got now is the wine cer. That¡¯s locked. I don¡¯t know what the fuck he has at his house.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll help you get him to the car.¡± Then I have a brother on each side of me lifting me up. I hug them both.


    ¡°I love you guys.¡±


    They both groan. David is the one to answer. ¡°Tell us that when you have your lovely hangover in the morning.¡±


    I groan. ¡°Hannah is supposed to call me tomorrow.¡± That gives me mixed emotions. I am happy and sad at the same time.


    Luke sounds shocked. ¡°Hannah, as in your tutor in high school Hannah?¡±


    ¡°Yep, and my babymama. How fucked up is that?¡± Iugh, but there is no humor in it.


    Luke shrugs. ¡°At least she is hot. I mean it could be some ugly chick.¡±


    I do this weird little PFFT sound then I get pissed when I realize what the hell my brother just said. ¡°What the fuck do you mean Hannah is hot?¡± I am ready to kick my own brother¡¯s ass. I don¡¯t care how fucked up I am right now.


    ¡°She was my first crush. She¡¯s still single right?¡± Luke is fucking with me I know but that doesn¡¯t stop my anger from reaching it¡¯s peak.


    I pull away from him ready to punch him. ¡°What the fuck dude. That is my baby mama.¡±


    Heughs. ¡°It¡¯s not like you want to be with her. You said so yourself. She is just some baby mama. She¡¯s not your girlfriend. I would be the perfect uncle/daddy.¡± Yeah he is definitely fucking with me and I am not in the mood for it.


    I swing at him, but he easily avoids me. ¡°Yeah, you need to sleep it off asshole.¡± He pushes me and if David wasn¡¯t holding me up I would have fallen t on my ass.


    David growls at the both of us. ¡°Will you two knock it the fuck off. I would love to go home to my woman at some point tonight. Just cause you fuckheads are single doesn¡¯t mean that the rest of us are.¡±


    Iugh. ¡°I finally beat you at something.¡± It suddenly hits me that I have something before him.


    He looks at me confused, still dragging my ass to the car. ¡°What the fuck are you talking about?¡± Yeah David is not happy to be here. He would rather be anywhere else than dragging his drunk ass brother out of the bar.


    ¡°I had a kid first. I beat you at something.¡± I give him a grin, but I am not exactly happy about it. I¡¯m not really happy about anything at this point.


    He rolls his eyes. ¡°Figures you would see it that way. Not this kid that has no idea who the fuck his dad is and might not want anything to do with the asshole that treated his mom like a piece of fucking meat. He¡¯s not a baby Justin, he has thoughts and ideas of his own.¡± He has a point.


    My smile falls. ¡°I know I am so fucked.¡± My son is going to hate me. I will never have a good rtionship with him. He is going to resent me and I will be that man that is in his life that he doesn¡¯t want to even acknowledge. Then when he turns eighteen he will tell me to stay the hell out of his life. I am sure of it.


    He groans. ¡°Let¡¯s just get you sobered up. I want to get home to Megan.¡± He lifts me a little trying to carry me more than lead me at this point.


    ¡°Yeah you and your happy little home life. You suck by the way.¡± I know that he loves Megan, but right now I don¡¯t want to hear about love birds. I want to have some damn time to wallow in my own self pity and hope to God that I can get my son to forgive me.


    Heughs. ¡°Love you too bro.¡±


    That is thest thing I remember.

 Justin 4

    HANNAH


    I tuck Caden into bed and he stops me before I leave the room. ¡°Mom, am I ever going to have a dad?¡±


    I look at him confused. ¡°What do you mean sweetie?¡± He never asks this question.


    He shrugs. ¡°It seems like all the other kids have dads or stepdads even, I just don¡¯t. Brodie said that his parents don¡¯t live together but he still has two. I just don¡¯t get why I don¡¯t.¡± Ok, so I figured this woulde some day. But did it really have toe today? Today after I saw Justin. Is this some cosmic sign that Justin needs to be a part of Caden¡¯s life?


    Sighing, I walk back into the room and take a seat next to him. ¡°Are you saying you want to meet your dad?¡±


    He nods. ¡°Yeah.¡±


    I nod my head. ¡°I¡¯ll see if I can track him down. If you want to meet him, I¡¯ll make it happen alright? Just promise me something.¡±


    He looks up at me with eager eyes. ¡°What mom?¡± Those damn eyes. I see Justin every time I look in his face. I hate that but love it at the same time.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want you to think your dad is so awesome that you don¡¯t want to hang with me anymore. Can you do that for me?¡± I give him a smile so he knows I am joking. Even though I kind of think that a little bit.


    Heughs. ¡°I would never want to not hang out with you mom. You are the best.¡± To make his point he sits up and hugs me. ¡°I love you mom.¡±


    ¡°I love you too bud.¡± I hugged him back. ¡°Alright, get some rest. We have a big day tomorrow.¡±This content is ? N?velDrama.Org.


    I tuck him back in and head to my own bed.


    Running into Justin today was frightening. I mean I knew it was going to happen at some point. I really hoped that he wasn¡¯t doing his own interviews for thepany. Luck was not on my side today. I change into my bed clothes and slip into the bed that I have hated my whole life. Literally this is the bed I have had my whole life. In the room I grew up in.


    I look up at the ceiling, in no way is my brain ready to stop working. My stupid brain wants to focus on thest time that I talked to Justin. It was the next school day after our little trist.


    Justin looked so good, like he always did, with his jeans hanging low and his biceps on disy for all to see. I kept getting shes of what we did this weekend at his house. I didn¡¯t even know how to approach him after what happened, but I figured I needed to say something.


    As I was walking up to him, Candy, a blond cheerleader, stered herself to his side. He pulled her closer with his arm around her waist. He looked at her like she was the only girl in the world. Suddenly my world fell apart. I let him do that to me and he didn¡¯t even care. It looks like he just went and got himself another girl.


    I hold back the tears as I approach him. ¡°Um, Justin, can we talk for a minute?¡±


    He looks at me confused. ¡°Sure shoot.¡± He is such an asshole. He knows I would never talk about what we did in front of everyone. Candy is sneering at me. I am on full disy right now and he doesn¡¯t even care.


    I take a deep breath gaining the courage that I need to get through this. ¡°Alright, I don¡¯t want to be your tutor anymore. I think you should find someone else.¡± I turn on my heels. That is all he gets from me. He thinks he can do that to me and get away with it. Let¡¯s see if his grades will like that. Not that it seems he really cares. Did he even really care enough to want a tutor? It seemed like for a while he was fighting it. Then all of the sudden he started flirting with me. It was nice and I thought maybe he started to like me after spending so much time with me. But I was just a game to him. Something to pass the time.


    I feel a hand on my arm and I quickly yank it back. ¡°Hannah, please don¡¯t be like that.¡± He tries to give me that charming smile. The one that got him into my pants in the first ce because I thought he was different. But he isn¡¯t, he¡¯s the same. Just the same as any other asshole jock on the face of the.


    ¡°I¡¯m not being like anything. It is obvious you aren¡¯t serious about your grades and I am not going to help you any more. Maybe your new girlfriend can help you.¡± I feel like I am about to explode. I want to p him in the face. But I was never one to make a scene or be violent. So I will just settle for ignoring him after this.


    Candy pipes up. ¡°Oh, I can help you so much Justin.¡± She gives him a flirty little smile. She could not be any more obvious. I mean at least he will get what he wants out of tutoring anyway.


    I wave at her. ¡°See, you are taken care of. Just do me a favor and leave me alone. I mean it¡¯s not like you even liked me anyway.¡± I push past him. He isn¡¯t going to con me again. Fool me once, but you will never fool me again.


    A few weeks after that I found out I was pregnant. I was horrified. I held off telling my family as long as I could. But when I told them my dad flipped out and kicked me out of the house. My mom just sat there in silence like I was the shame of the family. Just like that I was on my own.


    I had an Aunt in Fairview that was actually really nice and she took me in and helped me get on my feet. I don¡¯t know where I would have been if she hadn¡¯t taken us in. She was really a life saver and I will thank her for that to my dying day. But she died a couple of years after I had Caden. I was there to help her with her cancer treatments, but she was another victim to the crap storm that is cancer. Then I was on my own again. I thought about calling Justin then, but I couldn¡¯t bring myself to do it. He was in college, just starting his life, he didn¡¯t need that kind of news. I needed to do this on my own. At least that was what I thought.


    I have been doing things on my own for so long that I don¡¯t even know how to do things with someone else. But maybe Cole is right and working with Justin is the right step. Caden wants to meet his dad. Justin has a family that would ept Caden. I don¡¯t need them to ept me. Just Caden. If they don¡¯t then they are the ones missing out.  Then he can have the life that he deserves. As long as he is still in mine.

 Justin 5

    JUSTIN


    She came up to me with that cute little pose that she does. I¡¯m not even sure she knows she does it. It¡¯s this thing where she hugs her books to her chest and bites the corner of her lip. Then she shuffles her feet. Instantly I am seeing her under me. She felt so damn good. Better than I ever thought it would be.


    ¡°Um, Justin, can I talk to you for a minute?¡± I didn¡¯t trust myself to be alone with her. I couldn¡¯t. Not here. I couldn¡¯t let everyone know that I was into her. Because I really was. More than I ever care to admit. But that would kill my rep.


    ¡°Sure, shoot.¡± I am sure this looks really bad, but I can¡¯t have anyone think that I am into her. I want her, but not here. With Candy stered to my body and Hannah talking to me like the nervous girl that she is, I look like a total dick.


    She res at me. ¡°Alright, I don¡¯t want to be your tutor anymore. I think you should find someone else.¡±


    She just turns and walks away. The thought of never seeing her again, gutted me. I quickly reached out for her and grabbed her arm. But she pulled away from me like I was fire and she was going to get burned.


    ¡°Hannah, please don¡¯t be like that.¡± I give her my most charming smile. I know she likes it. Usually it makes her do this cute little blush that spreads over her cheeks and makes me want to kiss the shit out of her. But not this time. This time she looks like she is going to kill me.


    She seems to growl at me and there is no hint of the blush that I love. ¡°I¡¯m not being like anything. It is obvious you aren¡¯t serious about your grades and I am not going to help you any more. Maybe your new girlfriend can help you.¡± This has nothing to do with my grades and has everything to do with this weekend. With what I want to happen again more than anything.


    Candy pipes up. ¡°Oh, I can help you so much Justin.¡± She gives me this smile that makes me a little sick. I have never slept with her. I have been nice to her and I sometimes hug her like I was, but I would never sleep with a girl like her. She is way too easy.


    She waves her arm towards Candy as if to make her point. ¡°See, you are taken care of. Just do me a favor and leave me alone. I mean it¡¯s not like you even liked me anyway.¡± She couldn¡¯t be any more wrong.


    Then she walks away from me. The best thing that ever happened to me and she is just gone and wants nothing to do with me. I feel my guts being ripped out and I don¡¯t even have a fucking clue on how to fix it.


    My dumbass did this and I won¡¯t be able to fix it. She is gone and I can¡¯t get her back.


    I shoot up out of bed drenched in sweat. I don¡¯t even know where the fuck I am. But suddenly I am doubled over in pain. My head feels like it is going to explode. I groan in pain,ying back down on the bed.


    I hear my brotherugh. ¡°I knew you would have the worst hangover.¡±


    ¡°Not so loud.¡± I moan. ¡°Why the fuck am I here?¡±


    ¡°Well, we couldn¡¯t very well leave you on your own. You know you would have choked on your vomit. Because you¡¯re an asshole like that. Then mom would have med me. So here we are, my girl and I having to trade off watching your ass because we both have to work today. I mean did you really think that getting shit faced drunk was the way to fix your problems?¡±This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°No, not really. It just seemed like a good idea at the time. Where is Megan?¡±


    ¡°In the shower. So, are you going to man up or what?¡±


    I try to re at him, but I don¡¯t think he is taking me seriously. He¡¯s just leaning against the door frame with his arms folded over his chest like he is some fucking model or something. Yeah, fuck you too, David. ¡°Fuck yes I am. I am not a total dick. I would have been there all along if she had told me about it.¡±


    ¡°What if she doesn¡¯t want to let you be a part of his life? Are you going to back off?¡±


    I don¡¯t know. I don¡¯t think Hannah would do that to me. But then again I thought that she would have told me she was pregnant, but she didn¡¯t. ¡°I haven¡¯t thought about it.¡±


    He rolls his eyes like I am a fucking moron. Which ok, to be fair I have been stupid a lot in my life and maybe I should have an answer for this. ¡°You really just want to let your son just live his life without you?¡±


    ¡°Fuck no. But what am I supposed to do?¡±


    ¡°Well, we have things calledwyers and courts. You fight for your right to your son. That¡¯s what the fuck you do.¡± He growls at me.


    ¡°I get that, but that would drag him into it too. I wouldn¡¯t want him to live his life in and out of court houses until the battle is done. That sounds like a sucky childhood.¡±


    ¡°So, you would rather he live without his father. That¡¯s great Justin. Let me know how that works out for you.¡± He looks like he is super disappointed in me.


    ¡°David. Hannah, isn¡¯t going to do that. Now that I know about him, she is going to let me see him. I know it. Hannah isn¡¯t a bitch. She reacted to my stupidity. This is my fault not hers.¡±


    He sighs. ¡°Then fucking fix it. Don¡¯t lose your son.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t n on it. I want my son.¡± I have never said truer words in my life. As soon as I saw him yesterday I had this link to him. ¡°He looks just like me.¡± I smile at that thought.


    ¡°There are pain killers and gatorade in the kitchen. Get cleaned up and then handle your shit. I don¡¯t want another call likest night. Get your head together. I know it was a blow yesterday, but it is a reminder that you are an adult now and you can¡¯t act like your dick is just at a party every day.¡±


    I roll my eyes, even though it kills me to do it. ¡°I do not think my dick is at a party everyday. Ok, maybe in the past I may have acted like that. But not recently. Recently I have been focusing on opening my ounting firm. I haven¡¯t even been on a date in a year.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not trying to be an asshole, I just know that you will make the biggest mistake of your life if you let this boy slip through your fingers. You have already missed so much and you don¡¯t want to miss anymore.¡± His tone got softer. I understand where it ising from, I just don¡¯t like that David seems to think he is smarter than me about something that he has no fucking clue. He has never been in this situation. He doesn¡¯t know everything.


    ¡°I think I got this big bro. I¡¯m not going to lose my son.¡± That is the truth. I will do what I have to to be in his life. Unless he tells me that he hates my guts then I will just have to fight harder to get him to forgive me.

 Justin 6

    HANNAH


    I have been staring at my phone for a full ten minutes and counting. After another botched interview this morning I knew that I needed to call Justin, not for his sake but for Caden. I know I need to call him but I am scared to death to do it. When my phone starts ringing in my hand I actually scream a little.


    Caden looks at me like something is wrong. ¡°Mom, are you ok?¡± He looks confused and panicked.


    I nod, with the ringing phone still in my hand. ¡°Yeah, just, never mind.¡± I shake my head trying to seem like it isn¡¯t that big of a deal. How do I even begin to exin that to him? I slide the icon over to answer. ¡°Hello.¡±


    His husky voice fills the line. ¡°Hannah, I want to talk to you. Please meet me at my new office.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± I¡¯m not sure I am ready for all this. Can¡¯t we wait longer?


    ¡°Yes, and bring my son.¡± His voice ismanding and clear. ¡°I¡¯m not going to let you walk away this time.¡±


    ¡°Well, you didn¡¯t exactly let me walk awayst time, I just did it.¡±


    ¡°I know I could have stopped you if I tried hard enough, but I was a jerk and didn¡¯t. I know there is no excuse for the way that I acted that day. But that ispletely different from what is going on now. That is my son, Hannah, and I want to be a part of his life. Please, bring him.¡±


    I¡¯m not exactly sure what to think about what he is saying right now. ¡°What time do you want us there?¡±


    ¡°Whenever you¡¯re ready. I¡¯m already here. Just soon please. I feel like I am being stabbed in the heart the longer this takes.¡± I blink a few times, not really sure I heard him right. Justin has never sounded vulnerable to me, ever. He was always so sure and confident, even when he was failing something. I¡¯m not sure if I am ok with this new side of him.N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be there soon.¡± I ended the call. I¡¯m not really sure if I should say bye or just end it so I went with thetter. I¡¯m pretty sure he doesn¡¯t care right now.


    I look up at Caden who is ying a video game on the TV. He looks happy. I don¡¯t want to interrupt him. But I did tell him that I would help him see his dad. ¡°Caden buddy?¡±


    ¡°Yeah mom.¡± He doesn¡¯t look away from the screen as he jumps and flips over his opponent.


    ¡°Remember howst night you asked me about your dad?¡±


    He pauses the game and looks over at me. ¡°Yeah, mom.¡± I guess I have his full attention now.


    ¡°Well, that was him on the phone. He wants to meet you.¡±


    His eyes get really wide. ¡°Really? He really wants to meet me.¡± He looks so excited. I didn¡¯t think I was keeping that much from him, but it must have bothered him a lot more than he let on that his dad wasn¡¯t in the picture.


    ¡°Yes, he demanded it, actually. So, are you ready to go meet him?¡± That didn¡¯t sound scary did it? Shit, I don¡¯t want him scared of his dad before he even meets him.


    Caden looks like he is going to vibrate out of his skin. ¡°Yes. Hold on, let me grab some stuff.¡± I have no idea what he is grabbing but he seems pretty excited about it. He is running up to his room like if he doesn¡¯t get there on time he is going to lose the level or something. Seeing him like that makes me feel happy. I just really hope that Justin doesn¡¯t disappoint him. I couldn¡¯t stand to see him sad because of his father.


    Caden has a backpack slung over his shoulder with all the things he collected, he has a big smile on his face. He loses it a little when he sees where we are going. ¡°Um, mom, weren¡¯t we here yesterday?¡±


    ¡°Yes, this is your dad¡¯s newpany.¡±


    ¡°Wait, so you saw him yesterday?¡±


    ¡°Yes. It was a shock to him and we both needed a little time to think about things. Then you asked me about himst night, so I made sure we could do this. He was very eager.¡± I am hoping that doesn¡¯t sound bad. I don¡¯t want him to think bad about Justin. He doesn¡¯t know him. Justin is a good guy, he is just terrible when ites to women.


    He stops walking. ¡°So he doesn¡¯t want to see me?¡±


    I start shaking my head before he even finishes that thought. ¡°No, honey, he wants to see you. I promise. He called me as soon as we got to the park. I made a mistake. I promise that your dad wants to see you.¡±


    His smile seems a little nervous now. ¡°Ok.¡± His walk isn¡¯t as excited as it was. I think he might think his dad is some angry person who isn¡¯t going to want him around. Justin doesn¡¯t seem like he thinks that. At least not at the moment.


    I open the door for him and he walks in. Justin is right there in the lobby, it looks like he was pacing. When he sees us he pauses and smiles. ¡°You came.¡±


    ¡°I said I was.¡± I point out. Trying to school my emotions. He is just as attractive as he was yesterday. Maybe more so since he is casual right now. Jeans and a t-shirt that hug that body that he has spent years sculpting.


    He shrugs. Acts like he wants to say more but decides it would be better to jump right in. ¡°Hey, so this is weird huh?¡± He is talking to Caden.


    Caden shrugs. ¡°Kind of.¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m your dad, if you don¡¯t want to call me dad yet I understand. You can call me Justin if you want.¡±


    Caden looks up at Justin. ¡°Am I the reason you didn¡¯t give my mom a job yesterday?¡±


    Justin shakes his head. ¡°No, buddy. Actually I didn¡¯t tell your mom that she didn¡¯t get the job, she just assumed. Sometimes your mom likes to do that. Anyway, I checked her references this morning and she is perfect for the job. So, yeah, she has the job if she wants it.¡±


    Caden smiles and looks up at me. ¡°You hear that mom. You have the job.¡±


    I force a smile. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s great.¡± I don¡¯t want his pity job.


    I look over at Justin and I want to punch him. He knows we can¡¯t work together. What the hell was he thinking? I kind of gave him that look. He shrugs. ¡°We will talk about the specificster. So, buddy, your mom never told me your name.¡±


    Caden seems happier now. ¡°It¡¯s Caden Mason.¡± He proudly introduces himself.


    ¡°Well, that sounds like a great name. Caden, what would you like to do today? I have the whole day set aside just for you.¡± Justin looks seriously happy to be hanging out with his son.


    Caden¡¯s eyes light up. ¡°Really? Can mome too?¡±


    He shrugs. ¡°Well, if she wants to.¡±


    Caden looks up at me with those big eyes that mirror his dad¡¯s. ¡°Please mom.¡±


    Now there are two of them looking at me like that. I sigh because it is clear I am out numbered here. ¡°Alright, where to first?¡±


    The glimmer that they both share should have been my clue that I was in for a crazy day.

 Justin 7

    JUSTIN


    My kid is just as crazy as me. I swear he has more energy than a rocket. First it was the batting cages. Then go kart racing. Laser tag. Ice cream. Pizza. And now we are at the park where he is running more. I had to take a break on this one. After my hangover this morning, I am not ready to do much more except pass out. I really pushed it today but anything to see that smile on his face.


    I¡¯m sitting on the bench beside Hannah, she is just watching Caden like I am not even there. That has kind of been her attitude all day. But we are mostly alone right now, and I have questions. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me Hannah?¡±


    I can tell she regrets it, but at the same time she thinks it was the best choice, her words confirm it. ¡°We were still in high school. You had this whole future. I didn¡¯t have all that much going for me. I wasn¡¯t going to college. You would have been held back.¡±


    I grunt. ¡°Held back from what? I worked for my familypany, still do. What exactly would I have been held back from?¡±


    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t have gotten your degree and be opening your own ounting firm right now.¡± She states.


    ¡°Maybe I would have. You don¡¯t know that. I missed eight years of his life. That¡¯s not fair for you to take that choice away from me. You should have talked to me and given me that choice.¡±


    She nods, starting to cry a little. ¡°I was going to. Then I saw you with a new girlfriend and I figured that it was better that way. My dad kicked me out so I was leaving town. I actually never thought I would be back here. But after my dad died, my mom called and said that she needed me home. I didn¡¯t know how messed up things were until I got here. But yeah, she needed me.¡±


    I lean back. ¡°About the job. It isn¡¯t a pity thing. You are the best person for the job. I¡¯m not going to let our past stand in the way of that. There is a lot about that I would like to apologize for. I know I made you feel really bad, I was an idiot. I just want to state that for the record.¡±


    She chuckles. ¡°Really? The great Justin Wright was wrong about something.¡±


    I chuckle too. ¡°Well, I can¡¯t always be perfect.¡±


    Sheughs a little harder. ¡°You could have fooled me.¡±


    I catch my breath. ¡°Look, seriously I was an ass. Can you forgive me?¡±


    She nods. ¡°Yeah. You are doing really great with Caden by the way.¡±


    I look over at him and he is ying with a group of boys, he seems to be exining some rules or something. He has them all in a huddle. ¡°To be honest, I am still freaking out a little bit. I am so scared I am going to screw something up. But I want to be a part of his life. A big part. I don¡¯t want to just sit on the sidelines. Hannah, I need to know what he needs. What you need. I want to take care of this.¡±


    She sighs. ¡°I don¡¯t want your money.¡±


    ¡°I never said you did.¡± I have to hold back my own tears. ¡°Look I missed so much. I know things were hard for you. You are an incredibly stubborn person and I know you never once asked for help, but I am here now, I am going to share this with you. So yeah, money is going to be a part of it, but not everything. Now, tell me Hannah.¡±


    She sighs. ¡°Well, money has been kind of shorttely. I know this sounds really contradictory to what I just said. My dad took out a lot of debt before he died. He left it all on my mom. We are close to losing the house. I haven¡¯t exactly told Caden that we may be moving again.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll take care of it.¡±


    She looks at me angry. ¡°I didn¡¯t ask for that. I was just letting you know that we may be moving again.¡±


    ¡°No, you aren¡¯t. Unless you want your own ce. He doesn¡¯t need to be moved all around. He needs a stable home.¡±


    She res but nods. ¡°I know that. Fine, but I am paying you back.¡±


    ¡°How about we call it past child support and call it even.¡± I state. I am not taking her money. ¡°What else? School ising up, does he have everything he needs for that?¡±


    ¡°We have stuff fromst year that will work.¡±


    I shake my head. ¡°Nope. He is not going to school inst year¡¯s stuff. I¡¯ll take him out and get new stuff for school. Do you guys have enough food?¡±


    ¡°Yes we have enough food. I am notpletely inept.¡±N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner.


    I take her hand. ¡°I am not in any way saying that you are failing here. I am just trying to help. You know how kids are. They are mean to the kids that don¡¯t have the cool new stuff. I don¡¯t want that to be Caden. I have the money, let me do it.¡±


    Her hand tightens on mine. ¡°I could never win an argument with you.¡± She gives me a soft smile. I miss those.


    ¡°I remember one time you did and it was the worst day of my life.¡± She looks up at me and we are lost for a second. All I can see is her eyes. The eyes I have missed for so long. I didn¡¯t even realize how much I missed them.


    ¡°There you are, I was looking for you.¡± Some person I have no fucking clue who, a guy, says to our left.


    We both blink and look over. Hannah smiles a little. ¡°Hey, Cole.¡± She snatches her hand back. ¡°It¡¯s good to see you.¡±


    This guy that I suddenly want to punch for no apparent reason whatsoever, sits down next to her. Only he is so damn close that he might as well be sitting on herp. She even has to move over a little to make it so that he doesn¡¯t. ¡°Yeah, we wanted to get here earlier, but Brodie¡¯s mom was being a little pain today.¡± He haspletely ignored me. It is like I am not even here now. Wow, this fucking sucks.


    I stand up. ¡°Well, I¡¯m going to see if my son needs any help with his game.¡±


    I don¡¯t look back because I really don¡¯t want to see Hannah happy with another man. I don¡¯t know why I feel that way, but I fucking do. Cole is not my friend.

 Justin 8

    HANNAH


    I watch as Justin walks away and I feel his loss already. God how can he do that to me after so many years? Cole steals my attention back to him. ¡°Is that his dad?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, he¡¯s actually doing a really good job. I¡¯m d I gave him a chance. He seems to love Caden so much already.¡± Justin has joined the kids and he seems to be leading the charge now. Making up new rules or something. I don¡¯t really know but Caden looks excited. I don¡¯t even know what the heck they are ying but they seem thrilled that Justin has joined in.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t he a Wright?¡±


    Yeah, that is not something I want getting around town. ¡°Well, um, yeah, but I don¡¯t want to make a big deal about it.¡± I am begging Cole to understand. I don¡¯t really know him so he could be a bber mouth for all I know.


    ¡°Hey, I¡¯m not going to go bbing or anything. I just think it¡¯s pretty interesting that the Wrights are starting to expand. With David getting engaged, now him. Just saying it¡¯s actually nice. You know the Wrights are like the center of everything in this town.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I am well aware. I did grow up here.¡± I don¡¯t like that Cole seems to be hero worshiping Justin and his family. I always hated that people in this town did that. It¡¯s like they didn¡¯t realize that they were people too. They are actually some of the nicest people that you could meet.


    Heughs. ¡°Sorry, just wow, a Wright.¡± Is he fan boying? What the actual hell? He is totally doing that right now.


    ¡°You are about David¡¯s age right?¡±


    He nods. ¡°Yeah, we were in school together. Didn¡¯t really hang out, but yeah we knew each other.¡±


    I nod. I see. He was always one of those guys that admired the Wrights. He was probably trying to hang out with David every chance he got. I¡¯m pretty sure everyone knew David. Just like everyone knew Justin. ¡°Yeah, they are a good family.¡±


    ¡°Anyway, I was thinking we could have a ydate, at my ce this weekend. What do you think?¡± I swear Cole is all over the ce. How does anyone keep straight what the heck he is talking about?


    ¡°Um, I think Justin said that he was going to take Caden out to get his school stuff this weekend.¡±


    Cole looks disappointed. ¡°Oh, damn. Kelly has Brodie next weekend.¡±


    I shrug. ¡°Well, I am sure there will be other times. Maybe you and Brodie coulde over for dinner on Saturday. They can y afterwards. I am sure Justin will be done by then.¡±


    Cole smiles. ¡°Sounds like we have a date.¡±


    Quickly I corrected him. ¡°y date.¡±


    He shrugs. ¡°Of course.¡± Yet it doesn¡¯t seem like he actually believes that. It¡¯s like he wants this date so bad that he is going to push for it, even though yesterday he made it seem like he was fine with giving me time and just being friends.


    I look over at Justin and can¡¯t help butugh. He is being tackled by like five kids. I am sure he is just rolling over. He is big enough to evade them if he really wanted to. Caden is right in the thick of it. They both seem to be having a st. After the kids get off him he looks over at me and smiles. That damn stupid smile. That stupid smile that always made me weak and ready to do whatever he wanted. The smile that got me in all that trouble to begin with. The smile that if I am not careful could drag me right back in.


    Justin gets up and jogs over towards me. ¡°Man, our kid is a beast. He is going to be a football yer, I am telling you that now. Maybe we should look at those little league teams.¡±This content is ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Justin.¡± I shake my head.


    ¡°What, he would have a st.¡± He counters as he sits down next to me. ¡°Let¡¯s just ask him. If he wants to do it, then let¡¯s do it.¡±


    ¡°Oh, yeah, and who is going to take him to these games and practices. I have to work, remember. And so do you.¡± I know this isn¡¯t going to make sense to Justin, he will find a way. When he sets his mind on something he doesn¡¯t really want to change it. Not for anything.


    He nods. ¡°Yeah, but if you take the job I offered you then you could take the time off to get him there. Or we both can, it¡¯s up to you though. If you don¡¯t take the job, I will still take the time off to take him to practice. It¡¯s not like I can¡¯t work remotely at night if things get backed up. I¡¯m an ountant not a rocket scientist.¡± He shes me that smile again. He is still so damn gorgeous. How can he do this to me? It¡¯s not fair. I am sure he doesn¡¯t even think the slightest thoughts about me like that.


    ¡°Alright, fine, as long as it is something that he wants to do.¡± It is probably best to just do what he wants and get the agony over with.


    Cole decides to add to the conversation. ¡°Brodie does ser with the little league. He has a lot of fun.¡± I don¡¯t know if that is being helpful or if he is trying to counter football.


    I look over at Justin. ¡°Maybe Caden would like to do that.¡± Only because I want to see Justin¡¯s reaction. if he will be willing to do what Caden wants and not just what he wants to do.


    Justin scoffs. ¡°No offense, but ser is nothing like football.¡± I try to stifle myughter. I knew he was going to say something like this. He was all about football. Sounds like he still is.


    ¡°Yes, but this is Caden¡¯s choice, not yours.¡± I want to see if he will cave or if he will stick to what he wants Caden to do.


    Justin groans. ¡°Alright, if he wants to y the world¡¯s football then I will be fine with it.¡±


    Iugh. ¡°Still not going to say your son ys ser are you?¡±


    ¡°Nope. It will still be football. No matter how you put it.¡± He smiles. ¡°No, if he wants to y ser then I know he will be the best damn yer out there. I will be bragging about that shit.¡± He is still the goofball that I remember. I think that is why I started to fall for him. We would joke and y around all the time when I was tutoring him. I didn¡¯t even realize that it was only when we were alone that he acted like that with me. Sure people knew I was his tutor but they all thought that he hated me.


    I p his arm. ¡°Language.¡±


    He pointed at the kids. ¡°They are way the hell over there. They can¡¯t hear me.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but the other parents can.¡± I point out.


    He chuckles. ¡°I am sure they have said worse. But I will bow to you and do as you ask.¡±


    I roll my eyes. ¡°There is a first time for everything.¡±


    Heughs harder. ¡°I seem to remember a lot of times I bowed to your superior knowledge.¡± Yeah bringing that up now is not a good thing. I know he doesn¡¯t realize this, but he needs to.


    We are lost in our own little world again. That is until Cole puts his hand out to Justin. ¡°Hey, I¡¯m Cole. We haven¡¯t been introduced. My son loves to hang out with your son.¡± It¡¯s like I am sshed with cold water.


    Justin takes his hand but he looks at me like, who the fuck is this guy? ¡°Yeah, cool. I¡¯m sure your son is super awesome.¡± He gives Cole a half smile. Yeah, he doesn¡¯t like Cole. Not really sure why, because Cole seems like a really likable guy. He seems like he is super friendly. I don¡¯t see why Justin wouldn¡¯t like him. But I know that look, he is being polite but if it was under different circumstances he would tell Cole to hit the road.


    Maybe it is a good thing Cole is here. I am starting to think I need a babysitter when I am around Justin. Because the more time I spend with him the more I get lost in his eyes. Eyes that I never hoped to see again, especially looking at me like that. He keeps looking at me like he did all those years ago. Like I am going to crawl into hisp and sit there for the rest of my life.


    ¡°Oh, that reminds me.¡± Justin all of the sudden says. Interrupting my thoughts. ¡°Luke says hi.¡±


    I shake my head with a smile. ¡°Wow, that was a long time ago. How does he even remember me?¡± Luke was a cute kid. He was always hanging around when I came over to tutor Justin. He seemed like a happy kid.


    ¡°Apparently you were his first crush. I was going to punch him for it, but he kind of dodged me and then David was holding me back. So it didn¡¯t happen.¡± I can tell by the look on Justin¡¯s face that he isn¡¯t telling the whole story.


    I look at him like he is lying. ¡°No way. He was like twelve.¡±


    ¡°Thirteen, but still. You were apparently the girl he was dreaming about then. He told mest night. I didn¡¯t know then or anything. That would have been a little weird.¡± I guess it probably would have. Considering what happened.


    ¡°Well, I would like to catch up with some of your family too. It¡¯s been a long time. Your mom still doing those baking contests?¡± I really liked getting to know his family. Now with Caden being a part of that family I am sure I am going to get to know them a bit better.


    ¡°Naw, she is trying to get Isabelle to do it, but she is too busy with her ss. I think she might be trying to drag Megan into it now.¡± He has a smile on his face, which kind of makes my jealousy re up and I am not even sure why.


    I look at him confused. ¡°Who is Megan? I thought your sister¡¯s names were Isabelle and Jasmine.¡±


    ¡°It is. Megan is David¡¯s girlfriend. I guess his fiance now. She is also Jasmine¡¯s best friend. It was actually kind of funny to watch them fall for each other. I had a front row seat.¡± I breathe a sigh of relief, she isn¡¯t his girlfriend. He is only talking to me again, like Cole isn¡¯t even there. It¡¯s just the two of us.


    ¡°So, what does Isabelle teach?¡± All day it has been about Caden. This is the first chance that we have taken to catch up without there being hostility between us. I know I am mostly to me for that but it is gone now.


    ¡°She is doing first grade right now, but it irritates her, she wants to teach high schoolers. But they don¡¯t think she has the skills to handle the teens. I think they are full of it, but what can you do? Heck she handled me and my brothers just fine, I think she can handle anything those punks can throw at her.¡±


    ¡°And what about William?¡± I am actually eager to see the whole family again. I mean not that this is all behind us. But I know the whole family will want Caden in the family. I might be left out of some things, but that doesn¡¯t mean that I wouldn¡¯t be a part of some of it. They are an awesome family.


    ¡°William is a detective now. They don¡¯t exactly respect him either. Keep giving him beat cop stuff to do. Then Luke opened his own bar. Dad was not too thrilled with that. But he makes decent money. Jasmine just came back from school. She doesn¡¯t really have a clue what she is doing, but I think mom and dad are just trying to get her married off. They introduce her to enough well off families.¡±


    ¡°That is terrible. I remember Jasmine was always such a free spirit.¡± I hate to think of them trying to stifle that.


    Heughs. ¡°Still is. I don¡¯t think anything will rein her in. She isn¡¯t biting on any of these men either. It¡¯s like she is in business meetings. She even calls it that. I doubt my parents will find a man that can handle her. Hell, I¡¯m not sure there is a man out there that can.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help butugh. ¡°Yeah, I feel sorry for the man that tries to tie her down.¡±


    There we are in our own little world again. How does this keep happening? I hate feeling like this. I don¡¯t want to fall into that trap again. I don¡¯t want to fall for Justin again. But the smile on my face isn¡¯t a lie. I am enjoying myself with Justin and I have to remind myself that this is for Caden, not me.


    This time Caden runs up to both of us, leaping in our arms. ¡°Dad, I want to go out for burgers. Can we do that?¡±


    ¡°Sure buddy.¡± Justin has a big grin on his face.


    Cole gets a big ass grin on his face. ¡°What a coincidence, we are doing the same.¡± What the hell just happened?

 Justin 9

    JUSTIN


    I don¡¯t know who the fuck this guy Cole is, but he needs to back off. I swear he just keeps showing up wherever we are. I think Caden tells his son and then he tells his dad and then boom, he¡¯s there. I just want the dude to go away. He has this I am the best dad in the world routine. I am not buying it. He can not be as great as he makes himself out to be. Plus he seems to want to hang around Hannah more than anything. That just pisses me off. Don¡¯t ask me why, but it does.


    Today I have taken Caden out to get his school stuff. He is having a st. I got him new everything and I let him pick out pretty much anything that he wanted. He picked out his shoes, clothes and backpack. He wanted a lunch pail too, so we got that. I¡¯m not sure how Hannah does lunches, but I have that covered too. I don¡¯t want Hannah to have to stress about it and I want Caden to look his best. And let me tell you, my boy has style. I took care of all the supplies too. Pencils, color pencils, binders, all that junk that they only use half the time, but I got it.


    ¡°Anything else you need buddy?¡±


    ¡°I think the school said I am supposed to have headphones too. Can we get those?¡± He seems a little nervous to ask. I am sure things were tight growing up with just his mom, but I¡¯m here now and I will fix that shit.


    ¡°Yeah, sure. What kind do you need?¡± I started leading him to the electronics department.


    ¡°I like those ones that go over your ears. The earbuds fall out sometimes.¡±


    ¡°You got it buddy.¡±


    ¡°Hey, dad, can I ask you a question?¡± I love that he just went straight to calling me dad and it wasn¡¯t a big ordeal. He likes me being his dad and that makes me really fucking happy.


    ¡°Anything buddy.¡±


    ¡°Howe you and mom aren¡¯t together?¡±


    I didn¡¯t really expect that. I thought maybe Hannah would have already told him that I am an idiot and she couldn¡¯t stand me. So this threw me a little. I am going to be as honest with him as possible. ¡°It was my fault. I did something stupid and your mom got upset. She had every right to be upset. I¡¯m not sure she will ever forgive me for that.¡±


    ¡°But what if she did? Do you think that you guys could get back together?¡±


    I stop and get down on his level. ¡°Buddy, if there is ever a chance that your mom and I can get back together, then I will be more than happy to do that. Right now we want to focus on being the best parents for you. It¡¯s a lot to deal with. Your mom is used to doing this all alone, but now she has me and it¡¯s different. We have to give your mom time to handle me being back in her life. You understand?¡±


    He looks a little sad. ¡°Yeah, I understand. I just don¡¯t really like that Cole guy. He seems to talk to mom a lot.¡± Now it makes sense. Well, you and me both, buddy.


    ¡°Well, your mom is a smart woman, she isn¡¯t going to fall for someone that is going to be bad.¡± At least I hope not. I mean she fell for me and I am an idiot.


    He shrugs. ¡°I like Brodie, but even he says that his dad is weird sometimes. His mom doesn¡¯t like him. He said that he didn¡¯t used to see him so much but since he met mom he sees him all the time.¡± I am starting to see his angle, he is using his kid to get closer to Hannah.


    I nod. ¡°I see. Well, how about we arrange a ce to have some family time where Cole can¡¯t show up? How does that sound?¡±


    Caden¡¯s eyes light up. ¡°Really, where?¡±


    ¡°Well, my family has a dinner once a month as a family. I was thinking that you and your mom coulde. It is next weekend.¡±


    ¡°Will I get to meet the rest of your family?¡± He seems excited about it. I am sure with only knowing his one grandma his whole life it is an exciting prospect to meet more of his family.


    ¡°Yep, all your aunts and uncles. Plus your grandma and grandpa. They are all super excited to meet you.¡± They all are. As soon as they found out about Caden it was all they could talk about. They are very eager to meet their new family member.


    He hugs me. He doesn¡¯t do it much but when he does I know he means it. ¡°I would really like that.¡± He also seems to like the word really, but I think it is about all the changes that he is going through. Like it is trying to make sure it is all really happening.


    I hugged him back. ¡°Now don¡¯t get your hopes up too much. There aren¡¯t any other kids yet, but that doesn¡¯t mean that your uncles aren¡¯t a bunch of big kids anyway. Plus your Aunt Jasmine is crazy.¡±


    Heughs as he pulls back from me. ¡°Thanks Dad.¡±


    I started leading us to the electronic department again. ¡°Hey, buddy, do you have aputer at home?¡±


    ¡°No, my mom does, she lets me use it sometimes. Grandma has one too, but she doesn¡¯t let me use hers.¡± I never did like that woman. Even less now. Especially hearing about how they kicked Hannah out after she got pregnant. I probably would have known about Caden sooner if it wasn¡¯t for them.


    ¡°Well, I was talking to Aunt Isabelle and she said thatputers are really big in sses now. She said it would be a good idea for you to have one at home. So what do you think?¡±


    He shrugs. ¡°I don¡¯t really need one. I usually finish all my work at school. If I have something that I need to finish, I can use mom¡¯sputer.¡± Damn he is smart just like his mom. I am sure she was always ahead of her homework too. She was so damn smart. I hate that someone so smart has been reduced to what she has.


    ¡°How about I just get you one anyway? That way you can have all your work right in front of you. I know you have to be super smart like your mom, but sometimes things get busy. Like if you do sports or clubs or something. It would be easier to get your school work if you get sick. It would just be easier.¡± We haven¡¯t talked about little league yet so I will be prepared just in case.


    ¡°Are you sure Dad? That is a lot of money. You already bought so much.¡± Oh, I see where this is going, things with his mom were always tight and he doesn¡¯t want me spending money I don¡¯t have.N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry buddy, I got it covered. I won¡¯t break the bank. Besides, your mom needs a little less to worry about.¡±


    ¡°Do you like mom?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, of course I do.¡± Who wouldn¡¯t like Hannah? She is damn perfect.


    ¡°I mean really like mom?¡± He looks nervous.


    I smile a little. ¡°It¡¯s been a long time since your mom and I were really close. At one point I liked your mom very much. But things change over time. I think I would need to get to know your mom a little more now. But I like what I have seen so far.¡±


    ¡°I know it is probably a long shot, but do you think you could fall in love with mom?¡± I am starting to seriously wonder if Hannah has had these questions. Is it just me? Do I get all the questions?


    ¡°Do you ask your mom this stuff?¡±


    He shrugs. ¡°Yeah, she said she doesn¡¯t think you could ever love her.¡±


    ¡°Well, I think that is because of the stupid thing I did. I think that I could love your mom, maybe, if things happen that way. But right now we just want to focus on loving you and being the best parents that we possibly can for you. You understand right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m just really d to have a dad now.¡±


    I can¡¯t help but smile. ¡°I will always be your dad buddy. No matter what happens.¡± I don¡¯t know who hopes that we will be together more, me or him. I would really love to win Hannah back, but I don¡¯t think she will ever feel the same about me again.

 Justin 10

    HANNAH


    I am regretting this y date already. Cole showed up a half an hour early, with flowers. That is not what this is. I want to reject the flowers, but at the same time, how do you do that nicely to a person that came for dinner. I don¡¯t even know how you would do that. Do I just straight tell him that I don¡¯t want the flowers? Sit him down and say, ¡®this is not a date¡¯. I have never been in this situation in my life.


    Cole and Brodie are sitting in my living room. Thankfully my mother is out tonight. I think bingo or something. She hasn¡¯t really been around much. Which is just odd. She never left the house when dad was alive. But it is even odder to have Cole and Brodie in my living room while I am in the kitchen still making the food. Again they were early. Justin isn¡¯t even back with Caden yet.


    I am bustling around the kitchen trying to get dinner done when I feel a hand on my back. I jump a foot in the air. ¡°Holy shit, Cole you scared me.¡±


    He smiles. ¡°Sorry, I was just trying to ask if you needed help.¡±


    I shake my head. ¡°No, I got it. Sorry, it¡¯s not done yet, but you know you are early.¡± I point out. Hoping that he doesn¡¯t do this again. Also trying to be soft about it so it seems a little like a joke so I don¡¯t hurt his feelings.


    He leans in a little further. ¡°I just couldn¡¯t wait to see you again.¡±


    I turn so that I can put my hand on his chest to push him back. But then my front door bursts open. Caden¡¯s smile instantly falls as he sees me in the kitchen. ¡°What¡¯s going on Mom?¡±N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.


    I finish pushing Cole back and smile at Caden. ¡°Nothing buddy. Did you have a good time with your dad?¡±


    Only now do I see Justin behind Caden. He is carrying a bunch of bags, but he looks like he just ate a lemon and wants to punch the guy that gave it to him all at the same time.


    Caden gets this look on his face that I have never seen in my life. It¡¯s like he is smirking and ring at the same time. ¡°Yeah, my dad is great. The greatest dad that ever lived.¡± He seems to be looking right at Cole as he says it. I am not sure where that ising from, I made a mental note to askter.


    I don¡¯t even know how to respond to that at the moment. ¡°Um, ok. How about you help your dad put that stuff away and then you can tell Dad goodnight. Brodie is here to y.¡±


    Caden doesn¡¯t change his look. ¡°I wanted Dad to have dinner too. Can¡¯t he?¡±


    I nod. ¡°Sure if your dad wants to.¡±


    Justin nods. ¡°Yeah, sounds great. Caden and I were having a lot of fun, it seems like a shame to end it already.¡±


    Caden waves to his friend. ¡°Come on Brodie, You can hang with me and my dad. At least he isn¡¯t being weird.¡±


    I can¡¯t believe he just said that. Brodie just gets up and follows Caden. Justin stands there for a minute. As soon as the boys are down the hall he turns to us. ¡°If you guys are going to date, just be open about it. The boys think you are being weird and they don¡¯t like it. It¡¯s better to be open with them about it.¡±


    I am shocked. ¡°Justin that is not¡­¡±


    Cole interrupts me. ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re right we should be honest with the boys.¡±


    Now I feel like my head is going to explode. Seriously what the fuck just happened. Justin leaves and I am stuck here with a very delusional man. ¡°Cole, we are not dating. I am not sure what gave you that impression, but I want to fix that right now. This is supposed to be a ydate. You can leave Brodie here if you want, but we are not having a date.¡±


    He cocks his head. ¡°I was just trying to help you out with your ex. I don¡¯t think this is a date. I mean, I would like to ask you out on a date, but I wasn¡¯t implying that we were already dating.¡±


    ¡°Cole, you brought me flowers, you are hovering around me in the kitchen. You told Justin we are dating. That is not ok. Just stop it. Ok.¡± He really has been pushing boundaries that I didn¡¯t even notice.


