Shattered Home

by J. M. Adele

  “That’s what I’m worried about.”

  “Please … don’t.” The words wheezed out as panic gripped his chest.

  His father was a prominent member of the community. He owned a law firm in town and represented all the big names in the county, his sights firmly set on politics and Washington DC. Aiden didn’t want to cause any dramas. He’d never live it down. Literally.

  Mr. Murphy’s lips set in a grim line, and the wrinkles on his brow cut deeper as he sat watching Aiden in silence.

  Aiden put the container back in the bag to resist squirming. Hank was a formidable man. Aiden had never seen him get angry, but he had a way about him that stopped anyone from wanting to argue. Except Angel.

  Aiden figured he wouldn’t be seeing her for a few days. Fatigue settled on him like a lead apron. He let his eyes fall shut and felt the bag being tugged from his hands. A gentle push on his shoulder urged him to lie down. He was on board with that plan. There was no fight left. For now, he was safe and in Hank’s care. That was all he could wish for. It would’ve been better if Angel could be by his side, but he didn’t want her to know about his father. Didn’t want to appear weak in her eyes.

  He knew that if he looked in the mirror … that’s what he’d see. Weakness.

  Angel held her glasses in her hand, squinting at the blurry figure in the mirror. She put the frames back on, blinking at her reflection, before lifting the glasses above her brow. Her eyelids narrowed again. No amount of squinting was going to make her eyesight improve, darn it. She dropped the glasses back on her nose and pushed her hair off her pale face.

  Plain Jane.

  Not that she could dress up her school uniform, but come on. She was sixteen, weren’t things supposed to be changing? She religiously dyed her boring black hair to a more vivacious red, with the help of her cousins, who were all redheads blessed by nature and not the bottle. Her father had the same problem, being the only raven among his flame-haired brothers. But in his case, he preferred it that way.

  She huffed and shifted her attention to her lack of chest, cupping each modest swell with a palm. She didn’t look any older than thirteen. When would she start looking like a woman?

  Angel’s face twisted in a grimace. She wished she had her mother to talk to. Reaching out, she took a black and white photo from where it was wedged into the mirror frame. The image of her mother, beaming with a newborn Angel in her arms. She’d been a beautiful woman before her life was cut short by a drunk driver. The loss of her mother had unpacked its bags and settled in the core of her heart, a companion for life. It was times like this that it would twinge and throb, reminding her of what she’d never have again. Angel knew her aunts would help her out with anything she needed, but it wasn’t the same.

  She put the photo back in its spot next to the one of her and Aiden, taken when they were two years younger, while horsing around in her yard. Her body had awakened to him around that time. She’d always seen him as more than a friend, but right then, she was sure he wanted him. Angel wondered when his feelings had started to change, and what he really thought of her lack of assets.

  She hadn’t seen him at school the last two days, and her paranoid mind thought that maybe she had something to do with his absence. Her fingers twisted together. Maybe she’d scared him off by being too forward. Or maybe he didn’t like her as much as she imagined. Untangling her fingers, she rubbed her bottom lip where her teeth had sunk in a little too hard, and reassured herself that he’d been just as into it as she had been. She’d felt his excitement in her hand. Well, more like squashed it under her hand. Ugh.

  A loud tapping on the window made her jump with an embarrassing scream. She turned to find Aiden grinning at her through the glass. Forcing her shoulders to relax, Angel dashed over to push open the barrier.

  “How long have you been there, spying like a psycho?”

  He rested his elbows on the window ledge while the rest of him balanced on a sturdy elm branch, moving as it swayed in the breeze. He’d never climbed to her window before. Not that she knew of, anyways. She’d better be more careful about shutting the curtain.

  “Only long enough to watch you … uh … look at the photo.”

  His eyes averted and her gut dropped, heat rushing up her neck. Oh, good Lord. He’d seen her feeling her boobs. She sucked in a breath, almost choking on her own spit.

  Sh—ugar.

  Lurching forward, she grabbed the window and yanked it closed, narrowly missing his elbow.