    He pulls back. ¡°Alright. I get it. You are still hung up on him. That¡¯s fine. Maybe I shoulde backter. Brodie should be done about eight right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± He turns to leave and now I feel like a bitch. ¡°Cole, I am not hung up on Justin. I¡¯m sorry I snapped at you. I know you are just trying to be nice. It is totally fine for you to stay for dinner.¡± Maybe he is just trying to be a friend and I am just not used to this.


    He returns with a smile. ¡°Sure, I would love to stay.¡± Why didn¡¯t I just let him leave? It was obvious that he got the hint.


    Justines back in. ¡°I have a few more bags to get. Then the boys want to y some game. I told them I would y with them. That is if it is alright with you.¡± He seems to look at the both of us. I don¡¯t like that look on his face. He looks like he is trying to hold his tongue and Justin never does that.


    ¡°Yeah, of course it is. Dinner has about another fifteen minutes.¡± I give him a smile, hoping that it will make his attitude a little better.


    He nods. ¡°Oh, just so you know. I talked to my sister about everything that he would need and I got everything that she suggested. So you shouldn¡¯t need to get anything. I probably got more than I should, but you know, it¡¯s not like I can¡¯t afford it. Plus he deserves it. All the crap he has to put up with.¡±


    I shake my head. ¡°What exactly are you talking about?¡±


    He shakes his head. ¡°Nothing. I¡¯m going to get the bags.¡±


    He just leaves. I think I need to talk to him. If Justin knows something about Caden that I don¡¯t then I need to find it out. I don¡¯t like that we are divided like this. At work we seem to work as a team. I like that. But being parents, it¡¯s like we are on opposing teams. We need to figure out how to make it work. If not for us, for Caden.

 Justin 11

    JUSTIN


    That guy finally left at eight. Hannah kind of made a point that it was time to leave. Good, because I need to talk to her. I can¡¯t have that guy moving in or some shit if Caden doesn¡¯t like him. Hannah told me to leave too. But I need to talk to her.


    I start helping her clean up from dinner. Finally she stops and puts her hands on the counter. ¡°Justin, did Caden tell you something that I should know?¡±


    I sigh. ¡°Where do you want me to start? For one he doesn¡¯t like your new boyfriend. He says he¡¯s weird. His own son says he¡¯s weird.¡±


    ¡°I am not dating Cole. He is overconfident or something. We aren¡¯t dating though.¡± She says. I have never been so relieved to hear those words in my life. She sighs. ¡°What else?¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m not sure you are going to want to hear what else we talked about.¡± I¡¯m actually not so sure I should say anything. It was kind of guy talk or father son talk.


    She turns and looks at me. ¡°You can tell me. I won¡¯t be upset.¡±


    I shake my head. ¡°I doubt that. He kept asking why we weren¡¯t together.¡±


    She looks down. ¡°What did you tell him?¡±


    ¡°I told him the truth. I was an idiot and did something that I shouldn¡¯t have. And I don¡¯t think that you will ever forgive me. He wasn¡¯t exactly taking that for an answer.¡± Caden did keep hinting that he would like me and his mother together, no matter what happened before.


    Hannah looks up at me. ¡°Do you think that is the reason he doesn¡¯t like Cole?¡±


    Iugh. ¡°No, he just thinks he¡¯s weird. I think he just wants his parents to be together. I told him that probably isn¡¯t going to happen, but I would always be there for him.¡±


    She nods. ¡°That is good, I don¡¯t want him to get his hopes up that we are getting together. I mean we were never really together in the first ce.¡±


    That hurts more than it should. ¡°Did I ever tell you I was sorry?¡±


    Sheughs. ¡°No. I guess you just figured it was in the past like I did.¡±


    ¡°Well, I am sorry. I did a shit thing. I was never into Candy, just so you know. I just had my rep. For some reason it seemed more important than life. I am an idiot and I am not going to deny it.¡±


    She shrugs. ¡°It was in the past. I am over that. I wish I would have waited is all. But it happened. We can¡¯t change what happened.¡±


    ¡°Do you regret it?¡± I¡¯m not even sure I want to know the answer to that. I am not so sure that the answer will make me happy.


    ¡°Justin, I don¡¯t know if I can answer that. I don¡¯t exactly regret it, because it gave me Caden, I just wish I would have used my head a little more.¡± That made me feel more like an asshole.


    ¡°For what it¡¯s worth, I don¡¯t regret it at all. I regret what happened after.¡±


    Sheughs. ¡°Like I said it¡¯s in the past. Nothing we can do about it now.¡±This content is ? N?velDrama.Org.


    I shrug, but don¡¯t say anything, because maybe there is. Maybe we can fix this. Not yet, but maybe someday. Because honestly the more time I spend with Hannah, the more I want to have her in my arms at the end of the day. ¡°Just remember what I said about that guy. Caden doesn¡¯t like him and if you are going to keep him around, you might want to talk to him about it.¡±


    She smiles. ¡°Someone sounds a little jealous.¡±


    ¡°Look, you are the mother of my son, I care who you are with. Am I going to make a big deal about it, probably. I¡¯m a man, it¡¯s a thing.¡±


    Sheughs. ¡°What thing?¡±


    ¡°No man wants to see the woman that they have been intimate with, with another man. It¡¯s a thing. You can look it up.¡± I state inly.


    ¡°That was eight years ago.¡± She isn¡¯t really protesting all that hard. I think she just thinks it¡¯s funny.


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter how long ago it was. It¡¯s just a thing.¡± I give her a smirk. ¡°Plus it doesn¡¯t change how I felt or feel.¡±


    She looks at me with a nk look on her face. ¡°What exactly does that mean?¡±


    I lean a little more towards her. ¡°When we were together I thought you were the prettiest girl that I had ever seen. I wasn¡¯t with you for some game or some challenge. I was with you because I really wanted to be. I was shit about it. That is the biggest regret of my life and I will never forget it.¡±


    She looks up at me and it looks like she is about to cry. ¡°Can you please not say things you don¡¯t mean?¡±


    ¡°I meant every word.¡± I want nothing more than to kiss her right now. Staring down into her eyes, I seriously think about it.


    Caden has other ns though. He runs in the room. ¡°Dad, will you y one more game with me before you leave?¡±


    I smile over at him. ¡°Sure buddy.¡± Leaving Hannah in the kitchen is fucking hard. Especially when I want to wrap her in my arms. But this is part of being a parent.

 Justin 12

    HANNAH


    Work on Monday seemed normal enough, but also really awkward. Justin couldn¡¯t look at me at all. It seemed like he was avoiding me. I was kind of avoiding him too. It seemed like he almost kissed me in my kitchen. And I wanted nothing more than to let him. It might have all been in my head. I think something might be wrong with me. I mean this is the guy that got me pregnant and broke my heart. Yet he says some smooth lines and I am ready to fall for him all over again, my heart be damned.


    I can¡¯t let that happen though. I have to be strong because I can¡¯t afford to lose everything right now. I would have to leave town again. Then Justin might file for custody of Caden. I don¡¯t know how to even face him. My mom might lose her house. Just everything can go wrong if I let my guard down.


    After the whole day of us avoiding each other, Justin stops at my desk. ¡°So, Hannah, I know this is kind of awkward, but I told Caden that he coulde to the family dinner that we are having on Saturday. He¡¯s really excited. I would like it if you came too, but I understand if you don¡¯t want to.¡±


    I feel like I can¡¯t breathe. I cough a little. ¡°Well, I guess it¡¯s alright. I mean if you want to pick him up that would be fine.¡±


    He looks down, like he is sad. ¡°I see, you don¡¯t want toe.¡±


    I shrug. ¡°I¡¯m just not sure it is a good idea.¡±This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Would you please reconsider. I would really like you toe. My family would like to see you again.¡±


    I blink back at him. ¡°Oh, they want me there. Well, I guess I could.¡± I hate that it sounds like I thought he wanted me there. I guess just his family wanted me there. This is why I think it is all in my head. Like with Cole he said it was Caden that didn¡¯t want him around. I mean he did say that he didn¡¯t want to see me with another man but he said it like some primitive caveman thing rather than he wanted me himself. I am just seeing more there than there is. Again.


    He gets a small smile. ¡°Great. I¡¯ll let my mom know that you will be there. I¡¯ll pick you both up around five.¡±


    I shake my head. The more space the better. ¡°I¡¯ll get us there. It¡¯s not that big of a deal. I remember where it is.¡±


    He nods. ¡°Yeah, sure.¡± Then he just leaves. I don¡¯t even know how to read anything that is going on with him. I am his personal assistant and he hasn¡¯t even hardly talked to me today. I mean I get it, he is starting a newpany, he¡¯s busy. I just don¡¯t think he is talking to me for some reason. Like he doesn¡¯t want to.


    The rest of the week went like that. We would talk in short conversations that left me more confused in the end. I wasn¡¯t sure what the hell was going on. The end of the day Friday, Justin came to my desk again. ¡°Hey, Hannah, are you sure you don¡¯t want me to pick you both up? I really don¡¯t mind.¡±


    ¡°I will get us there. I promise.¡± I smile, like it¡¯s all a joke.


    ¡°I know you can get there. I just kind of want to arrive together. That¡¯s all.¡± He gives me that smile. That smile that makes me melt a little inside.


    I sigh, feeling my own walls crumbling. ¡°Alright, we will be ready at five.¡±


    His smile gets bigger. ¡°Yeah?¡±


    Iugh a little. ¡°Yeah.¡±


    Heposes himself a little better. ¡°Cool. I¡¯ll pick you both up tomorrow at five.¡±


    I can¡¯t believe that actually made him happy. I would like to think it is just in my head, but the look on his face is clear. He is happy. I don¡¯t know why giving us a ride to something would make him that happy. It doesn¡¯t make a lot of sense.

 Justin 13

    JUSTIN


    I haven¡¯t been this nervous since prom. I didn¡¯t even care about my date. It was some cheerleader that seemed like she would be a good choice. But my parents wanted to meet her. I had to meet her parents too, it was a big deal. Not one that I would ever care to repeat.


    But this is an even bigger deal. They all know Hannah, but they haven¡¯t met Caden yet. I want them to feelfortable with my family. I want to feel like they are a part of the family. Hannah as well as Caden. I know it seems ridiculous, Hannah and I are not together. But the more time we spend together the more I want us to be. Not just because of Caden, but for me. I am a selfish asshole and I have always wanted Hannah, but knowing that she is the mother of my child makes me want her more.


    I pulled in front of their house at a quarter to five. I felt like my palms were sweaty. I tried to mentally p myself. This is Hannah, Caden loves me, it¡¯s going to be fine.


    Getting out of my truck, I feel like my legs are shaky. I don¡¯t even make it all the way to the door when Cadenes running out, heunches himself at me. I am pretty sure that Hannah picked out his clothes because he is a t-shirt and jeans kid. Right now he is wearing khakis and a button up blue shirt.


    I hug him close. ¡°Hey buddy, is your mom ready?¡±


    ¡°No, she said she still needs to get her shoes on.¡±


    But when I turn towards the house I see Hannah standing in the doorway, leaning against the frame, she has one leg up in the air behind her as she slips on her pump. She looks beautiful. Her hair is up in a twisted bun. Her dress is a ssic ck one that res at the waist and molds to her upper body. She¡¯s missing her sses though. I don¡¯t like that. ¡°Where are your sses?¡±


    She looks confused. ¡°I¡¯m wearing contacts. I don¡¯t like them, but I figured it would be good to dress up. This is our first family dinner.¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t have to get all dressed up.¡±


    Caden looks at his mom full of hope. ¡°Does that mean I can change?¡±


    She gives him that stern mother look. ¡°No, we don¡¯t have time for that.¡±


    I don¡¯t want to go against what she said, but I want them both to befortable. ¡°Hannah, there is enough time. I mean you look great, but I think you need to befortable. I know my brothers are going to want to y ball with Caden. I am sure you don¡¯t want him in his good clothes when he is rolling around in the grass.¡±


    She sighs in defeat. ¡°Alright, Caden, go change. Not the new school clothes.¡± Caden runs past us and back into the house.


    ¡°I would like it if you took those contacts out. You should befortable too.¡±


    She rolls her eyes. ¡°I look like a nerd with my sses. I am trying to make a good impression here. All that your parents are going to remember of me is that I got pregnant and took off with their grandkid.¡±


    I chuckle. ¡°No, they remember you a lot better than that. Please.¡±


    She throws her hands up in the air. ¡°Fine, Come sit on the couch, we will be ready in a minute.¡±


    Entering this house always feels like I am invading enemy territory. I know her mom is around here somewhere. I bought the house so there is no risk of her losing it anymore. It was a big risk for me to put out that much money right now, but I can¡¯t have Hannah leaving town again.


    I take a seat in the sitting room. I am sitting there for only a couple of minutes when someone else enters. She is a grumpy looking woman. A little older than my mom. She looks like she eats lemons for breakfast just to keep that look on her face. ¡°So, you are the one that knocked up my daughter?¡±


    Well, two can y at that game. ¡°And you are the one that kicked her out of the house with nowhere to go.¡±


    She huffs. ¡°That was my husband, not me.¡±


    ¡°But you stood by and did nothing while he did.¡±


    She nods. ¡°I guess you¡¯re right.¡± She takes a seat across from me. ¡°So, what are you doing here?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m taking Hannah and Caden to our family dinner.¡±


    She rolls her eyes. ¡°Now you want them to be a part of the family.¡±


    ¡°I never knew. If I did, then she would have been a part of the family a long time ago.¡± I stand my ground. I will be damned if this woman is going to put me down over something I didn¡¯t have any control over. Yes, I got Hannah pregnant, but I would have manned up. I know I would have. I was raised that way.


    She looks at me shocked. ¡°You never knew.¡±


    ¡°No, Hannah never told me. Hell, when I found out she still didn¡¯t exactly tell me. I saw a boy that looked exactly like me. I put two and two together.¡±


    She leans back in her chair. ¡°I¡¯m Lisa by the way.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m Justin.¡± I put out my hand for her to shake. She takes it gently.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry I made an assumption and it was the wrong one.¡±


    ¡°I was shit to your daughter. I¡¯m not surprised that she didn¡¯t tell me.¡±


    Behind us I hear a different voice. ¡°That isn¡¯t why I didn¡¯t tell you.¡±


    We turn and see Hannah in her sses. ¡°What?¡± She looks even more beautiful now. I ampletely confused about what we are talking about now.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t tell you because I didn¡¯t want your life to be changed by a baby. So, I took it on myself. I wasn¡¯t able to go to college, so I decided it was best that I raised him. I wasn¡¯t being vindictive. I swear.¡±


    I shake my head. Chuckling a little. ¡°I know that. You don¡¯t have a vindictive bone in your body.¡±


    She just nods. ¡°Alright. I think Caden should be ready in a minute. We will be back around nine mom.¡±


    Lisa nods her head. ¡°Have fun.¡±N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner.


    Hannah stops and looks at her mom confused. ¡°Um, alright.¡±


    Cadenes running down the hall. ¡°I¡¯m ready to go.¡± Now he looks like my son.


    Standing up I take Hannah¡¯s hand while she looks at me in shock. This is a night for her I guess. I tug her out the door. ¡°It was nice to meet you Lisa.¡± I shout back as we leave. I don¡¯t want Hannah changing her mind.


    Lisa hollers back. ¡°You too.¡±


    Putting them both in my truck I finally sigh in relief. There is no way she is backing out now.

 Justin 14

    HANNAH


    Justin is being weird. It keeps feeling like he thinks that I am going to run the other way. Caden is almost bouncing in the back seat. All week all he has talked about is meeting his family. I think this is the most excited I have ever seen him in his life. ¡°Dad, are you sure they are going to like me?¡±


    Justinughs. ¡°Oh, you are going to be a popr boy tonight. I guarantee everyone is going to want to talk to you.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t wait. I get to be the oldest cousin too. So when they all start having kids, I get to be the ringleader. Like the leader of a gang or something.¡±


    Justin justughs harder. I give out a littleugh myself. Leave it to my son to talk about massing a little army of cousins. ¡°That you will. It might be a little bit before they start having kids but I am sure Uncle David will be having some soon. The others, not so much.¡±


    It doesn¡¯t take long to get to Justin¡¯s parent¡¯s house. It looks like Luke and David are on the porch. Not sure if they were waiting for us, but they are there. When Caden and I get out of the truck Lukees right over to me. ¡°There is the beautifuldy. I was starting to think that Justin was keeping you locked in a basement somewhere.¡±


    Justin growls. ¡°Back off Luke.¡±


    ¡°What? Are you going to deny she is beautiful?¡± Luke counters.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t say that. Are you looking to get punched? I¡¯m not drunk this time.¡±


    Iugh. That is not how he described it to me. Davidughs too. He puts his hand out to me. ¡°I¡¯m David. I was away at college when all this happened which is probably why I never met you.¡±N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner.


    I shake his hand back firmly. ¡°It is nice to meet you. I hear that you are getting married.¡±


    His grin widens. ¡°Oh, yeah. The best woman in the world. She is inside with my mother. She hijacked her as soon as we got here.¡±


    David then turns his attention over to Caden. Caden looks a little nervous. ¡°Well, this is definitely Justin¡¯s son. You look just like your dad when he was your age. Hopefully you don¡¯t cause as much trouble as your brother did.¡± Caden smiles a little.


    ¡°I behave.¡±


    Justin grins. ¡°That¡¯s because he¡¯s smart like his mom.¡±


    Luke gets down to Caden¡¯s level. ¡°Well, We are going to have dinner in just a minute, but after dinner, do you want to y football with your dad and uncles? It is like the best game ever. Especially if your Aunt Jasmine wants to y.¡±


    Caden smiles the biggest smile yet. ¡°Yeah.¡± He sounds ready to hit the field now. Luke high-fives him and they are running into the house together.


    I take a deep breath, nervous as hell. Then Justin takes my hand and squeezes. I know he is just doing it to reassure me, and it does. I have no idea how Justin can do this to me after all these years, but he does it with ease.


    He leads us inside and through to the sitting room. William is on the couch sitting next to James, Justin¡¯s dad. They are arguing about some game on the TV.


    ¡°No, there is no way they are going to make it. I am telling you Dad, the Broncos have it in the bag.¡±


    James scoffs. ¡°Yeah, if it was the old days, you have to watch the games, son, before you can make any judgments. You don¡¯t sit down long enough to watch any of them.¡±


    ¡°You know I have to work, Dad. I watch them though. Just not live like you do.¡±


    Justin clears his throat. ¡°Hey, guys.¡±


    They both look over at us. William quickly stands up. ¡°Hannah, it¡¯s good to see you again.¡± He rushes over and hugs me.


    James smiles. ¡°Yeah, we missed you kid.¡±


    I can¡¯t help the tears that are springing to my eyes. Suddenly I am d that Luke took Caden to go y. ¡°Honestly I thought you all would hate me.¡±


    James stands and pulls me into a hug too. ¡°We understand why you did what you did. Just don¡¯t do it again kid. We really wish you would have talked to us. You wouldn¡¯t have had it so rough if you did.¡±


    I am sniffling and I am sure that my make up looks like shit. Then I hear the womene in. Isabelle pushes her dad to the side. Only slightly. ¡°Oh, my God, you are finally here. I can¡¯t believe Justin was such an ass. He told us everything. You had every right to kick him to the curb.¡± She res at her brother while she hugs me close.


    Jasmineughs. ¡°I did kick his ass when he told us.¡±


    Justin just shrugs. ¡°Yeah, she did.¡±


    Lauren pulls me into her arms again. ¡°Remember you are always family. You will never go without again, do you understand?¡± It¡¯s like she is scolding me andforting me at the same time.


    Apparently Luke has great timing because he brings Caden back from wherever they were and Cadenes running into the sitting room, super excited. ¡°Mom, the back yard is huge. It¡¯s as big as the park.¡±


    I chuckle a little.


    When he looks around he suddenly gets a little shy. I want them to like him. ¡°Everyone this is Caden. Caden, this is your grandma Lauren and your grandpa James. This is your Uncle William, your Aunts Isabelle and Jasmine.¡±


    Lauren can¡¯t hold back. She pulls a shocked Caden in her arms. ¡°My first grandbaby.¡± She squeezes him like she can just absorb him. But Caden is loving it.


    I notice another woman standing off to the side, so while Caden meets all of them, I step over to her. ¡°I¡¯m Hannah.¡±


    She smiles. ¡°Megan. I¡¯m David¡¯s fiance. Also Jasmine¡¯s best friend.¡±


    I smile back. ¡°At least you are marrying in. I¡¯m just a babymama.¡±


    She shakes her head while sheughs. ¡°I don¡¯t think that will be the case much longer. I have seen the way that Justin talks about you. Or the way that he hardly takes his eyes off you.¡±


    I can¡¯t help but shrug it off. ¡°That isn¡¯t happening. Justin just feels bad about everything that happened. He doesn¡¯t have feelings for me.¡±


    She just returns my shrug. ¡°Whatever gets you through the day.¡±


    She nods over my shoulder and I see Justining towards me. ¡°After dinner before the game, I want to show Caden my old room. All my trophies and stuff are still there. I want him to see it before he decides on ser.¡±


    I can¡¯t help butugh at the whole family¡¯s grunts. This is a football family. Ok, maybe not totally, but they certainly like the game. None of them are fans of ser. Not sure why. I am actually pretty sure that none of them yed ser, not sure what they have against the game.


    Laurenughs. ¡°Hey, there is nothing against ser, just because none of you yed it. I did and I had a lot of fun.¡±


    James rolls his eyes. ¡°Yeah, but that¡¯s because you are a girl and can¡¯t y football.¡±


    Lauren puts her hand on her hip. ¡°I will have you know, there is a women¡¯s football league.¡±


    James counters. ¡°No one watches it.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because they are males and idiots.¡± Lauren counters back. ¡°If you don¡¯t stop while you are ahead you will be sleeping in the den.¡±


    James zips his lips and the rest of usugh. I guess this isn¡¯t going nearly as bad as I thought it would.

 Justin 15

    JUSTIN


    Everyone is so happy to have Caden and Hannah in our family. Dinner was just as pleasant as always. I love how it seems that our family is really growing. That¡¯s what we all feel like around this table, family.


    After dinner, I take Caden and Hannah up to my old room. I show him all the trophies that I got from football and watch his eyes light up. ¡°Do you think I could y like you Dad?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, if that is what you want to do. Your mom and I have been talking about it and we would like to sign you up for junior leagues. But you get to pick the sport. Someone thought you might want to try ser to be on the same team as Brodie.¡±


    Caden shrugs. ¡°I like Brodie, but I don¡¯t really like ser. It¡¯s ok. I could try it I guess.¡±


    ¡°Well, you need to pick what you want to try. You are going to make lots of friends. And just because you aren¡¯t on the same team as Brodie doesn¡¯t mean that you won¡¯t still be friends. Some of my best friends were on other teams. You guys are going to be in the same school. Maybe even the same ss. I am sure you will see lots of each other.¡±


    Caden nods. ¡°Can I try ser and see if I like it? Do they let you do that?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll talk to the coach. We will see what we can work out.¡± I do happen to know the coach. When I was looking into the leagues I checked to see who was in charge. I wouldn¡¯t call him my buddy, but we knew each other. Plus the Wright name holds a little bit of pull in this town.This content is ? N?velDrama.Org.


    My brotherse charging into the room. ¡°Caden, ready for the most epic game of your life?¡± Luke jokes as he throws Caden over his shoulder.


    Caden just cheers. ¡°Yeah.¡±


    All my brothers drag my boy out of the room. David turns back over. ¡°Hey, youing?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be there in a minute. Start without me.¡±


    David just nods and leaves us alone. Even closing the door behind himself.


    I turn to Hannah. ¡°Was that ok?¡±


    She looks confused. ¡°Was what ok?¡±


    ¡°About ser, I just realized that we didn¡¯t exactly ask you.¡± I answer.


    She blinks and gasps as if she suddenly realized what I was talking about. ¡°Oh, yeah, that¡¯s fine.¡± She blushes a little and I have a feeling I know what she was thinking about.


    I inch a little closer to her. ¡°You know, thest time you and I were alone in this room, we made Caden.¡±


    As a reflex she looks over at the bed. ¡°Um, Yeah. Maybe I should go check on him.¡± She tries to step around me but I grab her arm and pull her back to my body, her chest meeting mine. ¡°Justin.¡± She sounds like she is out of breath, but I know that isn¡¯t the case.


    ¡°I regret that Monday every day of my life. Even before you came back to me.¡± Ib my fingers through her hair. Pushing pins out and letting her hair fall. ¡°I felt like my heart was ripped out when you walked away. I was always hoping that you woulde back, but you didn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    I lean in and kiss her lips. I don¡¯t care that my entire family is downstairs. All I care about is letting Hannah know how I feel. I can¡¯t pretend anymore. Not with that guy hovering around trying to take her from me. I need Hannah, more than she can even realize. Her lips ignite a fire inside me. I can¡¯t stop. I want her. I need her. I pull her closer, letting my tongue dance with hers. We both moan as my hand grips her ass, pulling her even closer.


    I don¡¯t even feel like I can control my body as I push her towards the bed. All I can think about is how I need her and I want her. I want her now. Her knees buckle once they hit the mattress and she falls back on it. Iy my body over hers, but only for a moment before I remember that the door isn¡¯t locked and we are in a house full of people. ¡°I¡¯m going to lock the door.¡±


    That must have felt like a cold shower to her, because she gasped and stood up. ¡°I have to go.¡±


    I try to pull her back into my arms. ¡°Hannah.¡±


    ¡°No, this is a mistake. We can¡¯t do this.¡± She pushes me away.


    ¡°Hannah, baby, this isn¡¯t a mistake.¡±


    ¡°Yes, it is.¡± She pushes away from me and dashes towards the door. I was the one in sports but she took off like she was at the starting line of a race.


    I plop down on the bed. ¡°Fuck.¡± I think I might have rushed things.

 Justin 16

    HANNAH


    I can¡¯t get out of this house fast enough. I let my guard down and look where that got me. Right back where I started, literally. Running down the stairs, I don¡¯t know what to do. Justin brought us here, how the hell do we leave?


    When Ie to the den I see Lauren looking at everyone ying outside. She turns and looks at me. The smile quickly fell from her face. ¡°What is wrong sweetie?¡±


    ¡°I have to go.¡±


    She shakes her head. ¡°No more running. What is going on?¡±


    ¡°He kissed me. I can¡¯t do this again. I just can¡¯t.¡±


    She pulls me into a hug while I cry. ¡°Sweetie, what are you scared of?¡±


    ¡°He will leave again. I don¡¯t fit in his box. I am just the mother of his son. That is all I am.¡± I am a blubbering mess.


    ¡°Is that all you really think you are? Sweetie that boy adores you. He did then too. He fell apart when you left. You didn¡¯t see it, but I did. The first day that you didn¡¯t show up for the tutor session, he locked himself in his room and didn¡¯te out the whole day. It continued for at least two weeks. He didn¡¯t go to any dances the rest of the year, except prom and that is because his friends made him go. You leaving him hurt him far more than he let anyone know. But I am his mother, I know.¡± Her hand is running up and down my back. It was soothing, but I didn¡¯t feel all that much better.


    ¡°Now, you are all he talks about. He is opening a newpany and all he can talk about is you. Doesn¡¯t that tell you something? That boy is smitten with you. I don¡¯t know how you don¡¯t see it.¡± She coos to me the way that I always wished that my mother would have.N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner.


    ¡°I just¡­ It¡¯s too much.¡±


    She pats my head. ¡°Leave Caden with me for the night. Take the night and time. Think about everything and where you want it all to go.¡±


    I shake my head. ¡°I couldn¡¯t do that.¡±


    ¡°Sweetie, he is my grandson, I can watch him for one night and it isn¡¯t going to hurt anything.¡± Lauren protests. I know she is right. I have just always had trouble with trusting other people. Not that I don¡¯t trust Lauren, I do. So maybe this is my first step in letting go of some things.


    ¡°Alright. Can you have one of the guys take me home? Or I can call a cab.¡±


    She shakes her head. ¡°William will take you. He was going to have to leave soon anyway. He has to get back to work.¡±


    I dly epted. I want to get away from Justin for a little while. I need a clear head and there is no way that I am going to get that with him anywhere near me.

 Justin 17

    JUSTIN


    After Hannah left, I decided to stay over since my mom was watching Caden. I figured it would make him morefortable. He settled right into a guest room and I slept in my old room. Come to think of it, I should have let him sleep in here, because it is too much for me. I am not even sleeping at this point. All I am able to do is look around the room and see everything that reminds me of Hannah.


    Everywhere I look. I was sitting at that desk when I first kissed her. I made love to her on this bed. I kissed her standing right there. The first time that I held her in my arms was over by that window. She is in this whole room.


    Rolling over on my side, I start to relive the events of our time together in this room.


    I was standing in front of the window, lost in thought. Hannahes in and gets my attention. ¡°Hey, you. Are you ready to get started?¡±


    I just shrug, not even looking away from the window.


    Shees and puts her hand on my back. ¡°Is everything alright?¡±


    I shake my head. I would never admit to something so personal in my life, but this was Hannah. I know she would never hold anything against me. ¡°My mom told me when I got home that the dog died. He was just a stupid dog that never listened. But he could y fetch like it was his job.¡±


    She wrapped her arms around me. ¡°It¡¯s going to be ok.¡± I pulled her into my embrace and held her to my chest. I didn¡¯t even realize how upset I was until she held me. I am crying. I never cry. ¡°We don¡¯t have to study today if you aren¡¯t up to it.¡± I still held her to me.


    ¡°Can you just stay here with me?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, whatever you need.¡±


    She fucking did too. She stayed with me the whole day. We watched movies and she had me tell her stories about the stupid dog that I never liked when it was around because he didn¡¯t listen. But he loved, he was the biggest lover that you would ever meet in your life. She was just there for me. Right when I needed her to be.


    I am working on an assignment. She leaned over me and looked over my answers. I can smell her coconut shampoo. I can¡¯t stop thinking about a few days ago when she held me while I cried. Hannah is so cute. I always noticed, even if she keeps herself reserved. People think her sses look dorky or whatever, but I think they are the cutest thing about her.


    She smiles at me. ¡°What are you looking at?¡±


    I smile back. ¡°You.¡±


    Sheughs that sweet softugh that I love to hear. ¡°Stop fooling around. Get back to work.¡±


    I don¡¯t know what this is, but I can¡¯t stop myself. It¡¯s like I attacked her. My lips smashed into hers. I pulled her closer. Her handsnded on my shoulders and she tried to hold herself steady but I kept pulling her mouth closer to mine. It was like there was a need to breathe. Her lips were air. She broke off the kiss and stepped away. I wanted to pull her back. She was too far away.


    ¡°Um, I think I should go.¡±


    ¡°Please don¡¯t. I¡¯ll keep my hands to myself. I really need to pass this test.¡± I mentally smack myself. I do have to study, if I fail this test I am off the team.


    ¡°Why did you do that?¡±


    I smile. ¡°Why not?¡±


    She shakes her head. ¡°Can you finish the sheet?¡±


    I nod. I want to kiss her again, but I am in a situation where I really need to focus. I don¡¯t know how much I will focus with her here, but if she leaves there is no way I will be able to focus. ¡°Yeah, no problem.¡± Only there is a problem. I am pretty sure I have fallen head over heels for Hannah.


    Groaning, I roll to the other side. I know I need to think of something else, but Hannah is my life. She is the mother of my son. I should have ran after her that day. I should have kissed her in front of everyone. I should have let everyone know that she is mine. But I was a chicken shit and didn¡¯t do it.


    She seems panicked. She is pacing the floor and looks ready to cry. ¡°Hannah, what are you doing?¡±


    She looks at me with eyes that are a little ssy. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°You haven¡¯t really said anything to me the whole time that you were here. Is something going on?¡±


    She sighs and plops down on my bed. ¡°I just found out that I can¡¯t afford to go to college. I have been wracking my brain trying to figure out how to do it, but I just can¡¯t.¡±


    Ie and sit next to her. ¡°Is there anything I can do? I can talk to my dad, maybe he can call some people.¡±


    She shakes her head. ¡°It isn¡¯t that. I got in. I have schrships but they don¡¯t cover everything. I don¡¯t have a way to pay for the rest. I was thinking of getting a job, but that would mean that I need to find a job quickly. Tutoring isn¡¯t going to cover it.¡±


    I take her hands. ¡°Let me know what I can do.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s really sweet of you. It¡¯s just something I would need to figure out on my own.¡± She starts looking around. ¡°We should probably get to your studies.¡±This content is ? N?velDrama.Org.


    I grip her hand tighter. ¡°Hannah.¡±


    She looks over at me. Those eyes speak volumes to me. ¡°Yeah.¡± Her voice is soft and almost a whisper.


    I can¡¯t hold off anymore. I need to feel her lips. I have to kiss her again. It has been so long. Slowly I lean in. To my surprise she leans in too. Last time it was just me, she kissed me back but that isn¡¯t the same as this. Our lips meet and there is no stopping us. Only problem is that there is nothing stopping me either.


    Pushing her back on the bed. My body is hovering over hers. I want her. I have had girls before but no one like Hannah. She is a little shaky and hesitant, but she is slowly pulling my shirt up. Her fingers sliding over my abs. I help her out a little, leaning up and grabbing my shirt by the back of the neck and pulling it over my head. I toss it to the floor. She nibbles on her lip. Nervous, but not backing down. Her fingers return to my body. Gliding up and over my chest.


    I pull her lips back out of her mouth and over mine. My hands wander of their own ord. Gripping her leg I pull it up and move her body closer to mine. She moans as our bodies connect. I don¡¯t know if it is her first time or if it isn¡¯t. I don¡¯t want to rush her if it is. But I need her. Pulling her up the bed, I can¡¯t help but want to devour her. Once I get her head on the pillows I start pulling on her clothes. She is letting me. Even pulling on my shorts too. I¡¯m mindful of her sses, pulling her shirt up and over her head.


    It takes a while, because I¡¯ll be honest I am fumbling a little, but I get her down to her panties and bra. She looks breathtaking. ¡°Hannah.¡±


    She looks up at me so trustingly. ¡°It¡¯s ok.¡±


    Leaning back down to kiss her, I can¡¯t stop. It¡¯s like her lips are the best food on the and I can¡¯t stop. I pull off the rest of her clothing and lean back to admire her body. She tries to cover herself. ¡°No, you are beautiful.¡± I slide my hand over her side. Reaching her hands and pulling them away.


    She blushes. But I kiss her shoulders and let her know that I actually do like what I see. She pulls me closer. I want to follow, but we need to be safe. Reaching over to the side table I pull out a condom. Pulling down my boxers, I tear open the foil package. Sliding it down my shaft. I want to be with her now.


    Next is peeling off thest barriers that we have. That¡¯s what is left on her body. She has on this cute little sexy number that iscy and white. Innocent like her. She helps by lifting and shifting as I peel off her underwear first then her brast. Slowly she spreads her legs for me as I slide in between.


    ¡°Are you sure, Hannah?¡±


    She pauses, but only for a minute. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m ready.¡±


    Reaching my hand down between us, letting my fingers explore her body. I can feel how slick and wet she is. When she lets out a deep moan of pleasure I want to plunge deep inside her. But I hold off. I am pretty sure this is her first time and I don¡¯t want to ruin it.


    She starts rocking her hips back and forth along my hand, her hands gripping my shoulders. ¡°Justin, now, please. I want you inside me.¡±


    There is no way I can hold off anymore. I have to follow her lead. Guiding my dick to her entrance I kiss her too. I want to keep her interested and involved. I want this to be memorable. Her hips rise off the bed to push my dick deeper inside. She doesn¡¯t even flinch. I am guessing now that this isn¡¯t her first time. It pisses me off, but at the same time I have this drive now to be the best that she has ever had. I have to be better than the other guy.


    Now, I am not aplete dick. I have researched how to pleasure a woman. I never want to be that guy that just gets his own. Pushing into her I get as deep as I can. She is moaning and writhing. Sliding in and out of her feels amazing. She grips my shoulders and pushes her hips up. I work her body like that a little. Sometimes switching the angle a little and watching her face light up from the new feeling. She loves it. But when I take her right leg up and put it up over my shoulder. Driving into her deeper.


    ¡°Justin, I¡¯m close.¡±


    I groan trying to fight my own release. Pushing my thumb into her clit she cries, biting my pillow as her body tightens on mine. Her breath is out of control. Her body shuddered at her release. Mine follows right behind her in a blinding explosion. Pressing my mouth to her neck to quiet the noise that I am making.


    When I can finally see again, I slowly lower her leg. But I continue to hold her, not ready for this between us to end. She holds me back, her fingers ying with the ends of my hair.


    I start to hear someone in the hall and panic, I don¡¯t think I locked the door. Way quicker than I wanted to, I pulled out of her and jumped up, running for the door to lock it before someone just walked in. Hannah pulled a nket over herself and made herself a burrito. I get the door locked before anyone can enter.


    Turning back to Hannah, I am trying to tell if she regrets it. If she didn¡¯t want it to happen. But I can¡¯t really tell. She is lying there staring at the ceiling. I want to show her that I didn¡¯t regret it though. Discarding the condom, I slide back in the bed with her.


    ¡°What do you want to do now?¡± I ask her as I pull her into my arms.


    She sighs, and it sounds like she is releasing all her tension. ¡°Can we just rx today? Like watch a movie or something?¡±


    I smile. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll get it all set up. We will watch a movie right here.¡±


    That¡¯s what we did. I gave her one of my t-shirts to put on and I put my shorts back on. Then we snuggled in my bed and watched movies until she needed to go home. It was one of the best days of my life.


    Now I am the one staring up at my ceiling wondering how the fuck I could have let myself screw that up. She was perfect right there, in my arms. I pushed her away from some reputation that never mattered much in the long run. No one cares how many friends you had in high school. It is four years that hardly matter in your life. Sometimes you can make friends that willst, or you can do something to screw up your life. I screwed up my life by pushing away the one girl that I enjoyed being with the most.


    I can¡¯ty here anymore, I have to fix this.

 Justin 18

    HANNAHThis content is ? N?velDrama.Org.


    I am not having much luck sleeping. I just keep picturing what it felt like to have Justin kissing me. Holding me. Making me feel like the woman of his dreams. Not to mention Lauren¡¯s words keep swimming in my head. It doesn¡¯t make sense. How can Justin love me? It doesn¡¯t make sense in any universe there is.


    My phone starts chiming, I start to panic, what if it¡¯s about Caden. Quickly picking up my phone I see text after text from Justin.


    Hannah, I need to talk to you.


    Baby, please answer me.


    Where are you?


    Answer me.


    It¡¯s important.


    I can¡¯t understand what could be so important unless it is about Caden.


    I quickly call Justin, because that is a lot faster than texting. ¡°Is everything ok? Is Caden alright?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, Caden is fine. Can youe to the door?¡±


    I am confused as hell but I start walking to the door with Justin on the phone. ¡°Was Caden scared? Did he want toe home?¡±


    ¡°Caden is fine, can you please juste to the door?¡±


    I don¡¯t know what is going on with him. He doesn¡¯t make a lot of sense. What is he doing here if it isn¡¯t because of Caden. Maybe Caden is with him and he just wants me to calm down before he tells me what is going on. I open the door and the only one standing there is Justin. He ends the call on his phone. Stepping into my front room. Forcing me to take a step back.


    Justin stares down at me with intense eyes. ¡°Justin, what¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°I know you need time, but I am not losing you again. There is no way I can do it.¡± His arms wrap around my waist. Pulling my body flush with his. ¡°I have loved you for so long, but I was stupid and lost you once. I will not do it again. There is no way I could survive it. I know you feel it too. I know you felt it in my room this evening. You wanted to be with me, I know there is so much between us, that sometimes it¡¯s hard to wrap your head around it. But I know what we are. We are meant to be. That is why you were pregnant with Caden, it was a sign. I love Caden as much as I love you. I want you both to move in with me. I want you to never leave me again.¡± He rests his chin on my head. Holding me close, begging me to understand how he feels.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you think that is all moving too fast Justin?¡±


    ¡°No, baby, it is almost nine years in the making. There is nothing fast about it. I want my family and I am not leaving your side until you can see it too.¡±


    I can feel the tears falling down my cheeks. ¡°Justin, how do I know that you won¡¯t reject me again like you didst time. That you won¡¯t find someone who is prettier and more socially eptable. Your family is a big deal in this town, so anyone you marry will be judged by the whole town. You know it as well as I do. A single mom that was chased out of town by her parents, isn¡¯t exactly socially eptable.¡±


    He pulls me closer. ¡°You are not a single parent. We are Caden¡¯s parents. Together. Us getting married is just fixing an old mistake. Caden wants us together. I want us together. Right now you are the only one stopping this.¡±


    We are both quiet for a moment. Until Justin breaks the silence. ¡°Oh, by the way. No one ever has been prettier to me than you. I mean ever. I love those sses, they are the cutest thing I have ever seen in my life.¡±


    Iugh. I can¡¯t help it. ¡°My sses?¡±


    He pulls back enough to look at me. ¡°I honestly don¡¯t know how you can¡¯t tell how adorable I think you are. How much I have loved you, all these years no one has evere close to touching the way you make me feel.¡±


    I can hardly keep my tears at bay. ¡°Justin, you are the only one I have ever loved. I just never in a million years thought you felt the same way. You can have someone so much better than me. What would make you want to be with me?¡±


    ¡°You saw me as the greatest person in your life. That was all I ever needed. You loved me even with my millions of ws, and yes I am aware of them. Still you loved me and helped me to be better. When you left, it was like the light left my world. It wasn¡¯t until you walked into my office with my son that I started to see light again.¡± He kissed my forehead.


    We were so lost in each other that we didn¡¯t even notice that anyone else was in the room. My mom grunts. ¡°If you don¡¯t ept him now I am going to kick your butt right back to Fairview.¡±


    I turn and look at her. ¡°Mom.¡± I gasp in shock.


    She shrugs. ¡°What? Your father never talked about me like that. You would be a fool to lose someone who cares about you that much.¡±


    I look back at Justin. ¡°Well, she is right about one thing.¡±


    He smiles down at me. ¡°What, baby?¡±


    ¡°I would be a fool to lose the love of my life.¡±


    This time when his lips touch mine, I feelplete. Like no matter what happens in the world at least we have each other. And nothing will tear that apart.

 Justin 19

    EPILOGUE


    MAY


    JUSTIN


    It has been nothing short of amazing having Hannah back in my life. Being a dad is the greatest experience of my life. I¡¯m not saying there haven¡¯t been hard days, or arguments because we are human, but at the end of the day, Hannah and I know what is important and work it out.


    Today we are watching Caden in his first football game of the season. I am super excited. Like he wanted we tried ser, he still likes it, but he wants to try football. Brodie is on the team with him so I think that makes all the difference.


    Cole is still around sometimes, but not as much. We mainly work with Kelly for ydates. Cole kind of admitted that he wanted to date Hannah and for reasons besides the fact that Hannah is attractive. He somehow thought that being my son¡¯s stepfather would give him more of a leg in town. Being a small part of the Wright family. That was never going to happen. Hannah even told me that she never had feelings for him. Not even once. Cole just assumed that he could worm his way in through his son.


    Brodie is a good kid. Him and Caden get along great. Caden has made a lot of friends this year. He is just like me in that respect. But he is the smartest student in ss and that is all from his mother. He admires his mother and wants to make her proud everyday. Little does he know that just showing that he loves her is all that she wants or ever needs. He¡¯s a great kid and I am privileged to have him in my life.


    Caden is running down the field, getting ready to catch the ball. He is a natural out there. We would practice at home and he always gets the ball. Hannah and I are on our feet cheering as the ball flies in the air and heads straight towards Caden. He turns ready to catch the ball. As soon as his hands grip that ball he pulls it in close and closes the gap between him and the endzone making the first touchdown of the game.


    I know the rest of my family is cheering too. Megan is pregnant now, not really showing. Her and David got marriedst month and they couldn¡¯t be happier to be starting to have babies of their own. I¡¯m just d that David isn¡¯t so gruff anymore. My parents love having a grandson. They take him out and show him off around town. We officially changed his name after a quick ceremony. Now he is a Wright, like he always should have been. I wanted a big one to show off Hannah to the town, but she insisted on something small and quick. Who am I to argue with her? Her wearing my ring is a blessing that I won¡¯t ever take for granted again.


    Caden is running back to his team and we can¡¯t stop cheering him on. That is my son, sometimes it¡¯s hard to even fathom it because he makes me feel so proud. There is no way there is a prouder dad out there.


    Isabellees running up the stands. ¡°Oh, my God, you guys are not going to believe who I just got off the phone with.¡±


    Mom smiles at her. ¡°What is it honey?¡±


    ¡°I just got off the phone with the superintendent. They want to give me a trial run for the high school. I will take a ss this summer for summer school. If I can get my students to behave and pass their course then I can have a spot on the facility next school year.¡±


    ¡°That is fantastic.¡± Dad smiles.


    I grin too. ¡°That is great Izzy. I am sure you will do great.¡±This content is ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Hannah leans on my shoulder. ¡°Caden will miss you at the school. But I am sure you will do great.¡±


    Isabelle beams. ¡°I¡¯ll miss seeing him everyday too, but this is what I have wanted to do for so long that there is no way that I could pass this up.¡±


    I have a feeling that this is the chance that she has been waiting for her whole life.


    A/N: Next time we will be going into Isabelle¡¯s story. You will still see the rest of our characters but you will be introduced to new ones.

 Isabelle Chapter 1

    ISABELLEN?velDrama.Org: text ? owner.


    I can¡¯t believe I am finally getting this chance. I have been applying for high school positions since I received my teaching credentials. They always suggest elementary school positions instead. I have been pushed to elementary because they say that my happy disposition isn¡¯t going to be helpful in the high school environment. Which is just bull shit. Who doesn¡¯t want a happy teacher?


    I want to be where I can make a difference. I get that I can make a difference at the elementary level, but I wouldn¡¯t be memorable. I want to be that teacher that really helps people. That people look back on and say, ¡°yeah that was the teacher that helped me see my potential¡±. That is what I want. I don¡¯t want to do it for glory, I just want to be the teacher that cares.


    Apparently that is my downfall. I care too much. But lucky me the teacher that was supposed to teach American History this summer backed out. Not really sure why, but I think it is going to be good for me. My foot in the door. My chance to show them that I can handle high school.


    Walking these familiar halls after all these years is a little hard. I can see the memories in the halls that we walk by. The lockers that I used to hang out with my friends. Everything that reminds me of my time here. There are changes sure, but not many. Most of the remodeling that they had started when I was here is nowpleted. The walls are still that white with a green trim that always seemed weird for high school walls, when there is always some jerk who will write on the walls. But I guess if it was a dark color they would just use white paint pens. Or it would be too depressing.


    The superintendent is walking me around campus. ¡°I understand that this was your high school so it shouldn¡¯t be too unfamiliar even with the changes over the years.¡±


    I chuckle. ¡°No, it looks pretty much the same.¡± I point to a trophy case that we just passed. ¡°Yeah, most of those still belong to my brothers.¡± There used to be one of mine there too. Not sure if there still is, but I am not going to brag about myself. Doing it about my brothers is just secondary nature at this point.


    He shrugs. ¡°They were all over the ce. They really helped to build the family name. Not that it already isn¡¯t the most spoken name in this town.¡± That isn¡¯t wrong. Everyone in this town knows the Wrights and there isn¡¯t anyone that hasn¡¯t talked about us from one point or another. It¡¯s like being a small town celebrity. It is actually the most annoying thing to live with.


    I shrug in return. ¡°Yeah, but we are all doing what we want so that is what is important.¡± I always try to brush it off. I have always hated this side of my family, but I love my family deeply.


    ¡°Your sister isn¡¯t still that troublemaker is she?¡± He eyes me like I am personally responsible for Jasmine and her hijinks. Not that Jasmine is a troublemaker but she does like to make sure that she has fun. She is never one to follow rules that she thinks are stupid. That makes her stand out in town and they have no problem burning her at the stake if they so wish.


    ¡°She is still Jasmine. Not really a troublemaker, but a free spirit. At least that is what we call her. She¡¯s never hurt anyone or anything so I don¡¯t think that really ssifies her as a troublemaker.¡± She was actually a cheerleader in school. She wouldn¡¯t have been able to stay on the team if she was so much of a troublemaker.


    He humphs. He is a short man, shorter than my five eight. Balding on the top, he does thatbover thing that is just stupid, but men still do it anyway. I mean I get that they are self conscious, but still they should realize that it doesn¡¯t look good. Embrace the hair loss. That is far more attractive. He has a bit of a belly, but he tries to keep it tucked back withyers, I can still see it though. ¡°Well, beg to differ. You are going to have to know the difference working here.¡±


    ¡°I understand.¡± I understand that you are a controlling dick. But whatever.


    He points to a ssroom, this is the end of his tour. ¡°This is your ssroom for the next six weeks. Good luck.¡± First he passes me the keys to the room, then he pats me on the back and walks off like he just left me in a viper pit. This is who is in charge of our schools. What is our worlding to?


    I walked in the room, I came early today so that I could get a tour and set up the room. I have my roster on my desk and what is required to get through during the six weeks of instruction. In my briefcase I have a grading book and extra material that I thought would be helpful. It¡¯s a good thing too, because the list they gave me for this assignment is pathetic. It is like I am just supposed to entertain them for the next six weeks and keep them in the room. Then they have a test and that¡¯s it. What the actual hell?


    I am setting up, writing my name on the board when the door opens. I am certain it is one of my new students so I turn to the door with a weing smile. Instead I find a frustratingly attractive man. He is wearing a ck t-shirt and jeans, and hiking boots on his feet. He has a clear smirk on his face. I say frustratingly attractive because it is clear that he knows he is attractive and has no problems with people looking at him. ¡°So they got the kindergarten teacher to babysit. How nice.¡± I am not missing the sarcasm and already I don¡¯t like him.


    I shake my head, dropping my smile. ¡°What are you talking about?¡± It¡¯s better just to let him get it off his chest now. I would rather know what side he is on.


    He waves the hand that is carrying one of those to-go coffee cups in it. ¡°This is the trouble ss. These kids aren¡¯t supposed to really learn anything. They put you here because of your name. The Wright that wants to teach high school. They are throwing you a bone so that they can turn you downter. It¡¯s to get you to back off with applying for high school.¡±


    ¡°What is your name?¡± I have a feeling this is just another asshole who is going to tell me that I am wasting my time. He seems like the type, he¡¯s going to tell me I am not cut out for high school and should get my butt back to elementary school.


    ¡°Alex Saxon.¡± He states with a smirk.


    ¡°Well, Mr. Saxon¡­¡± I started and he cut me off.


    ¡°Just Alex is fine.¡± He smirks again.


    I re. ¡°Mr. Saxon. I n to teach these kids. That is what I am here for. The next six weeks will be my chance to prove to them and you that I am capable of doing this job.¡± I am not going to back down because some jerk showed up in my ssroom and told me it is a waste of my time. I don¡¯t think it is.


    Heughs. ¡°Yeah, right. You can¡¯t reward these kids with jellybeans and get them to do what you want. This is high school. These kids are going to eat you alive.¡± He seems so sure of himself. I wonder when he got this attitude? Was it over thest couple of years or did he always feel this way?


    ¡°Thanks for that lovely information. You can go now.¡± Just because he is a cynic doesn¡¯t mean that I am going to let it bring me down. That is his problem not mine.


    He justughs again. ¡°I¡¯m across the hall if they try to kill you. I¡¯m teaching math.¡± Like I would ever run to him if I had a problem. Thest thing I would want is an ¡®I told you so¡¯.


    I just roll my eyes. ¡°The most hated subject on the face of the.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I know.¡± He winks and leaves the room.


    ¡°Asshole.¡± I mutter under my breath.


    I don¡¯t have much time before the kids starting in. They look a little rough around the edges but nothing I can¡¯t handle. I have four brothers and a sister like Jasmine, this is going to be a piece of cake.

 Isabelle Chapter 2

    ALEX


    I couldn¡¯t help but razz her this morning. She honestly thinks she can handle high school kids. They are going to eat her alive.This content is ? N?velDrama.Org.


    To be honest though, I wasn¡¯t expecting a woman as attractive as her. I figured a mousy girl who wanted to make a difference. But that was a woman, strong and ready to hold her own. Too bad that isn¡¯t enough. Her looks aren¡¯t lost on me though. Her jeans hugged her body just right. That v neck t-shirt hugged everything perfect. Then she paired it with these ankle boots that gave her a little boost. She had her hair up in a messy bun, but it didn¡¯t look unkempt, just perfect.


    Cassie plops down in her desk. ¡°Do we really have to do this?¡±


    She isn¡¯t the first student to ask me that today. She¡¯s one of those kids that shows up because her parents make her, but she actually has no desire to actually do anything when she is here. ¡°It¡¯s only a couple of hours then you have lunch. It¡¯s not going to kill you.¡±


    Jake kicks up his leg on the desk in front of him. ¡°Hey, Teach did you see the new hot teacher across the hall?¡± Jake is a jock that prefers to spend his time looking at girls rather than doing the actual work assigned. However if he doesn¡¯t pull it together this year he may be off the team.


    I shake my head. Leave it to an over hormonal sixteen year old to point out the obvious. ¡°That isn¡¯t how we talk about our teachers, Jake.¡±


    Tiffanyughs. ¡°You¡¯re only saying that because you protest the students calling you hot.¡± She is one of those girls that thinks her looks are what is going to get her by in life. She has no desire to do any actual work, she ns to just find a husband and live her life doing what he wants. Only she doesn¡¯t realize how many women do that. There aren¡¯t that many sessful men.


    I point my finger at her. ¡°I don¡¯t want to hear anymore talk like that. We are here to get through summer school in one piece and not check out the hot teachers. Got it.¡±


    Jakeughs. ¡°So you admit that she is hot.¡±


    Travis gives him a high five. Those two are two peas in a pod. I am pretty sure there is a third to their group but he probably passed his sses. Well, shit now the ss is lost. I only have eight kids for the morning session but still. My ss is already lost on the teacher next door.


    I picked up the packets of papers that I had made and stapled on my desk. ¡°That¡¯s enough. I have packets for you. You get through the packets then you can spend the rest of our time here until the test just chilling out. But here is the kicker, you have to get them all correct.¡± I give them a challenging smirk. Honestly if we just sit here quietly and work on the packets I¡¯m fine with that too.


    There is a collective groan. ¡°Come on guys, this isn¡¯t so bad. It¡¯s basically a copy of the test. We get through this the test will be a breeze then you can get your credits and move on from this math.¡±


    Sam raises her hand. ¡°Can I leave now?¡± She is what we call the Emo kid. She wears all ck and doesn¡¯t like to be in any ss. I think she only shows up because her parents told her they would kick her out if she didn¡¯t. At sixteen she isn¡¯t ready to be out of the nest.


    ¡°No you can not leave.¡±


    Connor raises his hand. ¡°What does the hot teacher teach?¡± He¡¯s not really a jock but he likes to hang out with them, so I am not exactly surprised to hear this from him either.


    I roll my eyes. ¡°We are not here to ask about the hot teacher.¡± I¡¯m already walking around the ss handing out the packets.


    Jake snickers. ¡°Damn straight she¡¯s hot.¡±


    ¡°Jake.¡± I give him a warning tone, but this means absolutely nothing to him.


    He doesn¡¯t stop snickering. ¡°She is teaching right across the hall.¡± Somehow this is supposed to be important right now.


    Connor smiles. ¡°I have her next then.¡± Now I see why it is important.


    Jake stares at him open mouthed. ¡°You lucky bastard.¡±


    ¡°Mouth Jake.¡± I counter. Trying to rein in my own ss. I can only smile at the thought of what little miss perfect, Ms. Wright, is having to deal with.


    He takes his packet. ¡°Did she shoot you down, Teach?¡±


    ¡°Look we are not going to objectify Ms. Wright.¡±


    I guess that was the wrong words because now my ss is in a tiff.


    ¡°Holy shit, she is a Wright.¡± Travis.


    ¡°No way she is a Wright.¡± Jake.


    ¡°I wonder if she would hook me up with her brother.¡± Tiffany.


    ¡°That is gross Tiff. They are all like way older.¡± Cassie. Cassie is pretty like Tiffany but she ns to be alone for the rest of her life. I think she might swing the other way.


    ¡°Ever hear of a sugar daddy, Cass?¡± Tiffany.


    ¡°I hear that two of the Wrights are already married.¡± Patrick. Patrick is one of those loner kids that doesn¡¯t have many friends.


    ¡°Yeah the old ones.¡± Sam.


    ¡°They are still hot.¡± Stacy. She preens herself like one of them is going to walk in here any minute. She likes to throw herself at the attractive guys in ss. I wish she had a little bit more self respect.


    I raise my voice slightly. ¡°ss, settle down. We are here to learn math, not study the Wright family.¡±


    The ss is lost. They are still talking over me. Yeah, there is no way that she is doing any better than me.

 Isabelle Chapter 3

    ISABELLE


    ¡°Alright ss, this is American History. Those of you who don¡¯t know me, I am Ms. Wright, I will be your teacher this summer.¡± Addressing this ss for the first time is a little scary but not too bad. Seven nk faces stare back at me. ¡°Does anyone want to say anything? Any questions, or do you want to get to it?¡± No one answers. Ok, I knew this was going to be harder, but not nothing. I actually expected more back talk. ¡°Ok, then let¡¯s do attendance.¡± I have to at least get their names out of them.


    I pick up the sheet of students that I am supposed to have here. ¡°Luna.¡±


    ¡°Here.¡± The timid girl in the front answers.


    ¡°Nathon.¡±


    A bulky guy in the back raises his hand without saying anything.


    ¡°Zach.¡±


    ¡°Here.¡± A boy in the middle winks at me.


    I blink a few times to make sure I am actually seeing that. But no, I am going to pretend that I didn¡¯t. It will just be better that way. I continued on as if I didn¡¯t see anything. ¡°James.¡±


    Another boy just raises his hand, no sound.


    ¡°Kacee.¡±


    ¡°Here.¡± She waves her hand a little bit.


    ¡°Nova.¡±


    Another hand raise with no sound. I think it might be a cool thing.


    ¡°Andst but not least Trevor.¡± He just raises his hand too.


    ¡°Alright then, let¡¯s get this show going. Does anyone know anything that happened in American history that could be important?¡± I am hoping that if I just get them talking about it then maybe I can bring it back to what we are actually studying.


    Nova raises her hand. ¡°Are you talking about the Boston tea party?¡±


    I point at her. ¡°Exactly. That is a very important piece of our history that many try to pretend didn¡¯t happen. Does anyone know why it happened?¡±


    Nova shakes her head. ¡°Something about throwing some tea in the bay.¡± She is acting like she doesn¡¯t see the point in it but she was actually the one to bring it up.


    ¡°Yes, but it was also so much more than that. It was a key turning point in our history. If that never happened we would all be British right now.¡±


    Nathonughs. ¡°Yeah right. We are an ocean away.¡± I¡¯m actually surprised to hear him speak, he seemed like the strong silent type.


    I lean back on my desk. ¡°Yes, but when America was first colonized we were part of Great Britain. They used our resources to make themselves richer and we worked ourselves to the bone barely getting by. What we had was a far cry from what it is now. Basically we were shipping everything over the ocean that took months and we were supposed to be getting resources in return, but they charged us. Then they started raising taxes that made it almost impossible to pay for anything. So finally the Colonist had enough. That is what the Boston Tea Party was about. The shipment was made of tea. Well the rebels as they were called at the time snuck onto the ship and dumped every crate of tea into the bay. Thus making the statement to Great Britain that we were no longer going to be taxed. We revolted and that was the start of the American Revolutionary war. Without that one act we would have still been a part of Great Britain and we wouldn¡¯t have the America that we have today.¡±


    Luna raises her hand. ¡°What does that mean exactly?¡± She seems really shy so I am d that she is participating. It makes me smile.


    ¡°It means that the rules and regtions that we live by now were made way back then. Because of the British government having such dominating control over us, we madews that prevented our own government from doing the same thing again. Sadly people have forgotten that and they are trying to change the veryws that would protect the people.¡±


    Jamesughs. ¡°Sounds like you are a conspiracy theorist. Should we get you a foil helmet?¡± He seems like one of those guys that likes to get people tough, that is what keeps him on the top.


    Iugh too. ¡°No, I¡¯m not that far gone. I am talking about the basic rights that we have. The right to bear arms for example. Or freedom of speech. These werews that were designed when the Constitution was signed, but the government and those with a lot of money are trying to overturn those veryws.¡±N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.


    Kacee smiles. ¡°Isn¡¯t your family one of those rich people?¡± For a minute she was staring out the window, so I am d I have her attention now.


    I nod. ¡°Sure we have money, but we work for it and we are not trying to overturn the Constitution.¡±


    Nova raises her hand. ¡°So wait a second, your family founded this town. You are rich as hell, how can you say that you don¡¯t controlws. I am sure your family controls a lot.¡± Everyone thinks that. But in reality we are struggling to do anything because everyone assumes that we just get everything handed to us.


    I nod. ¡°Ok, you sound like you have a point. But when you look at our town history, my family hasn¡¯t been involved in any politics in this town in thest hundred years. We haven¡¯t even had a mayor. It¡¯s just that our name is famous around town so people assume that we make all the rules. We don¡¯t though, and we follow them all just like you.¡±


    Zach shakes his head. ¡°I¡¯m not buying it. You guys have to have your hand in something.¡± He smiles and winks at me again. I roll my eyes and make sure that he sees it. I don¡¯t need him to continue to do that.


    ¡°Alright, if you can find one thing currently that my family is politically involved in then I will give you fifty percent of your points.¡± I challenge them all. ¡°But in the meantime, how about we get back to the country¡¯s history.¡±


    I pulled up a copy of the test. ¡°So it looks like we have a test here that we are supposed to be going over the topics and then getting to get you to pass it. So how about this, there are fifty questions on this test. If we take two of these questions a day and discuss them, then by the time we get to thest week we can have a couple of review days before the test. How does that sound?¡±


    Trevor groans. ¡°Do we really have to?¡± I didn¡¯t really expect everyone to be thrilled about it. Especially in this group.


    I shrug. ¡°That is really up to you. What happens if you don¡¯t?¡±


    Luna holds up her hand. ¡°We fail.¡±


    I point at her. ¡°Good point. But what does that mean?¡± The whole ss shrugs. ¡°So these summer sses are to try to catch up on the credits that you need to graduate. If you don¡¯t get these credits, do you think you will graduate?¡± Again a bunch of shrugs. ¡°Ok, a better question, why do you even need to graduate?¡± I thought hard about this when I found out what I was teaching. I wanted them to know it was their choice to be here. They need to fully understand that choice.


    Zach grins. ¡°That¡¯s what I am talking about.¡±


    ¡°But what happens to you if you don¡¯t?¡± I ask again.


    Kacee answers. ¡°My parents would kick me out.¡±


    I see a few nods. I scrunch up my face a little. ¡°How would you make money?¡± nting the idea that maybe it might be a good idea to do the ss is why I am here.


    Again the room shrugs.


    ¡°I don¡¯t see this being a good thing if you don¡¯t do the ss.¡± I shrug too. ¡°But it¡¯s your choice.¡±


    Luna raises her hand. ¡°I want to do it.¡±


    Kacee looks over at her. ¡°Do you even go to this school? I swear I have never seen you before.¡±


    Luna blushes and seems to bury herself in her desk. I know there is something going on there. ¡°Yes, she goes to this school, or else she wouldn¡¯t be here.¡± I point out.


    ¡°Ok, those of you that want to learn and get those credits, let¡¯s get to work.¡± I start digging in. Two questions a day and there is going to be a lot of pointless talk but they will get what they need out of it.


    It¡¯s not easy, they are a quiet bunch, but I am getting the answers one way or another.

 Isabelle Chapter 4

    ALEX


    I knock on her door, before entering. I have a big grin on my face. Sure I am going to be gloating about the trouble that she went through. But she has her feet kicked up on her desk and looksfortable as hell. She does not look like a woman who is ready to pull her hair out.


    ¡°So, did the piranhas devour you or what?¡± I think she might be putting on a front and doesn¡¯t want me to know how bad she had it.N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.


    She shrugs. ¡°It wasn¡¯t so bad. Honestly I expected worse. They aren¡¯t bad kids.¡±


    I have to blink a few times to be sure that I am awake. ¡°What do you mean they aren¡¯t bad? This is summer school.¡± Did she not have the same kind of students I did? Did she somehow get students that are here for extra credit?


    Sheughs. ¡°Just because they are in summer school doesn¡¯t mean they are bad kids. It just means that they had stuff happen. It made it difficult toplete the course. Or maybe they learn a little differently. That doesn¡¯t make them bad kids. We actually had a good discussion on the Boston Tea Party.¡±


    Iugh. ¡°Really? I mean there is no way you are this understanding. You had to have lost it at one point.¡± Why isn¡¯t she ranting? Ready to quit.


    I hear someone behind me. ¡°Um, excuse me, Mr. Saxon.¡± I turn and see a timid girl that I hardly recognize. I think I saw her at the beginning of the year, but that was it. I thought she moved or something. I can¡¯t even really remember her name. ¡°Ms. Wright, can I talk to you in private?¡± She ignores me and addresses her. It¡¯s like I am just in the way.


    She nods and puts her feet down. ¡°Sure Luna. Come on in. Mr. Saxon was just leaving anyway.¡± She is ready to disregard me too. What the hell just happened?


    ¡°Actually I wasn¡¯t.¡± I grin. That usually works on women, they do what I want, or give me what I want. Right now I want to see her lose her cool.


    She res at me. ¡°Well, a student needs me, which is slightly more important than your attempt at witty banter.¡± Ok, she isn¡¯t losing it but she does look pissed. But at me and not the job.


    ¡°Harsh, tell me how you really feel.¡± I grin.


    She just stares at me. ¡°Leave please.¡± I have never in my life been dismissed by a woman like this. It just doesn¡¯t make sense.


    I roll my eyes. ¡°Alright. Jeez. Can¡¯t even take a joke.¡±


    I leave the room and Luna shuts the door behind me. When I turned around I saw Nathon. He¡¯s leaning against the lockers like he has nothing better to do with himself. He smiles at me. ¡°She shot you down huh?¡± He¡¯s usually really quiet. That brooding type that girls seem to flock to. It keeps him in the popr circle. That and he ys a mean game of basketball.


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t even trying.¡± I protest before I realize that I am talking to a student. I should not be saying that I was hitting on another teacher. Or even hinting that I was. ¡°Besides that would be unprofessional.¡±


    Heughs. ¡°Unprofessional or not, I know when I see a guy flirting. You were flirting. Very badly by the way. There is no way she is going to be into you, not acting like that.¡± He is making fun of me. What the hell world did I wake up in this morning? Maybe this is just some messed up dream or something.


    I scoff. ¡°You have no idea what you¡¯re talking about. She is a kindergarten teacher that is ying at high school.¡± Putting her down seems like the best recourse here.


    He shrugs. ¡°I don¡¯t know, she did a pretty good job. We all listened, we learned. It was actually pretty cool. I like her.¡±


    I roll my eyes. ¡°It was her first day. I doubt you guys are going to want to continue listening to her.¡± I am calling it beginner¡¯s luck. That is all this is. She is new and interesting, that is why they are listening to her.


    He just smiles. ¡°Believe what you want, Teach.¡±


    Could we have been wrong? No, there is no way this little kid teacher is going to be able to handle high school. There is just no way. Yet it is her first day and already a student is going to her with a problem. Somehow she rted to them. She got through to them. That doesn¡¯t make any sense. I don¡¯t understand how that is possible.


    I am going to find out though.

 Isabelle Chapter 5

    ISABELLE


    I am a little irritated with Alex Saxon at the moment. What the hell is his issue with me? I didn¡¯t do anything to him. Why the hell does he keep trying to piss me off? Does he have something against my family or is he just a jerk in general?


    Luna looks up at me with those shy eyes. ¡°What can I help you with Luna?¡± Right now I need to focus on Luna, she obviously has a problem and she wants my help. Keeping my own anger in check is just fine. I guess that is what I learned teaching the little kids. There is a time and ce for anger, but never in a ssroom.


    ¡°Um.¡± She shuffles from foot to foot almost like she is hopping.


    ¡°It¡¯s ok, Luna. You can tell me anything.¡± I try to give her a reassuring smile. I want her to be able to confide in me if something is bothering her. That is why I am here after all. I want to make a difference.


    She takes a deep breath. ¡°I have a problem.¡±


    ¡°Ok, you can tell me, maybe we can work it out together.¡± I am trying to be a friend to her. That is what is going to get her to open up to me. I can tell that she is scared and I want to eliminate that.


    She takes a seat in the chair next to my desk. She still seems really nervous. Grabbing her bag like it is her lifeline and she will simply be too vulnerable if she lets it go. She looks down at the ground rather than looking at me when she starts talking.


    ¡°The reason I am in this ss is because I ran away.¡± I really didn¡¯t see that in this girl. She seems like she maybe just had too much going on. Like too many sses or something. Or pressure from her parents. Not that she would run away.


    I nod, not really sure where this is going, but I am here to help. ¡°Sometimes we have to step away from a situation to see it clearly.¡± I am hoping this helps. But without knowing the whole situation I can¡¯t really say much.


    She shakes her head. ¡°It wasn¡¯t like that. My parents are great and really understanding. It wasn¡¯t their fault that I ran away.¡± Now I have no idea.


    I try to keep myself rxed. But I kind of feel a little on edge. ¡°Do you want to tell me why?¡± I am hoping this isn¡¯t a forceful nudge and just something gentle.


    She nods. ¡°I¡¯m really embarrassed. I¡¯m not sure if I am just being a baby about it or if it is really a problem.¡±


    ¡°Hey,¡± I make sure she looks up at me. ¡°If it bothers you then you aren¡¯t being a baby about it. You are taking care of yourself. You are never a baby to protect yourself. If it makes you ufortable enough to run away then it is something to be concerned about.¡±


    She nods and it looks like she is ready to cry, but she pushes on, forcing her tears away. ¡°Last year this boy started to pick on me. He¡¯s really popr and everyone thought it was funny. Like it was all some joke. I didn¡¯t like it. I asked him to stop, but then he kind of changed. Like it was more like flirting. I didn¡¯t understand it. I¡¯m not even sure if it was flirting or if it was just another way to tease me. My friend said it was flirting. I didn¡¯t like it. Then one day after school, I was finishing up a project in the library and he cornered me there. He kissed me. I told him that I didn¡¯t want that, but he said that it didn¡¯t matter. I said I would tell everyone and he said that no one would believe me. So I ran away. I didn¡¯t know what else to do.¡± I think reliving it for me might have been too much for her because now the tears are falling.


    ¡°Did you report him?¡±


    She shakes her head, sniffling. I hand her a tissue. She dly takes it. ¡°My parents found me, they really want me to keep going to this school. They have me doing counseling, but they really don¡¯t know why I ran away in the first ce. They think it is some teenage rebellion or something.¡± She looks so lost right now.


    ¡°This boy, is he here in summer school?¡± I figure I better know how bad this is.


    She sniffles again. ¡°No, but his friends are and now I am worried that he is going to show up and try to tease me again.¡±


    I nodpletely understanding. ¡°How about this, when you aren¡¯t in your sses you cane to my room. That way you are not alone. He can¡¯t harass you if you are not alone. I am assuming that he has nevere to your home or anything like that.¡±


    She shakes her head. ¡°No, it was always at school. I guess that could work.¡± She seems to rx a bit more. Like having a n makes it a little easier to handle.


    ¡°I¡¯ll even make sure you get home alright. As long as I am here, he can¡¯t mess with you.¡± I want to make that clear. I would like to report this kid, but not knowing the kid I can¡¯t do much. But I can protect her for now.


    She gives me a small smile. ¡°Thank you. I just didn¡¯t know what to do. You are the only female teacher this summer. I figured it would be easy to talk to a woman about this.¡± I know that girls have this issue, that is a problem with some schools. Students like to confide in like genders.


    ¡°I understand. I would also suggest that you talk to the counselor that your parents got you in with. You should never be scared to live your life.¡± I want to help her in any way that I can, because let¡¯s be honest here I may not be here next year.


    ¡°I just don¡¯t know how to do it. He is nice, but it just seems weird.¡±


    I nod, understanding the problem. They put her in with a male counselor and she is scared of a male in particr. ¡°Have you talked to your parents about a female counselor?¡±


    She shakes her head. ¡°No, I don¡¯t know how to tell them. I know they tried to find me the best. I feel like it would be a p in their face after I ran away.¡±This content is ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Do you want me to talk to them? I can help without actually saying what happened, if that would be alright with you.¡±


    She looks up at me and suddenly I see her shoulders sag in relief. The tension that she was holding in, is suddenly gone and she has a small smile on her face. ¡°That would be good. I really want to feel better. I don¡¯t want to be scared. I want to finish high school.¡±


    ¡°Well, I will do what it takes to make that happen.¡± I put out my hand for her to shake. I would usually pat someone on the shoulder to let them know I am on their side, but I don¡¯t want to touch anyone that doesn¡¯t want it. I figure a hand shake isn¡¯t going to hurt anyone. Plus she can always turn it down. I wouldn¡¯t be offended.


    She doesn¡¯t though, she takes my hand.


    I lean back in my seat. ¡°So, Luna, what do you want to do after high school?¡±


    She smiles. ¡°I write sometimes. I have a little bit of a following on this one app. I really enjoy it.¡±


    ¡°Have you ever thought of journalism?¡±


    She nods. ¡°Yeah, but I like to use my imagination. I likeing up with my own stories.¡±


    ¡°Maybe we can find ways to explore that too. Where do you have your stories? I would like to read them.¡±


    Her face lights up even more. ¡°Really?¡±


    I return her smile. ¡°Yeah. I want to see how good they are. My brother is a literary nut, I am sure he would love to check it out too. Not to mention his wife is a real lover of reading, she loves to hear about new stories. She is pregnant right now and my brother has put her on house arrest. I am sure a good story would be a wee escape.¡±


    Luna lets out a littleugh. ¡°Really? He has her under house arrest?¡±


    ¡°Oh, yeah, she texts me like three hundred times a day begging me to get my brother to let her out. He even hired a full house of staff. He won¡¯t let her lift a finger. She is only three months pregnant. David has always been a bit of a worry wart.¡±


    ¡°I wish I had brothers or sisters. It¡¯s just me.¡± She shrugs a little sadly.


    ¡°It can be a pain sometimes, but other times it is the greatest thing in the world. Sometimes they are way too into your business, you want to scream and punch them in the face, but you don¡¯t because you know it is out of love.¡±


    There is a knock on my ssroom door. I am just praying that it isn¡¯t Alex Saxon. At this point, I might p him. ¡°Stay put.¡± I pat her hand and go to the door.


    When I open the door I am pleasantly surprised to see William. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± I greet him with a hug and a smile.


    He returns my smile. ¡°I saw all themotion outside and figured it was lunch. I wanted to see how your first day went.¡± He peeks in the room and sees Luna. ¡°If this is a bad time then I cane backter.¡±


    I wave it off. ¡°No, this is fine. This is my friend Luna.¡± I take William¡¯s arm and bring him into the room. Closing the door again. ¡°Luna, this is my little brother William.¡± He¡¯s in his uniform, so it is clear he is a cop.


    She looks a little panicked. ¡°Did you call him?¡±


    ¡°No sweetie, I wouldn¡¯t do that to you. He is just here to visit. Remember I just said that they like to be in your business. Well, this is William doing a family check. I am sure that by the end of the day my whole family will know how my first day is going.¡± I hate that she thought I would call my brother behind her bad, but she doesn¡¯t know me very well, it¡¯s going to take time for her to get to know me enough to know I wouldn¡¯t do that.


    Williamughs. ¡°Guilty. Mom already called me. Dad texted. Even Luke texted. Not sure he realized it when he texted it because it was at two in the morning. But yeah, he texted.¡±


    Iugh too. Taking my seat again. William sits on a desk in front of my desk. ¡°So, how goes it?¡±


    ¡°Fine if you don¡¯t count the jerks trying to tell me I can¡¯t do it. I was literally called a kindergarten teacher by another teacher this morning.¡± I groan. My brother is one I can easily whine to. He knows how it is. He is supposed to be a detective but they keep putting him on beat cop duty because they don¡¯t think he can handle it. Even though he passed all the tests that they did.


    Luna nods. ¡°Mr. Saxon.¡± I am not surprised that she knew that without me even saying anything.


    I point at her. ¡°Yeah, he seems to think he is the Lord of the school or something. I think he needs to be taken down a peg.¡±


    Luna shrugs. ¡°I kind of thought he was flirting with you. But I really don¡¯t know.¡±


    William sits up straighter. ¡°What exactly was he doing?¡±


    I roll my eyes. ¡°Rx, he wasn¡¯t flirting. He was irritating. Thought he was being cute, but really he was just being as stupid jerk.¡±


    Williamughs. ¡°I thought you knew how guys work. We are always irritating at first.¡± He shakes his head like I should already be in on the know.


    ¡°Myst boyfriend wasn¡¯t irritating.¡±


    He shrugs. ¡°Maybe that is why he is your ex. He didn¡¯t care enough to be irritating. Besides, he was kind ofme.¡±


    I can¡¯t help butugh. I am trying to stifle it, but ites out. ¡°He wasn¡¯tme.¡±


    ¡°Oh, yeah he was.¡± William nods. ¡°He would pick at his food for like an hour and never eat anything, then proceed to try to tter mom, by saying it was the best food he ever ate in his life. He didn¡¯t even eat it. It was like he was always on a diet that no one but him knew about. Why? I have no idea, because he was a stick with no muscles.¡±


    I wave him off. ¡°Alright, you said your peace.¡±


    Luna isughing too. I like to see this side of her. An hour ago she would barely say three words. This is good for her. I¡¯m d I could make her feelfortable enough toe out of her shell a little. This is why I wanted to be in high school. Luna is the reason I want this job. I will do whatever it takes to prove it. Even if that means dealing with the pain in the ass named Alex Saxon.

 Isabelle Chapter 6

    ALEX


    My afternoon ss seems to be going fine. But I am not understanding Luna. She seemed to be totally open to Isabelle, but I can¡¯t get her to participate at all in ss. It¡¯s like she is shut off and ready to crawl under her desk. How is it that Isabelle can get her to talk and I got nothing.


    Felix raises his hand. ¡°Why the heck do we have to learn this anyway? It¡¯s not like we are ever going to need it.¡± He seems to want to flick the paper packet back at me rather than do it.


    I roll my eyes. That is the mostmon argument I get a year. ¡°Because it builds character. Your struggles make you who you are.¡± I smile.


    He just rolls his eyes at me. ¡°Yeah, whatever.¡± I¡¯m actually surprised he hasn¡¯t started making paper airnes out of it.


    I point to Luna. ¡°Luna, can you name me one time where math might be helpful in life?¡±


    She just shrugs at me. Not a word. I sigh, a little frustrated, but not that upset, this is every day for me. ¡°Ok, anyone else?¡±


    Gabe answers. ¡°How about calcting how many minutes left of this ss.¡± This gets him augh from the rest of the ss.


    ¡°Ok, not exactly what I was looking for, but it works. You have to use math right?¡± I am asking Gabe directly now since it was his suggestion.


    Gabe shrugs, ¡°Yeah, but it¡¯s basic. I don¡¯t have to solve for X to do it.¡±


    I point at him to make my point. ¡°You don¡¯t think you do because you aren¡¯t looking at it the right way.¡± I head to the board and start writing out the problem. ¡°It¡¯s eleven forty five now, ss is done at one. So you need to find X to know how many minutes are left.¡± I write it out on the board, but they still look at me like I am an idiot. They could just count the minutes.


    I turn back to the nk faces looking at me. ¡°Look, even basic math at one point was hard. The more you do it the more basic it bes. You wouldn¡¯t know how to multiply five times six if you didn¡¯t practice it.¡±


    James slumps back in his seat. ¡°Ms. Wright makes it seem more interesting to learn. This is like just do the packet and see yater.¡± He looks depressed about it.


    You have got to be kidding me. Now my students areparing her to me. I guess if they were saying I was the better of the two it wouldn¡¯t be such a p in the face, but no they are saying the kindergarten teacher is better at my job than me. ¡°Well, anyone can teach history.¡±


    Nathon chuckles. ¡°Not the way she teaches it.¡±


    I roll my eyes. ¡°What the heck does that mean?¡± I am getting a little tired of Nathon this morning.


    He shrugs. ¡°She makes it make sense. Like why we should learn it. That it matters. I don¡¯t see how this matters.¡± He flicks his packet of papers too.


    Lily rolls her eyes. ¡°You¡¯re only saying that because you think she is hot.¡± Count on her to counter Nathon.


    He shakes his head. ¡°No, I¡¯m not. I mean she is hot, but the point is she knows what she is doing. She had us talking about the second amendment in like two minutes. Did you know if we didn¡¯t take a stand that we would be British. That is some messed up crap. I mean they don¡¯t got nothing on us, but they thought they could run our country from across the ocean.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, so, everyone knows that.¡± Lily scoffs.


    ¡°Did you know that is why we have thew that says we have the right to have guns. It¡¯s so that if our government gets out of control again we have a way to revolt. It¡¯s not just for protection against the drug dealer down the street.¡± Nathon says, like this makes his point. I guess it is in a way.


    ¡°Did I walk into history ss, I thought this was math.¡± I try to get my sses attention back on me.


    Nathon turns back to me. ¡°I¡¯m just saying she makes it relevant. I haven¡¯t heard you do the same.¡±


    I sigh. ¡°Alright, you want to be relevant? How about this? You are ying a football game. The score is twelve to twenty one. You are losing, how many points do you need in order to win. Then how many touchdowns do you need to get?¡±


    Gabe rolls his eyes. ¡°How do you even get twelve points in a game?¡±


    I chuckle. ¡°Easy, you miss the extra point kick twice.¡±


    Jamesughs. ¡°Sounds like you need a new kicker.¡±


    ¡°You should also factor into your answer that your kicker probably isn¡¯t going to make the extra kick again.¡± I add.


    Luna raises her hand. I point at her, thankful to get something out of her. ¡°There are several answers based on the oue of each touchdown. You need at least two touchdowns to win, that would put you at twenty four points if the kicker doesn¡¯t make his goals. Or if you are going for just kicks then you could have to do three, I think. I think that ties it up. But if your kicker isn¡¯t making the extra point then you shouldn¡¯t rely on him to make those.¡±N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.


    I nod. ¡°Yes. Thank you. Finally someone gets it. You have taken into ount all the variables and made an educated decision based on that.¡±


    Luna blushes and buries her head again. Well, shit. I finally got her talking and now she is gone again.


    Shaily raises her hand. ¡°Ok, so say that math is relevant. How are you going to make it interesting enough for us to learn it?¡± She is one of those kids that doesn¡¯t participate because she thinks she is smarter than the teacher, yet she is here.


    Some days I wonder why I became a teacher. Because the rest of my ss went like that. Basically being told that Ms. Wright is a better teacher than me and math is not important.


    At the end of ss there is a sight for sore eyes at my door. ¡°Hey, Teach what¡¯s up?¡± One of my favorite students is at the door. Kyle is the star quarterback of our team and an all around good guy. He causes some trouble, but what boy doesn¡¯t. He mostly keeps his nose clean.


    I put my hand out for him to sp so we can do one of those manly hugs. You know not a full embrace but a bit of back pping. ¡°What the heck are you doing here?¡±


    He smiles. ¡°My boys got summer school, I¡¯m making sure they get to practice.¡± Suddenly his eyes shoot to the student standing next to me.


    It¡¯s Luna. She is trying to actively make herself smaller. ¡°Um, here is the packet Mr. Saxon. Do I have to keeping?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, until the ss is over.¡± Her face falls further.


    ¡°Oh, Ok.¡± I swear it¡¯s like the longer she stands here the shorter she gets.


    ¡°I¡¯ll grade this and get it back to you. Remember they all have to be correct and you need to show your work. I don¡¯t want just googled answers.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡± She says in a soft whispered voice.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯ll see you tomorrow then.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Mr. Saxon.¡± Suddenly she is sprinting for the door.


    Kyle looks at me and his face is unreadable. ¡°Um, I¡¯ll be right back.¡± He takes off after her.


    Curiosity gets the best of me and I follow them out to the hall. Why was she running? Why did Kyle run after her?


    When I look out in the hall I see Luna frozen with Kyle¡¯s hand on her arm. ¡°Can¡¯t we talk?¡± She shakes her head. ¡°You just disappeared, what the hell happened?¡±


    ¡°Nothing.¡± Her voice is a whisper. ¡°Can I go now?¡±


    This just looks as strange as possible. Kyle can get any girl on campus, I have seen the girls throw themselves at him. He never shows any interest though. I thought maybe he was just focusing on football, but this seems odd. Maybe they were friends or something.


    ¡°Luna, what the hell? You can¡¯t just ignore me.¡±


    Ms. Wrightes out of her room. ¡°Oh, there you are Luna. I was waiting for you.¡±


    Luna turns to her with relief. ¡°I¡¯ming.¡± Her voice is even louder.


    Kyle doesn¡¯t let go of her arm though. ¡°Luna, we were talking.¡±


    She tugs on her arm. ¡°I don¡¯t think there is anything to say.¡±


    Ms. Wright folds her arms in front of her chest. ¡°Is there a problem here?¡±


    I decide to step in for Kyle before she tries to rip him apart, because that is what is looks like she intends to do. ¡°Kyle was just talking with his friend that he hasn¡¯t seen in a while.¡±


    Kyle adds to it. ¡°My girlfriend, that disappeared.¡±


    Luna¡¯s eyes look like the size of tes. ¡°What?¡±


    Ms. Wright isn¡¯t epting that. ¡°Is Luna aware that she is your girlfriend?¡±


    Kyle rolled his eyes. ¡°Of course she is. Right baby?¡±


    Luna is frozen again and doesn¡¯t say anything. Ms. Wright continues. ¡°Luna, did he ever ask you to be his girlfriend?¡± Luna quickly shakes her head.


    Kyle doesn¡¯t like that. ¡°Yes, I did. In the library.¡±


    Ms. Wright has had enough. ¡°Oh, so you figure if you force a kiss on a girl after teasing her for months that she is just going to roll over and be your girlfriend? Let me guess, you are the quarterback.¡±


    Kyle res at her. ¡°Who the hell are you?¡±


    What got me is that he didn¡¯t deny kissing her like that. ¡°Kyle, maybe you should let go of Luna¡¯s arm.¡±


    He looks over at me with sorrow. ¡°Teach, I just want to talk.¡±


    ¡°I understand that but it doesn¡¯t look like she is ready to talk to you.¡±


    I can tell he is reluctant, but he lets go of her arm and she runs to Ms. Wright, wrapping her arms around her. She res at Kyle. ¡°I suggest you keep your hands to yourself. If I catch you putting your hands on her again without her permission I will turn you over to my brother. He can be here in under five minutes.¡± She continues to re as she goes into her ssroom, shutting the door behind her and Luna.


    I sigh. ¡°Alright, Kyle,e in here, let¡¯s find out what the hell happened.¡±


    Kyle looks the most defeated I have ever seen him in the entire time I have known him. He¡¯s going into his senior year, so a few years. Hees into my ssroom and plops down at the desk in front of my desk.


    ¡°Alright, start from the beginning.¡±


    He sighs. ¡°Alright so maybe I fucked up.¡±


    ¡°Can you try to exin it without thenguage?¡± I add. I don¡¯t really mind, but we are on school premises.


    ¡°I kind of noticed her at the beginning of thest school year. So September. Anyway, she was this cute little nerd girl. A little shy, but smart as hell. You know how the other guys are, they picked on her a little bit. Well, I kind of teased her too. Not too bad, but maybe a bit much. She had enough after a month and she stood up to me. She told me to stop it. Well, after that I told the guys to leave her alone. I started flirting with her. At least I thought she would take it that way. Maybe I came on too strong or something. I don¡¯t know. Then I found her one afternoon in the library. We were talking and I kissed her. She got upset. She said that she didn¡¯t want that and she would tell everyone about it if I ever did it again. I was mad and told her that no one would believe her. I said more mean things. Then I didn¡¯t see her again until today.¡±


    It is taking me a minute to process all of that. He did force his kiss. But it¡¯s just because he is confused. Not that it was a good thing. He definitely shouldn¡¯t have done that. ¡°Kyle, did she ever seem like she wanted you to kiss her?¡±


    He shrugs. ¡°I thought maybe she did. I felt like I was tackled with a helmet to the gut after she pushed me away.¡±


    I nod. ¡°So you got mean, because you were hurt.¡±


    He nods. ¡°Yeah. What should I do? I haven¡¯t even looked at another girl all year. I really like Luna. But now she won¡¯t even talk to me.¡±


    ¡°Have you apologized?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t. She was just gone, I don¡¯t even know what happened to her. Then she just showed up here. That is why I ran after her.¡±


    I nod. ¡°That didn¡¯t exactly sound like an apology. It sounded like you were maybe forcing a rtionship on her.¡±


    He groans. ¡°I know. I was confused, I guess. I was excited to see her. Confused about where she had been. Upset that she was running from me. Angry that she wouldn¡¯t talk to me. Just a lot of things.¡±


    I lean forward a little. ¡°Here is what you will do. I will arrange with Luna and probably Ms. Wright since Luna feelsfortable with her, for you two to have a talk. You are going to apologize and talk this out. I don¡¯t want you forcing anything on her. Do you understand me?¡±


    He looks up at me. ¡°She is a Wright?¡±


    That is what he got out of that. ¡°Yeah, and a pain in the ass. So do you want to apologize or not?¡±


    He almost jumps out of his seat. ¡°Yeah, of course I do.¡±


    ¡°Meet me here after school tomorrow and I will have it all set up.¡±


    Now Kyle does leap out of his seat. ¡°That would be awesome Mr. Saxon. Thank you.¡±


    ¡°You still have to mean what you say. And if after the apology she doesn¡¯t want to be with you, you will need to ept that.¡±


    He looks a little sad at the thought. ¡°I understand. It will be hard, but I get it. I can¡¯t force her to be with me.¡±


    ¡°Good. Now go kick your own ass on the field. This year counts.¡± I warned him.


    He just smiles. ¡°Oh, I know. My old man has been on my ass for months. I didn¡¯t really have an off season.¡± I have been working out all year. I am ready for this.¡±


    Now, I just have to deal with Ms. Wright and get her to listen to me for five minutes.

 Isabelle Chapter 7

    ISABELLE


    Luna was a little shaken but she visibly rxed when I stood up for her. That is all that she needed. Someone on her side who said enough is enough. Figures that Alex Saxon is on the boys side. Never mind that the boy tormented this girl. No, he¡¯s one of the boys. It¡¯s like that boys will be boys crap that people have peddled for years. Doesn¡¯t he realize that crap doesn¡¯t fly anymore.


    The next morning I am more than happy to let things go. As long as Alex Saxon stays on his own side of the hall. I promised to pick up Luna this morning because she was a little worried that Kyle would meet her at school this morning. I am not sure how we are going to handle this going forward. I don¡¯t know if I will be there next school year, most likely not because of the assholes in charge.


    When Luna and I get to ss she takes a seat and starts going through something on herptop. I don¡¯t have much to set up since mostly it is all discussion. I did find a few visuals to help with the two questions we are going to be discussing today.