  “Hey! What was that for?” Aiden’s head bounced in and out of view, while his fingers struggled for purchase on the ledge.

  “You saw!”

  “Yeah, I saw. How was I supposed to know you’d be feeling yourself up? Are you coming down or do you need to assess yourself some more? We’re gonna be late for school.”

  She growled, baring her teeth, but he just grinned back and started to climb down.

  Pausing, he looked back up. “For the record, if you need a second opinion, I’d be happy to give one.”

  “Ooh, you cheeky—” She slammed her mouth shut before the curse escaped. “You won’t be getting anywhere near them,” she yelled through the glass. He’d descended out of sight, but his laugh reached her ears and tugged the corners of her mouth in a smile.

  Picking up her bag, she bolted down the staircase to find Aiden and her daddy seated at the kitchen table, talking about baseball.

  “Come on. We’re going to miss the bus.” She looked away from Aiden who was fighting a grin, and gave her father a tight hug. “Bye, Daddy. Love you big.”

  “Love you bigger. Enjoy your day, kids.” He waved them off, cutting another slice of fried egg.

  Sweat sprang from her pores as the sun bit down on her skin. Angel ducked under the cover of the trees lining the street, folding her hand into Aiden’s when he offered it. She hummed and jiggled her hand in his. This was one of her favorite parts of the day. Sharing the trip to school with him. The day ahead held more promise when she got to start it by spending time with him. That’s what love does.

  Turning her attention to Aiden, she found him staring ahead, troubled thoughts creasing his brow.

  “Isn’t your dad working today?” Aiden’s voice had an edge, making it squeakier than usual.

  “No, he said he had some stuff to take care of.”

  “Oh.” Aiden let his head fall forward and grabbed the strap of his bag, watching the ground as they walked to the stop.

  He did that often. Retreated into his own head. She usually just waited patiently for him to work through whatever had him distracted and to come back to her. But there was something about the tight set of his jaw, and the grip he had on his bag, that had her concerned about where he’d retreated to today.

  “So, where have you been the last few days?”

  “Hm? Oh, I had to do some stuff for my father.”

  “Like what?” She used a playful tone to lighten the heaviness following him, but any mention of his father was a bad omen.

  “Legal stuff that I can’t tell you about, or you’d have to sign a gag order.” His words were joking, but his face was grim.

  “Ha. You wouldn’t hurt me. You wouldn’t hurt anyone.” She tried for playful again, although she meant what she said.

  “Not if I can help it.”

  The bus pulled up, letting out a loud hiss and screech as it stopped and let them on. They lived way out on the edge of town, so they had their pick of the seats with only a couple of other students already seated. Angel waved hello and Aiden gave a quiet nod as they made their way to the back. She plopped down in her usual spot by the window, and Aiden folded himself stiffly beside her. He normally dumped his bag under his feet, but today, he hugged it to him, hunching over it like he was protecting a wad of cash inside. He wasn’t looking at her, either. He just fixed his eyes on the seat in front, and bounced his knee like a jack rabbit. She twisted her hands in her lap, wanting the sick feeling that was invading her stomach to go aw
ay.

  His tawny gaze darted over her shoulder to watch the passing fields. “Are you comin’ to watch ball practice after school?”

  “Yeah. I’ll be there, like I always am.”

  “Cool. Big game this weekend.” He turned back to the front, stretching his neck to watch the road, she guessed.

  What is going on?

  Angel placed a hand on his shoulder, meaning to get him to relax, but he jerked away from her touch, hissing in a breath.

  She snatched her hand away, her eyes levering wide. “You’re hurt?”

  “I hurt myself climbing your tree this mornin’. I shouldn’t have done it. Sorry about that, by the way.”

  The bus pulled over, letting a few more students on, before pitching forward as it took off again.

  “Let me see.” She lifted the bottom of his shirt several inches before he tugged it out of her grip, snapping at her that he was fine.

  She bit down on her lip, covering her mouth with a hand. She’d seen enough to know he wasn’t fine at all. Angry red lashes that had turned into purple bruises, some of them deep enough to have scabbed over.