    I am setting up myputer to show the visuals on the board when my ssroom door opens. I look over to see Alex Saxon. I really don¡¯t have the patience for him this morning. ¡°What could you possibly want?¡±


    He looks a little irritated but he presses on. ¡°I came here because of Luna. I didn¡¯t know what Kyle had done. I sat him down and talked to him about it. He would like to apologize today after school.¡±


    Luna starts shaking her head. ¡°I don¡¯t want to be alone with him.¡±


    He starts shaking his head. ¡°You won¡¯t be. I¡¯ll be there, also if you would like Ms. Wright can be there too.¡±


    Luna gets quiet. It takes a few minutes of thought before she looks at me. ¡°Will you be there?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, of course I will be there. If you really want to hear him out then I will be there the whole time.¡±


    She looks over at Alex Saxon. ¡°I will meet him here after ss. I want to be here. I¡¯m morefortable with Ms. Wright.¡±


    Alex Saxon seems a little upset by that. Like it offends him that she isn¡¯tfortable with him. ¡°I understand. I hope that you can also understand that in the future you can alsoe to me with these problems. You shouldn¡¯t have had to deal with this on your own. You should have spoken to a teacher. I¡¯m sorry you didn¡¯t feel safe.¡±


    I heave a sigh of relief. At least he got that much. I would have had to kill him if he med her.


    Luna gets a little shyer. ¡°He said no one would believe me.¡±


    ¡°I would have. I hope you can see that in the future.¡± He states.


    He turns back to me. ¡°Sound alright to you Kindergarten teacher?¡±


    ¡°Sounds like the Kindergarten teacher solved a problem that you didn¡¯t even know existed.¡± I fold my arms over my chest to show that I am none too thrilled with him. Not that he really cares what I think about him.


    ¡°Yeah, well, I would have figured it out. I didn¡¯t really need your help.¡± He counters.


    ¡°Why are you still here?¡± I spit out. He is just getting on my nerves.N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner.


    ¡°You know what, I have no idea.¡± He turns and leaves the room.


    I turn back to Luna who is smirking. ¡°What is that look for?¡±


    She smiles more. ¡°I think he likes you.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so.¡± I shake my head, getting back to the task at hand. ¡°I think he just doesn¡¯t want me here.¡±


    She shrugs. ¡°I still think that he likes you. But what do I know?¡±

 Isabelle Chapter 8

    ALEX


    I am really irritated that I have to go to her room and act like she is the one that orchestrated all of this when it was me who pulled it all together. I am the one that is getting Kyle to apologize and make it right. Yet I don¡¯t think Luna is going to see it that way. She may not even trust me like she should. But I guess it is alright as long as she trusts someone to tell them what is going on.This content is ? N?velDrama.Org.


    At the end of ss, Kyle is waiting at the front door. Luna holds back, hugging her bag. I point Kyle to the room next door. ¡°We are meeting there. Luna said she will be morefortable there.¡±


    He seems sad to hear that she is that ufortable.


    Ms. Wright stands there with her door open. ¡°Pleasee in.¡± She motions to Kyle to have a seat, and she waits for Luna who is behind me. Once we are all in, she closes the door.


    Kyle and Luna are a few seats apart. I am waiting for Ms. Wright to get started so I stand and wait. ¡°So, Mr. Saxon, you asked us all here. So maybe you should get this started.¡± She says to me, I am a little startled to be honest.


    Well, that was not what I expected. I thought she would just take control of the conversation and that would be that. I clear my throat. ¡°Well, as you both know, it was brought to my attention what happened between you two. I had a long talk with Kyle about it and he exined everything from his point of view. I would like to hear what you think, Luna.¡±


    Luna seems to blush and seems to be trying to hide behind her back pack. ¡°Um, Kyle used to tease me and make fun of me. Then he kissed me and told me that no one would believe me if I told anyone.¡±


    Not really a coherent statement, but I think it gets the point across. At least it matches with what Kyle said.


    I turn my attention to Kyle. ¡°Kyle, do you have anything that you would like to say to Luna?¡±


    He seems to fidget and start ying with this box that he brought with him that he has sitting on the desk in front of him. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t mean to tease you. I mean, well I did, but I¡¯m sorry about it.¡± He looks up at me for support. I nod to let him know to keep going. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean the things I said. I like you. I have liked you for a long time. When you told me to stop I did.¡± He pauses. Not sure of what to say next I¡¯m sure. Or if he is nervous to actually voice it aloud. ¡°I started flirting with you. I thought you would know how I felt. I guess I was wrong. When I kissed you, I got mad when you pushed me away. I thought maybe you liked me too. But you didn¡¯t. That is why I got mean. I wanted you to be my girlfriend, it was like you rejected me.¡±


    He got quiet after that. Everyone was quiet.


    Luna is the first to speak. She sits up a little higher. ¡°I just thought you were being mean to me. I didn¡¯t know that you liked me.¡±


    He shrugs a little. ¡°I guess I am not really good at voicing my feelings.¡±


    She looks like she is going to turn into a tomato. ¡°I ran away. From home I mean. I thought you were just going to keep being mean to me. So I ran away.¡±


    He looks over at her. ¡°I¡¯m really sorry. I didn¡¯t mean for that to happen. I really like you Luna. I think you are smart and cute. I like being around you.¡±


    She is even redder. ¡°I ept your apology. Just please don¡¯t do it again.¡±


    Kyle is ok with that answer but I think he wants more. ¡°But do you think that maybe you could like me too?¡±


    She pauses. ¡°I¡¯m not sure. I have been scared of you for a while. I think it might take a little time for that. I mean sometimes you were nice. I liked it when you were nice.¡±


    He nods, but looks sad. ¡°Um, I know you have been gone for a while. I wanted to give you this.¡± He passes over the small box.


    She takes it from him. ¡°What is this?¡±


    He shrugs. ¡°I thought maybe you moved or something. I kind of would write you letters. I was hoping I would find someone who knew where you moved to and I would send them to you. But no one knew where you were. So I just kept them in this box.¡±


    She looks down at the box in surprise. ¡°You wrote me letters.¡±


    ¡°Um, more like notes. Actually some of them are from before you left. Like I said, I am not good at expressing my feelings.¡± He blushes this time.


    This is actually really cute to watch. I can see her softening to him. He is expressing his feelings to the girl he likes. It¡¯s adorable.


    Kyle stands up. ¡°I have to get to practice.¡± He starts towards the door, but stops and turns around to face Luna. ¡°Would you like toe?¡±


    Her eyes get wide. She looks at Ms. Wright. ¡°Um, sure.¡± She doesn¡¯t sound totally sure, but she agrees anyway. She stands taking her bag and the little box with her.


    Kyle puts out his hand and then realizes what he is doing and puts it back down. Luna looks at it, then grabs it anyway. Kyle grins from ear to ear. I think this might work out for both of them.


    Ms. Wright and I both watch as they leave. Then she turns to me. ¡°Well, that looked good. Thanks for getting him to apologize. She was really stressed about it.¡±


    I shrug. ¡°It¡¯s part of the job. I don¡¯t expect everyone to have perfect behavior, but I do expect that if they do something wrong then they need to make it right.¡±


    She scoffs a little. ¡°Does that include yourself?¡±


    I roll my eyes. ¡°I have no idea what you are talking about.¡±


    She growls. ¡°You can leave now Mr. Saxon.¡±


    ¡°I told you to call me Alex.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to get that familiar with you.¡± She even rolls her eyes at me like I am being the most ridiculous person on the face of the.


    ¡°That¡¯s right, you are just a kindergarten teacher and will be leaving in six weeks.¡± I taunt.


    She res hard at me.


    ¡°Again, you can leave Mr. Saxon.¡±


    I snicker. ¡°Whatever. It¡¯s not like you have to stick around either.¡±


    ¡°This is my room. I need to lock up before I leave for the day.¡± She counters.


    I want to counter, but I realize that she is right. She can¡¯t leave until I do. Well, this point to you Ms. Wright. That doesn¡¯t mean that you win the war.

 Isabelle Chapter 9

    ISABELLE


    The rest of the week goes fine. Mr. Saxon is still an ass, but I overlook it. Luna and Kyle seem to be together now. He walks her to school in the morning, even though he doesn¡¯t need to be here and she goes to his practices after school. It¡¯s nice to see. He treats her like a princess now, which from what I understand is a huge improvement over how he treated her before.


    Like right now he is walking her into ss, holding the door open for her and giving her a light kiss on the forehead. She blushes but doesn¡¯t push him away. She even leans into him a little bit.


    He waves to me. ¡°Hey, Ms. Wright. How goes it?¡±


    ¡°Fine Kyle. How are you?¡±


    He shrugs. ¡°Can¡¯tin. Actually, really good. You know, yesterday Mr. Saxon was talking about you.¡± It seems like he is quickly trying to change the subject to one that I am not really interested in hearing. He seems to have a twinkle in his eye as he says it.N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.


    Luna puts her hand over his mouth. ¡°It was nothing.¡±


    I roll my eyes. ¡°I am sure it was less than ttering. It¡¯s fine.¡± I return to myputer.


    Luna moves her hand and Kyle keeps talking. ¡°Actually it was ttering. He said that he thought you were very pretty and that you might make a good teacher after all.¡±


    I turn to look at him. Obviously confused. ¡°What did you just say? I¡¯m not sure I heard you correctly.¡±


    Luna gasps. ¡°Kyle, we weren¡¯t supposed to say anything.¡±


    He just shrugs. ¡°What? He should tell her himself. If he thinks she¡¯s hot then he should tell her.¡± Kyle rests his hand on Luna¡¯s hip. ¡°I¡¯m just letting her know that he is talking about her.¡±


    I shake my head. ¡°I am very certain that you are mistaken.¡± There is no way that Alex Saxon is saying that about me.


    Nathonughs from his desk. Which is a little odd for him. Usually he is a quiet one in my ss. ¡°No, I heard Mr. Saxon say that too. He thinks you are hot.¡±


    Kyle grins. ¡°See, I¡¯m not mistaken.¡±


    I look at both boys in shock. Then I turned to Luna, she wouldn¡¯t lie to me. Only she has her head buried in Kyle¡¯s chest. I shake my head. ¡°I think he was just pulling your guys¡¯ legs. He wouldn¡¯t think that about me. He hates me.¡±


    Luna turns her head back. ¡°Maybe he doesn¡¯t hate you as much as you think.¡±


    Kyle kisses her forehead again. ¡°Ok, well, I have got to get going. I have work. I¡¯ll see you allter.¡± He grins and leaves the room.


    I sigh, shaking my head. I have no idea what is going on but there is no way that Alex Sexon said anything nice about me. He hasn¡¯t said one nice word to me since I started on Monday. I doubt the week has changed him much. I mean sure it would be nice if a guy as hot as Alex was interested in me. Problem is, I wouldn¡¯t be able to get past the personality. He would try to put me down all the time and that is not the type of rtionship that I would want to be in.


    I redirect my attention to my ss. Still there are points when I think about what Kyle said. Does he really think that about me?

 Isabelle Chapter 10

    ALEX


    I am so d that it is Friday. I get to go out and have a drink tonight and let this week wash off of me. I have too much to unpack this week. I have no idea why, but it seems like a lot happened this week. Maybe I need to actually start taking summers off. Or at least a vacation. Not that the kids are bad this summer. Trying but not bad.


    I¡¯m setting up an example on the board when Nathon starts talking. ¡°Yo, Mr. Saxon, so the new teacher was talking about you.¡±This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    I pause and turn looking at him. ¡°What?¡±


    He shrugs. ¡°Yeah, Ms. Wright, she was talking about you.¡±


    Luna blushes. ¡°Nathon we weren¡¯t supposed to say anything.¡±


    I shake my head. ¡°What exactly are you talking about?¡±


    He leans forward like he has a great story. ¡°So, you know my boy Kyle is dating little miss Luna right? So anyway, The other day at lunch he showed up because he didn¡¯t have to work. Luna has her lunch with Ms. Wright. So I headed with Kyle over there. They were sitting there having their girl talk when we walked in. She said you were the hottest thing since apple pie or something like that.¡±


    Luna blushed. ¡°Since apple tarts.¡± She supplied, like that made the story more believable.


    I lean forward on my desk. ¡°I don¡¯t believe you.¡±


    Nathon just shrugs. ¡°You don¡¯t have to believe me. I¡¯m just giving you a heads up.¡±


    James shifted in his seat. ¡°I wasn¡¯t going to say nothin¡¯ but I was there too. She said that.¡±


    I look back at Luna. She is blushing but not relenting. ¡°OK, so let¡¯s say hypothetically that Ms. Wright actually said that about me. It doesn¡¯t matter. We don¡¯t get along. She seems nice and all, but we are just not going to happen. It¡¯s best we all just drop the subject.¡±


    Felix grins and wiggles his eyebrows. ¡°If I had a hottie like Ms. Wright interested in me. I would find a way to make it work. I guess you just don¡¯t got the skills Mr. Saxon.¡±


    I sigh. ¡°Don¡¯t goad me. It¡¯s irritating. I said drop it and that is what we are going to do.¡± I state, returning to my problem on the board. My back is to the board. I can still hear them talking.


    Nathon. ¡°Yeah, Ms. Wright kind of said the same thing. She said there is no way that it would ever work between them. He is too stuck in his ways. She said she would rather we didn¡¯t tell him. I just thought if I told him then he would man up. I guess she was right.¡±


    James. ¡°Too bad too. I mean they both could use someone like the other.¡±


    Luna. ¡°Her brother said herst boyfriend wasme. Said he was some skinny guy that was always on a diet for no reason at all.¡±


    Amanda. ¡°Oh, my God you met one of her brothers. Which one? Is he hot?¡±


    Luna. ¡°I met William. I would say he is attractive. I might get in trouble if I said he was hot.¡± She giggled a little at the end.


    Amanda. ¡°Oh, yeah, I totally forgot that you were dating Kyle. He¡¯s a hottie too.¡±


    Luna. ¡°Um, thanks.¡± Her voice was shaky and uncertain. Not sure I would take it either. But at least they moved off the subject of me and Ms. Wright.


    Gabe. ¡°So, wait, you are saying that the hottie Ms. Wright has a thing for Mr. Saxon and he is just going to walk away. That¡¯s messed up. If she would go for students I would totally go for her.¡±


    Amanda. ¡°Tiffany told me that on the first day, he said that Ms. Wright was hot.¡±


    Oh, God, that was not what I said. I turn around to tell the ss as much but they are already not paying any attention to me. It¡¯s like I don¡¯t even exist.


    ¡°ss. Come on guys, we have learning to do. With the exception of Luna none of you havepleted your packets. We need to curb this discussion because it isn¡¯t going anywhere anyway.¡±


    They all look at me like I am insane. What a great end to my week. After they stare at me for a moment, they go right back to talking about me like I am not even here. Isn¡¯t high school fantastic?

 Isabelle Chapter 11

    ISABELLE


    I let my best friend Cassie talk me into going out tonight. Eden Bar is supposed to be the ce to be tonight. I really don¡¯t care if it is or not. I would rather be home. No offense to Luke and his new bar, but I¡¯m tired and have had a week. Trying to prove that I am actually cut out for high school is exhausting. Plus now thanks to my students I can¡¯t get a certain asshole out of my head. But maybe a drink and a dance with a stranger would put him back in his ce, out of my head.


    I know going out with Cassie has strings attached. Like I have to dress up. She says we may not have a club in town but that doesn¡¯t mean that we can¡¯t dress like it when we go to the bar. I think it is the stupidest thing on the, but Cassie isn¡¯t one to back down from her way of thinking.


    I put on my short ck dress that I hate wearing. It ends just under my butt. Then the top hugs all the way up. The neckline does a sweetheart thing. Which I kind of like, but it just seems wasted on the bar. I mean Eden Bar is the best in town but that doesn¡¯t mean a whole hell of a lot. It¡¯s still just a bar. Sorry Luke.


    I like to make sure I have my car, because Cassie tends to drink too much. So I told her that I would meet her there. This is normal for us, so Cassie doesn¡¯t throw a fit about this. Thank God, that is one argument that I won.


    Once I pull up to the bar I see that there are way too many people here. I know it is Friday night and all, but how many people are actually allowed inside? Maybe I will get lucky and they will say they are over capacity and won¡¯t let me in.This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    I should know that luck isn¡¯t on my side. So the Bar also has this outdoor patio thing that people use to dine at. It¡¯s nice out so that is where most people are. Not Cassie though. No, she is parked at the bar. She has two guys talking to her like she is the next America¡¯s top Model. Ok, so she is hot enough, but she is too much of a clutz to make it down a runway. She is a tall leggy woman with dark curls that she pins back most of the time. She used to braid it a lot but she doesn¡¯t do that anymore. Her ample chest is almost falling out of her red dress that is strapless and if possible a little shorter than mine.


    Her eyes light up when she sees me. ¡°Issy.¡± She yells and starts waving her hands. Both guys look over. I can see their looks of appreciation and I want to go home.


    Still I make my way over to Cassie. ¡°Hey Cass, I thought we were just having drinks?¡±


    She gives me that mischievous grin of hers. ¡°Well, how much better is it to drink with a couple of hot guys.¡± She adds. The guys are moderately attractive. Not Alex Saxon attractive, but attractive enough. The guy behind Cassie is a little taller than me with dark hair, he has it kind of long but not too long. He looks well built, lean like a runner. The guy in front of Cassie, is blond, with short hair that he has spiked up a little. Juvenile if you ask me. He¡¯s about the same height as me which is to say that he is a few inches taller than Cassie. She has legs but somehow is shorter than me by three inches. He¡¯s trim, but I think that might be just the luck of the draw, he doesn¡¯t seem to work out. At least it doesn¡¯t look like it to me.


    ¡°Cass, I¡¯m really tired, I have been working my ass off all week. I just want to rx.¡±


    She puts her hand on my shoulder. ¡°Issy, we are rxing. Just chill. This is Brett and Zane. They work over at thew firm on main.¡±


    Oh, greatwyers. Brett, the one behind Cass, breaks off andes towards me. ¡°What is it that you do?¡±


    ¡°I am a teacher.¡± I state, trying to be polite, even though this is not what I signed up for.


    He chuckles. ¡°If I had teachers like you I would have probably paid more attention in school.¡±


    I hide a groan. I have heard this about a million times. I turn to the bartender. ¡°Thomas, can you get me a shot of whiskey please.¡± I am going to need it.


    ¡°Sure thing Issy.¡± He nods and hustles around the bar. I think they might need to hire another bartender. Thomas always seems so busy. I mean they used to have a second guy, but I guess he was handing out free drinks so they had to let him go. I just don¡¯t get why they haven¡¯t hired anyone else.


    Brett slides up next to me. I guess he is my date for the night, whether I want him to be or not. How do I let Cassie talk me into these things?

 Isabelle Chapter 12

    ALEX


    Sitting out on the patio at Eden bar I am relieved that I don¡¯t really have to socialize. I am here with my friends, but Adam has some story that seems to have everyone engrossed so I don¡¯t need to say anything. I can justugh at appropriate times and all is good.


    Darrenes back from the bar with a tray of new beers. ¡°Guys there are some hotties at the bar. I mean call the firehouse hot.¡±


    He sets down the tray and I am slightly tempted to look, but then decide that I would rather just drink and rx. That is until Adam whistles. ¡°Dude, I think that is one of the Wright sisters.¡±


    Well, fuck. Please be the other one. I pray as I turn around. Nope, it¡¯s Ms. Wright. Some guy is practically breathing down her neck. She doesn¡¯t look too happy about it. She keeps leaning back. I think that just gives him ample ess to stare at her chest. He takes her hand and starts to lead her over to the small dance floor. She kind of protests, but her friend pressures her. I can see the look. I watch, along with my friends, as he takes her to the floor and wraps his arms around her, then his handsnd on her ass.


    I jumped up from my seat. That is not happening. I don¡¯t know why I am so pissed about it, but I am. Marching over to them, I manage to put a smile on my face. I take Ms. Wright¡¯s arm, and tug her a little. ¡°There you are baby, I¡¯m sorry I¡¯mte. Traffic.¡± I wink at her. I am trying to let her know that I am here to rescue her.


    Thankfully she gets the hint. She pulls away from the other guy. ¡°It¡¯s alright honey, Brett here was just keeping mepany. He¡¯s a friend of Cassie¡¯s. You know how many friends she likes to have.¡± She sets her hands on my chest. ¡°So, are you going to dance with me?¡±


    I wrap my arms around her and keep my hands a respectable distance from her ass and smile. ¡°Hell, yeah. You know I like to watch that body move.¡± I look back over at the guy. ¡°Thanks for keeping my girlpany. You can move along now.¡±


    He res at me. ¡°Better keep your girl on a leash.¡± Like she was the one all over him and not the other way around.


    He marches off and I stifle augh. ¡°What the hell is that guy¡¯s problem?¡±


    She keeps her voice quiet. ¡°He¡¯s awyer, thinks he is God¡¯s gift to the world and we should all bow down to him. Thanks for that. Sometimes Cassie does this thing where she gets guys to buy us drinks. I protest every time, but she doesn¡¯t listen. I still pay for my own drinks, but she doesn¡¯t.¡±


    She starts to pull away, but I pull her back. ¡°If you leave now he is going to know it was an act and he is going to probably try to kick my ass. I¡¯m not really in the mood to fight.¡±


    She starts swaying to the music. ¡°So, what are you suggesting? We just dance the rest of the night?¡±


    Iugh. ¡°No, but we can for a minute, then you can go back to your friend and tell her that you are leaving for the night, I¡¯ll leave at the same time so that it looks like we left together. Easy Peasy.¡±


    She shakes her head. ¡°You just have it all figured out, don¡¯t you.¡±


    ¡°I have a level head on my shoulders. I can n things.¡± I say with a confident smirk.


    ¡°I never said you couldn¡¯t. It was you who doubted my intelligence.¡±


    I groan. ¡°Alright, so you have done good this week. Not the best, I can see room for improvement. But it¡¯s been good.¡±


    She rolls her eyes. ¡°Right. So what are your oh so great suggestions?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be so cheery. I think it puts the kids on edge.¡±


    Sheughs. ¡°Oh, now I know you are full of it.¡±


    I can¡¯t hold it in anymore. ¡°What the hell are you wearing? I am not even sure that is a dress.¡±


    ¡°It is a dress. Cassie likes me to dress up when we go out. This is my going out dress.¡±


    ¡°You should burn it. It looks more like underwear or something.¡±


    Sheughs. ¡°Brett didn¡¯t seem to have a problem with it.¡±


    I growl a little. ¡°Probably because Brett could see everything. He keeps looking at your boobs like it was his next meal.¡±


    She cocks an eyebrow at me. ¡°Does that bother you?¡±


    ¡°I think I might have had too much to drink to answer that question.¡±


    She stiffens a little. ¡°Then what do you propose?¡±


    My body starts reacting before my brain can catch up. One of my hands moves from her waist to her hair, I grip it slightly, to keep her from moving. Her lips slightly part in surprise, and the whimper she gives me is intoxicating. My lips crash into hers, dominating her perfect lips. My heart is pounding in my ears. I can¡¯t even think past the fact that I want her. I want her now.


    Biting her lip as I pull away she whimpers a little more. I don¡¯t know if it is from the bite or the fact that I am pulling back. ¡°Let¡¯s get out of here.¡±


    Her chest is heaving and she looks ready to climb me here. ¡°How is that going to work?¡±


    I know what she is asking. We see each other every day, this isn¡¯t some random hookup. It could getplicated. ¡°We both agree that it is tonight only. No strings, nomitments. We just get this out of our systems.¡±


    She nods. ¡°I think I can live with that.¡±This content is ? N?velDrama.Org.


    I let out a guttural growl and grabbed her hand. We are getting the fuck out of here now. I am not going to give her a chance to change her mind and go home with the handsywyer.

 Isabelle Chapter 13

    ISABELLE


    This is insane. That is all I can keep thinking as Alex drives me to his ce. While in the passenger seat I sent Cassie a quick text: Sorry to bail so early, but I have unexpected ns.


    She quickly texts back. Brett is heartbroken, but you traded up girl. Have fun.


    I roll my eyes, there is no way that Brett is heartbroken. I am sure he is staring at another girl¡¯s tits right now.


    I tuck my phone away and look over at Alex. I can¡¯t believe I am doing this. I must be out of my mind. I mean it could be that I haven¡¯t had sex in six months and he looks good enough to eat. But I have never had a one night stand in my life. I am not sure I can do this. Especially with someone that I see almost every day.


    I try to channel my inner Jasmine, because I know she can handle this. Only it isn¡¯t working, I¡¯m still me.


    Right when I am ready to back out, Alex stops in a driveway to a house I have never been to in my life. It is a cute little house, not really what I was expecting. It¡¯s like a family home. A picket fence and a two car garage. I pray to God that he doesn¡¯t have a wife somewhere. He doesn¡¯t seem like the type, but I guess they never really do.


    Alex is out of the truck before I can open my mouth. Hees around to my side and opens the door. Taking my hand he pulls me down from the truck and into his arms. ¡°I see that look in your eyes, you are overthinking. It¡¯s not as terrifying as you think.¡±


    ¡°Do you do this a lot?¡±


    Heughs. ¡°No, actually, not at all.¡±


    ¡°Then how do you know it isn¡¯t terrifying?¡±


    ¡°Because I know that we are both smart people who can control ourselves. We both know what this is. We are able to do it.¡±


    Then his lips cover mine in apletely dominating way. I never thought I would like that but I do. I feel weak in the knees, my body melting against his. He growls pulling away from me. ¡°Get your ass in the house.¡± He starts pulling me towards the house. I absolutely never thought that would shoot a tingle through my body ending at my core.


    It¡¯s like he can¡¯t get the door open fast enough. When he does he yanks me inside. mming the door shut behind us. His teeth grazed my neck. Hands skating over my body. ¡°Now the basics. You clean?¡±


    ¡°Yes, you?¡±


    He groans as his hands cup my breasts. ¡°Yes. Birth control?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m on the pill but I still want a condom.¡±


    ¡°As you wish.¡± He growls finding the zipper on the side of my dress. He has it down in five seconds. I start pulling his shirt up. I want him as bare as possible. He gets the dress around my ankles before I can even get his shirt off. He pulls back to look over my body, I take that second to pull his shirt over his head. He grins. ¡°I¡¯m not sure I will be able to look at you again without seeing this right here.¡± His hands return to my body. Sending heat through his every touch. My chest was exposed to his hands because I didn¡¯t wear a bra with my dress.


    I whimper and he takes that as a sign that he needs to grab me and throw me over his shoulder. He¡¯s rough, but not too rough where I feel like he is going to damage me, but it feels like he is totally in control. Alex lightly tosses me on the couch. By the time I get my hair out of my face, he is already unbuttoning his pants. ¡°I want your ass in the air, facing me. Now.¡±


    My breasts sway as I shift my body on the couch. Resting my forearms on the back of the couch. My ass in the air. I still have my thong on, not my favorite underwear but I didn¡¯t want underwear lines with my dress.


    I can hear the foil pack opening. ¡°Shit that looks good Ms. Wright.¡±


    Iugh. ¡°Do you know my name?¡±


    ¡°Nope.¡±


    ¡°Issy. I¡¯m sure you don¡¯t want me calling you Mr. Saxon right now.¡±


    I feel his hands on my hips. ¡°I don¡¯t know, that might be a turn on.¡±


    Pushing against my entrance. He is hard and pulsing. His grip on my hips is tight. I let out a moan. ¡°What if I call you sir?¡± His dick twitches. I can¡¯t help but smile. ¡°Seems you like that one.¡±


    He groans thrusting forward. ¡°Fuck Issy. Say it again.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡± He growls, thrusting harder.


    I can¡¯t help screaming. It feels so intense. Sex has never felt like this before. He grips the back of my hair with one hand pulling me back on his cock. His other arm reaches around me and pulls my upper body back on him. ¡°Do you like that Issy?¡±


    ¡°Yes sir.¡± I practically scream back.


    His thrusts are unrelenting. Pushing and pulling my body to new heights I have never experienced before. When he adds his fingers to my clit I can hardly hold on any more. Alex must be able to tell because he whispers in my ear. ¡°Don¡¯t cum until I tell you to.¡±This content is ? N?velDrama.Org.


    I whimper and moan, trying to fight off what my body is begging me for. Letting go of my hair he tweeks my nipple and I am struggling to hold off anymore. He is pounding into my body with a vigor that I didn¡¯t even know was possible in the human body. I didn¡¯t even know that I could handle it. What seems like forever holding off, I can¡¯t anymore. ¡°Please, let me cum.¡± I beg.


    He seems satisfied. ¡°Cum for me.¡± He growls.


    He bites my neck and I cum harder than I ever have in my life. My body screams and writhes in his grip. He holds me tighter, pumping into me a few more times before he groans his own release. We are both frozen in ce for a few minutes.


    When we start to move again, Alex kisses my neck where he bit down before pulling out of me. Then we both fall to the couch panting and feeling like the very air is a gift that we can¡¯t get enough of.


    I look over at Alex who seems just as out of it as me. ¡°Give me a minute, then I can get dressed.¡±


    He smiles. ¡°I thought we said tonight?¡±


    Now I am shocked and slightly more alert. ¡°What?¡±


    Alex reaches over and grabs the back of my head pulling me closer. Kissing my lips with more vigor than before. When he releases he bites my lip. ¡°The night isn¡¯t over.¡± He pulls me closer. Almost cing me on hisp, but then he stops. ¡°I have to get a new condom before we go another round.¡±


    ¡°You are going to kill me aren¡¯t you?¡± I groan.


    He smiles. ¡°Oh, but what a way to go.¡± He kisses me again before getting up and disposing of the condom.


    What the hell have I gotten myself into?

 Isabelle Chapter 14

    ALEX


    I never in a million years thought that Isabelle Wright would be that hot for my cock. Over and over again I took her body. No matter how hard I took her she took more. She wanted more. All night long we were all over my house. I don¡¯t think there was a surface in my house that we didn¡¯t use. The only thing that would have been better is if I didn¡¯t have to keep stopping for a new condom.


    Thene Saturday morning she was gone before I got up. And just like that it was over. We are never supposed to talk about it again. It is never supposed to go beyond that. I just don¡¯t know if that is possible. If you have the best experience of your life, can you just forget about it? Is that even possible?


    Now, here it is Monday morning and I am going to see her. I have to act like nothing happened. Like being inside her isn¡¯t equivalent to being in heaven. Walking through these halls has never felt so awkward in my life. It¡¯s like I want to see her but I don¡¯t. Like my body craves to see her but I have to put it in check, because that wasn¡¯t the deal. The deal was one night. One night we would get each other. Then we would go back to the way things were.


    I skuttle to my ssroom, silently praying that she isn¡¯t in hers yet and sees me. I don¡¯t know what she would do or what she would say. I just don¡¯t know what to say either. It is best just to avoid each other.


    I have no luck though, because as soon as I put the key into my room door, her door opens up. I don¡¯t want to turn around, I really don¡¯t. But my body moves of its own ord. I turn and there she stands frozen. I can tell she is as lost as me.


    ¡°Um, good morning Mr. Saxon.¡±


    I have to clear my throat. ¡°Good morning Ms. Wright.¡±


    She nods and closes the door to her room again. With her on the other side, out of sight. That could have gone better.


    Once I got my door open, I noticed that we weren¡¯t alone in the hall. Kyle clears this throat. ¡°Um, that was the most awkward thing I have ever seen in my life.¡±


    Luna nods in agreement. ¡°Yeah, that was cringe worthy and I just saw it. I can¡¯t imagine being a part of that.¡±


    Kyle gestures to me. ¡°Yo, Teach, what happened?¡±


    ¡°Nothing. There is nothing going on.¡±


    Kyle looks down at Luna. ¡°Does he sound a little panicked to you? Like maybe something did happen.¡±


    Luna nods. ¡°Yeah, it does sound like that.¡±


    I look at both of them. Trying to make myself clear. ¡°Look, I think you need to drop this. There is nothing going on between me and Ms. Wright. You need to just stop it. It¡¯s what we both want.¡±


    Luna cocks an eyebrow. ¡°Is it though?¡±


    ¡°I mean it, drop it. This isn¡¯t something I want to discuss again.¡± I enter my ss room and close the door. Hoping to stop all the talk about me and Ms. Wright and we can go back to nothing going on between us.


    Yet a big part of me wants to go next door and throw her over my shoulder and take her home all over again. But that isn¡¯t possible, that wasn¡¯t what we agreed on.N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.

 Isabelle Chapter 15

    ISABELLE


    Going through the motions for weeks is hard. But I know what we agreed on. That morning it was harder than hell just to get up and leave. I knew that was what we were supposed to do. We were supposed to part like it was nothing. But it didn¡¯t feel like nothing. Everyday feels weird. Seeing him in the hall. Seeing him when I close up or when I open my ss in the morning. It doesn¡¯t feel like it was nothing. It feels very much like it was something.


    Our family dinner this month is not really where I want to be but with family sometimes you don¡¯t get a choice. Caden is running around like he is on fire. Turns out he really loved football. He can¡¯t help but keep telling us all about it. He was really good out there. Just like his dad.


    William nudges me. ¡°What¡¯s up Issy? You seem like you are on a different ne of existence than the rest of us.¡±


    I shrug. ¡°Just a lot on my mind. The test ising up in a couple of weeks and if I can¡¯t prove that I can handle high school then I am back at the elementary school.¡±


    He shakes his head. ¡°Na, it seems like more than that. Cassie said that you went home with some guy the other day. Does that have anything to do with that?¡±


    ¡°No it doesn¡¯t.¡± I hate that Cassie told him that. We were all kind of close growing up and she was probably worried about me, but she still shouldn¡¯t have told him about it. ¡°So, this forth. Are you in the parade?¡±


    He groans. ¡°Yeah. The higher ups are so sure that I am bringing in the new recruits. I keep telling them I can do more, but they aren¡¯t ready to trust me.¡±


    That was easy enough. Now my mysterious one night stand is out of the picture and I don¡¯t need to worry about it again. Thankfully I don¡¯t have to be in the parade this year. The new kindergarten teacher is on the float this year. They usually ask me because I am a grade school teacher and myst name is Wright. I am sure that is why they ask William too. Any Wright in the parade is a good thing.


    Megan nudges me a little. ¡°You would not believe your brother. He said he doesn¡¯t want me to go to the parade this year. Says I might get bumped and knocked over and then I could fall and hurt the baby.¡±


    David grunts. ¡°It could happen.¡±


    Iugh. ¡°Really. That is the most ridiculous reason I have ever heard in my life. She is more likely to get into a car ident.¡±


    Megan gasps in horror. ¡°Dear God, don¡¯t give him any more ideas.¡±


    ¡°Did you know that most idents happen in the home.¡± I counter.


    David is turning pale. ¡°Megan.¡±


    She holds her hand up. ¡°Do not even start. Next thing I know you will have me in a cage in the basement because I can¡¯t get hurt that way. I am fine. People are pregnant every day. I am fine. The doctor said that my health is perfect. I do not need to be wrapped in bubble wrap.¡±


    Hannah nods. ¡°I barely had any prenatal care with Caden, because I could only afford so much, we both turned out fine. I am sure that Megan is going to be fine.¡±


    David grunts. ¡°Look, I know I am overreacting but I want them both to be fine, this is my first baby.¡±


    Justin ps his hands together. ¡°Speaking of babies.¡±


    Hannah¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Now.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I want them to know.¡± He turns to the rest of us. ¡°Caden is going to have a little brother or sister.¡± He beams at us.


    Mom looks like she is getting ready to burst. ¡°Oh, heavens, that is so amazing. I love that this family is getting bigger.


    Dad grunted. ¡°That¡¯s right the Wright family will live on.¡± He seems happy but you couldn¡¯t tell by his tone. I think that is Dad¡¯s default tone. Like he only has two settings, ok, maybe three. They are really excited, neutral, and really pissed off. That is Dad¡¯s settings. But it has been a really long time since I have seen him really excited. I think it is mostly because everything good that we do is just expected of us. He expects a lot, simply because we are Wrights. Wrights are expected to be a certain way and that is it. But to be fair I am pretty sure that grandpa did the same to him. He was always a stern man when we were growing up.


    Luke grins at me. ¡°Next you will be expected to start pushing them babies out too.¡±


    I grin back. ¡°That kind of requires a husband, there aren¡¯t exactly men applying for the job at the moment.¡±


    William nudges me. ¡°Except the mystery man you took home the other night. Cassie made it seem like it was someone that you knew. He pretended to be your date.¡±


    I roll my eyes. ¡°It wasn¡¯t like that. I don¡¯t want to get into that. Can you just drop it?¡±


    My mom must have heard it. ¡°Who was it honey?¡±


    ¡°No one Mom.¡± I am silently pleading that she drops it. That they both drop it.


    ¡°Is it someone that we know?¡± God hates me.


    ¡°No Mom, I said it was no one.¡± I am starting to sound like the teenagers I teach.


    Thankfully before my mom can go into more detail. My phone starts ringing. I look down and see it is Luna. ¡°I have to take this.¡±


    I am walking away as I answer and I hear my mom ask. ¡°Do you think that is him?¡± I think my mom has a new obsession.This content is ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Luna, what happened?¡±


    She sounds like she has been crying. ¡°Can you meet me?¡±


    ¡°What happened? Was it Kyle?¡±


    ¡°Not really. It was something that Kyle and I did. We thought it was a good idea, but now I feel like it was such a bad idea. I can¡¯t get past the feeling that we messed things up. I just really need to talk to you to make it right.¡±


    ¡°Alright, calm down. Where are you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m at the park by my house.¡±


    I remember the park we passed on the way to drop her off. Not that I have done thattely, Kyle has been taking her back and forth from school. ¡°I¡¯ll be there in fifteen minutes.¡±


    ¡°Ok, please hurry. I really need to talk to you. I have to fix this.¡± I can hear the desperation in her voice.


    I have no idea what I am walking into, but I know I need to be there for Luna. I promised her that no matter what I would be there for her. That is exactly what I am going to do.

 Isabelle Chapter 16

    ALEX


    I have no idea what the hell I am doing here. Kyle called me and told me that he had something that he needed to talk to me about. I thought maybe it was girl problems. But there she is. She is crying a little, but it doesn¡¯t look like they are fighting. Especially since his arm is wrapped around her. Then there is Nathon and James too. I have no idea what is going on. Plus they won¡¯t exin they say we are waiting for someone. Won¡¯t tell me who that person is either. I am just supposed to sit here on this bench and wait.


    That is until she shows up. Shees rushing into the park like the world is on fire and she needs to save someone. I have no idea who she is trying to save but she is here to save them. She sees me and confusion mirrors her face. ¡°Um, what is going on?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been asking that for five minutes.¡± I agree.


    Kyle steps forward. ¡°We messed up. Look, it was my idea. Luna said that we should just wait it out, but I was like, no let¡¯s do this.¡±


    Luna is still crying.


    James speaks next. ¡°When Kyle told me about it, I thought it would be a cool idea. I thought it would be really cool. But now I see things backfired, really bad. This isn¡¯t cool.¡±


    Nathon nods his head. ¡°I agree, this is not cool.¡±


    Isabelle folds her arms over her chest. ¡°Care to exin what it is that isn¡¯t cool?¡±


    Kyle gulps. ¡°You two.¡±


    I have to blink a few times. What the hell is he talking about? Did he ask us toe here to insult us? Is that what this is? ¡°Care to exin.¡± I am actually really close to losing my temper.


    Luna looks up at us with watery eyes. ¡°We agreed that we would give you a little nudge. We saw that you two liked each other, so we thought that if we gave you a little help that you two would connect. But now it looks like you two hate each other and that is all our fault.¡±


    I have to try to remember this. I don¡¯t really remember them doing anything like this. But Isabelle must. ¡°So, that is why you said those things. That he thought I was pretty and a good teacher. Did he even say those things?¡±


    I didn¡¯t. Ok, at one point I kind of said that she was hot. But I never said the rest. Now I remember what they said she said. ¡°So, she never told her brother that I was attractive?¡±


    They all shake their heads. But Luna is the one to continue. ¡°We thought we were doing something good. Now you two don¡¯t even talk at all. At least before you would banter back and forth. Now nothing. It¡¯s like you are both actively trying to avoid each other. Instead of pushing you two together, we pushed you further apart.¡±


    Isabelle sighs. ¡°We aren¡¯t like this because of what you guys said. But it isn¡¯t a good idea to try to manipte people. If they have feelings they will manifest in their own time. Don¡¯t do this again. What if we really didn¡¯t like each other then you would have been pushing two people who weren¡¯t meant to be together into a situation that neither wants to be in. You understand right?¡±


    Kyle holds Luna closer. ¡°Wait, if it isn¡¯t what we did, then why are you guys acting like that?¡±


    Isabelle and I are both silent. But apparently James doesn¡¯t need us to answer. ¡°Holy shit they hooked up. Now it¡¯s all awkward.¡±


    Isabelle scolds him. ¡°James, you shouldn¡¯t talk about your teachers like that.¡±


    He just grins. ¡°But I¡¯m right. That¡¯s why you two can¡¯t talk to each other anymore. It was sucky and now you don¡¯t know what to do.¡±


    Now it is my time to talk. ¡°That is none of your business. That is our personal business.¡±


    Kyle stares at us open mouthed. Luna looks like she is going to pass out. Nathonughs. ¡°Oh, wow. That is wow.¡±


    James nods towards us. ¡°Was it really that bad?¡±


    Isabelle groans. ¡°It wasn¡¯t bad. Shit, I did not just say that. I think I am going to go.¡± She turns on her heels. Headed towards her car away from us.


    Only the words she just said are ringing in my head. I ran after her. ¡°Issy. Wait.¡±


    She pauses and turns to me. ¡°What?¡± She looks like she is trying to control herself.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t think it was bad? I thought when you left that morning that you regretted it.¡±


    She takes a deep breath. ¡°I didn¡¯t say that. It was just awkward, we said one night and that was what it was. I am not one of those desperate women that is going to follow you around and beg you for more.¡±


    Iugh a little. ¡°I don¡¯t think you are desperate. I will let you in on a secret though.¡±


    She looks up at me. ¡°What?¡±


    I lean forward, putting my arms around her. Whispering in her ear I say, ¡°I regret that it was only one night.¡±


    She shakes her head. ¡°We don¡¯t get along. We are like oil and water.¡±


    ¡°Issy, we are more like yin and yang. I¡¯m pessimistic to your optimistic.¡±


    Her hands reach my chest. ¡°Are you saying wepliment each other?¡±


    I nod. ¡°Maybe these messed up kids make a lot of sense. They might have gone about it the wrong way, but I want to have more than one night with you. I want more. It has been torture. Every day I wanted to talk to you. I wanted to take you home. Hell, I struggle to be home because you are everywhere in there. I am sure you remember.¡± She blushes at that. ¡°Issy, I want to give us a chance.¡±N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner.


    She bites her lip. ¡°Well, who can say no to that?¡±


    Pulling her close, I tangle my fingers in her hair, dominating her lips again. I bite her lip. ¡°I am the only one that gets to bite this lip.¡± We have been whispering to each other the whole time. But we have an audience.


    As soon as our lips touched our audience whooped and hollered. I guess in a way they were right. We are meant to be together. At least I aim to find out. I¡¯m pretty sure I can¡¯t live without this woman. If thest few weeks have been any indication, it just isn¡¯t possible anymore. I need her to breathe, I¡¯m not going back to that.

 Isabelle Chapter 17

    ISABELLE


    We are all doing better now. The students were apparently suffering from ourck ofmunication just as much as we were. Ok, we were probably suffering a lot more. Anyway, both of our sses are doing much better now. We have grasped the material and there is no way they could have passed the test if we hadn¡¯t pulled this together.


    My morning sses in and they are all smiles. Kyle gives me his morning greeting. While giving Luna a kiss too. ¡°How are things going, Teach?¡±


    I smile. ¡°Fine Kyle. See you this afternoon.¡±


    He smiles. ¡°I know you got this babe.¡±


    She smiles. ¡°Thanks.¡± She blushes a little too. I¡¯m not sure how things will be when ss starts up again this fall, but they are going strong now. From what I have gathered from Luna, he has liked her for a long time. Now he has no intention of letting her go. Alex even said that Kyle didn¡¯t date at allst year. It wasn¡¯t from ack of girls trying either. He apparently has only had eyes for Luna. It¡¯s kind of cute actually.


    I get the attention back on me. ¡°Alright ss. Today is the day. The Test. It will determine if you can pass this test and get the credits you need. So does anyone have to use the bathroom? Does everyone have a pencil? Because once I pass out these tests you are stuck here until you are done.¡±


    Everyone nods. Apparently they are all ready to do this. ¡°Just like we went over, there are fifty questions. Most are multiple choice, but thest three are essay questions. We are not asking a lot. Just a few sentences really. You guys are all ready for this. Don¡¯t doubt. I know you can all pass this test.¡±


    I start passing out the tests. I can feel the tension in the room. Yet as they started looking over the questions, the tension dissipated. They realized that they did know the answers. It was really nice to watch them with their tests. It was all things that we had discussed at length in ss. I tried to keep it as relevant as possible. Find ways to make the information stick in their heads.


    Once they turned in their tests I could see the confidence on their faces. I just made a pile on my desk. I was going to grade the first batch at lunch then the second batch at the end of the day. Still I was confident that they would pass.


    I was antsy but trying to hold it together. When thest morning test was handed in, I bid the ss good bye and waited for them all to leave.


    I took a deep breath and started grading the tests. I¡¯m not going to say they all got the answers perfect but there was nothing under seventy percent. That brought a smile to my face. For kids that didn¡¯t get it when they came in this ss that is great. It also speaks volumes about my ability to teach high school.


    I am feeling pretty good about it. The feeling floats me through the next test and I am ready to grade them and celebrate my sess. Only some asshole thinks that he doesn¡¯t need to let me celebrate anything. The jerk Superintendent is at my door as soon as ss is out.