  Legal stuff, huh? More like illegal.

  “What really happened?” Her voice quivered, moisture gathering in her eyes because she’d already guessed the truth.

  “Just leave it, Angel,” he spat out the words, cutting her as deeply as he had been.

  She loved this boy with all her heart. She wanted to help him and he wasn’t having any of it.

  “No. I can’t.”

  “Yes. You can.” His jaw clenched around the words.

  “Don’t push me away. There’s no way I can stand by, knowing you’re hurting like this.”

  “You can’t help me. There’s nothing anyone can do.”

  “Bullshit!” She twisted in the seat, leaning close so she could whisper-yell. “I can tell Daddy and he can call the sheriff. You could come and live with us, we have plenty of spare rooms in that big old house. I can take care of you, and your daddy will be arrested. Probably your mama, too. Don’t try and tell me she doesn’t know what’s going on. What kind of mama allows someone to hurt her baby? I don’t care if it is your pa.”

  “My father is a lawyer. Don’t you think he’d be able to find a way out of trouble? Who’s gonna believe my word over his? He’s friends with the sheriff. If I say anything, my life will get worse, not better.” His eyes held a desperation that tore through her heart. “I’ll become the sob story that no one can look in the eye, but everyone is happy to gossip about. The kids at school will make fun, or worse, not talk to me at all.” He rested his palm over her clenched fist. “Come on, Angel, you can’t fix this. Okay?”

  She pushed up her glasses. “No. Not even close.”

  Angel spun away from him and focused on her hands fisted in her lap. She swiped angry tears away with her fingers, knowing some of his points were valid. If she could get proof that it was his father who’d done this, then the sheriff would have to take notice, and Aiden had a chance to get away.

  “Your pa knows.”

  Her eyes jerked back to his and her lips parted to speak, but she couldn’t sort through the mix of hope, betrayal, and defeat she was feeling, to form any words. If her daddy knew, why hadn’t he done anything about it?

  “He came to get me. Fixed me up. I’ve been recovering in his office and going home at night pretending I was fine, until I could go to bed. He phoned the school for me, too. Got that all squared away, somehow. If my father knew, he’d be causing all sorts of dramas for your pa. He’d try to, anyways. Your daddy has more power in this town than my father, and that drives him crazy. But it’s not enough for people to believe such a serious accusation.”

  She turned away, wanting to cover her ears. Fields gave way to suburbia as the bus trudged on to school, stopping more frequently now. Angel stared at the houses thinking everything looked the same, but her stomach sank down to her knees with a feeling that nothing would be the same ever again. She could taste it on her tongue, like sour milk. She wanted to spit it out. She wanted to march right up to Mr. Thomas and spit and hiss, and kick his shins for what he’d done. What a brute of a man.

  For the first time in her life, she thought she might be capable of hatred.

  Aiden flicked a loose piece of grass off his baseball shirt, and cautiously rolled his shoulders. His back throbbed like a thumb after a hammering, but he was happy. Ball practice was awesome. The guys were more than ready to face off against their rival team that weekend. His teammate’s mama had dropped him and Angel a few blocks away, and now they strolled home, hands clasped.

  “Did you see that catch?”

  “Yeah. I also saw how you couldn’t get up for two minutes after you landed. Why didn’t you sit this one out?”

  “Because I don’t wanna make anyone suspicious, and I don’t want to give my father the satisfaction of making me miss out on the good stuff.”

  She nodded. “Yeah, I appreciate that. But shouldn’t you rest up before Saturday? How’re you going to slide into home base if you’ve opened up all your cuts again?”

  “I’ll take an ice bath.”

  Angel pouted her cute mouth and looked up at him with those emerald eyes darkened by concern. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and laid a firm kiss on her lips.

  “I’ll be fine.”

  “I wish I could believe you.”

  Dropping his bag, he moved in front of her, blocking her way. He took her face into his hands. “I’ll be fine.”