    ¡°Ms. Wright. Good to see you. You can pass the tests over. It was nice having you for the summer. But the second grade is waiting for you.¡±


    I stare at him open mouthed. ¡°Wait, you don¡¯t even want to see how I did? I mean did you ask any of the students? Check their grades? Anything?¡±


    He just smiles. ¡°This was never about giving you a job. This was about giving you the chance. That was your chance. Now you should stop while you¡¯re ahead.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll have you know that everyone passed my AM ss. I don¡¯t doubt that this ss will do any differently. That should let you know that I know what I am doing. I am qualified for this job. Why are you still pushing me back down?¡±N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.


    ¡°Ms. Wright. You had your chance. Just pass over the tests and clear out the ss of any personal items. Turn in the key with me too.¡±


    A voice ringing from the door catches our attention. ¡°No, what are you doing? She is a good teacher.¡± It¡¯s Luna. I kind of didn¡¯t expect this from her. She has be more outspoken since she has been dating Kyle but nothing like this. Usually he is at her side when she does.


    The superintendent groans. ¡°That¡¯s nice, little girl but I think I know what is best for this school. You haven¡¯t even had a job before.¡±


    ¡°I did. For six months I had a job. It was the worst job on the face of the, but that has nothing to do with this. She is a good teacher and you are casting her aside for what reason?¡±


    He shakes his head. ¡°Just move along kid. This is grown up business.¡±


    I try to hold in my tears. ¡°It¡¯s ok, Luna. He isn¡¯t going to change his mind. You did great on your test. Passed with flying colors.¡±


    She smiles, but it doesn¡¯tst. ¡°No, this is not the end.¡± She turns and leaves the room.


    The superintendent shakes his head. ¡°Hormones. They will be the death of every teen on the face of the.¡±


    I scoff, ¡°If that was true then you would be dead.¡±


    I turn around, grabbing all the tests off my desk and passing them to him. ¡°The ones on the bottom are already graded. The top ones still need to be graded.¡±


    I didn¡¯t really have much here, just a few things on my desk. The superintendent stares at me as I am packing up my desk. Like I am going to steal the desk or something. I am just about done putting my papers in my brief case when my ssroom door bursts open again. Only this time it isn¡¯t just Luna. It is all my students, AM and PM ss. Then there is Mr. Saxon. They are all filing into the room.


    I can¡¯t hold back the tears this time. ¡°What are you all doing here?¡±


    Luna starts. ¡°We are showing this jerk that you know what you are doing. You are a great teacher and every one of us will state it a hundred times if we have to. We will form a protest if that is what it takes to get him to listen. You deserve this job. Not some fake chance that wasn¡¯t even real.¡±


    Alex sits down on my desk. ¡°I had my reservations at first too. But her methods are a little different but they work. She got these students talking about history like it was football. I don¡¯t see a reason why she should be pushed back down to grade school when we need high school teachers.¡±


    The superintendent grunts. ¡°That doesn¡¯t mean anything. The board has already decided that she will teach second grade thising year.¡±


    ¡°Put someone else in that spot. Because I guarantee you are going to have a problem on your hands if you don¡¯t do this.¡± Alex states as he motions to all the students in the room. Even a few other teachers that I have only just started meeting this summer.


    I am sure he is going to brush them off, but the gesture is the best thing that I could have ever had happen in my life. But he tosses the tests on my desk. ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll tell the board we need a new second grade teacher. But I want these grades in the office and processed before the end of the day.¡± He looks pained to be saying it.


    Everyone in the room starts cheering. I can¡¯t stop crying. I can¡¯t believe this just happened. I am getting my ss. I will finally live my dream job. I will make a difference. But looking around this room I can see that I already have. I have made a difference and they want more. That is the bestpliment I have ever gotten in my life.

 Isabelle Chapter 18

    ISABELLE


    EPILOGUE


    SIX MONTHS LATER


    This is Alex¡¯s first family dinner. Over thest six months we have learned more from each other. Like the fact that my family scares Alex, he is an only child that his parents died when he was twenty, so he doesn¡¯t have a huge family that requires much from him. That is why we have put off himing to this dinner for a while. But tonight that ends. I want him to get to know my family because ultimately my family means a lot to me.This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    When we pull up to the house, Alex looks over at me from the driver¡¯s seat with that damn grin. ¡°Sure you don¡¯t want to go to a movie?¡±


    ¡°Alex, we are going in there. I promise that it isn¡¯t the end of the world. You are going to do great.¡± I smile back. It¡¯s cute that he cares this much.


    ¡°Yeah, but I am sure that your parents have seen the bite marks I leave sometimes. I really don¡¯t want to have your dad kill me.¡± I have tough.


    ¡°Do you honestly think I have let my parents see the marks you leave? I am a little smarter than that. William is a detective. I am sure if anyone was going to see them, it would be him. Rx, no one has ever seen them.¡±


    He leans forward grabbing the back of my hair. ¡°Maybe I need to leave a few more.¡± He growls.


    ¡°Later.¡± I smirk. Pulling out of his grasp. Getting out of the car I feel excited, Alex likes it when I y a little hard to get but also the thrill of next time is what we both like.


    I can feel hime next to me. Quickly he pulls me into his arms. ¡°You are going to be in so much troubleter.¡±


    ¡°Promises promises.¡± I whisper. Thankfully I did because my mom came running out the door.


    ¡°Oh, my Gosh, you are finally here. I have been trying to meet you for months.¡± She has been. I swear she called every day asking when I would bring him by to meet them. She bounds down the stairs and almost lunges her body at us. She hugs us both. ¡°I am so happy that you are both here.¡±


    ¡°Mom, we kind of need to breathe.¡± Iugh.


    ¡°Oh, sorry.¡± She backs up a step. ¡°I am just so excited.¡±


    ¡°Mom, this is Alex.¡± I decided to officially introduce them.


    Alex puts out his hand. ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you Mrs. Wright.¡±


    My mom starts bbering really fast. ¡°Oh, don¡¯t call me that, it is so cold and impersonal. You can call me mom or Lauren. Or really anything else. I mean if you really want to call me Mrs. Wright you can, but I would really prefer if you didn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Mom.¡± I stopped her. ¡°Can we go in the house?¡±


    ¡°Oh, yeah, let¡¯s go, everyone else is here.¡± She turns ushering us into the house. ¡°David brought his new baby.¡±


    I can feel Alex¡¯s grip on my hand tighten. That is one of his biggest fears, he isn¡¯t ready to have kids. He wants to have a family but not yet. That was the whole purpose of buying his house. He wants kids but he wants us to have time to enjoy our time together. I am not exactly ready to have kids yet either. I think he is a little worried that I will get baby fever though.


    ¡°Well, Justin Jr. isn¡¯t far behind.¡± I stated. I like teasing Alex. He panics so easily.


    My momughed. ¡°I hope to God that he doesn¡¯t actually name the baby that. But Justin is a little bit conceited.¡±


    She says this as she opens the door and we hear Justin as wee in. ¡°Thanks Mom. I feel the love.¡±


    I give Justin a hug. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t worry Mom. Hannah keeps him in line.¡±


    Justin grumbles. ¡°Come on Justin Jr. is a perfect name.¡±


    I pull back. ¡°What does Hannah want to name him?¡±


    ¡°Nathon. I can¡¯t even believe that is what my son¡¯s name is going to be. I think I am just going to call him JJ anyway.¡±


    Hannahes out of the den hobbling with her round belly. ¡°Do that and you sleep in the den.¡±


    I point to Justin and Hannah. ¡°Alex, this is my brother Justin and his wife Hannah.¡±


    Justin narrows his eyes. ¡°So this is the guy that thinks he is good enough to be with my sister.¡±


    My mom res. ¡°Justin.¡±


    ¡°What he thinks he can not show up for family dinners and we are all just going to ept him.¡±


    I re at him too. ¡°Really,ing from the guy that missed the first eight years of his son¡¯s life.¡±


    Justin backs off then. ¡°Fine, but you do one thing to hurt my little sister and it will be the end of your life.¡±


    Alex doesn¡¯t exactly take the bait but he doesn¡¯t back down either. ¡°I would never hurt Issy.¡± He states, putting his hand on my hip, pulling me closer. ¡°I am just not really a big family person. I mean I like family and all, but I came from a very small family we didn¡¯t have gatherings like this. It is taking me a bit to get used to it.¡±


    Hannah nods. ¡°I understand. My parents weren¡¯t exactly the picture of the perfect family. I was terrified that the Wrights would hate me. Especially after I disappeared for several years then came back with Caden. But the Wrights are good people. They took me in as one of them. You couldn¡¯t be a part of a better family.¡±


    I decided to jump in too. ¡°Besides, we have only been dating six months. It¡¯s not like we are married. Or nning marriage yet. We are taking things slow.  So this is a perfectly eptable time to meet parents. We don¡¯t want to rush anything.¡±


    Alex holds me close. ¡°Not that we aren¡¯t serious. We talk about those things, but like Issy said, we want to take things slow.¡±


    Mom nods. ¡°I know sometimes we try to rush things. All of us kind of find love and just jump in. It¡¯s a family trait I¡¯m afraid. But it seems to work out too. Isabelle is always a cautious one. So it is logical that she would be more hesitant in a rtionship.¡±


    I hate when they start talking about me like that. ¡°Alright, we are here for dinner.¡±


    I spent the next twenty minutes introducing Alex to everyone. I got to David and Meganst. Megan looks tired. She hands the baby to me. He¡¯s a cute little bugger. ¡°You look tired.¡± I say to Megan as I smile down at the baby.


    ¡°Yeah, James doesn¡¯t want to sleep. I think he is actually terrified of it. Because he cries until he falls asleep.¡±


    Alex surprises us. ¡°Have you triedying him on his belly across yourp?¡±


    We looked at him in shock. ¡°What?¡± I ask.


    Alex smiles. ¡°My cousin, before they moved to California, she had a baby that would get really gassy when she was nursing. They found that if sheid on her belly it relieved the gas. My cousin had to change her diet to make the gas easier on the baby, but to help the baby morefortable they would try that. It worked like a charm. The baby would get more calm and would sleep better. You have to watch them though because of SIDs. But as long as you watch him he should be fine. Also adjust your diet so that there are no gassy foods.¡±


    Megan pouts. ¡°Well, there goes my morning eggs.¡±


    Davidughs. ¡°Damn, that is actually really helpful. The doctors just kept saying it was an adjustment thing. That it would take time to get used to being out of the womb. He¡¯s eating fine, so it wasn¡¯t that.¡±


    I shift James so that he is on his belly and he instantly starts to settle down within a few minutes he is snoring.


    Megan heaves a sigh of relief. ¡°Oh, thank God.¡±


    I pass James back to Megan and we all head into the dining room. My father is sitting at the head of the table. ¡°Well, it looks like we are all here.¡± Cadenes running into the roomst. ¡°Boy, you need to slow down.¡±


    Caden just smiles. ¡°Sorry Grandpa. I was just running a y outside with Uncle Luke.¡±


    Luke slinks in his seat. ¡°He is good. I swear it was like watching a pro yer. He¡¯s got moves I didn¡¯t have until high school.¡±


    Justin preens. ¡°Duh, he¡¯s my son.¡±


    Dad just rolls his eyes. ¡°No running in the house.¡±


    Caden smiles. ¡°Yes, Grandpa.¡±


    Then Dad turns to William. ¡°So how is work? Are they finally giving you a chance to be a detective or are they still pushing you around.¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m not sure yet. They are talking about me doing this other beat cop stuff. I am getting really irritated with it. You remember that robbery at the bank on third?¡± We all kind of nodded. It was a big deal. A robbery like that hadn¡¯t happened in town in a long time. It was a smaller branch of the bank so they didn¡¯t take in a huge amount of money. ¡°Well, they are putting me in charge of the case. But it¡¯s like they have already solved the case and I am just supposed to track down the culprits. Only I¡¯m not so sure the conclusions that they havee up with are actually what happened. They think this woman ran the whole thing, but she hasn¡¯t had a history of any crimes. Her boyfriend, on the other hand, is a bad guy. But they want the woman.¡±


    My dad nods. ¡°Well, I can¡¯t say I know much about the business since I am well a corporate man. But I say follow your gut. If you think the woman didn¡¯t do it, then use those detective skills and prove it.¡±


    William nods. ¡°That is exactly what I was thinking. I¡¯m just not sure if that will kill any chance I have of them taking me seriously. But I want to do it right.¡±


    Dad leans back. ¡°If you do it right then they have no reason to question your skills. Just prove to them with evidence that you are right, then they don¡¯t have a leg to stand on.¡±


    William sighs. ¡°I already decided to do what was right. I just wanted to let you all know that they might give me crap for not doing it their way.¡±


    I pat him on the shoulder. ¡°You are still the best detective that I have ever met even if the force doesn¡¯t think so.¡±


    He smiles. ¡°That means a lot.¡±


    I smile back. ¡°That is what family is for.¡±


    Later that night, once we are home to Alex¡¯s house that I have recently moved into, Alex pulls me into his arms. ¡°So, I think I was worried about the wrong thing.¡±


    I smile, hugging him back. ¡°Oh, yeah, what is that?¡±


    He shrugs. ¡°I was worried about you getting baby fever, but when I saw you holding James today. I kind of wanted that. You holding our baby.¡±


    I gasp. ¡°Alex, are you out of your mind? We decided to wait.¡±


    He smiles. ¡°I know. I¡¯m not saying right this minute. I¡¯m just saying that I want that. I want to go to your family dinners with a baby in your arms. I want it all. I want it all with you. But we are still going to take it slow. First¡­¡± He trails off, but falls to his knee. He pulls out a little ck box from his pocket. ¡°I want to ask you to marry me.¡±


    He opens the box and I feel like my heart just exploded. The ring is simple, we are teachers after all. A gold band with a blue stone embedded in the band. Simple but thoughtful. Because sapphires are my favorite stone. ¡°Oh, my gosh.¡± I can hardly hold in the tears of joy.


    ¡°Um, is this a yes?¡±


    Iugh. ¡°Yes, yes.¡± I bend down to get to his level and wrap my arms around him.


    ¡°Well, that just made me the happiest man on earth.¡± He states, wrapping his arms around me.


    Even though we n to take things slow and things were really rocky at first, we are here and that is what matters. We love each other and we want to be together. That will always be enough for me. I don¡¯t care if we have a million dors in the bank, that wouldn¡¯t mean nearly as much as this right here.

 William Chapter 1

    WILLIAM


    I don¡¯t want to sound like an ass, but finally there is a crime in this town that the assholes in charge can¡¯t handle. When I got the call I was fucking excited. I am so sick of the Captain pushing me down and making me do beat cop shit.


    When I pull up to the scene I look around to see what is going on. There are more cops here than ever at a crime scene. To be honest the town doesn¡¯t have a whole hell of a lot of bad crimes. We do have crimes that are pretty bad, but nothing that is going to cause this many officers to respond. This is a small bank branch. Our town isn¡¯t that big and we have two banks, the big one that most people use and this one. It¡¯s a small branch, usually about four tellers who also handle any loans and paperwork. That includes the branch manager as well.


    I quickly found my lieutenant. He was talking with a few other officers telling them where to go to keep crowd control. My Lieutenant sees me and quickly shoos the men off. ¡°Well, Wright, you ready to work?¡±


    ¡°No offense, but I have been waiting for you all to catch up to me. What¡¯s going on?¡± I pull out my notebook so I can note anything that would be important.


    ¡°It looks like an inside job.¡± He points to the front entrance. ¡°The perps entered through the front door, it wasn¡¯t locked. No forced entry. They were able to walk right in and take whatever they wanted. Then the vault was locked but they bypassed that with all the time in the world because the rm never went off. The security system has been on the fritz for a week. The main suspect is Mia Ashbluff. She was supposed to be the one to lock upst night.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure she wasn¡¯t held at gunpoint or something? What is security like?¡±


    He groans. ¡°Well, we haven¡¯t been able to find the guy that was supposed to be herest night. Ms. Ashbluff is in the wind. We are thinking they worked together and did the job.¡±


    I nod. ¡°And his name.¡± Taking note of everything that he is saying. Something isn¡¯t adding up to me.N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner.


    ¡°Gus Stanford. The rest is up to you. Honestly we want you to bring them both in. We¡¯re pretty sure they both just took off. Maybe together. Case seems pretty cut and dry to me. They knocked off the bank that they work at and left town. But we want you to track them down.¡±


    ¡°A few things don¡¯t make sense. I mean if they did the job, why leave the door unlocked so we would know exactly how they left.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t say they were the brightest lights on the sign. I just said that it is obvious.¡±


    I¡¯m still not sold. ¡°They were smart enough to make sure they had everything open for them to get the money out, but they weren¡¯t smart enough to cover their tracks. It sounds like there are a lot of holes in your theory.¡± I am probably going to get scolded for that remark but I hate when he does this. He thinks he is the only one that knows what is going on.


    ¡°Look, just do your fucking job. Bring in the culprits. We will handle the rest.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t my job to actually find out what the hell happened and bring in the right people.¡±


    ¡°Your job is to do what you are told.¡± He res at me. I¡¯m not exactly intimidated. He is a chunky man who hardly ever leaves the office, let alone stays in shape. He could try to get me fired, but it would be a long road. What can I say the city likes a Wright on the force. What is the worst he can do, put me back on beat duty. That¡¯s most of what I do anyway. I guess the best he can do is put me on desk duty, but let¡¯s be honest we don¡¯t have enough cops for him to keep me there.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think that is exactly what my job description says. I¡¯m going to do my job and I am going to do it right. If Mia and Gus are your guys then I¡¯ll bring them in. If not then you will have the right guys in the end.¡±


    One of the beat guys runs up to us. ¡°Lieutenant, we found Gus Stanford, he¡¯s in the hospital. Turns out he was shot on his way to work. He never made it to the bank.¡±


    I smile. ¡°Looks like Gus is off the list. Wonder if this is still as cut and dry as you think it is.¡±


    ¡°Shut up Wright, do your job. Bring in Mia Ashbluff.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡± I leave him to check the bank itself. I am sure there is stuff that was missed by these guys. They don¡¯t pay much attention to shit. They think no one has brains but them.


    When I enter it is clear that there is no way I can get all that much evidence. No one is even looking for the right thing. I mean There are a few cops that know what to look for, they are just as pissed as me. Dex is standing back watching the shit show with a groan. He is from a bigger city so he was ready for this. Only he is a beat cop, so he isn¡¯t ranked high enough to make them behave.


    Deciding that Dex is my best bet to have an ally here, I approach him. ¡°What do you think?¡±


    He nods his head towards me. ¡°This is fucked. I am not sure who trained these people but there is no way you will find credible evidence. I mean they haven¡¯t even checked finger prints on anything besides the vault. It looks like they wore gloves anyway. There are only three officers in here but they are trampling all over everything. I don¡¯t see that they can actually get a single piece of credible evidence.¡±


    ¡°Do you know about the security system?¡±


    He nods. ¡°Yeah, it was on the fritz, much like half this bank. I would say that it was run with the minimal amount possible. I think your best chance of any evidence is to see if any of the surrounding businesses have security cameras that are facing this way. If not, you might be working from scratch. With only testimony. It isn¡¯t going to be a great case for the DA that¡¯s for sure.¡± He doesn¡¯t look pleased.


    ¡°I am sure that was the robber¡¯s n to begin with.¡± He still seems a little more disgruntled than I would have thought. ¡°What else is eating you?¡±


    ¡°Nothing much. Some rich asshole is trying to take my family from me. He thinks that because he has money that he can just get Mia to run away with him and my son.¡± Mia is his ex that had his son while he was gone for training. When he came back to town is when he found out about it. Mia, a different Mia just to be clear, she had never told him about his son. He just transferred herest week, that doesn¡¯t leave a lot of time to win someone over.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure it will work out in the end. She loved you at one point.¡± I give him a brotherly pat on the back because I want to help, but really I don¡¯t have much to go on.


    ¡°I know, but I hurt her really fucking bad when I left. Now I have to fix it and it¡¯s hard as fuck with that rich asshole trying to steal her away.¡± He shakes his head. ¡°You don¡¯t need to hear about my drama.¡±


    I shake my head right back at him. ¡°Dude, we are brothers in blue. If we can¡¯t rely on each other we don¡¯t got shit.¡±


    Heughs. ¡°That¡¯s the truth.¡±


    ¡°I got to head to the hospital and talk to Gus Stanford, the security guard. Can you check the neighboring businesses for me?¡±


    He takes a big breath. ¡°Not a problem, it is way better than watching this shit show.¡±


    I am really hoping for a good lead.

 William Chapter 2

    MIA


    I am so screwed. Brock said this was not going toe back on me. But there were cops at my house this morning. I managed to hide in my neighbor¡¯s house, but that doesn¡¯t mean that I can keep doing it. I don¡¯t have the resources for that. My brother, Joseph, got into some trouble with part of Brock¡¯s gang and suddenly it was his life in Brock¡¯s hands. The only way I could save Joseph was to do what Brock wanted. I get nothing else out of it. So I can¡¯t even leave town with Joseph and try to make a run for it. But the way it looks, I am suspect number one.


    I know there is possibly a cop stationed at my apartment so I make my way to the school to take Joseph out. Hopefully this small town is slow enough that they won¡¯t have pulled him already. Only when I get to the school do I see a patrol car out front. I am so fucked. If they have Joseph then I am sure they have my tes on my car. I have to ditch it.


    Not only do I have to find a ce to hide, but I might have to rely on the one person that got me in this situation in the first ce. I ditch the car about ten miles from Brock¡¯s ce. He has a ce that he uses for business, not that it is really business, but a thug operation. Brock is in charge of most of the drug operations in this town. Not to mention the extortion that he and his boys do. There isn¡¯t anything in this world that Brock wouldn¡¯t do to make a buck.


    I managed to walk the rest of the way to Brock¡¯s ce with a hood covering my face. When I knock on his door, one of his thugs answers the door. I don¡¯t remember his name but he is definitely here because of his muscles. He looks like he ate a house. He res down at me. ¡°What do you want?¡±


    ¡°I want to talk to Brock.¡± I state clearly, even though I am scared for my life. This guy with one word from Brock could bend me in half.


    Instead he grunts. ¡°Brock was expecting you.¡± I fucking knew it. He nned on all this toe back on me.


    Big and burly moves to the side and leads the way through the house towards where I am assuming Brock is. It¡¯s in a back room that has its own back exit. I guess that is convenient if the cops show up. Brock is sitting behind a desk in a big bulky office chair. I honestly never figured that a gang leader would have an office setting in his ce, but I guess Brock takes this seriously.


    He smiles up at me like we are old friends. ¡°Mia, Dearling. How can I help you?¡±


    I can see stacks of the money that he made me help steal piled on the desk. ¡°Brock, they think I did it. The cops are all over me. They have been to my house. They were at Joseph¡¯s school. I don¡¯t know what to do.¡±


    He looks at the burly man and gives him a small nod and suddenly we are locked in the room alone together. I don¡¯t know what to expect next but it isn¡¯t Brock pulling out a gun and pointing it at me. ¡°How stupid are you Mia?¡±


    I hold my hands up out of fear. ¡°I don¡¯t understand. You said that I would be safe. That they wouldn¡¯t suspect anything.¡± I am crying. I can¡¯t die now. I still have to take care of Joseph, even if I am doing a shit job so far.


    ¡°The cops are all over you and you fuckinge here. Were you followed?¡±


    I violently shake my head. ¡°No. I dumped my car and came on foot. I kept myself covered. No one saw me I promise. I am not trying to bring the cops to you. I am just trying to avoid going to jail.¡±


    Brock grunts and tosses the gun on his desk. ¡°Mia, you are a beautiful woman, but sometimes I think you have stuffing for brains. I made sure there was no evidence to convict you. They may suspect you, but they don¡¯t have any proof that you did anything. If you just say that you were held at gunpoint by masked robbers and dumped outside of town then you will be in the clear. They have no way of knowing anything different. No witnesses. Nothing. They can¡¯t convict you without any evidence. As long as you keep your pretty little mouth shut you are fine. However if you fuck this up, I will make sure you lose your freedom and your brother will be my bitch is that clear?¡±


    I nod grateful that he hasn¡¯t turned the gun on me again. ¡°Ok, so I will do that. I will keep my mouth shut and you will leave me and Joseph alone, Right?¡±


    The grin that spreads on his face is evil. He looks me over. Before answering my question he moves from behind his desk andes around it so that he is right in front of me. ¡°Now, Mia, did you really think it was that easy?¡± His hand reaches out and caresses my cheek. ¡°I own you Mia. Joseph would be dead now if I didn¡¯t step in. Is your brother¡¯s life really that little to you?¡±


    I can¡¯t stop the tears that start falling as I shake my head. ¡°No, Please. Joseph is a good kid. Please.¡±


    He leans in closer. ¡°You really are a beautiful woman Mia.¡± He wipes away a tear. ¡°You don¡¯t need to cry. I¡¯m going to take care of you. I will make it all better. You just have to surrender yourself to me.¡±


    I blink up at him through tears. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Once all this blows over, you wille right back here. You will be my woman. I need things to cool off first. I will take care of you and Joseph. You won¡¯t have to worry about anything but taking care of my needs.¡± To make his point his other hand wraps around my waist and pulls me to his manhood. ¡°You can do that for me, can¡¯t you do that Mia.¡±


    Suddenly prison seems like the better option. But if I am not here for Joseph then who knows what he will do to him. ¡°Yes.¡± I answer with a slight hesitation. Not much of one because I love Joseph enough to know that I would do anything for him. Even be with this devil of a human being.


    I don¡¯t know how but his grin bes even more evil. ¡°I knew you were smart in there somewhere.¡± His lips press to mine and I have to repress the vomit that wants toe up. I have to act like I am enjoying it. It is about the hardest thing I have ever had to do in my life. I have never been an actress so this is a feat I have never experienced. However when I respond to his lips, I must be a better actress than I thought because he growls and pulls me closer. Pulling me up so that my feet aren¡¯t touching the ground anymore. I feel my stomach lurch, but I push it back down.


    Once he has had his fill of my lips he releases me, setting me back on my feet. He cups my cheek again. ¡°Your face is flushed, baby. I am d that you enjoyed it. There is so much more toe. But for now, I need you to go to the police, give them the statement that I told you to. After things die down. You are going toe back to me. I promise to take care of everything.¡±N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner.


    ¡°Ok, Brock.¡± I don¡¯t know what else I am supposed to say. Until I can get Joseph out of this town, I am sold to this devil. I don¡¯t have a choice.


    When I leave the burly man res at me. I have no idea what the hell his problem is with me, but he clearly has one. I just want to be rid of all of them. I want to be free. At this point it doesn¡¯t seem that I ever will be.


    I make it a block before I fall to my knees and hurl everything in my stomach, which admittedly isn¡¯t much since I have been so stressed about this whole thing that I haven¡¯t eaten much in thest week. The tears don¡¯t stop either. I don¡¯t know what the hell I am going to do. If it was just me I would go to prison and say the hell with it, but it isn¡¯t. I have to be here for Joseph.


    I just don¡¯t see another way out of this.

 William Chapter 3

    WILLIAM


    Gus doesn¡¯t look like he is in too bad a shape when I get to the hospital. I mean besides the fact that he has a bullet hole in his left shoulder. It missed all the vital arteries so he should heal just fine.


    He¡¯s sitting back on the pillow with a jello on the tray. He looks like he is on vacation, not in the hospital with a gunshot wound. He¡¯s a young guy like me with far more tattoos. I am actually surprised that he was hired for security of the bank. I checked his rap sheet beforeing here. He was released from prison about six months ago for drug solicitation. This guy doesn¡¯t exactly look like anyone I would want protecting my bank.


    ¡°Hey, Mr. Stanford, can I ask you a few questions?¡±


    He grunts at me. ¡°All I have been doing since I got here is answering questions. Haven¡¯t you guys talked and shit. I meane on, I was just shot. I think I should get to rest.¡±


    I nod, even if I don¡¯t like his attitude. Something about him just rubs me the wrong way. I don¡¯t like the way he seems agitated. Like it doesn¡¯t matter if we catch the guys that did this or not. He just wants to enjoy his free food and bed. ¡°I understand. I promise I will be thest for a while. Now you said that you were shot on the way to work. About what time was that?¡±


    He rolls his eyes. ¡°I told the other guy.¡±


    I smile. ¡°Humor me.¡±


    ¡°Six.¡±


    Writing that down, I think that it is prettyte to be heading to work for a bank. ¡°Is there a reason why you wereing in sote?¡±


    He shrugs. ¡°I don¡¯t make the schedule.¡±


    ¡°Can you give me a little walk through of what happened?¡±


    He groans like he is in pain, but I don¡¯t budge. ¡°Fine, I was walking because my car is in the shop. I got to about fifth street when this asshole pulled in front of me in his car, he was wearing a mask and he shot me. Then he drove off while I fell to the ground. That¡¯s it. It happened super fast. I don¡¯t know what else you want from me.¡±


    I write all that down and contemte my next question. Because this one sounded really rehearsed. ¡°What color was the car?¡±


    He looks at me confused. ¡°I don¡¯t remember.¡±


    ¡°Was the man covered head to toe or were you able to see any skin?¡±


    ¡°I told you it was really fast. I don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°How tall do you think the guy was?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, tall I guess.¡±


    ¡°What about eye color, did you get that?¡±


    ¡°Green I think.¡± Really, he got the eye color but did not notice his skin?


    ¡°Do you know what kind of gun he used?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°Was it a handgun, a glock, or a shotgun?¡±


    He res at me. ¡°I told you, I don¡¯t know.¡±


    None of this is making sense. He should be able to tell me that it wasn¡¯t a shotgun. I mean if it was it would have been pretty obvious. It¡¯s like he only has programmed answers and can¡¯t answer outside of that. If he does he makes it up on the spot.


    ¡°Alright Mr. Stanford, I am going to check with my colleges that you talked to before, see if we can find this guy. I am sure one of us will be talking to you again to see if you remember anything else. Sometimes it takes a bit for little details to return to us. You know with all the stress of the situation. If you remember anything important, please don¡¯t be afraid to give me a call.¡± I handed him my business card. I don¡¯t expect him to call at all.


    ¡°Can I rest now?¡±


    ¡°Yes, of course.¡±


    On my way out I called the desk Sergeant to see if there was any other information. Kyle answers after a couple of minutes. ¡°Hey Detective, so the brother of your suspect was brought in. He is waiting in the interrogation room to answer questions. We had to call for awyer for him. He¡¯s only sixteen. His legal guardian is his sister.¡±


    I sigh, because this is bullshit. They pulled in a kid on a half assed investigation. He is probably scared shitless for his sister. ¡°I¡¯ll be there in a few minutes.¡±


    When I get to the station I see a very pissed off kid. He looks like he is ready to blow a gasket. When I entered the interrogation room, my Lieutenant was already there. He looks smug as he talks to the kid. ¡°Look kid, it would be best for everyone if you just tell us where your sister is.¡±


    I see him grasp his hands into fists. ¡°I don¡¯t know how many times I can tell you, you have the wrong person. My sister didn¡¯t do anything. Even if she did then I wouldn¡¯t tell you where she is.¡±


    ¡°Kid this isn¡¯t going to end well for you. You do realize that if you don¡¯t cooperate with us then it is going to be bad. You¡¯re not eighteen yet, that means a group home. Now it could be a nice group home or a not so nice one, it¡¯s your choice.¡±


    Thewyer shakes her head. ¡°That is enough. I suggest you don¡¯t answer any questions. It¡¯s obvious that they are trying to use uwful means here. This interview is done.¡±


    My lieutenant snarls at thewyer. ¡°I am trying to find a bank robber here.¡±


    Thewyer scoffs. ¡°By pressuring a kid to turn in his sister. I don¡¯t even think you have all that much evidence. So here you sit with a sixteen year old kid trying to convince him to turn in his sister. You threatened him. As his representative I don¡¯t want him to answer any other questions.¡±


    I clear my throat. ¡°Lieutenant, can I take over?¡±


    He grumbles but pushes his chair out. ¡°I doubt he will answer you.¡±


    I wait until he is out of the room before I take a seat. ¡°I would apologize for him but I¡¯m afraid he would probably just be the same next time you saw him. He kind of has it set in his mind that your sister is the robber and there is nothing I can say to make him change his mind.¡±


    He is closed off. ¡°Is this the good cop bad cop routine? I¡¯m not going to change my answer. You have the wrong person. My sister didn¡¯t do this.¡±


    I shrug. ¡°I am inclined to believe you. To me a lot of things with this case don¡¯t add up. That is why I want to ask you a few questions so that I can figure this out.¡±


    He eyes me like I am public enemy number one. No way he trusts me. ¡°Fine, ask your questions.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡±


    ¡°Joe.¡± He answers.


    ¡°I bet your sister calls you Joey.¡±


    He smiles a little. ¡°Not for a long time. She actually calls me Joseph.¡±


    I nod. ¡°Sounds like she thinks highly of you. I mean to give you a grown up name like that. How long has it been just the two of you?¡±


    ¡°Five years.¡± He looks a little sad.


    ¡°That is a while. Does your sister do a good job of looking out for you?¡±


    ¡°My sister is the best. She does the best she can, always making sure I have everything that I need, but she would never break thew to do it. Look, I know we don¡¯te from the best part of town. We struggle with money. But my sister is always on me about doing what is right, she would never turn around and break thew. Never.¡±


    ¡°Joe, honestly, I am just trying to solve this case. Someone did a good job of making it look like your sister was a part of this. But I don¡¯t think she is. It doesn¡¯t make sense to me. I give you my word that I am going to do whatever it takes to find the people responsible for this.¡±


    He fidgets a little. ¡°Are you being serious?¡±


    ¡°Absolutely.¡±


    ¡°There is this guy in the neighborhood. He keeps asking me about my sister. He¡¯s not a good guy. I know my sister would never be into him. But he watches her sometimes. I don¡¯t know if that helps or if I am just bbing about somethingpletely unrted.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s this guy¡¯s name?¡±


    ¡°Brock, that¡¯s all I know. No one ever uses hisst name. He¡¯s a big deal in the neighborhood. He has money but still lives on our side of town. It¡¯s like he runs it. Everyone is afraid of him. He has these big guys with him all the time. I think he is into drugs, but I don¡¯t know for sure. My sister keeps me away from that stuff and people who are into it. My sister got really upset one time when he was talking to me on the corner and she saw. She told me never to talk to him again.¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m going to check him out and see if he is rted to this at all. This was really helpful Joe. I want you to understand, I don¡¯t think your sister did this. I am probably the only one though, but I am going to do what I can to prove that your sister is innocent.¡±


    He nods. ¡°I really appreciate it. I know it doesn¡¯t look good, but I¡¯m telling you, this isn¡¯t something my sister would do.¡±


    ¡°I think you can go now. I am sorry about all this. I think the social workers are supposed to be on their way soon. I really hope to clear your sister as soon as possible.¡±


    He looks up at me with eyes that are almost pleading. ¡°Please help my sister. She didn¡¯t do anything wrong. I know her.¡±


    ¡°I am going to do anything in my power to do justice here. I don¡¯t think your sister did this.¡±


    I leave the room with a heavy heart. I can¡¯t decide what to do next. I am certain that a woman who is raising her little brother would do whatever was necessary to keep him safe. I just don¡¯t know if that would lead to robbery. Especially a sloppy one at that. None of it is making any sense. Why would some random guy shoot the guard? Why would she rob the bank on her own if there was a man that shot the guard? Why would she leave any evidence that she robbed the bank if she was the only one there? It doesn¡¯t make a lick of sense.This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    Kylees up on my left. ¡°She came in on her own. She is in interrogation room three. I haven¡¯t told the lieutenant yet.¡±


    ¡°She who?¡±


    ¡°Mia Ashbluff.¡±


    Well, I guess I am getting some answers sooner than I thought.

 William Chapter 4

    MIA


    When I walked into the police station, I knew that my life was over. They all looked at me like I was a criminal. As soon as I gave the front desk my name, I was ushered into this room where I feel like I am going to be left for dead. There is a guard outside the door. The room is sterile. The only window is barred. The floor concrete, the table one of those solid gray ones that it bolted to the floor. My chair is the only thing that can move in this room and it is too heavy for me to lift.


    I can still feel the vomit in my mouth. I feel gross. I haven¡¯t showered. I am still wearing my clothes fromst night. Worst I can still feel Brock¡¯s hands on me. The very thought makes me want to vomit again. I can¡¯t imagine spending days with that man. Or longer. I don¡¯t know his n. Or doing anything with him. He is vile sludge.


    When the door opens the most attractive man I have ever seen in my life stands there. He has a badge strapped to his belt, so I know he is going to see what the rest of them see. His ck shirt hugs his muscles. He¡¯s wearing jeans, which is different from what I expected. I wonder if they just called this guy in, or if he is just not one for uniforms.


    He smiles at me. ¡°We have been looking all over for you, Mia. You look like you have had quite a bit of a night. Care to tell me about it?¡± He takes a seat across from me.


    I take a deep breath, because I don¡¯t want to lie, but the truth will separate me from Joseph. I have to do this for him. ¡°I was involved in a robbery.¡±


    ¡°Care to exin?¡± He puts on a little recorder. ¡°I am recording this for the record. I am here with Mia Ashbluff. She is telling me about the night¡¯s events that happened on August twenty-fifth.¡±


    I nod, swallow and try to stick to the story that Brock wants me to. ¡°I was locking up, on my own. For some reason the security guard Gus never showed up for his shift. As soon as I reached the door to lock it, the door was pushed open and mmed into me. Two men in masks came in with guns.¡±


    ¡°How could you tell they were men?¡±


    ¡°They had gruff voices and no chest.¡±


    He shrugs. ¡°So they could have been gruff women with no chests?¡±


    I shake my head confused. ¡°Yeah, I guess.¡±


    ¡°Go on.¡±


    I have to remember where I was in this story that I was telling. ¡°Um, so they had guns. One guy held me while the other started collecting money. The tills weren¡¯t cashed out yet, and the safe was unlocked because I was going to put the deposits in there after I locked the doors. They grabbed up all the money and then pulled me out with the bags of money. They put me in the trunk of their car and drove. I don¡¯t know what their n was at first. I was really scared. Then they stopped the car after a while and pulled me out of the trunk. They put a gun to my head and made me close my eyes. Said I needed to count to fifty, but after about twenty I heard the car pull away. I never saw who they were. I don¡¯t know much about where they went. They dropped me off on the outside of the west side of town. I had to walk back in and all the way here. I am exhausted.¡±


    ¡°So you were out all night?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Have you ever seen these men before?¡±


    ¡°I could have and not know it. They were covered. I only saw that they both had brown eyes and were white.¡±


    ¡°How could you tell?¡±


    ¡°There was white around their eyes, like their eyelids.¡± I rehearsed this story on the way here. I figured most of the town was white and brown eyes was reallymon. I wanted my story to be as believable as possible. Because the more they believed it, the more likely they were to let me go.


    ¡°Were they big men or short men?¡±


    ¡°Um, bigger than me.¡± I am rather short so I guess that doesn¡¯t really mean much.


    ¡°What kind of car was it?¡±


    ¡°A ck one?¡± I think that came out more as a question than a statement.


    ¡°Who is Brock?¡±


    I can¡¯t answer, I wasn¡¯t expecting that question. ¡°Um, who?¡±N?velDrama.Org owns this.


    ¡°Brock.¡± He states inly.


    ¡°You mean Brock Danford?¡±


    ¡°What can you tell me about him?¡±


    Are they on to him already? Or does he know something else? ¡°Well, he¡¯s from our neighborhood. He¡¯s kind of a big man. He knows a lot of people. He honestly doesn¡¯t seem like someone that should still be in our neighborhood. He has a bit more money than the rest of us.¡±


    ¡°How do you know?¡±


    ¡°His house is better kept up. He has a new SUV. shy.¡±


    ¡°Do you talk with him? How well do you know him?¡±


    ¡°Um, not that well. I mean we have talked a few times, being in the same ce does that. You know mundane stuff.¡±


    He nods. ¡°So, you didn¡¯t chew him out for talking to your brother?¡±


    Shit, who the hell told him that? ¡°It was a misunderstanding. I thought he was trying to get my brother to ditch school. But he was just asking him if he needed a ride. I told him that my brother doesn¡¯t need rides, because we don¡¯t like handouts. That¡¯s all.¡±


    ¡°But money is tight?¡±


    ¡°Well, sure, but isn¡¯t it for everybody?¡±


    He chuckles a little. ¡°I suppose for some. I don¡¯t usually have that problem, but that isn¡¯t my fault.¡±


    I have no idea what that means. I think he can tell by the way I am blinking at him. ¡°My name is Detective William Wright.¡±


    Oh, that makes a lot more sense. The Wrights are one of the richest families in the city. If not the richest. ¡°Makes sense. I understand that I am in trouble, that you guys think I robbed the bank. But I¡¯m telling you that I didn¡¯t. What do we need to do next?¡±


    ¡°Well, I have a few more questions, then we are going to take your prints. We are going to want to eliminate your prints from the others in the building. Did anyone see you walking back into town?¡±


    ¡°No one that I know, but I keep to myself, I don¡¯t know many people. No one talked to me though.¡±


    ¡°Ok, so is it usual for the security guard to report for duty at six?¡±


    I have no idea what he is talking about. ¡°Um, no. We are usually closing up at nine, but we wouldn¡¯t have the guarde thatte. We have another firm that watches the outside of the bank after closing. The evening is supposed to report around noon, then we have two guards until about three.¡±


    ¡°How well do you know Gus?¡±


    ¡°Not very. I mean he is new and he keeps to his side of the desk. He has asked me out a few times, but I¡¯m not really interested in dating right now, so I always say no.¡±


    ¡°Well, I think that is all my questions right now. We are going to fingerprint you and then you can see your brother. I am going to talk to my lieutenant about getting you released.¡±


    I look up at him with eyes blurry with tears. I was so sure that they were going to lock me up. ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t rmend leaving town, because unfortunately you are our top suspect, but we don¡¯t have enough to hold you at that moment.¡±


    I feel the disappointment returning. I want this over with. But then the thought returns, if I am still a suspect then I don¡¯t have to return to Brock. ¡°My brother is here?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, he was brought in a little while ago. He¡¯s a good kid.¡±


    I can¡¯t hold back the tears anymore. ¡°He¡¯s ok?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, you¡¯ll see him soon.¡±


    He gives me a smile that melts my heart a little. Leaving me alone in the room to contemte my next moves.

 William Chapter 5

    WILLIAM


    My lieutenant is standing outside the interrogation room. He looks pleased with himself. ¡°Well, that was the easiest case I have ever had.¡±


    I look at him confused. ¡°What the hell are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°She turned herself in. Case closed.¡±


    ¡°No it isn¡¯t. She didn¡¯t turn herself in, she said she was kidnapped by the robbers. We don¡¯t have enough to hold her. We have to let her go.¡±


    He growls at me. ¡°Let¡¯s take this to the Chief.¡±


    Just great, he is as pig headed as this guy. ¡°Alright, I am just obeying thew, but we can do it your way.¡±


    He marches through the office like he is on a mission, but in truth he is looking for praise. His chunky ass lives on that shit. He knocks on the Chief¡¯s office door and pushes his way in before we even get a e in¡¯.


    The Chief is a portly man that should have retired, because he doesn¡¯t want to be here anymore. But unfortunately there is no one that wants to rece him. The Sheriff has been looking though. ¡°What the hell is it? Have you found the robbers yet?¡±


    My Lieutenant grins. ¡°I have. But this pretty boy is saying that we have nothing to hold her on. He wants to let her go.¡±N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner.


    The Chief rolls his eyes. ¡°What do you have?¡±


    ¡°She is the only one that had ess to the bank at that hour. She was the only one in the bank. She was MIA all day. It all makes perfect sense.¡±


    Chief looks at me. ¡°What¡¯s your take?¡±


    ¡°There is no physical evidence tying her to the crime. She came to the department this morning, on her own. She says that the robbers cornered her at lock up, then took her hostage, dumping her outside of town. She had to walk back. There are no cameras or eye witnesses that saw her rob anything. We have nothing.¡±


    He sighs. ¡°Fine, let her go. I want something. The DA wants this case a top priority.¡±


    I nod. This went better than I thought. ¡°Got it sir. Thank you.¡±


    Lieutenant is not thrilled. ¡°Fuck that, I got your girl.¡±


    Chief groans. ¡°With a case that any decentwyer would have thrown out the window. Find me some evidence.¡±


    I hate to mention it, but it is a sucky situation that we are in. ¡°Unfortunately there isn¡¯t much to go on. The security was disabled, there weren¡¯t any witnesses. No workable prints. We haven¡¯t found the money yet either.¡±


    Chief looks pissed. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me that shit Wright, find something. I want this case behind us. Don¡¯t tell me that we fucking have nothing.¡±


    ¡°All we have is two men in a mask. Both men shot the guard and robbed the bank. I am sure of that. Unless we are having a spree on masked men with guns. It would seem pretty odd that they would randomly shoot the guard on his way to work and then someone else in a mask would rob the bank. I am sure the two are connected. At least that is something. I can possibly find surveince at that scene and I am having Walker dig into it. I¡¯ll let you know as soon as I find anything.¡±


    He looks at me with skepticism. ¡°I know this is kind of a big case for you Wright, but I am asking you not to fuck it off.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sir. I have been waiting for this chance.¡±


    Neither of the men in this room look impressed. But I really didn¡¯t expect any different.


    After getting her printed, I reunited brother and sister. Honestly Mia is a really attractive woman. I can see why Gus didn¡¯t give up after asking her the first time. Hell, if she wasn¡¯t a suspect I would be asking her too. Her short stature doesn¡¯t affect the way she looks. Her curves are enticing as she moves. Her hair may be a mess from a night of hell, but I can tell that it is this really beautiful reddish brown color.


    The fact that she is attractive leads me to other thoughts. I mean there are the obvious ones. But others. Like that Brock guy. I am sure if there was a woman like her in my neighborhood that I would be trying to win her over. Yet Mia tried to y it off as if they had hardly said two words to each other. I doubt a lot of that statement that she gave. I can¡¯t prove it, but most of it seemed rehearsed. A few times she seemed at a loss for words.


    Most of all, I think I want to have a couple of people followed. Starting with Gus Stanford. Second Mia Ashbluff.


    Finding Dex I see he isbing through something on hisputer. ¡°What do you got?¡±


    He sighs sitting back. ¡°So I have seen some footage of the bank being robbed and Ms. Ashbluff being put in the back of a car. But they are covered in a ski mask.¡±


    ¡°Wait, you mean the trunk?¡±


    ¡°No, the back seat. It was at gunpoint. So that is something.¡±


    ¡°How many men?¡±


    ¡°Three.¡±


    What the hell is going on? It doesn¡¯t make sense.


    ¡°I want you to check on Gus Stanford. Keep an eye on him. Check to see who may have visited him and any phone calls that he has gotten. I want to check his cell and see who he has been talking to.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll put it in. I¡¯ll be at the hospital shortly. Anything else?¡±


    ¡°Send me the surveince. We also need to see if there is any surveince where Gus was shot. I have a hunch and I want to know how close I am.¡±


    He taps on his keys. ¡°Alright there is the surveince. I¡¯ll head to the hospital now and see what I can figure out. You might need to get an order for those phone records though.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll get on it. Thanks for your help. You are about one of the few people here that I can trust to chase the evidence and not their gut.¡±


    He shrugs. ¡°Where I was at before it was very frowned upon to look at cases like that. If the DA didn¡¯t have enough to lock in a case then he would be pissed. It wasn¡¯t great.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think there has been a case like this in a long time. I think we mostly look at petty crimes. This is the biggest case I have been on. I appreciate the help.¡±


    ¡°No problem. Let¡¯s figure out what is going on.¡±

 William Chapter 6

    MIA


    I was so relieved to see Joseph. He was unharmed and the worst that had happened is they were going to send him to a group home, but since I wasn¡¯t arrested they decided against it. They just want to do a surprise home visit. I can handle that. As long as I am not arrested then my brother is safe.


    I will do anything to keep him safe, even marry that asshole Brock if I have to.


    When we get home I can see that there is an officer posted out front. I don¡¯t mind, Brock said he was going to keep his distance and the cop out front will help make that happen. Joseph however doesn¡¯t share my feelings. ¡°Why are the cops watching the house? I thought they let you go?¡±


    ¡°They did, but apparently it¡¯s only because they don¡¯t have enough to hold me on. They still think I did it. I didn¡¯t though.¡±


    He sighs. ¡°You know who did though, don¡¯t you.¡±


    Plopping down on my piece of crap couch is less thanfortable. ¡°Yes, I do.¡±This content is ? N?velDrama.Org.


    He starts pacing the meager living room. ¡°Then just tell them who it was. Make this go away.¡±


    ¡°Joseph, it will put us in danger for me to tell them what I know. They don¡¯t have any evidence on who did it. All that would happen is my word against theirs and I am their prime suspect. If I keep my mouth shut then nothing happens. We are safe and I don¡¯t go to jail. I know this isn¡¯t what I taught you but I need to do whatever it takes to keep you safe.¡±


    ¡°Who is it? Who could do this?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not telling you. I am not going to put that pressure on you. Please, Joseph just know that what I am doing is to keep us both safe.¡±


    ¡°What else do you have to do?¡±


    ¡°Nothing for you to worry about.¡±


    Joseph gets angry. I can see his face turn red. He looks on the verge of exploding. ¡°This is bullshit Mia. I am not a little kid. I can understand what is going on. I think you need to trust someone here. What about that cop, the nice one? He thinks you didn¡¯t do it.¡±


    ¡°Joseph, he is one cop. Everyone else thinks I did it. I just have to rely on the fact that they have no proof.¡±


    ¡°Someone at some point isn¡¯t going to give a fuck. Mia, they are nning on pinning this on you. At least give the good cop a ce to start to find someone else.¡±


    I am fed up with this argument. ¡°Then what happens when the person who did it finds out that I talked to a cop. You don¡¯t think that they wille for us. They had guns, Joseph. They shot Gus. They are not ying around. I can¡¯t tell anyone for our safety. Now drop it.¡±


    ¡°You are making the wrong choice. I love you Mia, but you are wrong here.¡±


    I start crying, because I know as of right now, the image that my brother has of me is shattered. He will never look at me the same. He will always see me as this coward. That is what I am. I folded. As soon as Brock put Joseph in his crosshairs, I folded. So easily, I was made to do his bidding.


    When he came to me about this job, I told him no. All he did was smile and say that Joseph would die if I didn¡¯t. I had to keep the door and the vault open until his men showed up. Then I would be held at gunpoint, in case anyone would see. He did drive me outside of town, but not that far. I was back at my apartment in an hour or so. Then I saw how I was the one being framed for the crime. There was nothing I could do but go to Brock and ask for his protection again.


    As nice as that cop was, there is no way that I could do that. Someone somewhere would get word back to Brock. I can¡¯t have himing after Joseph. He talked to me through the whole robbery, reminding me of why I was doing it. He said that one of his men was watching Joseph. That his man would be following him at all times. I can¡¯t get away from him. I have to ept whatever fate has in store for me with Brock, I don¡¯t have a choice.


    The next morning there is a knock on the door. I am a little slow because of all of the crying that I was doingst night. When I do get to the door I am instantly awake with the shock of seeing Brock on my doorstep. ¡°What happened? Why are you here?¡±


    He smiles at me. ¡°Is that anyway to talk to your love?¡±


    ¡°What?¡± I am in shock. I have no idea what he is talking about.


    ¡°Now, I have found out some interesting information. One is that if we are married we can¡¯t testify against each other. It¡¯s a great solution.¡± He just marches his ass right in my house.


    ¡°Um, I don¡¯t understand.¡±


    He spreads himself out on my couch, the whole man spread. Legs spread apart, his arms over both sides of the couch. He is at home. ¡°Well, see if we get married, legally you can¡¯t testify against me for my crimes and I can¡¯t testify against you. See it is a win/win situation.¡±


    I am still standing by my door too confused to actually do anything. ¡°Um, I still don¡¯t understand. You want us to get married.¡±


    ¡°Well, yeah. You said you were going to be my girl anyway. I mean let¡¯s just make it official. You know I have the means to take care of you. And after you are fired from the bank, you are going to need ie and security.¡±


    I gulp. I didn¡¯t know they were going to fire me. I mean it makes sense, but still it hurts to hear. ¡°I am fired?¡±


    ¡°Oh, yeah. You are the talk of the town baby. The bank robber from the slums. I swear people can¡¯t shut up.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t rob the bank.¡±


    ¡°No, baby, but you were an essory. Although not exactly a willing one, you came around. You are still in this with me.¡± He pats the couch next to him. Clearly he wants me to be next to him.


    I know what is at stake if I don¡¯t. So, I sat next to him. ¡°What am I going to do?¡±


    He cups my chin. ¡°I just told you. We are getting married. I have your back.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t just marry you Brock. Not after yesterday. It will look suspicious. The cops asked about our rtionship. How we got along. I just said that we hardly knew each other. That you were a good samaritan but that I didn¡¯t really talk to you. You said to keep some distance. I thought that was what you wanted.¡±


    His face turns into a grimace. ¡°Why the fuck were they asking about me?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I didn¡¯t mention your name at all. It threw me off and I did the best I could to make it seem like we didn¡¯t really know each other.¡±


    I can see his jaw flex as his teeth nash together. ¡°Fuck. Alright, then we will have to ease into it. You move in with me.¡±


    I am shocked. ¡°You still want to do this?¡±


    ¡°Yes, we will just say that I came to check on you. You told them I was some good samaritan, well, let¡¯s sell it. You move in with me and I¡¯ll say it¡¯s because I was concerned that you lost your job. I wanted to keep a roof over your head. Then we say that sparks started to fly between us. We take it slow. This investigation is going to take time. We have time to put this together.¡±


    He leans in like he is going to kiss me, but a voice from the hall stops him. ¡°What the fuck?¡± He sounds confused and a little hurt. ¡°Mia what is going on?¡± We turn and see an upset Joseph.


    ¡°Um, Joseph, Brock just came to check on us. Things are just a little hard right now and he was checking to see how we are doing.¡±


    ¡°No, he was just going to kiss you. Are you two dating?¡±


    Brock smiles. ¡°It¡¯s true. I¡¯m sorry Joseph, but we wanted to keep it a secret for a while. We didn¡¯t want the neighbors to be jealous. But your sister and I are in love.¡±


    Joseph shakes his head. ¡°Hell, no. That isn¡¯t true.¡±


    Brock nudges me. ¡°It¡¯s true. I¡¯m sorry for keeping this from you. I just thought I might be rushing things if I told you.¡± I lied to my little brother.


    Brock adds to it, by wrapping his arms around me. ¡°Sorry bro, but we are done hiding it. So it¡¯s cool. I figure you are probably going to be a little upset. You are used to being the man around the house, but I¡¯m here now. Now you get to just enjoy being young.¡±


    Joseph actually looks like the hurt is changing to fury before my eyes. ¡°It¡¯s all a lie. Mia you wouldn¡¯t keep this from me. Why are you lying? Tell him to get out. Mia, this isn¡¯t you.¡±


    I sit a little straighter. ¡°Joe. It¡¯s true. We were just talking about getting married, this is happening. The sooner youe to grips with it the sooner you can live a normal life. This isn¡¯t going away. Please ept it and we can move past this. Brock just invited us toe live with him, isn¡¯t that nice?¡±


    Joseph shakes his head. ¡°I don¡¯t know what the fuck is going on, but I am not going to fucking move in with him. I¡¯ll go to a group home first.¡± He turns on his heels and moves back down the hall.


    I sag in defeat. I don¡¯t want that. I don¡¯t want to lose Joseph. Brock leans in closer with his lips by my ear. ¡°He¡¯lle around. Don¡¯t worry about it. It is just a shock. That¡¯s all. We will wait a few days for this to sink in with him. Then we will make the move. Trust me baby, this is going to work.¡±


    I don¡¯t know what else to do. I am stuck, who is going to hire a person suspected of bank robbery. I don¡¯t have any savings we were barely getting by. If I don¡¯t ept Brock¡¯s offer, we are screwed. I have no one I can rely on, but Brock. I feel this pain settle in my guts as the realization hits me. I have to sell myself in order to take care of my brother. I swallow and lean back on Brock. I feel my emotions starting to shut down. I may have to give him my body, but I don¡¯t have to feel while I do it. ¡°That¡¯s it baby. We got this.¡± He kisses the top of my head.


    Fighting back the tears, I shut off. This is my choice. I will do anything to keep my brother safe. This is the best option for him.

 William Chapter 7

    WILLIAM


    My cell rings after I just managed to get to sleep and I want to ring the neck of whoever is on the other end of the line. I grumble as I answer the phone. ¡°This had better be good.¡±


    Kyle is on the other end. ¡°That boy from yesterday. The brother of the suspect is on the line. He says he wants to talk to you and only you. He says he has some new information.¡±


    I blink the sleep from my eyes. ¡°Put him through.¡±


    I shuffle around my nket as I shift to sit up so that I can take some notes. Thankfully I always keep a notebook and pen by my bed to clear my mind before bed. I flip to a fresh page as the line clicks over. ¡°Hello.¡± His tentative voice goes through the line.


    ¡°Hey, Joe, what¡¯s up?¡±


    He seems reluctant, sighing a few times and taking a deep breath. ¡°There is something wrong. I don¡¯t know what happened, but it doesn¡¯t make sense. I don¡¯t know who else to call. Please can we meet somewhere, not the police station. Somewhere just you and me.¡±


    ¡°Do you know the park on fifth avenue?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°Meet at the pic tables, by the skate ramp.¡±


    ¡°Ok, I¡¯m headed there now.¡±


    We ended the call and I have a good feeling about this. I have a feeling that whatever Joe needs to get off his chest is going to be the thing that cracks this case open.


    When I get to the park, Joe is already there. He looks huddled and crushed on the bench. He looks like the weight of the world is on his shoulders. I take a seat next to him. ¡°How are you doing?¡±


    I can see some tears in his eyes. ¡°Something is wrong. My sister is lying to me. I can¡¯t understand what she is doing. I didn¡¯t know who else to talk to.¡±


    ¡°Hey, I¡¯m here to listen buddy. What¡¯s going on?¡±


    He sighs. ¡°You know that guy that we were talking about yesterday? The one that my sister wanted me to stay away from?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, Brock.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, well this morning he was in our apartment. He was holding my sister. I saw him get ready to kiss her. I don¡¯t understand it. She hates him. Then she said that they were dating. I know that is a lie. She wouldn¡¯t tell me to stay far away from him and be dating him at the same time. She wasn¡¯t making sense. Then she called me Joe, she never calls me Joe.¡±


    ¡°You said that he has been kind of watching your sister. Do you think that they were keeping it a secret?¡±


    ¡°No, she was repulsed by him. She still seemed repulsed when she was telling me that they were in a rtionship. They tried to make it seem like they were keeping it a secret because of me, but I think it¡¯s not a real thing. I think he might be forcing her. He just all the sudden came by this morning and said that we were moving in with him. Something about my sister losing her job. I just don¡¯t understand.¡±


    This is a scared kid who doesn¡¯t know what to do to protect his sister. He knows she is in danger, he just doesn¡¯t understand why. I am beginning to get a clearer picture of what is going on. It¡¯s clear that this Brock guy has some sort of hold over Mia. He is pulling her strings. She is scared of him, but she doesn¡¯t want Joe to know.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to ask something of you.¡±This content is ? N?velDrama.Org.


    He looks up at me with his eyes still kind of watery. ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°I want you to get your sister somewhere where I can talk to her without anyone else seeing us. I have an idea where it will work. My brother has a bar, there is an apartment upstairs, I want you to convince your sister to go to the bar and meet me in the back. Then you will bothe upstairs and we can talk in private, without cops, besides me. Without Brock.¡±


    He nods. ¡°I can do it. I will just need a little time. Maybe a few hours. I don¡¯t know if that guy will be there.¡± He sneers when he says that guy. Clearly he isn¡¯t a fan of Brock.


    I passed him my card. ¡°On the back is my cell phone. Call me directly when you are on your way. My brother¡¯s name is Luke. If for some reason you can¡¯t find me. Then find him. He will bring you both up to the apartment.¡±


    ¡°What bar is it?¡±


    ¡°Eden Bar.¡±


    He nods. A clear mission in his mind. At least he feels like he can help his sister in some way. I may not be taken seriously at my job but this kid feels like I am a lifeline right now. I am not going to let him down.


    After Joe leaves I call up Luke. ¡°Hey, I need your help.¡±


    He sighs. ¡°You do realize that I only have been in bed for like an hour?¡±


    ¡°I know, hell you got more sleep than me at this point. But I need you to be on call at the bar for me.¡±


    He groans. ¡°What the fuck dude?¡±


    ¡°Listen, I have someone I need to meet there. I think something is going on. I need this to be between us. Can you just help me out?¡±


    He sighs. ¡°I¡¯ll help but next time Dad gives me shit about myte nights, I want you to stand up for me.¡±


    ¡°Anything. If I am not there in time, there is a young kid named Joe and his sister Mia that I am meeting. Take them up to your apartment. I have to check on a couple of things and Joe said it would take a minute to get his sister together. I will text you after he texts me. I want to make sure that this is as discreet as possible.¡±


    ¡°Well, how young is this kid? It will look fishy if some ten year old is walking in my bar.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s sixteen. Can you do that?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, yeah. I¡¯ll help out. I don¡¯t want to think about the trouble that woman is in if you need to bring her here. Just stay safe brother. I will not exin to Dad and Mom how you died.¡±


    ¡°I am not going to die. I am smarter than that.¡±


    Lukeughs. ¡°I beg to differ.¡±


    ¡°Screw you. I¡¯ll see youter.¡±


    ¡°Late.¡± Luke ends the call.


    Now I have to check in with Dex and that subpoena for the phone records for Gus.

 William Chapter 8

    MIA


    I don¡¯t know what the hell is going on. Just that Joseph wanted me to go to this bar. He said something about a job. I don¡¯t know how he would know that a bar was hiring. But I humor him. Following him to the bar seems to be a good idea. This is one of the most popr ces in town. I have never been but I have heard of several people that talk about meeting up here.


    Joseph seems to be looking around for someone. He sighs. ¡°He¡¯s not here. We have to go inside.¡±


    ¡°What is going on?¡±


    ¡°Just trust me ok.¡± He drags me behind him into the bar. It¡¯s still early so there aren¡¯t really any patrons, but there are two guys behind the bar. One of them looks kind of familiar, but not at the same time. He nods to my brother. ¡°Are you looking for me?¡±


    Joseph nods. ¡°Yeah, is he here yet?¡±


    ¡°Not yet, but let me take you upstairs.¡±


    He ticks his head to the side so that we know to follow him behind the bar. He takes us down this hall and up some stairs. I stop when we reach a door that the man has to unlock. ¡°What is going on?¡±


    He just smiles at me. ¡°Now I understand why my brother is making such a fuss. You are quite a pretty thing.¡±


    Joseph grumbles. ¡°That isn¡¯t it.¡±


    He shrugs. ¡°I know, I¡¯m just trying to lighten the mood. Right now I feel like we are in some mob situation and I am not into that shit.¡± He opens the door. ¡°Well, head on in. I¡¯ll send him up when he gets here. Just don¡¯t break anything and we are cool.¡±


    Joseph rolls his eyes. ¡°I¡¯m not five.¡±


    ¡°How do I know you aren¡¯t just some thug kid that is running from thew.¡±


    Josephughs. ¡°I think the fact that I am meeting your brother kind of kills that idea.¡±


    The guyughs. ¡°Yeah, I guess you¡¯re right. You¡¯re cool kid. Hang tight, I am sure he will be here any minute.¡±


    He passes us back down the stairs, but stops and turns around. ¡°Lock the door behind you. I don¡¯t like people up there.¡±


    Joseph nods. Then we are in some strange man¡¯s apartment. I have no idea what the hell is going on, but I have to get some answers. ¡°This isn¡¯t about a job, is it?¡±


    ¡°No, not exactly.¡±


    I sit on the couch and fold my arms over my chest. ¡°Well, what is it then?¡±


    He res at me. ¡°I know you lied to me. You aren¡¯t in some rtionship with Brock, you hate him.¡±


    I roll my eyes. ¡°Is that what this is about? You are making a big deal out of nothing. Who are we supposed to be meeting?¡±


    I don¡¯t get an answer from Joseph, I get the answer when the door opens and there standing in front of us is Detective William Wright.


    I stand up, pissed as hell right now. ¡°What the hell is going on? Am I being arrested?¡±


    The Detective holds his hands up. ¡°I am not here to arrest you. I just want to help. Can we sit and talk for a minute? If you don¡¯t like what I have to say then you can leave. But I really think you need my help.¡±


    I start shaking my head. ¡°No, you don¡¯t understand. You can¡¯t help.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I can. Please just give me a chance to exin.¡± He motions to the couch.


    I feel so defeated that I flop on the couch regardless of how I actually feel about the situation. I know there is no way that this man can help me. He is just full of ideals. He can¡¯t actually help me. No one can. I already know the only person that I can rely on is Brock, he made sure of it.


    The detective takes a seat across from me in a chair. ¡°I¡¯ll start and then you can fill in anything that you want to.¡± I nod but I don¡¯t think I will be adding anything. ¡°I know you didn¡¯t do the robbery. I am currently gathering the evidence to prove it. Here is what I know: Gus Stanford was shot on his way to work. At a time that is ridiculous. By the same men who robbed the bank. I know that you have a connection with Brock Danford. I know it isn¡¯t a good one. No matter what you are trying to sell to your brother right now. I have looked into it. He is involved in drugs and organized crime. There just hasn¡¯t been enough evidence to bring him in. I highly doubt that is someone that you would want around your brother. I also know that you would do anything for your brother. I have a feeling that he used your brother to get you to help him with this bank job. I also have a feeling that is how he is keeping you under his thumb. I also know that with your help I can bring him down. I can keep you safe Mia, I just need you to trust me.¡±


    I shake my head. ¡°How are you supposed to do that? I¡¯m not going to have a ce to live in a few weeks. He runs everything in the slums. I am not going to get a job being used of bank robbery. He will hurt Joseph if I don¡¯t do what he says. He is my best bet to keep us both safe.¡±


    His eyes get soft. ¡°Are you really safe though? Constantly in fear that you will do something wrong and he will hurt you or your brother. Is that any way to live? I am telling you that I can help you.¡±


    I can feel my tears building. ¡°How?¡±


    ¡°I will put you in witness protection.¡±


    I scoff. ¡°Your department thinks I am the robber, they aren¡¯t going to put me in witness protection.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t say it would be through the department.¡± He states firmly.This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    I look at him confused. ¡°What does that mean?¡±


    ¡°It means that I will put you in a ce that Brock can¡¯t find you. I will look after you myself. I have to do this. I know you didn¡¯t do this. I can¡¯t just turn a blind eye to it and let you get arrested for a crime that you didn¡¯tmit. My Lieutenant is sure that you did it. I am trying to convince him that you didn¡¯t. But he is a stupid ass man. So I want to put you somewhere where Brock can¡¯t touch you. In exchange I want testimony about what happened. The truth.¡±


    I can feel myself crying. ¡°What happens if this doesn¡¯t work, then I am stuck with Brock again.¡±


    ¡°No, I will get you and Joe out of town. You will never be charged. I have enough to prove that you didn¡¯t do it. I can create plenty of usible deniability. You can start somewhere else. I have the money to do it.¡±


    I look at him seriously. Sure he seems sure of himself, But what is in it for him. There has to be something. Nobody does anything for nothing. ¡°What do you get out of it?¡±


    ¡°I get the force to take me seriously. For a long time I was just there because of my name. They don¡¯t think I can actually do the job. I am a poster boy for the force but I hardly get to do anything besides write tickets and be in the parades. I want them to know that I can do this job. If I can take down Brock, then the department will have no choice but to take me seriously.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you what I know, but none of this is on the record yet. I don¡¯t want this to get back to Brock.¡±


    He nods. ¡°Tell me your story and I promise that no one will hear it but me until it is time.¡±


    ¡°Alright, a little while back I caught Brock talking with Joseph. I thought that he was trying to bring Joseph into his group of thugs. Well, I don¡¯t want that. I started to yell at him. He kind ofughed it off, butter he came to me when we weren¡¯t in public. He cornered me in an alley on the way to the store. He told me that if I ever raised my voice to him again that I would regret it. As far as he was concerned, my brother¡¯s life was forfeit for my behavior. I begged him to reconsider. He said the only way that would work is if I gave him something equally valuable. Like a way into my bank. He told me that if I failed at any time that he would kill Joseph. So I kept the bank and the vault unlocked until he and his men arrived. I told him who was working security that night. Apparently Gus was already working for him. I told him when I would be thest one in the bank. Then he hit it. He took me hostage and told me that way I would never be a suspect. Only when I walked back to town, the whole town already thought I did it. I went to him to tell him and find a way to fix it. He came up with the story and I made it more believable. He said he would take care of me after this all blew over, but I had to pay him in exchange.¡±


    The Detective waits for my answer, but I see the question on his face. ¡°He wanted me to be his girl. I know what that means. It means that he can do whatever he wants to me. He also reminded me that he can still kill Joseph anytime that he wanted. I just had to keep my head down until this whole thing blew over. Only I got fired. This morning he knew before I did. He showed up at the apartment and told me the only way he would take care of me was to marry him. To move in with him. I tried to tell him that would bring suspicion to us, but he wasn¡¯t listening. Everyone thinks I did it. I¡¯m not going to get a job. I don¡¯t have any savings. We were barely getting by as it is. I didn¡¯t have a choice.¡±


    He nods. ¡°Well, you have a choice now.¡±


    I sigh with relief. ¡°So, what¡¯s next?¡±


    He smiles. ¡°You are going to leave from here. I will have your apartment packed up and put in storage so nothing can happen to it. Then I will buy you some clothes and things that you are going to need while you are in the safehouse. I am sure if you were followed that they don¡¯t know that you are in the apartment. There is a back way out of here. I will be the only one that will know where you will be. You are both going to dump your cell phones. I am going to get a burner that you will use for now.¡±


    ¡°Joseph is in school, he can¡¯t just drop out.¡±


    ¡°They have distance learning now. We will arrange it. We just have to work where it isn¡¯t going to lead to his location.¡±


    Joseph grunts. ¡°There isn¡¯t much to do. Most of my assignments are online anyway. I just have to log in and do the work. I¡¯m not an idiot. I can even email my teachers about tests. They do this by proxy thing, I am sure I will be fine.¡±


    Detective William gets up and moves to the bedroom. Hees back out with a couple of hoodies. ¡°Put these on, just in case they are watching. My guess is that they are going to be looking through the front door that you came in. But this is just in case.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe I am doing this.¡± I say as I pull on the hoodie. Making sure to cover my hair and that if I look down then my face will be covered too.


    I don¡¯t know if this is the smartest thing I have ever done, or the dumbest.

 William Chapter 9

    WILLIAM


    Getting them to the safe house is easier than I thought. I back track a few times to make sure that we aren¡¯t being followed. Watching our back I make my way to the cabin in the woods that I keep. My family is the only ones that know about it. I only use it when I am needing a way out of town for a little while. It is crazy sometimes.


    I look over at Mia and she looks nervous checking the mirrors more than I am. ¡°You can rx, no one knows that you are with me. They aren¡¯t going to know that you are out here.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but for how long. Brock isn¡¯t exactly one to just give up when he has won. He thinks that I belong to him and he isn¡¯t going to be happy that I am not at that apartment when hees looking for me.¡±


    I agree. ¡°No, I don¡¯t doubt that he will be. I just think you need to take this as a win for you. You are safe and so is Joe. That is a win.¡±


    She doesn¡¯t even seem to regard it as a win at all. She seems to be thinking of every bad thing that could happen that she isn¡¯t even looking at anything around her and she is just studying the cars with intent. Like she knows Brock is in one of those cars.


    Joe looks in between the seats. ¡°Where are we going?¡±


    ¡°I have a cabin in the woods. It only gets used about once a year but it is a great cabin.¡±


    Joe watches the road and tries to see where we are going. As the trees get thicker he seems to be more excited. I wonder if he has ever been outside of town. Not that our town is all that big but big enough that you can feel isted if you don¡¯t have a lot going on for you. ¡°Have you ever been out this way?¡± I ask Joe not Mia because if I asked her I am not sure she would even answer me, I think she might be in another universe.


    ¡°Na. I have never been an adventure type. I just like to do my own thing and everything is good. But this whole experience is making me appreciate the different things in life. I never thought this would be a cool thing. But it is.¡±


    ¡°I never thought it was cool when I was your age either. My dad used to take us out for camping all the time, but I never really liked it until my dad stopped taking us. I think he is nning another trip though for my nephew. He¡¯s kind of new to the family and I think he thinks of it as a bonding experience. I am actually pretty sure that Caden would love it. He¡¯s a really active kid.¡±


    ¡°How old is he?¡±


    ¡°He is a little over nine. Actually closer to ten now.¡±


    Joe looks confused, ¡°Then how is he new to the family. Is he adopted?¡±


    ¡°Na, my brother just didn¡¯t know about him untilst year. His mother got pregnant in high school and then took off. It was a thing. But it¡¯s all worked out now. They are on their second kid.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just me and Mia. It must be nice to have a big family.¡±


    ¡°Most of the time, but then they find ways to piss you off. But then at the same time they have your back. I am sure that you and Mia have that.¡±


    Mia looks over at me. ¡°What exactly are you looking to get out of this? That is what I don¡¯t get with this whole thing.¡±


    ¡°I told you, I will get the department to take me seriously. Right now I am just a name that they can show off. I don¡¯t even feel like a real cop most of the time. You should see it when I have to pull one of my brothers over, they think it is just a big joke. My parents mostly think it¡¯s a phase. Isabelle is about the only one that takes it seriously.¡±


    ¡°It just seems like a lot of work to get some people to take you seriously.¡± For the first time since we started she leans back in her seat. Actually rxing. I think maybe Mia doesn¡¯t like me.


    It isn¡¯t much longer until we reach the cabin. It is surrounded by trees and the road that leads to the cabin is pretty overgrown. I don¡¯t think you can find it unless you are looking for it. When we pull up out front I can see the look on Mia¡¯s face. ¡°This is it?¡±


    ¡°I know it isn¡¯t much but Brock won¡¯t find you out here.¡± The cabin is small. There is no porch, it is just the stairs that lead up to the door. I lead them inside and let them have a look around. It¡¯s a two bedroom cabin with a small living area and a small kitchte. At least it has electricity and indoor plumbing. I know there are some out here that don¡¯t.


    ¡°Make yourselvesfortable. I am going to run back to town and pick up some things for you and be back in a few hours. I also want to run down some leads that might lead to Brock. Is there anything that you want me to pick up?¡±


    They both just shrug at me and I know that they are going to be bored. I¡¯ll have to bring something for them to do.This content is ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Now that I know that Mia and Joe are safe I know that I can go to town and not have to worry about them. After I collect up some of the essentials that they will need and get a few things that I know that will make their stay morefortable.


    I can call up Dex now and get the details on the surveince for Gus. ¡°Hey, do you have anything good for me?¡±


    He grunts. ¡°Well, you were right this guy is shady as shit. he had a visitor about an hour ago that looked like he was doing rounds at the local drug den. I couldn¡¯t quite hear what it was about, but it sounded like they were looking for a woman.¡±


    ¡°I have a feeling who. Did you find any surveince in the area he was shot?¡±


    Dexughs. ¡°Yeah, if he was shot there, but he limped his ass there, then he called the EMT¡¯s himself. He wasn¡¯t shot there. I am going to have to track down where he was shot. All I have on camera is him limping to the sight and thenying on the ground. I¡¯m going to have to start from there and work my way backwards.¡±


    ¡°Keep at it. Already this doesn¡¯t add up. I am sure that the whole thing is a set up. I just want the answers so that the only innocent people in this situation can get back to their lives.¡±


    ¡°You mean the woman that was in interrogation and her brother?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, they are screwed in this whole situation. I¡¯ve talked to them in private, it seems like this guy Brock is really screwing with them. He isn¡¯t a man that I want in my town.¡±


    Dex grunts. ¡°I sure the fuck don¡¯t. I got a kid here. Mia doesn¡¯t live too far from that neighborhood. I have met some of her neighbors and I wanted to punch their lights out. I couldn¡¯t imagine what this girl is going through. I¡¯ll see what I can track down. Do we have a n in the meantime?¡±


    ¡°The n right now is to keep Mia and Joe safe from Brock.¡±


    ¡°You do that and I will keep digging. Anything we can dig up to at least get him behind bars is an improvement.¡±


    ¡°I agree.¡±

 William Chapter 10

    MIA


    I hate sitting around waiting on things. I was never one to wait for things to happen. I was always the one making sure that they happened. Yet here I am sitting on a couch in a cabin in the woods, with no clear clue as to what is even going on. I can¡¯t make a move. I can¡¯t make any decisions. All I can do is sit and wait.


    I guess that isn¡¯t exactly true. I can think. I don¡¯t really want to do that. I just keep thinking about Brock and the threat that he made. Am I making the right choice? Is this all going to blow up in my face? Am I putting Joseph in danger? I can¡¯t get my thoughts to quiet, no matter what I do.


    Joseph had passed out shortly after we got here and I was left to my own thoughts. I have paced and cleaned. I have done everything that I could think of to try to keep my mind busy, but nothing is working.


    When I hear a truck pull in front of the cabin, my first thought is to panic. Getting up and hiding behind the couch. Not that I really think a couch will defend me against Brock. I guess I just wanted a barrier.This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    But it isn¡¯t Brock to walk through the door, no it¡¯s William. He looks around the cabin, then he spots me. ¡°That really isn¡¯t a good hiding spot.¡±


    I can¡¯t help butugh at myself as I stand. ¡°Yeah, I kind of realized that after I crouched down there, but then I was already there.¡±


    ¡°You want to help me with the bags?¡±


    ¡°Um, sure.¡±


    Stepping outside feels like I have stepped out of base and I am waiting to get tagged in a childhood game. I am looking all around, trying to make sure I don¡¯t see anyone that I shouldn¡¯t. I am paranoid, but don¡¯t I have the right to be. Brock has shot people for doing less than I did.


    William puts his hand on my shoulder. ¡°I wasn¡¯t followed. I promise you are safe here. No one knows that you are with me and no one will look for you here. You can rx.¡±


    ¡°I know you say that, but it isn¡¯t exactly registering in my brain.¡±


    ¡°I know this is all really hard on you. I am going to do what I can to make this as easy as possible. I don¡¯t want you to have to worry.¡±


    Chuckling I reach into the backseat of the truck for bags. ¡°That¡¯s all I have been doing since my parents died. I am stressed about everything. I don¡¯t know if I am making the right choice on a daily basis and the stakes are way higher right now.¡±


    ¡°Yes, they are, but you were doing a great job before this. You just met a man that was more than you could handle on your own. You were keeping your distance. You knew the dangers, he was just forceful. You did nothing wrong. Now if you were in love with him, I might question your motives.¡± He grabs some bags too.


    ¡°No, God no. I vomited after he kissed me the first time. I think he is the scum of the earth, but I would suffer through that to keep Joseph safe.¡±


    We move up the steps and into the cabin setting the bags on the couch. ¡°You are doing what you need to do to keep Joe safe. Don¡¯t doubt that this is the right path. If you didn¡¯t do this, then his life would always be in danger. He would keep using him to get you to do anything that he wanted. You were never going to be free of him unless you took this chance. I know it feels like a gamble but really I am good at my job. I will see Brock behind bars.¡±


    ¡°What if he finds us first?¡± I can¡¯t help but voice my worries.


    ¡°He isn¡¯t. He doesn¡¯t know me. There is no connection to me or my family. This cabin is mine, but it is in my dad¡¯s name. So even if he was looking for somewhere I would take you, it would be a lot harder to track this ce. I know I am not being followed when I drive. He can¡¯t find you until we are ready. As long as you are here you are safe.¡±


    William starts rummaging through the bags. ¡°I want you to use this only in emergencies. Don¡¯t call any friends.¡± He passes me a cellphone still in its packaging. ¡°I¡¯ll give you my number in case I¡¯m not here. But I am not going to be taking a bunch of trips back and forth. That could lead them to you. For now I am going to work remotely with my buddy and try to get as much information as I can before addressing Brock head on.¡±


    ¡°So you are staying here with us?¡±


    ¡°For a couple of days. The less trips I make back and forth the better. Right now I was just seen in town buying a bunch of clothes that I said were for one of my sisters. Now I need toy low because if anyone connects the dots that I am not supplying myself for the trip that I said I was taking then Brock could know that I am hiding you. I want to eliminate any clues to finding you. So, I¡¯m staying.¡±


    He leaves me therepletely dumbfounded. He is staying here with us. I don¡¯t even know how that is going to work. He is like a stranger. I am doing my best to trust this man, but what if he is just like Brock and just trying to use me? How much can I trust him? Where is he even going to sleep?


    When hees back in he is carrying a duffle. He deposits in a closet by the front room. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll get started on some dinner, while you and Joe put away the clothes I got you both. There are a few supplies that you can put away too, you know the basics. I don¡¯t always have this ce fully stocked.¡± He points to the bags.


    William doesn¡¯t even wait for my answer as he takes the bags that go to the little kitchen and heads there to work. Not that I can¡¯t see him, but it¡¯s like he isn¡¯t pressuring me with anything. Like he is just letting me be.


    Josephes out of his room. ¡°Hey, Will¡¯s back.¡± He starts rummaging in the bags. ¡°Thanks man.¡± He calls as he collects up some bags and takes them back to his room. Not even a word for me.


    I feel lost, but I guess I know where to start. I can clean. So I pick up the bags and start putting everything where it might need to go. Only as I am putting the clothes away do I notice something that is very embarrassing. He shopped for underwear for me. I don¡¯t even know how he knew my size. It is embarrassing. I can feel my face turning a deep shade of crimson. I don¡¯t even know how to think about this. How do I address it? Do I just act like it is no big deal? I don¡¯t know. This is so out of my element.


    Quickly shoving the underwear in a drawer I try to act like that isn¡¯t going to be a problem, but when I head out to the sitting room and see William in the kitchen I blush even more. I just hope that he doesn¡¯t notice.

 William Chapter 11

    WILLIAM


    Mia is acting weird. I really hope I didn¡¯t do something wrong suggesting that I stay here for a couple of days. I thought she would appreciate the added security of having me here. Plus everything I said makes sense. I don¡¯t want Brock to find us because I keep going back and forth.


    While we are all eating I try to test the waters. ¡°So did you like the clothes?¡± I ask Mia. She starts coughing and sputtering.


    I¡¯m a little worried that she might be choking but she clears her throat. ¡°Um, yeah.¡±


    ¡°Good, I got my sister to help. I had her stop by your ce to get your size and then made her shop. She is a bit extreme sometimes so I hope she didn¡¯t go overboard.¡±


    She seems to sigh in relief. ¡°Your sister bought my clothes. Oh, I was kind of curious.¡±


    ¡°I know it seems a little out of character for me to buy you clothes when I could have had my sister pack a bag, but I figured it would look less like you were bailing if someone wasn¡¯t leaving your apartment with bags. My sister was as discreet as possible. She just popped in and popped right back out. Like she was just checking on a friend.¡±


    ¡°Won¡¯t people just realize that your sister was at my apartment and connect the dots.¡±


    I shrug. ¡°Not really. My sister just got into townst year. She is really low key. She doesn¡¯t really run around town. My parents have kept her pretty busy trying to marry her off. But she isn¡¯t really easy to spot as a Wright. For one she doesn¡¯t dress like any of us. She dresses more like a punk rocker.¡±


    ¡°Where was she before?¡±


    ¡°College. Jasmine is what we like to call a free spirit. She has a degree in Music but she can¡¯t y an instrument. She wants to work for a non-profit, but my parents don¡¯t exactly think she is qualified, so they don¡¯t want her running one of theirs.¡±


    Mia nods. ¡°She is the youngest.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, She¡¯s still a good person. She has a really big heart. She is one of those people that doesn¡¯t take shit and she isn¡¯t afraid to put someone in their ce if they are doing something wrong.¡±


    Joe smiles. ¡°Sounds like my kind of person.¡±


    I agree. ¡°Yeah, I am sure you two would get along. She¡¯s a little older than you though.¡±


    Everyone gets quiet for a minute. I want everyone to feelfortable. ¡°Mia, what do you n to do about work when all this is done?¡±


    She cringes a little. ¡°I have no idea. It¡¯s not like I can work for a bank again. I don¡¯t know what kind of reputation that I will have. I might have to think of moving towns. That is if I can¡¯t find work. I just don¡¯t know. I was lucky to have that job. I don¡¯t have a college degree.¡±


    ¡°Well, I am sure there is still something in town that you can get. I know a few people. I can make some calls when this is all over. You don¡¯t have to leave town.¡±


    She shakes her head. ¡°No, thank you, but that would just be too much. I mean after all of this, I couldn¡¯t possibly let you do that too. I don¡¯t even know how to pay you back for this.¡±


    Joe grunt. ¡°Mia, take the win for once. You always do that. Push people away that are just trying to help. He isn¡¯t giving you a pity job. He just said that he would make a few calls. You would rather uproot our lives than to take the help.¡±


    I pat Joe on the shoulder. ¡°It¡¯s alright, if your sister doesn¡¯t want any help I can respect that. I just want her to know that the offer is there if she needs it.¡±


    She rolls her eyes. ¡°It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want help. I just don¡¯t want to have to need it. You have already done so much. I can¡¯t even figure out how to pay you back for that.¡±


    Giving her my most sincere smile. ¡°You don¡¯t have to pay me anything. I am just doing my job. You needed help, you were being railroaded and ckmailed. I just pulled you out of the ditch you were stuck in.¡±


    ¡°You are the only one that believed that I didn¡¯t do it. The rest of the department was ready to arrest me and call it a job well done.¡±


    I just smile. ¡°Well, I am not like everyone.¡±


    Is she blushing? I don¡¯t know, she turns her face away. ¡°I¡¯ll clean up.¡± She stands up and moves away from the table.


    Joe sighs and leans in. I lean in too because it looks like he wants to share a secret with me. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t worry about it too much. I think she likes you. She is just stubborn.¡±


    Chuckling, I lean back. ¡°I¡¯m not worried about it. Your sister has been through a lot of stuff. I wouldn¡¯t hold it against her. When things calm down, maybe she will call. Or maybe she will find another job. But really it¡¯s up to her.¡±


    But part of me is curious about what he means about her liking me. Is it just because I am helping her? Or is it deeper? Like does she look at me the way that I sometimes look at her? I¡¯ll be honest a part of me is having a little difficulty keeping this professional. The curves of her body call to my hands and I have a really hard time keeping them in line. I do my best to remember that she is a victim and she doesn¡¯t need me thinking those things about her. Especially after what happened with Brock.


    Joe stands. ¡°Oh, I didn¡¯t say thanks, but thanks for the clothes. I actually don¡¯t remember thest time I had brand new clothes. Well, except for underwear.¡±


    My eyes widened. Oh, shit. I just realized why she was ufortable. I am sure that Jasmine bought her underwear. She probably thought I did. God she must think I am a creep.


    ¡°Um. Mia.¡±


    She looks over at me. ¡°Hhm?¡±


    ¡°You know that Jasmine bought everything right? I didn¡¯t even look at it.¡±


    Mia turns to me. ¡°Well, at first I thought you did it. I¡¯ll be honest, I was a little embarrassed. But now I know and it¡¯s all good.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t realize that you would think that. I feel really stupid now. That must have made you ufortable.¡±


    She blushes again. ¡°A little, but I¡¯m fine now. Thanks for worrying about me.¡±


    Joe startsughing. ¡°I get it now. She thought you bought her underwear.¡± Heughs even harder. Now I am the one blushing. Joe thinks this whole thing is hrious.


    Mia¡¯s voice raises to one of embarrassment and aggravation. ¡°Joseph, it isn¡¯t that funny.¡±


    He shakes his head. ¡°It is.¡±


    I stand ready to get out of this conversation. ¡°I¡¯m going to go make a phone call.¡± I blurt out as I make a beeline for the door.


    It¡¯s not like I wouldn¡¯t mind seeing her underwear, but I was trying to leave the delicate stuff to another woman. I didn¡¯t think she would automatically think I did that. God, what did Jasmine buy? I never asked. I just figured that she would get basic things. I should have known that Jasmine wouldn¡¯t do anything basic. Is it like lingerie? I think about calling Jasmine to find out, but it is better that I remain in the dark, if I know too much then I will act differently. I know I will. I am already itching to know what is under her clothes before this.


    I dial up Dex to get more on the case. He answers after a few minutes. It seemed to take him longer tonight. ¡°Yeah.¡±Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    ¡°Did I call at a bad time?¡±


    ¡°They put me back on beat tonight. I just had a run in with the asshole that is trying to take my family. He whined andined to Mia that I was at his office. Little asshole.¡±


    ¡°I am assuming there is nothing on the case?¡±


    ¡°Well, I didn¡¯t say that. I can multitask. So this Gus guy is a lying fucker. He was shot in his house. I got some footage from a doorbell camera across the street. The owner was more than happy to give it to me. Says he hates the dude. Something about parties at all hours of the night and unsavory people stopping by. I asked him if he had seen the guys in the video before. He said that theye by a lot. So my guess is either business gone bad or all part of the n. I went on a hunch and looked up some mugshots. I got a Brock Danford, he has aundry list of priors. Then a Donavon Smith, he is a big ass dude that is regrly seen with Brock. Last but not least a Marco Lopez, he was a little harder to find because he hasn¡¯t been in as much trouble, but whenever he was it was with Brock. You can clearly see the shooting on the video. We can bring them in whenever you are ready.¡±


    ¡°I want to bring in Gus first. Is he still in the hospital?¡±


    ¡°Yes, he won¡¯t be discharged until tomorrow. I already checked with the hospital.¡±


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll be there in the morning. You going to meet me there?¡±


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t have a problem with that.¡±


    ¡°Then, I¡¯ll see you tomorrow.¡±


    When I end the call I can¡¯t help but feel sorry for him. He is going through hell to get his family back. I don¡¯t exactly know what happened. I know that he didn¡¯t cheat, but he was gone for a while. I don¡¯t know if they had some fight or something, but he is torn up about it. I hope it all works out for him.

 William Chapter 12

    MIA


    It has been a few days and I think this whole thing is getting to me. I like being around William and I think that I keep crossing lines that I shouldn¡¯t. Like keeping my hand on his arm maybe a bit too long. Not to mention I keep finding myself flirting with him when we are talking or cooking. Hell, anything we do. I feel so embarrassed.


    The case has been dyed, William hasn¡¯t expressed much to me, but he says it¡¯s the red tape. Getting approval for the arrest warrants is taking longer than they nned, even with the evidence that they have. I don¡¯t know what evidence they have managed to dig up but William seems confident that it is going to finish this case off.


    Now he¡¯s sleeping on the couch. That couch isn¡¯tfortable. I mean it isfortable, but not to sleep on. He has given up so much for me and my brother. He deserves better. Yet here he is sleeping on the couch for days.


    Groaning, I get out of the incrediblyfortable bed and trudge to the living room. I may feel like aplete idiot for doing this, but it¡¯s the right thing to do. Padding my bare feet across the wooden floor I approach the couch.


    Damn he looks hot. I mean really hot. Should I be thinking this about him? Probably not. Maybe it is some rescue syndrome. But somehow I don¡¯t think so. William is the type of guy that I always wished I could meet. Not his money. I could care less about that. But the fact that he is a dream and also sweet and caring. Someone that I wanted to fall in love with me. Only that is never going to happen.


    He isfortably snoring, his chest slowly rising. The snore is light, not something that would keep me up all night. His left arm is over his head. I shouldn¡¯t wake him. I thought he was probablyying here sleepless like I was. But he seems fine.


    ¡°Mia, what are you doing?¡± Joseph¡¯s voice behind me scares me. I gasp and jump.


    William moves. ¡°Hey, did something happen?¡± He is rubbing his eyes, trying to wake from the peaceful sleep he was having before I ruined it.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± I try to turn it around on Joseph so that he doesn¡¯t know that I was just staring at William sleep.


    He just shakes his head. ¡°Boy, you are gone. I was going to the bathroom.¡± He turns away from me. ¡°It would be best if you tell him.¡± Joseph is an asshole and I am going to scream at himter.