  Again, his lips captured hers, lingering for a good long taste this time. Angel’s hand landed on his chest and smoothed their way to his neck, leaving a path of heat in their wake. Damn, this girl was his drug. He’d endure anything as long as he didn’t have to be apart from her. He shifted his grip to her waist and angled his head for a deeper kiss. He had to taste her fully, licking into her mouth. Aiden was careful not to push her. He wanted to pull her body into his and obliterate the space between them. But they were on the street, and if either of their father’s saw, there’d be hell to pay. He pulled back, gently setting her away, and smirking at the way she swayed on her feet when he let her go to pick up his bag.

  Grabbing her hand, he continued walking, rounding the corner of their street. As always, his eyes found the big, beautiful, antebellum masterpiece that had been in Angel’s family for generations. Its blue shutters stood out against the white walls, proud columns marking its entrance. Grand oak trees protected the street in a canopy of green, as they walked closer to the bend that would reveal his modest, plantation-plain style home.

  Angel’s feet slowed to a stop, her arm tugging his behind him. He looked back in question. He didn’t think her ivory skin could get any paler, but she was whiter than his uniform. Her eyes held a disbelief and panic that had his head whipping around to see what was going on.

  “No. Mother fucker. No.” He dropped Angel’s hand and sprinted towards his house.

  Two bulky removal guys carried his desk into the back of their truck. Another two followed with his bed. Aiden forgot about the pain in his back as a surge of rage-fueled adrenaline took over. He stopped across the street, raking his fingers through his hair and pulling hard at the roots. They’d cleaned out most of the furniture already.

  “Fuck!” He squatted down, gripping his head, eyes fixed on his uncertain future, and the worst hell on Earth packed into the back of that truck.

  He searched for his father’s car, not finding any sign of it. The asshole was probably screwing over his employees’ 401K retirement plans.

  Angel stepped into his view, clutching at his shirt. “We can run away. Daddy will understand.” She yanked on the material, sobbing. “You can borrow Daddy’s bike. Let’s go.”

  They ran back to Angel’s place. She darted up the stairs to grab a backpack and some clothes, while he raided the cupboards for food. His hands shook so badly that he smashed a jar of jelly, the red mush on the floor demonstrating the state of his heart.
>
  “Fuck!”

  He zipped his bag and rubbed a hand over his face as Angel came back down. “Where are we going to go? Have you got enough money for a bus fare? Is there even a bus out of town at this time of day?”

  “I’ve got it all planned. We can hide out at Saunders’ Hardware. You know he has an apartment above the store. I know where he keeps the key. We can’t use the bus, that’ll be the first place they’ll look. It’s too late to ride anywhere, but we’ll have to leave early in the morning and take the back roads to the next county. We’ll hitch a ride as soon as we can. I found Daddy’s emergency stash. That should get us food for a while until we can get work. I have some savings, too.”

  “Are you sure about this, Angel? You don’t have to leave everything for me.”

  “You stupid boy. You are everything. Don’t you know that by now?”

  Adrenaline punched into his system at hearing her words, and he shuffled his weight, not knowing how to let it seep in deep where he needed it. Love wasn’t a familiar term. He knew he loved her. He’d hoped she felt the same. But, belief and acceptance didn’t come easily for his battered heart.

  Her eyes moved around the room, taking it all in through a sheen of tears. “Let’s go before someone finds us.”

  Aiden swallowed past the guilt lodged in his throat, feeling like a selfish asshole for letting her do this, but unable to contemplate a life without her. He gathered her in his arms, absorbing her strength, knowing he’d never be man enough to deserve the sacrifice she was making for him.

  As her body dissolved into grief in his embrace, he let himself go there with her, sliding his back down the kitchen cupboard until they joined the jelly puddle on the floor.

  Of all the pain his father had inflicted over the years … this was the worst. He’d outdone himself. What kind of assholes were his grandparents to have raised such a heartless bastard? Old money from New Hampshire, that much he knew. They had a lot to answer for.

  He pulled Angel against him, breathing her in and shutting his eyes. The asshole gene had to stop with his father. Aiden was going to do everything to become man enough to repay her loyalty and love. He’d get them safely away. Somehow.