    William looks up at me with sleepy eyes. ¡°Tell me what?¡±N?velDrama.Org owns this.


    I have to think fast. ¡°That I was going to give you the bed.¡±


    He looks confused. ¡°I¡¯m good. I was fine sleeping here. I would never give you the couch. You are a guest.¡±


    ¡°Um, well, the truth is, I can¡¯t sleep. I just can¡¯t sleep thinking of you on this couch so you need to take the bed.¡±


    He stands next to me and shit he isn¡¯t wearing a shirt. How did I not notice this before? His build is perfect. Toned muscles and nothing over the top. Just the right amount of hair. ¡°Mia, really, I¡¯mfortable on the couch. It¡¯s no bother. I would rather sleep here than kick you out of the bed.¡±


    ¡°Then we share.¡± My whole brain just froze. What the hell did I just say?


    He smiles. ¡°As appealing as that offer is, I don¡¯t think that¡¯s a good idea.¡±


    Did he just say that he liked the idea? Oh, Hell, I am screwed. Well, if you are on your way to beingpletely humiliated you might as well go out with a bang. ¡°I insist. I can¡¯t let you sleep on this couch. I wouldn¡¯t be able to sleep at all, so really you are doing me a favor.¡±


    William rubs the back of his neck. ¡°Look, I know you are just trying to be considerate, but I really don¡¯t think it is a good idea.¡±


    ¡°Why? Why isn¡¯t it a good idea?¡± I may be being stubborn.


    He looks around the room like he can find a reason on the walls. Since he can¡¯t because walls can¡¯t talk, he sighs. ¡°Alright.¡± He grabs the pillow off the couch.


    I¡¯m actually stunned, I don¡¯t know why I insisted that he share the bed with me. I don¡¯t know why he agreed. I just know that now he is going to be sharing a bed with me. Putting on my big girl panties I led him back to the room. On instinct I take the left side. The bed is a mess because I was tossing and turning so much. William doesn¡¯t say anything; he just plops the pillow down and slides into the bed. Turning his back to me.


    Joseph calls from the hall. ¡°Just keep it down alright. I have child ears.¡±


    ¡°Oh, my God.¡±


    William justughs. ¡°I remember being a teenage boy. I am pretty sure I said worse things to my brothers.¡±


    I roll to my side so that my back is to him. ¡°I¡¯m still horrified. I didn¡¯t mean for him to think that.¡±


    I feel his hand rest on my shoulder after feeling the mattress move around a little. ¡°You have nothing to feel horrified about. He¡¯s sixteen. Their minds go straight to the gutter. I know, I was that age once. Hell, sometimes it still goes there.¡±


    Suppressing augh I pat his hand. ¡°Thanks for that. I¡¯ll keep it in mind. Good night William.¡±


    ¡°Good night Mia.¡± He pulls his hand away and I want to ask him to put it back. I can¡¯t though. He isn¡¯t here for that. He is just trying to protect me from the psycho that is trying to take over my life. He is a good guy and he didn¡¯t deserve to be dragged into my crap.


    For all I know he has a girlfriend at home that is waiting for him and is pissed as hell that he is here with me. Maybe that is why it was a bad idea. ¡°William?¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    ¡°Do you have a girlfriend? I know it is stupid to ask now, but I don¡¯t want to piss her off. I really just wanted to make you morefortable.¡± I start to blubber.


    ¡°Mia, it¡¯s ok. I don¡¯t have a girlfriend. I would never have agreed to share a bed with you if I did. I¡¯m not that kind of guy.¡±


    ¡°I just know that nothing is going to happen, I know you aren¡¯t that kind of guy, but I know that if I was your girlfriend that I wouldn¡¯t want you to share a bed with anyone else because that is special for me. I would be mad, even if I knew that nothing happened.¡±


    ¡°Mia.¡± I had started to blubber again. ¡°It¡¯s ok, really. I don¡¯t have a girlfriend. If I did then I wouldn¡¯t be here. I mean in bed with you. I would have still put you in the cabin. But I wouldn¡¯t be here. In bed with you. Shit that sounded wrong.¡± He takes a deep breath. ¡°Lets just leave it as I don¡¯t have a girlfriend so you aren¡¯t upsetting anyone. If you can¡¯t rx, I might have to go back out to the couch.¡±


    ¡°No, don¡¯t do that.¡± I whine.


    ¡°Get some sleep Mia. You need it.¡±


    ¡°Are you saying I look like shit?¡±


    Heughs. I like hisugh. ¡°No, hell no. I just know that you haven¡¯t slept welltely and I would hate for it to impair your judgment. Like by doing something stupid and reckless. Like inviting someone else to your bed.¡±


    Iugh too. ¡°You are the only man I have invited in my bed in thest five years. I don¡¯t make a habit of this.¡±


    William gets quiet and I start to worry I said something wrong. He eventually just says. ¡°Good night Mia.¡±


    ¡°Good night.¡±

 William Chapter 13

    WILLIAM


    I knew this was a bad idea. First when I got hardst night, now this. I woke up this morning to her wrapped around me. Her legs squeezing mine between hers. Her head on my chest and her arms wrapped around the rest of me. On top of that, I am hard again. She is making these little moaning sounds in her sleep. I mean shit she could be having a nightmare and I have my mind in the gutter.


    The sad thing is, this is the best sleep I have had in years. I have dated yes, but most of them just see myst name and don¡¯t give a shit about the rest. I don¡¯t even want to move her. I just want to stay right here. Mia has this way of making me feel like a million feet tall. Like nothing can harm me. Not only that, but the way her body is tucked into mine right now is perfect. It¡¯s like two interlocking puzzle pieces we just fit. Only I know this won¡¯tst. She will go back to her life after this case is over and she will probably never want to see me again.


    You would think I would want to make a move now, because when am I going to get another shot, but wouldn¡¯t that just make me as much of a dick as the jerk she is trying to escape. Like I was taking advantage of her. I can¡¯t do that. I¡¯m not that guy.


    She starts moving, but instead of pulling away, she snuggles in deeper. Fuck that is not helping. Not a nightmare then. She wouldn¡¯t react that way if she was having a nightmare. But what is she dreaming about? Does she have some guy that is visiting her dreams as well as outside this cabin?


    I am sure her invitation waspletely innocentst night. She didn¡¯t know what I was thinking about. She didn¡¯t know that as soon as she suggested that we share a bed my mind went straight to the gutter. I wanted to do very gutter thought things to herst night.


    I already had one arm around her back, now my other hand has a mind of its own and is sliding up her thigh. Her skin is soft. Supple. So good. I find that I am gripping her leg and I want to finish pulling her up and over my waist. Showing her exactly what she does to me. Showing her that this isn¡¯t bothering me in the least. At least not the way that she thinks. Her legs squeeze harder, shifting her weight so that she is a little more on top of me. She keeps wiggling. Oh, damn I should really wake her up. But I don¡¯t. It doesn¡¯t take her long before she has climbed me. Her head is still on my chest, but she is straddling me.


    She moans again. I am starting to wonder if she is actually asleep. But she wouldn¡¯t do this to me if she was awake, would she? Her lips start moving over my bare chest. Her hips moving. Oh, God, I have to wake her up. I don¡¯t want to, but I can¡¯t take advantage of her like this.


    ¡°Mia, honey, wake up.¡± I shake her shoulders a little.


    She stops wiggling which is both good and the worst thing to ever happen to me. Her groggy eyes look up at me. Then she shoots up. ¡°Oh, my God, what did I do?¡±


    Her body is still straddling mine and I have to groan as she moves on my hardon. ¡°Mia, honey, that is kind of ufortable.¡±


    She looks down. Then jumps off me like I am a fire skillet. ¡°Oh, shit. I am so sorry. Ipletely forgot that I did that. I mean not that. But I move around in my sleep. Sometimes I sleepwalk. It¡¯s only when I am really stressed. I am so sorry.¡± She buries her head in the pillows.


    Reaching over I remove the pillows. ¡°I just didn¡¯t want to take advantage of you. At first I thought you were having a nightmare or something.¡±This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    Those big beautiful brown eyes look up at me. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to.¡±


    ¡°I know, I¡¯m going to be really honest here, I¡¯m not reallyining. I know this is crap timing and you can tell me to fuck myself, I would not take offense. But any man would love to wake up like that.¡±


    I see her hesitate, but her hand reaches out and rests on my chest. ¡°I think that is the nicest thing that someone has said to me in a long time.¡±


    Inching a little closer, my voice falls. ¡°I meant it.¡±


    Her eyes keep shifting from my eyes to my lips. ¡°I am going to do something and you will probably think really bad of me, but I will regret it for the rest of my life if I don¡¯t.¡± Like a panther she grips the back of my neck and pulls me down on her lips. I don¡¯t even fight. My arms wrap around her so that I can pull her closer. Shocks shoot through my body as we devour each other. I want this. I want her.


    Then the worldes crashing around us. Not literally but my phone starts ringing. I have to answer because it could be about the case. Then I remember that I was supposed to meet Dex this morning. ¡°Shit.¡± I roll over grabbing my phone. I don¡¯t even look because I know it is Dex. ¡°I¡¯m sorry man, I slept in.¡±


    Heughs. ¡°I am hungover as fuck, and I am runningte. That¡¯s why I called. I¡¯ll meet you there.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡±


    Ending the call I look over at Mia. She is biting her lip and looks flushed. I lean back over and kiss her lips lightly this time. ¡°I have to go.¡±


    Her soft smile is intoxicating. ¡°I heard.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the case. We might be headed towards a real break. You might be free of me soon enough.¡±


    Her face falls. ¡°So soon.¡±


    I kissed her again. ¡°Mia, the case may end, but we don¡¯t have to stop talking. This is something. I don¡¯t know what yet, but I haven¡¯t felt like this ever. I¡¯m not sure if you feel the same way. For all I know you could really hate my guts for half the shit I said. Or this.¡± I kissed her a little deeper this time. ¡°But I am not going to regret a minute of it. I know you probably need time to think about all of this without the stress of Brock over your head. But I¡¯m here when you are ready.¡±


    Mia surprises me by pulling me back down to kiss her again. I really don¡¯t want to go to work. I want to stay right here, but the problem with that is that Mia will never be exonerated if I don¡¯t go.


    I pull back reluctantly. ¡°Mia, honey, I have to go.¡±


    ¡°I know. I just wanted to kiss you one more time before you change your mind.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not changing my mind. This isn¡¯t a proximity thing. I have been attracted to you since I first met you. I just figured we had crap timing. Finding each other now. But maybe that doesn¡¯t matter.¡±


    ¡°How about you crack this case so you can take me out on a date?¡±


    I can¡¯t hide the grin on my face. It¡¯s like light is bursting out of my body with how happy I am. ¡°That is the best n I have heard in a long time.¡±


    ¡°Then let¡¯s do it.¡±

 William Chapter 14

    MIA


    I feel like my blood is buzzing in my veins. William kissed me. Not once but lots of times. He kissed me again before he left. It was like he couldn¡¯t stop. I was instantly attracted to him as soon as I saw him. The only thing that ever stopped me from acting on my impulses was the fact that he thought I was a thief. Then he was helping me. I was a damsel in distress. I guess I still am. But that doesn¡¯t matter now. I know he feels the same way and I know that he wants me as much as I want him and I am not going to pretend that it isn¡¯t happening. I have done that too much in my life.


    I am busy making breakfast for Joseph and I when he lumbers out of his room. Scratching the back of his head and yawning. When he sees me in the kitchen he gets the biggest smile I have ever seen on his face. ¡°So, how did it go?¡±


    ¡°I slept fine, thanks for asking.¡± I re. He is my brother, not my keeper.


    ¡°Where is he anyway?¡±


    ¡°He said he got a good lead and the case might be closed really soon. He didn¡¯t tell me what exactly but that he needed to go to town and work on it.¡±


    Joseph leans on the small counter that works as a divider between the sitting room and the kitchen area. ¡°So, are you going to run this time too?¡±


    Freezing everything that I am doing, I can¡¯t believe that Joseph has picked up on that. ¡°I¡¯m not running this time.¡±


    ¡°Really because it seems like sometimes you are all in, then the guy is just gone. I never get it but you¡¯re my sister so I don¡¯t judge you, but seriously don¡¯t throw this one away.¡±


    ¡°Joseph, nothing about this is simple. I mean, he is supposed to arrest me for Robbery. If this case doesn¡¯t get cleared up then I am still a wanted woman. The rest of the department thinks I¡¯m guilty. And what if this all does get cleared up. Then we started dating. How is that going to make William look? Like he just got his girlfriend off a robbery charge. I can¡¯t do that to him. I¡¯m not running from my feelings, but I can¡¯t drag him down either.¡±


    He screws up his face in a seriously concentrated face. ¡°Isn¡¯t that kind of up to him though? If he really wants to be with you, career be damned, then isn¡¯t that his choice. He likes you I can tell. I see the way that he watches you, it¡¯s more than just concern for your safety. He likes you. You are a pain in my ass, but I am sure there are guys out there that would love to have a woman like you. I am sure that William is one of them. I¡¯m just saying don¡¯t walk away without giving him a choice.¡±Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    I studied my brother for the first time in a long time. ¡°How do you know I am the one to walk away?¡±


    ¡°Because there are too many guys that find you attractive for there not to be at least one that would put up with having to help raise me. I¡¯m sixteen, not five. You were always thinking of everyone else first. For once, don¡¯t just don¡¯t. Think about you. Think about William. Don¡¯t make all this other crap a factor. It¡¯s not worth it.¡±


    The sad look in his eyes is enough to make me want to cry. ¡°I never thought of you as a burden Joseph. Don¡¯t you dare think that.¡±


    ¡°Maybe we wouldn¡¯t be in this mess if you were already married. I saw the way that Brock would watch you. That¡¯s why I knew when you guys said that you were dating that it was bullshit. He looks at you like his next conquest and you look at him like he is dog shit. There was no way that you two were dating. I know without even asking that I am the reason that you went along with anything that he said. Even before I heard what you told William. I sometimes feel like I am the reason for a lot of misfortunes in your life.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not. I like having you around. It¡¯s like a clear perspective on my life. Sure I may have turned down some guys that weren¡¯t the best for the both of us, but that doesn¡¯t mean that I have been held back. This time things are different though. William has a life and I don¡¯t want to ruin it.¡±


    He shrugs. ¡°I think that is his choice. What did he say about all this?¡±


    I fidget a little. ¡°He said that after this case he wants to take me on a date.¡±


    Joseph smiles. ¡°Sounds like you have your answer.¡±


    I roll my eyes. ¡°Everything is oh so easy in your world.¡±


    ¡°Well, yes it is. Either you do or you don¡¯t. Don¡¯t act like you don¡¯t. I know better. Mia, your my sister and I love you, but if you tell William to hit the road because of some bullshit that you made up, then I am seriously going to consider going to a group home, because I will not sit back and watch you put your life on hold.¡±


    ¡°You will do no such thing.¡± I protest a little pissed off that my brother would put himself through that just to make a point. Because I know him enough and he would. He would tell social services that he feels like a burden and he wants to live somewhere else. He¡¯s my brother and I have to take care of him. I love him and familyes first.


    ¡°Watch me.¡± He winks at me. ¡°It¡¯s for your own good.¡±


    Growling in frustration I return my attention to breakfast. I just have to hope that none of thises back on William.

 William Chapter 15

    WILLIAM


    Gus rolled over faster than a catfish on the deck. He told us that he had screwed up something and Brock said that he owed him. So he shot him and told him that he had to tell the story that he had sculpted. We assured him that for his testimony we would ensure that he got a separate prison from Brock.


    The whole n wasid out. He would use others to force his way into the bank. Rob the ce then leave reasonable doubt as to whoever had robbed it. If there is reasonable doubt then there is no conviction. Especially if we don¡¯t find the money. However with him shooting Gus we have a reason to search his ce now. I am absolutely positive that we will find the money.


    Dex follows me into the station and we try to find the Lieutenant to let him know what we found and that we need an arrest warrant for Brock. Only the Lieutenant isn¡¯t in and we have to go to the Chief. After wey it all out to him he issues the warrant for the shooting and the search of his property. But not the robbery. He said find the money and then we¡¯ll talk about those charges. This has all taken days. We just got the ok from the Chief and are itching to put this case behind us.


    Dex and I suit up to issue the warrant, but we aren¡¯t stupid enough to go there just the two of us. So we rounded up a few of the guys. There aren¡¯t many since this town is so damn small. All in all we have about ten guys. I know the Sheriff would be down, but I heard he is at the hospital with a new baby on the way. So I take the lead.


    We stopped about three blocks from his ce. I know he will run and there is a possibility that there are guns on the premises. I make sure that all the men are suited up. Ok, not sexist here there is one woman and she is suited up too.


    ¡°We go in fast and we go in hard. Assume that everyone is armed, keep your guard up but don¡¯t shoot unless you see a gun. We don¡¯t want any casualties if we can help it. Honestly I don¡¯t think Mr. Danford is going to go in quietly. Stealth is going to be our ally here. The less noise the better.¡±


    We arrive in front of the house that looks way better than the surrounding houses and keep the sirens off. But that doesn¡¯t stop three guys froming out the door as soon as we have our feet on the ground. They do have guns in their hands. Using our doors as shields we shout for them to lower their weapons and get down on the ground. They hesitate, but see our numbers and decide that jail is better than death. Tossing their guns to the side theyy on the ground. A few officers approach to cuff them while the others watch their six.


    Once those three are detained and out of the way, we approach the house. The door was left wide open, but we still approached with caution. There is a guy passed out on the couch, he looks doped out of his mind, but an officer quickly cuffs him and rousts him out of the house.


    That¡¯s when the shots start. It¡¯s from down the hall. A big man that looks like he could be three guys in a suit. He¡¯s shooting down the hall, clearly blocking our way to getting to his boss. We return fire, but I don¡¯t like this. It¡¯s like he is stalling for time rather than just trying to kill us. I turn to Dex. ¡°I¡¯m going around back, this doesn¡¯t feel right.¡±


    ¡°You got it.¡± He returns fire to the big man in front of us, catching his right leg. ¡°I got this. You head around back. Radio if you need backup.¡±


    I slip out of the my and run around back. Sure enough there is a back door there. I just hope we aren¡¯t toote. Kicking open the door, I raise my gun ready for anything. The cold metal against my palm is enough of afort for what I am about to face. There he is, the proverbial monster sitting behind his desk. He looks like he was just packing a bag like he had all the time in the world.


    ¡°Well, damn I figured Donovan would have you boys busy for at least another fifteen minutes.¡± He looks so cocky and sure of himself.


    ¡°I hate to disappoint you, but we had an invitation for you that we really didn¡¯t want you to miss. Mr. Danford, you are under arrest for assault with a deadly weapon.¡±T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Heughs. ¡°Is that all? I thought for a second you had way more than that.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s all for the moment. As soon as I get the chance I¡¯ll be adding a whole list of other charges. Including the robbery that you are trying to pin on Mia.¡±


    His mischievous grin fades into anger. ¡°You¡¯re the one that took Mia. You son of a bitch. Where is she? Where is my girl?¡± He ms his fist on to his desk, like he is demanding answers from a child.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think her location is any of your business. You never had her. You only thought you had put her in a cage.¡±


    ¡°She is my angel in a cage. She will always be mine. I don¡¯t give a fuck what you think.¡±


    ¡°I should warn you before you spout anymore crap, but you have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in the court ofw. You have the right to an attorney if you can not afford one, one will be provided for you. Do you understand your rights as I have read them to you?¡±


    His grin returns. ¡°Oh, I do, but I will never see the inside of a courtroom. Mia will be mine. She is my Angel. You may have clouded her mind, but she knows who she belongs to.¡±


    ¡°She doesn¡¯t belong to anyone, Brock. She¡¯s a person not a possession. Now how about youe on over here away from the desk like a good little convict and let me cuff you without a fight. I would really hate to shoot you.¡± Not really, I would love to shoot him. He¡¯s a grade A prick.


    Brock is faster than I think, he pulls up a gun and gets off a shot before I can get off mine. His bulletnds on my shoulder, close to my neck. I didn¡¯t use the full tactical because I wanted to be able to move around. I can¡¯t even fathom where my bulletnded, the pain is blinding. I fall to the ground before I can even think of what to do.


    The door to the office burst open and Dex is the first one through the door. He spots Brock and quickly points to another officer to him, but his focus is on me.


    ¡°We need an ambnce. Shots fired. Officer down.¡± He speaks into the radio. Then he is putting pressure on my wound. ¡°Hang in there. You just make a career bust you can¡¯t die yet.¡±


    I think I am losing focus. ¡°Call Luke. He knows where Mia is.¡± That¡¯s thest thing I remember before I ck out.

 William Chapter 16

    MIA


    Fear instantly grabs me when I see an unfamiliar car pull in front of the cabin. We weren¡¯t left with a weapon, the main deal was that no one was supposed to be able to find us. It gets worse when I see Luke from the bar. Something is wrong. Luke wouldn¡¯t be here unless something went terribly wrong.


    I ran out of the cabin to meet him. He looks sad and distressed. ¡°What happened? Where is he?¡±


    ¡°Mia, he¡¯s been shot. They took him to the hospital, his partner called me toe get you. I don¡¯t even know how bad it is. Just that he is in surgery.¡±


    Josephes out behind me. ¡°No, No.¡± He seems to be screaming his anger out into the world. I didn¡¯t realize how much Joseph liked William until this moment right now.


    I feel as if my world is crumbling. William can¡¯t die. I can¡¯t lose him now. ¡°We have to get there.¡± I start rushing to Luke¡¯s car before he can even argue. He doesn¡¯t seem to want to.


    The whole way down the mountain he is on the phone with his family. Trying to get updates from David, trying to round up all the others so that they know where he is. I knew William had a big family but I didn¡¯t think it was this big.


    That doesn¡¯t really matter to me because I am on pins and needles. We can¡¯t get to that hospital fast enough. I doubt they are even going to let me see him when we get there. I¡¯m not family. I¡¯m no one to William. Just a girl he was considering dating. But that doesn¡¯t stop me from bolting from the car as soon as we park at the hospital. Joseph and Luke are right behind me and I¡¯m d for it when I get in there and I have no idea where I am going.


    Luke takes my arm. ¡°This way.¡± I follow him and see a waiting room full of people. Some of them look a lot like William. Some older and some females that are way too beautiful. They must be sisters and sister inws. At least I hope one of them isn¡¯t a girlfriend. He did say he didn¡¯t have one, but what if it was some mistake or something.


    An officer in uniform with way too much blood on ites up to me. ¡°Are you Mia?¡± I nod, because I don¡¯t know what else to do. ¡°He told me to get you. Well he told me to tell Luke to get you. I¡¯m Dex, his partner. He told me a lot about you. I want you to know that we got him. Brock isn¡¯t going to bother you again. He¡¯s gone.¡±


    ¡°What about William?¡± I can¡¯t stop the tears. I just want someone to tell me that he is ok. That he is going to be fine.


    He looks sad. ¡°We don¡¯t know yet. He lost a lot of blood. But they made it sound like it was just a matter of patching him up and a transfusion but they really haven¡¯t given us any news.¡±T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Joseph wraps me in his arms. ¡°It¡¯s ok. He¡¯s a strong guy. He isn¡¯t going to let this take him down.¡±


    I can¡¯t stop crying. ¡°You don¡¯t know that. He could die and it would be all my fault. My stupid case. He would have never gone against Brock if it wasn¡¯t for me.¡±


    Dex makes me look at him. ¡°Don¡¯t for a second think that this is your fault. Brock is the one in the wrong. He is paying for his crimes. William will pull through this, I know it.¡±


    Dex takes me to a seat to sit, but I feel like I am falling apart. I want news. Any news.


    I am momentarily taken out of my grief when we hear a woman in a panicked voice calling through the hospital. ¡°Dex.¡± She is carrying a toddler about two. Her eyes widened when she saw all the blood on him. ¡°Oh, my God Dex.¡±


    ¡°Rx, baby, it isn¡¯t mine.¡± She sighs in relief and runs into his arms. He holds his little family like it¡¯s the most precious thing on the. ¡°I¡¯m fine, not a scratch on me.¡±


    ¡°Dex I was so worried.¡±


    He pulls back just a little. ¡°This is my partner¡¯s girl Mia. Funny huh? Anyway, this is his blood, so I¡¯m not exactly ready to leave yet.¡±


    She nods and gives me a small smile. ¡°I understand. I just had to make sure you were alright. I heard there was an officer involved shooting and you weren¡¯t answering your phone. I came right down here. I had to know that you were safe.¡±


    He kisses her forehead so tenderly. ¡°I just got my family back, I¡¯ll be damned if I am going to lose it again.¡±


    I feel intrusive in this moment, but also at the same time I needed to see this show of love. I needed to know that the world wasn¡¯t all just doom and gloom.


    Someone sits on my right. ¡°So, you are dating William?¡± I look over and it is an older woman that I have never met before, but she has the same eyes as William. I am pretty sure that this is his mother.


    ¡°Sort of. It¡¯splicated.¡±


    She gives me a warm smile. ¡°Isabelle says that he couldn¡¯t stop talking about you. I know it hasn¡¯t been that long, but the Wright men, when they want to, move pretty fast.¡±


    One of the brothersughs. I think this one is Justin. He has a little boy about ten clinging to his leg. ¡°We are also notorious idiots.¡±


    Luke scoffs. ¡°Speak for yourself.¡±


    Justin grins. ¡°It¡¯s better to own up to it now bro, because if not then you are screwed when you do screw up. And believe me you will. We all do.¡±


    I return my attention to his mom. ¡°I just want him to be ok.¡±


    Taking my hand she squeezes it. ¡°I know my son. He will pull through this. He knows I will kick his ass if he doesn¡¯t.¡±


    I am sniffling from all the crying that I am doing, but I can¡¯t help butugh a little. This family has this much faith that he is going to pull through. I can too. I can have faith that William is strong enough to pull through this.

 William Chapter 17

    WILLIAM


    There is massive pain in my shoulder and I feel like my head is going to fall off, but I am awake. I guess that¡¯s one for the win column. Someone is gripping my hand. I really hope it¡¯s Mia. I hope that Luke was able to get her. My eyes are struggling to open but I do manage it. When I look over I see my mom¡¯s smiling face. Normally that would be a wonderful sight, but honestly I am a little disappointed.


    ¡°There you are sleepyhead. You had a lot of people worried about you. You just had to take a dangerous job.¡±T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°I feel like I died, Mom. Can we not get on my job right now.¡±


    She shrugs. ¡°Well, I can drop it, but I am not so sure your new girl can. She has been pulling her hair out waiting for you to wake up.¡±


    ¡°Mia is here? Where is she?¡±


    ¡°The hospital wouldn¡¯t let her back. They said family only and I was elected the one because they said one guest at a time. So here we are.¡±


    I give her the best smile I can muster. ¡°But I am sure you could pull a little of the Wright weight and get her back here for me.¡±


    My mom grins. ¡°Oh, you bet I can.¡± She pats my hand. ¡°She¡¯s a good woman. I like her.¡±


    ¡°Thanks Mom.¡±


    She leaves me and it isn¡¯t long before Mia is led into the room. She rushes to my side. ¡°Oh, my God William. I feel so awful. I am so sorry that this happened to you. It is all my fault. I know Dex said that it wasn¡¯t, but I still feel like it is.¡±


    ¡°Mia, your blubbering. Juste here please.¡± Shees to my other side without the wound so that she cane closer. ¡°None of this is your fault. This is my job. Sometimes the bad guys have a gun. I knew the risk going in. Brock was the bad guy, not you.¡± I sp her hand. ¡°I just hope you can handle the job, because I don¡¯t want to lose you. I know we haven¡¯t even gone on a date yet, but I feel this connection with you that I can¡¯t put out of my mind. I have never felt this way about anyone ever. I know this is rushed but I almost died, so I guess, I don¡¯t want to take things slow. I want to jump right in this.¡±


    She is sniffling. ¡°Well, you were shot. They said it was a small calibur, it wouldn¡¯t have been a big deal but it managed to nick the artery in your shoulder. It was small enough that you didn¡¯t lose blood too fast but still pretty bad. Your shoulder is going to need to take time to heal.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± I smiled at her. ¡°I think I have an excellent nurse.¡±


    She cocks her head at me. ¡°Who the hell is that?¡±


    ¡°You honey. You, I want you and Joe to move in with me.¡±


    ¡°Wow, you really are just jumping in, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    I pull her closer. ¡°Yeah, but I¡¯m not scared. Are you?¡±


    Her breath is on my cheek. Her lips are just over mine. ¡°A little. I don¡¯t want to screw this up though.¡±


    ¡°We won¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°What if you don¡¯t want me next week?¡±


    ¡°What if I do?¡± I need her mouth on mine so I capture it. I need Mia, I don¡¯t think she realizes this. We haven¡¯t exactly known each other long, but I can¡¯t fight the attraction that ties us together.


    Far too soon she pulls away from me. ¡°We don¡¯t want to spike your blood pressure.¡±


    Groaning. ¡°I thought I hated Brock before.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll heal. I¡¯ll help you every step of the way.¡± She smiles at me and nothing else seems to matter. We have a lot still to go through but I have captured her heart and I am not going to let it go.

 William Chapter 18

    MIA


    SIX MONTHS LATER


    I had given up on love and a happy life. Hell I was ready to sell myself to the devil, but fate stepped in and made my life better. Now I can¡¯t imagine being anywhere else. William is back at work and of course the hero of the department. Not only did he solve the robbery case but he brought down a gang leader in the process.


    Joseph and I live with him now, he insisted. Not that I regret it. There are parts I don¡¯t like. I don¡¯t like that he is back at work and I could always get that call that he is in the hospital again, or worse. I worry about him, but I can¡¯t live without him either. He is doing what he loves.


    I went back to school. I never had the chance to get a college education before and now I have the chance. William is supportive and never once let me feel the doubt that used to cloud my mind every day. Joseph is doing amazing in school and now that we are away from bad influences I don¡¯t doubt that he will go far. He even has his own girlfriend now that he seems to adore.


    Sitting on William¡¯s front porch, I still have trouble realizing that I live here too. I am drinking some tea while I wait for Joseph to get home. I know he is old enough to get himself home, but I like to check in with him once a day and this seems to be the best time. William scootches into the bench next to me. ¡°So, I wanted to take you out tonight.¡± His arm is around my shoulder.


    ¡°Oh, really. To what do I owe the honor?¡± I give him a bright smile.


    ¡°How about that you are my girlfriend and I love you?¡± He returns the smile.


    I have to bite my cheek to contain my happiness. He has never said it before. Close but not those exact words before. ¡°What if I said I love you too?¡±


    Cupping my ear he brings my lips to his. No matter how many times he kisses me, I feel the fire. His lips bring me to life. I can¡¯t wait for the next one. He pulls me closer and I want more. He growls. ¡°Come inside.¡±


    ¡°Joseph will be home soon.¡± I breathe, trying to remind him.


    ¡°No he won¡¯t. He is meeting with the coach after school. We talked about it this morning.¡± He pulls me closer. ¡°Come inside.¡±


    ¡°Who could argue with that?¡±


    He takes my hands and pulls me off the bench and into the house. Once we are inside that door, it is like a mad dash to the bedroom. Not that this is the first time, after he healed enough it was on. But it is always like this. We can¡¯t wait to be with each other again.


    As soon as we hit the inside of the bedroom, we are on each other like a pair of lions. Ripping and pulling at each other¡¯s clothes while our mouths stay attached to one another. His hands pull my body closer and I feel this jolt of life from his fingers. I don¡¯t think I will ever get used to that. I love it though. I love everything that William does, but when he loves me like this I can¡¯t hardly think of anything else but him.


    As soon as we are bare to each other, William pushes me back on the bed. ¡°You are incredible. I just want you to know that.¡± He leans over my body as I shift so that my head is on the pillows. ¡°I can never get enough of you.¡±


    I pull him closer. ¡°Then show me.¡±


    He lets out a growl before he starts to position himself. As he slides into my slick folds I can¡¯t think of anything but him. He consumes me. As he fills me, our bodies connect in a way that I thought I would never feel in this lifetime. Every bit of passion that he has for me is in each thrust. As my hips meet his, he moans in pleasure. ¡°I don¡¯t think I will ever get tired of doing this with you.¡± His pleasure etched on his face. His lips skimmed over my skin, sending tingles through my whole being. Our skin meeting and sliding together. I pull my legs up around him, pulling him deeper inside.


    Never once have I doubted that William felt deeply for me, but this time he makes sure I know that he loves me. His mantra as he pleasures my body. I just pray that he feels a tenth of what he makes me feel.


    When he reaches in between us and starts circling my clit I know I am done for. wing at his shoulders, he grins. He knows what he is doing and how he is making me feel. The orgasm is close and he knows it. He pulls my orgasm out of me before he speeds up and thrusts his seed inside me. I am floating on a cloud the way that he makes me feel. I hardly feel like I am on earth.


    I¡¯m not even fully on the when I hear a phone ringing. William groans and reaches for his phone. He isn¡¯t even off me yet. Barely out of me.


    ¡°This better be important Luke.¡±


    I can¡¯t hear what Luke is saying but William gets into action. ¡°When did this happen?¡± He¡¯s getting dressed. It must be important. Usually there is a shower after this, but it appears to be that important. ¡°Where are you now?¡±


    He slips on his shoes and I know that he has to leave. I sit up pulling the nket around me. ¡°I¡¯ll be there soon.¡±


    He clicks off his phone and looks over at me. ¡°Luke is in trouble. It looks like maybe an assault charge. I have to go see what happened. He said something about some jerk trying to hurt a girl. I don¡¯t know, he isn¡¯t making a lot of sense. Especially since it happenedst night.¡±


    I grab his arm. ¡°It¡¯s ok. Go help your brother. We can go out another time. He¡¯s family. He helped us when we needed it.¡±T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Yeah, but he had all day to call.¡± He leans in kissing and nibbling my lips. ¡°I was looking forward to spending the day with you, especially the night.¡±


    Smiling, I kiss him back. ¡°Well, I¡¯ll be here when you get back.¡±


    ¡°Favorite part of my day.¡± His lips attack mine again before he leaves the room. ¡°I¡¯ll be safe.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡± I call after him. This is the man that I love and I couldn¡¯t imagine spending the rest of my life without him.

 Dex Chapter 1

    MIA


    Frozen in my spot. I can¡¯t believe what I am seeing. What is he doing here? I haven¡¯t seen him in three years. He left after that night and never looked back. Why the hell is he here? In my parent¡¯s house, like he actually gives a shit about any of us.


    Alright, I guess he cares about them. He is still my brother¡¯s best friend. My parents still care about him, just like he was one of their children. It¡¯s just me that he didn¡¯t care about. Me, the one that he left behind.


    So here I stand in the doorway carrying my son, who is wiggling a lot because I haven¡¯t set him down. But seriously kid I am thinking we can see grandma and grandpater. Just as I am about to turn around my mom¡¯s loud voice calls above everything. ¡°Oh Mia, there you are. I was wondering when you were bringing my little man for a visit.¡± Shees rushing towards me and his eyes fall right on me. He didn¡¯t even notice I was here until now. I could have left. If I didn¡¯t freeze up I could have left. I could have been long gone and he wouldn¡¯t have seen me. It¡¯s not like he is sticking around. I could have avoided this whole situation.


    As his eyes travel from me to my son, I see the emotions sh across his eyes. He sees a boy about two with his eyes and his hair, the rest looks like me, but he sees himself. I have always yed it off as some stranger, no one knows, no one but me. That¡¯s the secret that I will take to my grave. Well, I have told my son, but he isn¡¯t old enough to really tell anyone. I doubt he ever would.


    My mom sees where I am looking. ¡°Oh, isn¡¯t it wonderful, Dex is moving back home.¡±


    I put on a fake smile and turn my attention to my mom. ¡°Yeah, sounds great. Um, so I came by because I was going to do some food shopping and I wanted to see if you could watch him for an hour. I could do it with him but he would be bored to death and I know you always like having your grandma time.¡±


    She waves me off. ¡°Oh, you know I want to watch him. I haven¡¯t seen him all week. You are always so busy.¡±


    This time I really do smile. ¡°Well, you know how it is.¡± She is the one alwaysining that I never spend enough time on myself. I am always doing everything for him and nothing for myself. I don¡¯t even date, at least not really.


    She gives me a stern look. ¡°Yeah, I do. Now go have some Mommy time and get me some bananas and cream cheese. I¡¯m out. Maybe pick up a date too while you are at it.¡± I know thest part is a joke. Well, mostly. I think if she says it enough times that I really wille back with a date.


    Iugh. ¡°Alright Mom. I¡¯ll see you in about an hour.¡± I pass over the diaper bag. He leans over towards me. I kiss his little chubby cheeks. ¡°You be a good boy for Grandma. Ok, Hugh, Mommy will be back soon.¡±Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    He kisses my cheek and I try to make a retreat before I have to answer any questions. I don¡¯t want to answer any of his questions. He shouldn¡¯t have a right to ask them. He doesn¡¯t deserve the answers. He doesn¡¯t need them, he can just go back to whatever hole he climbed out of.


    I almost have my hand on the handle of my car door when his voice rings out. ¡°Running out already?¡±


    ¡°I have some things to do. Congrattions on the move. I guess I will be seeing you around.¡± I don¡¯t even turn around. He didn¡¯t turn around once when he left. Why the hell should I now?


    ¡°Mia, I think we might need to talk.¡±


    Now I do turn around a re at him. ¡°No, I don¡¯t think we do. We haven¡¯t talked in three years. I don¡¯t see what we need to talk about now.¡±


    He is about three feet away from me. The closest he has been to me since that night. ¡°Who is his father Mia?¡±


    ¡°Some asshole I spent a night with.¡± I fold my arms over my chest.


    ¡°I want a name Mia.¡± He res at me.


    ¡°Well too bad. You know you could have talked to me at least once in thest three years, but you didn¡¯t. You chose to pretend that nothing happened. So, nothing happened. I have moved on from it. I suggest you just keep moving.¡± I turn away from him and pull my car door open only for it to be mmed closed again before I even have a chance to open it all the way.


    ¡°Damn it Mia, you have no idea what I felt that night. Or the next morning. You have no right to judge me.¡±


    ¡°You have no right to talk to me about anything. You left. No word. Not one in three years. I am sure you talked to my brother. I am sure he told you when I was pregnant. I am sure he told you when I gave birth. Yet you didn¡¯t care to ask that question then, so you don¡¯t deserve the answer now.¡± I re right back at him.


    ¡°He didn¡¯t tell me one thing about you. I was too scared to ask. I didn¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°Well, there is nothing for you to know. Now move. I have things to do.¡±


    He is less than a foot away now. ¡°We need to talk about this Mia.¡±


    ¡°No we don¡¯t. There is nothing to tell you. Like I said, it was some asshole one night and then he left town.¡±


    ¡°Then I guess that is my answer. Because I doubt you did it twice.¡±


    ¡°How would you know? You don¡¯t know me.¡±


    ¡°I have known you since you were three. I know you.¡±


    ¡°Fuck you. Get off my car.¡± I push him back. ¡°You have no right toe here, no right to say you know me, no right to act like you fucking care.¡± I pushed him with each statement. ¡°Just leave me alone Dex and I will leave you alone. It¡¯s worked thest three years so why stop now.¡±


    I turn back to my car and this time get in and drive away. I don¡¯t let the tears fall until I am a good block away, then I have to pull over and let them fall. I thought I was over this. I thought I was past this, but seeing him again just brought it all back.

 Dex Chapter 2

    DEX


    She got pregnant. She went through it all alone. I wasn¡¯t here for her. I was a chicken shit too scared to tell her brother that I was in love with his little sister. The woman has been on my mind every day since I left. I regretted every minute I was away from her. That¡¯s why I came back. I needed to be here with her again.


    I watched her drive off with all her venom. I could tell that she was hurt. When Ie back into the house I see her mother with my son. A son I never knew about until ten minutes ago. He looks a lot like me. Mostly her, but I can see me there too. He has a big smile on his face as he shows his grandma a car.


    I want to meet him and spend time with him but first I have to talk with Braden, how the hell could he have not told me his sister had a kid. In three years he never mentioned his nephew. Not one word.


    I grab Braden and drag him out back. I push him a little. ¡°Why the hell didn¡¯t you tell me that your sister had a kid?¡±


    He folds his arms over his chest. ¡°Why the hell would you want to know?¡±


    I re at him. I can see it. He resents me. He knows. ¡°You know.¡±


    Heughs and shakes his head. ¡°I am probably the only one that does. She didn¡¯t tell a single person. But I didn¡¯t miss that she was pregnant roughly around the night of the party when you both just disappeared. Or that the next day you left town like your ass was on fire. Or when that baby was born and he looked just like you. You are my best friend, did you think I wouldn¡¯t notice?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t fucking know. She never said anything to me.¡±


    ¡°Why would she? You left. Obviously you never called, you just left her. How could you do that to her?¡±


    ¡°How could you not tell me?¡±


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me what happened?¡±


    I sigh. ¡°What was I supposed to say? I slept with your sister because I have been in love with her since I was fifteen. She is your little sister. You know as well as I do that I was never good enough for her.¡±


    He res at me. ¡°What did you say to her out there?¡±


    ¡°I asked who the father was.¡±


    He scoffed. ¡°Really you couldn¡¯t tell.¡±


    ¡°I wanted to hear her say it.¡±


    ¡°She doesn¡¯t owe you anything. She has been doing it alone for thest three years. Why did youe back?¡±


    ¡°I came back for her.¡±


    ¡°You said it was a transfer.¡±


    ¡°I asked for the transfer. I can¡¯t live without her. Did you really think I would transfer to this town to be a rookie again if I could be somewhere else. Please, I am begging you to understand. I know this is fucked up. But Mia is it for me. She always has been. I know I can¡¯t continue to live my life without her. With things the way that they are, I know I can¡¯t do this without you.¡±


    Braden looks at me for a minute and sighs. ¡°I guess I don¡¯t have much of a choice. But you know how stubborn she is. She hasn¡¯t told a soul who that baby¡¯s father is, I doubt she is going to wee you with open arms. You are going to have your work cut out for you.¡±


    ¡°She didn¡¯t even tell her friends?¡±


    ¡°No one. Most of her friends bailed after high school. She has a couple hanging around, but she just said it was a guy that left. I know because her best friend is my girlfriend. She would have told me if she knew who the daddy was. Actually she was really pissed about not getting a name. It¡¯s a thing.¡±


    I gulp. ¡°Well, I think I am going to spend some time with my son.¡±


    ¡°Hugh is a good kid. Smart too.¡± He smiles. ¡°You¡¯ll like him.¡±


    ¡°I would have liked him anyway.¡±


    Walking back into the house I see my son ying with the car by himself. I am sure his grandma is getting him a snack. Ie and sit on the floor next to him. ¡°What do you got there, little man?¡±


    He smiles up at me. ¡°Car.¡± He shows it to me.


    ¡°Wow, that is a cool car, show me how it works.¡± He starts rolling it back and forth on the floor, making little vroom noises as he does it. I don¡¯t miss that it is a little cop car either.


    A shadow falls over us. ¡°You two look so much alike. It¡¯s uncanny.¡± Mrs. Carthow mutters. ¡°You would think you were the dad.¡±


    Iugh it off. ¡°Well, he is a smart looking kid.¡±


    Braden scoffs. ¡°Yeah, sure.¡± I re at him. I can¡¯t tell his mom until Mia is ready. I¡¯m not going to throw all this at her at once. That would be an even bigger dick move.


    Mrs. Carthow changes the subject. ¡°So, you were transferred here, isn¡¯t that like a step down inw enforcement?¡±


    I shrug. ¡°Yeah, kind of. I actually just wanted toe home. I missed having a small town life.¡±


    Mrs. Carthow groans. ¡°It¡¯s not all it¡¯s cracked up to be. A lot of people turned their backs on Mia when she got pregnant with Hugh. News travels fast. She got pegged as a slut and hardly anyone talks to her anymore. We were in the supermarketst week and I heard people muttering about it. Sometimes I wish she would move out of this town, but then I wouldn¡¯t see Hugh and her as often and I don¡¯t want that either. I just hate that people talk about her like that.¡±


    I can¡¯t help the shame that sits in the pit of my stomach. ¡°So she hasn¡¯t been with anyone since she had him?¡±


    Mrs. Carthowughs. ¡°Oh, there have been guys, but they don¡¯t respect her. Or could care less about Hugh. She cuts them loose. She¡¯s a smart girl and doesn¡¯t want to be caught up in a mess again.¡±


    That makes the pit turn intova. Who the fuck are these guys that nned on moving in on my family? Braden chuckles. ¡°Actually there is this guy that seems pretty nice. He asked her outst week. I¡¯m not sure if she said yes or not. She said she was thinking about it. He¡¯s from money, but he seems decent enough.¡±Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    Mrs. Carthow smiles. ¡°Well, that would be nice. She deserves to be happy. She¡¯s been struggling thest few years.¡±


    I just stare at my son and wonder where the hell I went wrong. It could have all been mine. I would have made her happy. I would have loved her. I wouldn¡¯t have missed so much with my son. He doesn¡¯t even know who I am. He should be calling me Daddy, now I am some stranger. A stranger to the family that should have been mine.

 Dex Chapter 3

    MIA


    After seeing Dex I just wanted to hurry up and get my groceries and hurry home with Hugh. I hear the talk, I ignore it. I am pushing my cart rather quickly today and focusing on my list that I missed the person next to me until I felt a hand on my arm. I turned, half expecting Dex.


    I smile when I see Nathan, he chuckles a little. ¡°Hey, I was calling you. You just seemed really focused.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, sorry. I¡¯m just distracted.¡± I see the woman walking by, she res. Yeah, thank you for the reminder.


    ¡°Well, I wanted to see if maybe this weekend we could go out. I have this benefit that I am attending and I would like you toe with me.¡±


    I fidget a little. ¡°Well, I would have to find someone to watch Hugh. Plus I¡¯m not sure if I have anything to wear to something like that.¡±


    He smiles. ¡°I can take care of the dress. I¡¯m not sure about a sitter though. Do you think you can find one?¡±


    Taking a deep breath, I think. Is this really what I want to do? What I want, not what everyone else wants? ¡°Yeah, My mom will probably watch him. She loves him. If I can¡¯t get her to do it, I¡¯ll call you.¡±


    His grin gets bigger. ¡°Great. I¡¯ll text you the name of a boutique to pick up a dress, just give them my name and it will be covered. Get shoes and stuff too. Anything you need.¡±


    ¡°I think I just need a dress.¡±


    ¡°Get it all anyway.¡±


    Iugh. ¡°I don¡¯t need your money.¡±


    He brushes my cheek. ¡°I know, but I am just so happy that you finally said yes, I don¡¯t want there to be a single reason for you to change your mind.¡± I am pretty sure I am blushing now.


    ¡°Well, I better get back to this shopping list. If I don¡¯t then my mom might not watch him again.¡±


    He steps back. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t want that.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll talk to you soon Nathan. Thanks for asking me.¡±


    He leans in and kisses my cheek. ¡°Thanks for epting.¡±


    I go back to my shopping list. Hurrying, Iplete the task and get back to my mom¡¯s house. Bringing in the bag of things she asked for. When I open the door, I am worried I am seeing things. Dex is on the floor with Hugh, they areughing and ying with the car that I brought with Hugh. Again I am frozen in my ce.


    Dex notices me this time. ¡°Hey, that was quick.¡±


    ¡°I was in a hurry.¡± I state and leave the living room, figuring my mom is in the kitchen. I was right, when I step in she is working on a pot. ¡°Hey, Mom, I got a favor to ask.¡± I set her bag on the counter.


    She turns and smiles. ¡°Yeah, what¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°I need you to watch Hugh on Saturday night.¡±


    She blinks at me. ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°I have a date.¡±


    My mom looks like she is going to throw a party. ¡°Oh, honey, of course I will watch him.¡±


    A voice from my back stops the celebration. ¡°You have a date?¡±


    I turn to see the disappointed look on Dex¡¯s face. ¡°Um, yeah. He asked me at the store. He¡¯s been asking for a while, but I kept pushing it off. I figured it is probably time to get back out there.¡±


    My mom pats my shoulder. ¡°Of course it is. It has been long enough.¡±


    Dex looks sad. ¡°Mia, can I talk to you outside for a minute?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t really know what we need to talk about.¡± I turned back to my mom. ¡°Thanks for agreeing to watch him. I promise not to be out toote.¡±


    ¡°He can stay the night, it will be easier. Have fun dear.¡± She pats my shoulder as she passes. I try to follow her but Dex grabs my arm.


    ¡°Please, we need to talk.¡±


    I sigh, it¡¯s not like I can avoid this forever. I look and my mom is out of the room. ¡°What do you want, Dex?¡±


    ¡°Well, I think I deserve a chance to have a life with my son.¡±


    I re at him. ¡°Really, what makes you think you deserve that?¡±


    ¡°Mia, I am his father.¡±


    ¡°You want to tell everyone. Be my guest.¡± I fold my arms over my chest.


    ¡°Mia, I screwed up. I get that. Let¡¯s try and fix this. I still love you. I have for a long time.¡±


    I pull away from him. ¡°Really, you run out on someone that you love. Leave them alone for three years.¡±


    ¡°I came back for you.¡±


    ¡°You came back for the wrong reasons. Because it¡¯s toote.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t say that Mia. Let¡¯s fix this.¡±


    I hear a gasp from behind Dex. I didn¡¯t notice that my mom came back in. ¡°You are Hugh¡¯s father?¡±


    Dex sighs. ¡°I didn¡¯t know. I swear I would havee right back if I did.¡±


    She res at him. ¡°Get out.¡±


    ¡°Mom.¡± I gape at her. She has never talked to Dex like that before.


    ¡°No, Mia, for three years you have gone through hell. He left and never bothered to call you. You don¡¯t do that to someone you care about. He pretended to be a part of this family and then he did this to you. I don¡¯t want him in this house again.¡± She doesn¡¯t stop ring at Dex.


    ¡°Mom, you are the only mom that Dex has, you can¡¯t do this.¡± Dex¡¯s mom died when he was three, it was just his dad.


    Dex holds up his hand. ¡°No Mia, she¡¯s right. I had no right to act the way that I did. I was a coward. I deserve her wrath.¡± He looks back at me. ¡°I¡¯ll leave now, but I am not giving up on us. I screwed up and I am going to do whatever it takes to fix it.¡±


    He moves past my mom who continues to re at him. I hear him tell Hugh bye, it even sounds like he kisses him. I couldn¡¯t be sure on that one.


    My mom looks sad. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me? I feel so ashamed. I invited him in here and paraded him around you.¡±


    ¡°Mom, it was a long time ago. I have a date with Nathon. I am past it. Just don¡¯t let Dex lose what family he has.¡±


    ¡°How can you say that, after everything you have had to endure over thest three years?¡±


    ¡°Because there was a reason why I was with him in the first ce. I was in love with him. Even if he did break my heart and there is no repairing that. He is still family. He will always be Hugh¡¯s father. We will all just have to learn to live with each other.¡±


    My dad marches into the kitchen. ¡°Hey baby girl. What¡¯s going on?¡±


    My mom looks sad. ¡°Well, a mystery has been solved.¡±


    I cut in. ¡°Mom, I don¡¯t think this is the best time.¡±


    She shakes her head. ¡°Oh, no, I am telling everyone. Dex is Hugh¡¯s father.¡±


    My dad growls. ¡°Where is that son of a bitch?¡±


    ¡°Dad!¡± I yell. ¡°Will you all just rx, this is why I never said anything. It happened, it¡¯s in the past. Let¡¯s all move past this.¡±


    My dad yells through the house. ¡°Braden, get your ass in here.¡±


    Braden pokes his head in the kitchen. ¡°I¡¯m guessing you all found out.¡±


    All of us stare at Braden. I¡¯m the first to speak. ¡°You knew?¡±


    He shrugs. ¡°How could I not? It was obvious, he looks just like Dex. I¡¯m surprised no one else noticed.¡±


    My dad growls. ¡°And you never thought to enlighten us.¡±


    He looks down. ¡°I wanted to give Mia a chance to deal with it on her own. I never even confronted her about knowing.¡±


    Dad isn¡¯t having it. ¡°Even after everything that she went through. You don¡¯t think that maybe she might have needed someone in her corner. You could have at least been like that.¡±Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    ¡°Dad, she could have told anyone at any time if she just wanted a shoulder to cry on. This is how she wanted it. I was respecting her wishes. Besides with circumstances being what they are I figured I was thest person that she would want to takefort from.¡±


    I sigh, ¡°Well as great as it all is to hear everyone talk about me like I¡¯m not here, I¡¯m going to take Hugh home. I have ice cream in the car.¡±


    My dad looks sad. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell us?¡±


    ¡°Would it have made a difference? I was still alone. I wasn¡¯t married. Just because now you know who it was doesn¡¯t mean that it changes the facts. I am still a single mother. I have a date on Saturday. I am going to keep living my life. The only thing that is going to change is that Dex may want to see Hugh. He is his father. He didn¡¯t know, I kept it from him too.¡±


    Actually the only one that I ever told was Hugh, not that he would understand. I would sit with a picture book and point to Dex and tell him, ¡°this is your daddy¡±. He would repeat the word, but I think he thought picture meant daddy, because he started calling all pictures daddy.


    I leave my parents and my brother in the kitchen. I get Hugh and go home. I don¡¯t want to think what all this means. I know it is going to change things, I just don¡¯t know how that will look.

 Dex Chapter 4

    DEX


    I got her address from Braden, it wasn¡¯t easy but he finally gave it up. I have to report for duty in two hours, that is plenty of time to talk. I knock on the door of her apartment door. She opens the door with her toothbrush in her mouth. She waves me in as she heads to the kitchen.


    She spits in the sink. ¡°I figured you would show up at some point.¡±


    I wait for her to rinse her mouth as I stand in her living room feeling like an idiot. ¡°I think we should talk about all this.¡±


    ¡°Well, Mom is on a warpath. You should probably steer clear of Dad.¡± She hustles around me, picking up things and packing things at the same time. I see Hugh in a y pin off to the corner.


    He actually points to me. ¡°Daddy.¡±


    She pauses. ¡°Huh, I guess he did get it.¡±


    I hurry to him and pick him up. ¡°You told him?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not aplete bitch. I wanted him to know who his father was. I just didn¡¯t want to deal with everyone else knowing. Now they all will. I¡¯m sorry, this probably isn¡¯t the homing you were expecting.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know what to expect. I figured you would hate me, but this is just a lot.¡± Hugh starts ying with my badge. I let him, at least he can¡¯t get hurt with it. ¡°But all that really doesn¡¯t matter. I am the one that is sorry. I shouldn¡¯t have left.¡±


    She sighs, ¡°Well, it¡¯s in the past. All we can do is move on.¡± She starts looking around and patting her pockets. I am pretty sure she is doing her mental checklists. It was always so cute to watch her do this. ¡°So, I am assuming that you want to talk about visitation or custody, right?¡±


    ¡°Well, yeah. Plus maybe a chance to talk to you. Find a way to work past this.¡±


    ¡°There is nothing left to work through. What happened, happened. We just need to focus on him.¡± She points to Hugh.


    ¡°I think it would be best for him if he saw his parents together as a unit.¡±


    ¡°I think that ship sailed.¡± She spins around and heads back to the kitchen.


    I follow her. ¡°Mia. I love you. I always have. I was stupid, please let me fix this.¡±


    She reaches in the cupboard for a cup. ¡°Dex, it¡¯s a littlete for that. I have a date on Saturday.¡±


    ¡°Who the hell is this guy?¡±


    Sheughs. ¡°No one you know. He moved into townst year. His name is Nathon Phelps. He¡¯s the CEO of Dynamic Tech.¡±


    ¡°That new big ass building on the south end of town?¡±


    ¡°Yep.¡± She puts water and ice in the cup and hands it to Hugh after adding a lid. He drinks it greedily.


    ¡°Since when are you into rich assholes?¡±


    She res at me. ¡°He is not an asshole. He is actually really sweet.¡±


    I roll my eyes. ¡°Yeah right. He¡¯s ying you to get what he wants.¡±


    Her re deepens. ¡°Oh, you mean like you did?¡±


    I groan. ¡°That is not what I meant.¡±


    She waves me off. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter, I have to get him to daycare and I have to get to work. You cane overter and we can talk about Hugh, you don¡¯t need to ask about my personal life.¡±


    I set Hugh down and he toddles off to the living room. ¡°Mia, I don¡¯t want to lose this.¡±


    She looks sad. ¡°You already did. The day you left without a word. You had a lot of time to pick up the phone, but never once did I get a call from you.¡±


    I put my hands on her shoulders. ¡°Actually you did. I just never said anything.¡±


    Sheughs. ¡°All those calls that hung up, that was you. I thought it was just people harassing me.¡±


    I nod. ¡°I didn¡¯t know what to say. I liked hearing your voice though. I missed you so much Mia.¡±


    ¡°I have to go, Dex.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t count me out. That¡¯s all I¡¯m asking.¡±


    ¡°I already moved on. I have a date.¡± She pulls away from me and I catch her again.


    ¡°Then cancel it.¡±


    She res at me. ¡°You can¡¯te in here after three years and start making demands of me. I deserved a lot more than what you gave me thest three years. I will date who I want, when I want. There isn¡¯t a damn thing you can do about it.¡±


    I let her go, because she is right. I don¡¯t deserve to ask her to do that. I am the one that fucked up. I¡¯m just going to have to prove to her that I am here to stay. ¡°What time are you home?¡±


    ¡°Six.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be here for dinner, then we can talk about Hugh.¡±


    She waves me off. ¡°Sounds fine.¡± She is gathering up all her things to leave.This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    She stands to check around to make sure she got everything. I take the chance to do something that I have wanted to do since I saw her again. I grab her arms and press my lips to hers. I don¡¯t want to let her go. She has been a part of my life for so long. I¡¯m the one that screwed it up. Her hands grip the sides of my uniform shirt. My mouth explores the lips that I have missed so damn much.


    She pulls back from me. ¡°I have to go.¡±


    ¡°I will bring dinner.¡±


    ¡°No need.¡± She picks up Hugh. ¡°I can make dinner. It would be best if you don¡¯t do that again. That isn¡¯t our rtionship. We are Hugh¡¯s parents. Nothing more.¡±


    ¡°I am being Hugh¡¯s parent. I am loving his mother.¡±


    She rolls her eyes. ¡°I really need to go.¡±


    I kiss Hugh and leave while she locks up. I hear a neighbor grumble as I leave. ¡°Slut.¡± I turn on the old man.


    ¡°What did you call her?¡±


    He looks a little ashamed, but still he repeats himself. ¡°I called her a slut. She is a single mother with some guy leaving her house first thing in the morning.¡±


    ¡°That happens to be my son, I¡¯ll be leaving here at all hours. Do you have a problem with that?¡± I am ring at this old dude. I don¡¯t usually treat my elders like that, but it is my first look at what she has gone through thest three years.


    Mia puts her hand on my shoulder. ¡°Just drop it, it¡¯s not anything new.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s new is that I am here now. I am not going to let people keep talking to you like this when I am the one that fucked up. I left. You did nothing wrong.¡±


    She shrugs. ¡°I don¡¯t think they care.¡± She moves around me.


    She had to be so strong to go through this alone. I turn back to the old man. ¡°I hear you call her that again, I will bring you in. I don¡¯t care if I have to make up a charge, you will spend time in jail and have charges brought against you. Talk all the crap you want about me, but leave her alone.¡±


    He shrugs. ¡°Well, you are a prick.¡±


    I pat him on the shoulder. He flinched a little. ¡°There you go.¡±

 Dex Chapter 5

    MIA


    All day long I was on edge. I don¡¯t know how to handle Dex. Then I couldn¡¯t stop thinking about his lips on mine. I am doomed. That is all there is to it. I am doomed or cursed or whatever. I am doomed to fall into the same trap again and again.


    My cell phone rings when I pull out my lunch from the office fridge. I smile a little at seeing Nathon¡¯s name. ¡°Hey, you.¡±


    He chuckles. ¡°Hey to you too. I was just calling to see when you would head to that boutique that I sent you?¡±


    ¡°Um, probably tomorrow after work. I have some things going on right now and can¡¯t do it today.¡± I head back to my office. I make sure to close the door, I don¡¯t need anymore gossip about me. I¡¯m just lucky to actually have an office.


    ¡°Anything I can help with?¡±


    I shake my head and then remember I am on the phone. ¡°Oh, no, I have to deal with this on my own. But thanks for asking. Actually I do need to tell you something, before you hear it from someone else.¡±


    He sounds uneasy but still tries to joke. ¡°You know that I already know about your son right?¡±T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org.


    I sigh. ¡°Yeah, I know. Well, his father came back to town. We are working out custody and visitation.¡± He is quiet on the other line. ¡°Nathon, look I understand if this is too much. Ipletely understand if you want to back out of the date. I wouldn¡¯t even hold it against you.¡±


    He chuckles. ¡°No, that wasn¡¯t what I was thinking. I am a little worried about something else though. Is he here to get you back?¡±


    ¡°Honestly I have no idea what he is thinking. He just sort of showed up. I can¡¯t keep his son from him. But I can say this, I have no desire to be with him. We have history, yes, but that¡¯s it. He left and I have no desire to be that girl again.¡±


    ¡°Wait, I thought he was just some guy.¡±


    ¡°Actually that is just what people assumed. I said he left and every one just made up whatever worked for their story. I didn¡¯t argue. I have actually known him for a long time.¡±


    ¡°How long exactly?¡±


    ¡°We kind of grew up together. He was, or rather is, my brother¡¯s best friend.¡±


    He¡¯s quiet for another minute. ¡°Wow, that is a lot to unpack.¡±


    I cringe. I knew this was going to end this way, this is why I don¡¯t put myself out there. ¡°I understand.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not calling off the date, it just means that maybe we have more to work through that¡¯s all. Obviously this guy is going to be around and he will have to get used to us together and respect that. I finally got you to ept the date. I am not going to just call it off like that.¡±


    ¡°Nathon.¡± I sigh.


    ¡°Unless you want to call it off. Is that what this is?¡±


    ¡°No, I want to go.¡±


    He chuckles. ¡°Well, alright then. I am nning on picking you up at six, the eventsts until nine. That way you can let your sitter know.¡±


    ¡°Actually my mom is watching him, she said that she will keep him for the night. So, we are good with pickup.¡±


    ¡°Well, then maybe we might go out for dessert or something. I want to make sure you enjoy yourself. I would hate for it to be a one time date.¡±


    ¡°I am sure that I will.¡±


    ¡°Then you better get that dress tomorrow. I can¡¯t wait to see you in it.¡±


    ¡°Thank you Nathon for understanding. I know this is a lot, but I promise I want to go on this date.¡±


    ¡°Then I will make it the best date that you have ever been on.¡± I can¡¯t help but smile at his words. Nathon is always sweet. I know I have made a good choice in him.

 Dex Chapter 6

    DEX


    I have been on edge all day. I want to win her over. I know I screwed up. I may have lost the woman that I love. I don¡¯t even know what to do with myself. Every fiber of my being is begging me to pull her into my arms and never let her go. Mia has been my life for so long. I have felt lost for thest three years. Now it¡¯s even worse because she is just out of reach.


    When I knock on her door after my shift she quickly opens the door. I wanted to bring dinner, but she said no, I figured that it would be best if I just let her make the rules. When I see her face I swear it takes my breath away. She has for so long that I think she makes me oxygen deprived. ¡°Hey, Mia.¡±


    ¡°Hey, Dex. Come in.¡± She waves me in the apartment. Once I am inside I see Hugh toddling around the living room. He sees me and his face lights up.


    ¡°Daddy.¡± I don¡¯t think I will ever get tired of hearing that.


    ¡°That¡¯s right, little man.¡± Going down to his level, I put my arms out and he walked into my arms. I think the only thing better than this is if Mia would walk into my arms.


    Mia watches the whole exchange. ¡°Well, you have made someone happy.¡±


    ¡°I n to make you both happy.¡±T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org.


    She coughs and clears her throat. ¡°About that. I think it would be best if you just keep this between you and Hugh. We had our chance. It didn¡¯t work out. It will be better for the both of us in the future if we just keep this as a working partnership.¡±


    I looked over at her, shocked. ¡°So, you want me just to forget that I am in love with you. That I want to spend the rest of my life with you and I want to build this family. I¡¯m just supposed to forget that.¡±


    ¡°What would be the use of hanging on to it? It¡¯s not going to mean anything. Like I said we had our chance.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s past us. I think it¡¯s just starting. Mia, I wanted toe back to you before I found out about Hugh. I mean he is great, but I don¡¯t just want him.¡±


    I can see her start to tear up. ¡°Well, I think you will have to deal with that, because you and I ended when you walked out on me.¡±


    Hugh has moved off me and is ying with a ball. He seems pretty content to let his parents talk. Neither of us is raising our voices so I think it keeps him in a calm state. I stand reaching for her hand. ¡°Mia,¡± I sp her hand in mine. ¡°I¡¯m not going to walk away this time. I don¡¯t want to be without you again. I don¡¯t care what I have to do to prove it to you.¡±


    I can see the tears in her eyes. ¡°I gave you my heart that night, you trampled all over it. I just don¡¯t think I have it in me to give it to you again.¡±


    She pulls her hand from me and walks away. Leaving me alone in the living room with Hugh. She knew I wouldn¡¯t leave him alone, so she is stepping away, giving herself some space.

 Dex Chapter 7

    MIA


    I feel like a falling snowke. I have no idea where I willnd, but I am sure I will melt when I get there. Dex keepsing over after his shift to spend time with Hugh. I don¡¯t want to make him stop but it¡¯s a lot for me to take in. I told him that I needed him to stop telling me that he wants to be with me. I can¡¯t deal with it.


    At night Iy awake trying to figure out what it is that I want. It¡¯s always been hard to move on when Dex is around. I have always been drawn to him and now isn¡¯t any different. It doesn¡¯t hurt that he is being the best dad that I have ever seen. I have to practically push him out of the house at night so that I can have space from him. If not then he would be next to Hugh any chance that he could.


    I keep as much distance as I can from Dex as possible. A part of me is worried that I jumped the gun with taking this date with Nathon. I worry that maybe I took the date because I was pissed at Dex and wanted to get back at him. I know I¡¯m not that shallow, but maybe I was working on impulse. I wouldn¡¯t put it past me. I get low sometimes.


    Dex brought dinner tonight. He¡¯s setting the table while I change Hugh. I feel a little ufortable letting Dex pay for anything, but my mother keeps reminding me that he has three years to make up for. I just don¡¯t feel that way. Hugh is my son, I¡¯m not going to make Dex do anything. If he does something for Hugh it¡¯s because he wants to. I don¡¯t want him to regret his son.


    I bring Hugh in on my hip and Dex smiles up at me. ¡°There is my beautiful family.¡±


    I shake my head. ¡°Dex, I told you about that.¡±


    He just shrugs. ¡°Mia, I love you. I¡¯m not going to pretend that I don¡¯t. You are my family, you¡¯ll see it one day. I may be patient but I can only hold my tongue so long.¡±


    I talk to him while I put Hugh in his high chair. ¡°You¡¯re going to have to. We aren¡¯t together. We are figuring out how to raise Hugh the best way that we can. That is our only connection now. We can¡¯t force anything else.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not forcing anything. I¡¯m telling you, I love you.¡± I feel this pain in my chest every time that Dex tells me that. I want to cry and scream that it¡¯s toote, but at the same time I want to fall in his arms and never leave. I feel so confused and emotional. I just need time to deal with all of this.


    ¡°Let¡¯s just eat dinner.¡± I brush him off. I can¡¯t do anything else right now. I just don¡¯t have it in me.


    We are silent through our meal except for the noises that Hugh makes as he eats. He picks up something and shows it to Dex. ¡°Daddy.¡±


    Dex gets a huge smile on his face. ¡°Well, that is the best looking thing I have ever seen. You are getting so big.¡± Hugh gets a huge smile on his face. I have no idea what they are talking about. I am pretty sure he was holding a green bean. But Dex just yed right into it, making Hugh feel like a happy child. There he is doing it again. Why does he have to be here? He breaks my heart every day and he doesn¡¯t even know it.


    ¡°Excuse me.¡± I have been doing this a lottely. Escaping the room that he is in. If only for a moment to pull myself back together.T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org.


    When I manage to pull myself back together, Ie back into the room to see Dex cleaning up. ¡°Everything alright?¡±


    ¡°I just got a call. There was a robberyst night at that bank downtown. I am working with the detective on the case. He needs me to watch this guy that was admitted to the hospital. He thinks he might be a suspect and not a victim. I can¡¯t really say more than that.¡±


    ¡°Oh, well, stay safe.¡±


    He turns after putting everything in the dishwasher. Reaching out for me he takes my hands and pulls me closer. ¡°I know I screwed up Mia. I have regretted it every moment since I walked away. I can¡¯t even begin to beg for forgiveness. I love you. That night, after I finally let you know how I felt. I started to feel everything crashing in on me. Your brother, your parents. I thought they would all hate me. I thought I was making things harder for you. I didn¡¯t know how hard I actually made things for you. I got scared that I was never going to be good enough for you. I walked away because I was not good enough for you. But I can¡¯t fight my feelings anymore. I have been miserable thest three years. Every minute I am away from you is a minute too long.¡± He leans in and kisses me again. I have made a point to keep distance from him so that he couldn¡¯t do this again. But there was this look of pain in his eyes that I couldn¡¯t pull away from.


    I hate how his lips still make me yearn for more. How I still love him. I should hate his guts. But every day I am finding it harder to do that. Why can¡¯t my life be more simple? I pull away from him. ¡°You should go. I am sure they need you.¡±


    He sighs. ¡°Yeah. I¡¯ll text you after I get off so you know that I am safe.¡±


    I just nod. I don¡¯t want him to text me, I want him to go away so I can think. I never thought I would actually want him gone, but that¡¯s what I want right now.


    He hugs me then kisses Hugh on the cheek before he leaves. Why does my heart like punishing itself?

 Dex Chapter 8

    DEX


    I am getting pissed, she won¡¯t talk to me. I mean she lets mee by and spend time with Hugh, but she keeps busy and doesn¡¯t talk to me. I figure it is time to talk to this guy and get him to back off. I want my family and he is standing in the way.


    When I get to Dynamic Tech I am still in my uniform. I don¡¯t say that I am there for official business, just that I want to speak to the CEO. They usher me up and the secretary sitting outside his office looks panicked. She rushes into his office and lets him know that I am here.


    She stands to the side. ¡°He will see you now.¡±


    When I step into his big ass office he has arge grin on his face. ¡°Honestly I expected you days ago.¡±


    I nod. ¡°d to see we have an understanding.¡±


    The secretary¡¯s eyes look like saucers. But she closes the door, knowing that is her job and she needs toplete it.


    He motions to the seat in front of his desk. ¡°Let me guess, you want me to back off.¡±


    I take a seat crossing my ankle over myp. ¡°That would be nice.¡±


    Heughs, shaking his head. ¡°I have been asking her out since I met her, now you breeze back into town after what, three years and you want me to just give up the date that I finally got her to ept. Why the fuck would I do that?¡±


    I sigh, ¡°I am Hugh¡¯s father, I deserve a chance to have my family.¡±


    ¡°I think you lost that right when you walked away from it without a word.¡± He looks at me sternly.


    I roll my eyes. ¡°I screwed up, yes. But I didn¡¯t know about Hugh. I came back for her, I deserve to have a chance at this. For that to happen you need to back off.¡±


    He shakes his head again. ¡°Well, I don¡¯t think you do. I deserve this chance. I have been here, I saw what was in front of me, I never once gave up on it. I was patient until she was ready, now you want me to just give up.¡±


    ¡°Can you just give me a month?¡±


    ¡°No. I am not giving up on Mia. Not for one day. If she tells me to back off, then I will. But I don¡¯t owe you shit. I¡¯ll be pleasant for her and Hugh, but as far as I am concerned, you are an ass. I don¡¯t care what the hell you want and I will be damned if you will have what I worked for. What I cherished while you threw it in the trash.¡±


    Taking a deep breath topose myself. ¡°I can see we are not going toe to an agreement here.¡±


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t think we are.¡±


    I stand. ¡°I guess let the best man win.¡±T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org.


    He smiled again. ¡°Oh, I guarantee you, I will.¡±

 Dex Chapter 9

    MIA


    I can not believe we are being pulled over. We didn¡¯t do anything wrong. I have a feeling this is Dex trying to use some scare tactic on Nathon. He marches up to the passenger side window and tries to look all official.


    He knocks on the window and I re at him before I roll it down. Nathon is more tactful. ¡°Evening officer. What can I do for you?¡±


    Dex bends down and looks at him through my window. I have to admit he looks damn good in that uniform. He keepsing by after his shift and I have to remind myself every time that I am not going down that road again.


    ¡°Well, sir, you have a taillight out.¡±


    I gape at him. ¡°Are you serious? Are you just making up shit to harass us?¡±


    Dex smiles. ¡°I don¡¯t need to make up shit baby. If you don¡¯t believe me, you can get out and check.¡±


    ring at him, I open the door. Hitting him with it. I dare him to bring me in for assaulting a police officer. Instead he just chuckles. ¡°I¡¯m seriously not trying to piss you off. I am doing my job. It¡¯s not my fault that Mr. Money doesn¡¯t have his lights checked.¡±


    ¡°Will you just shut up?¡± I march in my high heels to the back of the car. Nathon seems agitated, but he does the light check with me. Sure enough the right taillight is out. ¡°Fine.¡±


    Dex looks back to Nathon. ¡°I¡¯ll write you a fix it ticket and you present it to the court house within ten days with a receipt of the repair. Not really a big deal.¡±


    Nathon grits his teeth as I get back in the car. ¡°You could have just given me a warning.¡±


    Dex smiles bigger. ¡°You¡¯re right I could have, but I have every right to fuck with you.¡± He shrugs. ¡°After all it¡¯s not like you can¡¯t afford it.¡±


    Dex stands back up and starts writing his ticket. I look over at Nathon. ¡°I am so sorry about this. You don¡¯t need to deal with this. I am so sorry.¡±


    He looks softer. ¡°No, honey, it¡¯s him I am pissed at, not you. I get it, he wants to make me look bad. I should have known he would stoop this low.¡±


    I can feel my tears starting to build. ¡°I know I am getting to be a lot of work. I wouldpletely understand¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t even finish that statement. I told you, I¡¯m not going anywhere. It¡¯s the same thing I told him when he came to my office the other day.¡±


    Dex is back at the window. With the ticket in his hand. Turning my re on him. I have never switched so fast from upset to pissed in my life. ¡°You went to his office?¡±


    He doesn¡¯t even look ashamed. ¡°I didn¡¯t think he would go crying to you about it.¡± Dex reaches over me to hand Nathon the ticket.


    Nathon snatches it from him. ¡°I wasn¡¯t crying, I was making a point.¡±


    Dexughs. ¡°Point being that you are a cry baby.¡±


    I don¡¯t let my re dim. ¡°You, we will talk about thister. Right now, I want to go and have my date with Nathon.¡± I make sure he hears thatst part. He loses all humor on his face.N?velDrama.Org owns this.


    ¡°Right, Take care of that light.¡± He pats the roof of the car. ¡°Please drive safely. This is the mother of my child.¡±


    ¡°I intend to, this is my girlfriend.¡± Nathon smiles. Nathon pulls back onto the street and I feel that guilt again. These two shouldn¡¯t be fighting. Nathon is a great guy, he doesn¡¯t deserve all this drama.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry Nathon.¡±


    ¡°Stop saying you¡¯re sorry. I promise, I am not mad at you.¡± He reaches over and grabs my hand. ¡°We are going to have a good time tonight. Don¡¯t even worry your pretty little head about it.¡±


    ¡°I do worry though.¡±


    ¡°Just don¡¯t. It¡¯s a man thing. Dex and I will work it out. We are just battling for territory right now. Drawing lines so to speak. It will all work out in the end.¡±


    I sigh, because I don¡¯t know what else to say.


    He holds my hand all the way to the benefit dinner and inside. That¡¯s when I start to feel like things are falling apart. I can see all the people staring at me. I can see them lean in and whisper, while they discreetly point at Nathon and I. I keep trying to keep my head up. I know that I have done nothing wrong. I have nothing to be ashamed of.


    Nathon pulls my arm through his. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. It¡¯s mindless gossip. Over time it will die down.¡±


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have to put up with this.¡± I feel embarrassed to be putting him through this.


    It gets worse when we sit down to dinner. People I have never met before in my life are talking about my life like they know me. The woman at the table, an impable blond, looks over me with a sneer. ¡°Aren¡¯t you that single mother?¡±


    I nod my head. ¡°Yep, that¡¯s me. Great identifier huh.¡±


    Dex res at her. ¡°That¡¯s enough Alicia.¡±


    ¡°What? I¡¯m only asking. Because I heard that a man has been leaving her house every day. I mean it wasn¡¯t you, so why does she have a man at her house everyday?¡±


    I am looking down at my te. ¡°It¡¯s my son¡¯s father. He is spending time with his baby.¡± Why do I have to exin myself to these people? Dex has a right to see his son.


    ¡°Ah, I see, you keep your side piece while yound you a rich man is that it?¡±


    Nathon hisses. ¡°Knock it off Alicia.¡±


    I push out my chair. ¡°Excuse me for a moment.¡±


    I don¡¯t wait for an answer, I do what I do at home when I need to catch my breath when Dex bes too much. It doesn¡¯t take me as long at home. It just reminds me that Nathon and I are too different. I was trying to give Nathon a chance, but I don¡¯t think this is going to work.


    I walk back out there, Nathon is talking to that woman. She scoffs. ¡°You said that you didn¡¯t even want kids. What are you doing with a single mother?¡±


    ¡°Alicia, I changed my mind. I¡¯m not saying I want more kids, she had her kid so she doesn¡¯t need to have another. One kid isn¡¯t going to be the end of the world.¡± That just assures me that I am making the right decision. I want more kids. Not right this minute, but I do want them. At least two more. If Nathon doesn¡¯t want that then we are on different tracks.


    I sat back down at the table like I didn¡¯t hear anything. I will just get through dinner, and not embarrass Nathon, but this isn¡¯t going to work out. This is as far as I can let this go.

 Dex Chapter 10

    DEX


    After I got off my shift. I needed a drink. I spent the whole night wondering what the hell they were doing. I knew Hugh was with his grandparents tonight. Does that mean that she is going to spend the night with him?


    Finally at one in the morning, my drunk addled brain couldn¡¯t take it anymore. I made my way to her apartment. Not driving because there is no way I could drive. Stumbling up her stairs I knock on her door. Probably far too loudly.


    When she opens the door her hair is a mess and she looks panicked, but she has never looked better to me. Her shorts cling to her body like underwear, but a little longer. Her cami is hugging her body too. ¡°Dex, what the hell are you doing here? Is everything alright?¡±


    I pushed her into her apartment. Closing and locking the door behind me. ¡°No, everything is not alright.¡±


    She looks even more panicked. ¡°Did something happen with Hugh? Where is he?¡±Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    She looks like she is going to rush the door. I put my hands on her shoulders. ¡°Nothing is wrong with him. He¡¯s fine.¡±


    She blinks at me confused. I pull my arms around her. ¡°What is the matter? Why are you acting so weird?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t stand this. I can¡¯t stand this gulf that is between us. I have been in love with you for the past nine years and it always seems like you are just out of reach.¡±


    She pulls back. ¡°Dex, you had me, remember? We wouldn¡¯t have Hugh if I was always out of reach. I was right there and you ran off.¡±


    Falling to my knees I wrap my arms around her middle. ¡°I messed up so bad. I got scared that I was going to screw it all up. That Braden would hate me, that you would hate me. I ran because I know I was never good enough for you. I¡¯m a damn cop, I¡¯m not a millionaire. You deserve better than me. I knew that then and I know that now. I left because I love you so damn much that I wanted the best for you. I came back because I realized that I loved you too much to stay gone. I know it is selfish, but I can¡¯t live without you, Mia.¡±


    She¡¯s holding my head to her belly and running her fingers through my hair. ¡°That¡¯s why you left.¡±


    I look up at her. ¡°Yes, baby. I¡¯ll admit I was a coward and should have told you first. But I don¡¯t want to keep living away from my family. I want you both back. Hell, I want to make another with you. I want to marry you and stay by your side for the rest of my life. If you will have me.¡±


    She has a soft smile on her face. ¡°I broke up with Nathon.¡±


    Now I am the one that looks shocked. ¡°Wait, what? What happened?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a long story. The point is, I am ready to give this a shot too. I want to be a family with you too.¡±


    Leaping to my feet I pull her into my arms and give her the kiss I have been holding back for days. The feel of her warm soft lips on mine is heaven. I have been craving her for so long that I can¡¯t even think straight when I don¡¯t see her. The way our lips and tongues mingle, I will never find a better experience in my life.


    I pull her legs up around my body, only this makes her pull her lips from mine. ¡°Dex, do you really mean it? I¡¯m not going to find you gone. You want to stay here, with me. To love me and only have sex with me for the rest of your life. I know that is a bigmitment.¡±


    I chuckle a little. ¡°Baby, I haven¡¯t had sex since thest time I had sex with you. You are the only one that I want.¡±


    She smiles. ¡°Then take me to the bedroom.¡±


    ¡°I love you, baby.¡± I am not going to lose this again. I feel like I am on a zip line all the way to the bedroom. The adrenaline rush, the speed with which I am charging for that bed. I really do love Mia and I don¡¯t want to be without her for another minute.

 Dex Chapter 11

    MIA


    Waking up with Dex is strange and new, but also really fucking nice. He pulls me closer while still asleep. I know he might regret this. This is a lot to ask from him. I didn¡¯t realize that he was intoxicated until we got in the room and he stumbled a little. I thought maybe a drink or two, but he seemed too messed up. I really hope that I didn¡¯t do the wrong thing. I just hope that he remembers everything. I hope to God that he doesn¡¯t regret it.


    I try to move out of bed so I can start cleaning up to get ready to bring Hugh home. But Dex grips me tighter. ¡°Mia, baby, don¡¯t move.¡± He groans and pulls on me.


    ¡°I have to clean up so I can get Hugh.¡± I don¡¯t want him to think that I am trying to run out on him.


    ¡°My head is killing me. Just give me a few more minutes.¡± I snuggle back in bed with him. At least he isn¡¯t trying to run off.


    I decided I am not going to sit here and worry, I am going to put my insecurities out there now. ¡°Dex, you rememberst night, right?¡± It¡¯s better to get it out in the open. If he is going to regret this then I want to know now.This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    Heughs slightly. ¡°Oh, yeah. I remember everything. I loved that little moan you made, when¡­¡±


    I cut him off. ¡°I don¡¯t mean that. I mean, you remember telling me that you weren¡¯t going to leave me again.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I remember. I have been trying to tell you for days. I love you Mia. I want to have my family. I know you deserve someone like Nathon. A guy who can buy you the world, but I really want to keep you to myself.¡± He holds me closer.


    ¡°If you really want me then you can have me, but I couldn¡¯t handle it if you left me again. I just couldn¡¯t.¡± I don¡¯t like feeling vulnerable, but sometimes you have to put it out there.


    Before he can answer I hear a phone ringing, I know it isn¡¯t mine. ¡°The only ce I might be going is to work. I have to get that.¡±


    He groans as he gets out of bed, fumbling for his pants and fishing out his phone. ¡°Hey¡­ Yeah, I can be there in twenty¡­ You sure you got him this time¡­ Alright, let¡¯s take him in.¡± He clicks off the phone. ¡°Remember when I told you about that robbery that I was working on, well, they caught the guy, but it¡¯s an all hands on deck thing. They need to bring him in, he¡¯s one of those really bad guys. I¡¯ll be back after the bust though. You might have a hard time finding a way to make me leave.¡±


    I scoot over so I am on the bed, wrapping my arms around his waist. ¡°I can¡¯t wait until youe home.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s exactly what I am doing, baby. I aming home.¡±

 Dex Chapter 12

    DEX


    The bust was crazy for sure. Way more armed people than there should ever be on a city street were holed up in that house. William was doing what he does, but he was determined to get the guy that was harassing his girl. I could tell he was sweet on her as soon as they met. I was silently rooting for them the whole time.


    Thankfully not many officers were hurt, but William was hurt badly. Hisst words before he passed out were for Mia. Now here I sit in the hospital waiting room and thanking God that I can go home to my Miater. I¡¯m surrounded by William¡¯s family, but the only person that I want to see is at home with my son.


    I see here in. At least I am pretty sure it¡¯s her, I see her brother is right behind her. I remember him from the interrogation. ¡°Are you Mia?¡±


    She nods, but she looks scared and worried all at the same time. I am sure this is a lot for her to handle, up until this morning she was the number one suspect in a robbery investigation. Here I am a cop covered in William¡¯s blood.


    ¡°He told me to get you. Well he told me to tell Luke to get you. I¡¯m Dex, his partner. He told me a lot about you. I want you to know that we got him. Brock isn¡¯t going to bother you again. He¡¯s gone.¡±


    ¡°What about William?¡± I can see it in her eyes, she doesn¡¯t care about anything else but if William is alright. The tears streaming down her face are the clear evidence of how much she loves him already.


    I feel the lead weights hitting my stomach. ¡°We don¡¯t know yet. He lost a lot of blood. But they made it sound like it was just a matter of patching him up and a transfusion but they really haven¡¯t given us any news.¡±


    Her brother wraps his arms around her. ¡°It¡¯s ok. He¡¯s a strong guy. He isn¡¯t going to let this take him down.¡±


    She starts crying even harder. ¡°You don¡¯t know that. He could die and it would be all my fault. My stupid case. He would have never gone against Brock if it wasn¡¯t for me.¡±


    I make sure to have her looking at me, I know if it was my Mia I would want her to understand this too. ¡°Don¡¯t for a second think that this is your fault. Brock is the one in the wrong. He is paying for his crimes. William will pull through this, I know it.¡±


    I help her to a seat, because if this girl doesn¡¯t sit down soon she is going to fall down. I barely have her in her seat before the love of my life bursts through the doors.


    ¡°Dex.¡± Her eyes catch me and I swear she looks ready to pass out. ¡°Oh, my God Dex.¡±


    ¡°Rx, baby, it isn¡¯t mine.¡± She sighs in relief and runs into my arms. I hold my little family like it¡¯s the most precious thing on the. I never want to lose my family. Never again will I take that risk. ¡°I¡¯m fine, not a scratch on me.¡±


    ¡°Dex I was so worried.¡±


    I pull back just a little, I want her to meet Mia. ¡°This is my partner¡¯s girl Mia. Funny huh? Anyway, this is his blood, so I¡¯m not exactly ready to leave yet.¡±


    She nods in understanding. ¡°I understand. I just had to make sure you were alright. I heard there was an officer involved shooting and you weren¡¯t answering your phone. I came right down here. I had to know that you were safe.¡±


    I kissed her forehead so tenderly. ¡°I just got my family back, I¡¯ll be damned if I am going to lose it again.¡±


    She starts with tears. ¡°I was so scared Dex, God, I can¡¯t lose you.¡±


    ¡°You haven¡¯t lost me, I love you Mia. I¡¯m not going to lose you.¡±


    The front door opens again and thest person I ever thought would walk through that does. There stands Nathon. I look at him puzzled. ¡°What are you doing here?¡±


    He seems to shake his head and chuckle. ¡°I should have known that it wasn¡¯t you.¡±


    Mia looks over at him. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    Heughs. ¡°I heard that there was an officer involved shooting. I was worried it was him and that you would be here distressed. So I came down here to support you.¡±Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    This time I chuckle. ¡°Well, hate to burst your bubble but it was my partner.¡±


    He sighs. ¡°Look, I know you are a good guy underneath all the stuff that went on in the past. But you hurt her again and you will have to deal with me.¡±


    I reach my hand out. ¡°Fair is fair.¡±


    He takes my hand and shakes it. ¡°Fair is fair.¡±


    I never foresaw having an understanding with this guy, but I¡¯m d that if something happens to me, that there will be more people to look out for Mia. I don¡¯t know why things didn¡¯t work out with them. I really don¡¯t care all that much, but he seems like a good guy. As long as he keeps his hands to himself, then I don¡¯t mind him keeping an eye out for Mia.


    Hugh starts grabbing at my uniform. ¡°Oh, no, little man, let¡¯s let Daddy get changed first.¡± He makes a little pouty face. It warms my heart that my son loves me that much.


    A nurse from the floor pats me on the shoulder. ¡°I saw your familye in, I am sure you want to change. Here¡¯s a scrub shirt that we keep on hand.¡± She passes me a shirt. I dly ept it. ¡°Thanks, I don¡¯t want my son covered in blood. Even if I know it isn¡¯t his.¡±


    Mia lets me walk away so I can change. I make sure that everything is off me. My vest caught most of it, but there was still blood on my sleeves and neck area. I use the sink to clean up the blood that got on my skin and bag the shirt in an extra bag that they had with the trash can. I don¡¯t know how they are going to clean this shirt, but I know they have ways. I know the white shirt I had underneath it is trashed, but I¡¯ll toss itter. I don¡¯t want someone else finding a bloody shirt in the bathroom.


    When Ie back, Mia, Nathon and the nurse are all talking. Nathon and the nurse seem to be getting along great. I know it might be too soon for him, but maybe he¡¯s got someone else he can divert his attention to. I pull Mia towards me and take Hugh in my arm, resting him on my hip, with Mia in the other arm. ¡°Daddy.¡± I love when he calls me that.


    ¡°That¡¯s right, Daddy, isn¡¯t going anywhere.¡±

 Dex Epilogue

    MIA


    Dex has been back for a year now. I can¡¯t believe that things have worked out this way. I think we both missed a lot while we were separated. My parents organized a get together for the family. I think they are taking a page out of the Wright¡¯s book. This seems like way too many people for just us.


    However, everyone seems happy. I know that I am. Dex has shown me everyday that I am the woman he wants to be with. If he isn¡¯t at work, then he is by my side. I can¡¯t say that I love his work, but I know that he is good at it. I worry, but nothing has been as bad as that case that almost killed William.


    William has be a really close friend to our family. So I see Mia a lot. It¡¯s nice to have another woman that I can lean on who understands how it is.


    As a matter of fact they are here too. It just seems odd to me that we would have this many people here for just a family get together.


    Everyone has eaten and we are all just enjoying each other¡¯spany.


    Dex pulls away from me and whistles to get everyone¡¯s attention.


    ¡°Alright, I have something to say. I know that I have screwed up things in my life. I have made some mistakes that I can never make up for. I know a few of you won¡¯t ever let me forget it either. Some of you even have trouble forgiving me for it. I know I have a lot to make up for. But I want to spend the rest of my life doing just that.¡±


    Dex turns to me. Then he drops to both knees. ¡°Mia, you are the love of my life. I made the biggest mistake of my life four years ago. I thank God every day that you have forgiven me enough to let me back in your life. But it isn¡¯t enough. So I am going to be a greedy bastard. Mia, will you marry this poor pathetic man that will love you for the rest of your life. I will never leave, I will never do anything to hurt you. I want to wake up to you every morning and I want to have you be the first person that anyone thinks about when they think about me.¡±


    I smile. ¡°Are you done yet? Or do you have another speech?¡±


    Heughs. ¡°Well?¡±


    ¡°Dex, I have loved you my whole life. Even when I tried to hate you, I couldn¡¯t. I have been waiting for you to man up and ask me for thest year. So, yes, I will marry you, as long as you can promise that I am the one that you will love for the rest of your life.¡±


    Dex stands and pulls a ring from his pocket. He slips it on my finger. ¡°It was my mother¡¯s. I know I should buy you the most expensive ring on the face of the because you deserve it. But I can¡¯t do that. All I can do is love you more than anyone is ever going to love you for the rest of your life.¡±


    I smile down at the diamond with two sapphires surrounding it. ¡°It is beautiful. I am honored to wear your mother¡¯s ring.¡±Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    When his lips press to mine, we hear the whole ce apud and cheer. Finally after way too long my family isplete.


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!