by K. C. Lynn
“Hey,” I greet him carefully.
Before I can ask what’s wrong, Cade starts in on him, “Where the hell have you been?”
“Out,” he replies, throwing his backpack across the living room.
“What do you mean out? You’re supposed to be at the gym.”
“Yeah, well, something came up.”
“Then you call me, damn it, or at least pick up your phone. That’s the reason why we bought it for you.”
“Fine, here!” Christopher reaches in his pocket and throws his phone at Cade, which he thankfully catches, then turns his attention to me, “And you can take back the stupid outfit you bought me for the dance since I’m not going anymore.”
“What?” He doesn’t respond and heads toward the stairs but I grab his arm before he can escape. “What do you mean you aren’t going? Why not?”
“Because Alissa’s mom isn’t letting her go with me. She’s making her go with that asshole Ryan!”
“What?” I repeat in shock. “But why?”
“What do you mean, why? Because it’s me!” he screams furiously. Although his words come out in anger, the pain pouring from his expression completely breaks my heart. “I told you this would happen, but you don’t ever fucking listen to me!”
“Hey!” Cade shouts so loud that I jump. “I don’t give a shit if you’re mad, you watch the way you to talk to her.”
“Whatever, I’m out of here.” He bolts down the stairs and a second later his door slams.
I stand frozen to my spot, staring at the empty place in front of me, and try to process what just happened.
I startle when Cade touches my shoulder and turn to see him holding an upset Ruthie. I swallow past the burn in my throat. “Are you okay to stay here for a bit if I leave?”
He watches me for a silent moment, knowing where I plan to go, then cups the side of my face, his small gesture calming my storm of emotions. “Yeah, we’re good. Just don’t make me have to come bail you out of jail because you were pulling hair, Red.”
I kiss his palm. “No hair pulling, I promise.”
After giving both him and Ruthie a quick kiss I get into my car and start driving over to Alissa’s house. The closer I get, the angrier I become. I try to calm down, hoping it’s a mistake and Christopher has it all wrong, but judging by how upset he was… I doubt it.
I arrive a few minutes later and park on the street in front of the familiar two-story house that my family was invited to for supper when we first moved here. Walking up the front steps I take a deep breath, and try to rein in my emotions before knocking on the door.
Alissa’s mother answers quickly. “Faith, hi,” she greets anxiously, standing between the small open space in the door so I can’t see in.
“Hi, Helen, do you have a minute?”
She glances behind her nervously. “Sure, a quick one.”
I don’t miss the not so subtle hint. “Great, then I’ll cut right to the chase. Christopher just came home really upset, he says you are not allowing Alissa to go to the dance with him and that you are making her go with Ryan. I’m hoping you’re going to tell me he is mistaken.”
I can immediately tell that is not going to be the case. “Look, Faith, I think it’s really noble that you have taken in those kids.” My blood starts to heat at the way she says ‘those kids’. “But he is not someone I want my daughter to associate with and…”
“Why not? Alissa would be very lucky to go with him.”
“Listen, I know his father and…”
“He is nothing like his father.”
“I would say he is, considering what he did to Ryan Hunter’s face.”
“Ryan is the one who instigated that, not Christopher!”
“That’s what I keep telling her but she isn’t listening to me,” Alissa’s upset voice comes out of nowhere, cutting into the conversation. When Helen turns back I see her, her pretty brown eyes red and swollen from crying.
“Alissa, go upstairs now. We will talk about this later.”
“No. I want to stay here and make sure you hear Faith out.”
“It won’t make a difference!” she spits angrily.
“Why?” I ask. “I’m telling you he is a good kid, he’s just had a terrible start to life and has been let down so many times. You have no idea how excited he was to go to this dance with her. Can’t you just give him a chance to prove you wrong?”
“I know all there is to know about those kids, Faith. Everyone does and they are nothing but trouble. I mean just look at what that little girl did to poor Henry’s nose…”
My temper flares hot and fast. “That little Henry is an asshole who has been bullying her since she moved here. He has thrown rocks at her, called her names and even pushed her. She finally stood up for herself and I’m not going to let you or anyone else judge her for that!”
“That does not make it right for her to break his nose. Those kids are violent and out of control, and I hope for their sake you make them come to church when it opens because they need it…”
“They need it?” I yell in exasperation. “Lady, if anyone needs God it’s you. You think because you go to church every Sunday that makes you a good Christian? Well it doesn’t. You have to practice what you preach and clearly you do not, or else you wouldn’t keep your daughter from the chance at being taken to the dance by a really good guy and instead force her to go with a jerk she doesn’t want to go with. You’re hurting both of them, why can’t you see that?”
She turns her nose up at me, “Well I guess we will have to agree to disagree. We have lived here longer than you, Faith, and his drunk of a father…”
“For the last time, Christopher is nothing like that man! I am also happy to say your daughter is nothing like you—a stuck up self-righteous bitch.”
She rears back in shock from my language, and quite frankly so am I, but I’m too angry to care. I know now is the time to leave or Cade will end up having to bail me out of jail after all.
I start down the stairs then turn back one last time, “And for the record, both of my kids will be going to church, not because they need it but because they are one of God’s best creations.”
I continue on to my car when Alissa calls out my name. I turn back again to see tears streaming down her face as she pushes past her mom. I give her a hug when she reaches me, my heart breaking for both her and Christopher.
“I’m so sorry she’s acting like this, Faith. Things have not been great at my house lately.”
“Don’t be. It’s not your fault. I’m sorry she’s making you go with Ryan.”
She steps back and shakes her head. “No, I am not going with him. If she doesn’t let me go with Christopher then I am not going at all. Can you…” she pauses and swallows back her emotion, “can you tell him how sorry I am and that I really wanted to go with him. I like him a lot, Faith.”
I feel my own eyes start to well, “I’ll tell him. He likes you a lot too, Alissa.”
She nods and cries harder. I give her one last hug before she goes into the house. The entire drive home I’m a mess of emotions. My heart is breaking for both of the kids, yet I’m also enraged at how judgmental she was. I better warn my father, I’m sure she will be bringing up our altercation with him, but I know he will have my back.
After I pull up to the house, I walk through the door to see Ruthie sitting on Cade’s lap, watching TV, with a box of pizza in front of them. He sets her down beside him and stands, “Hey, Red.”
I give him a sad smile. “Hey.”
He follows me into the kitchen and grasps my chin between his fingers to assess my face, “No cat fight.”
“No, but I definitely used some very powerful language on her.” He smirks, sending my heart into overdrive but I try not to let it distract me so I can finish telling him what happened. “She’s a real b-i-t-c-h. The woman wouldn’t listen to reason and Alissa is just as heartbroken as Christopher is. You wouldn’t believe the things she was saying about the kids, all beca
use of who their father is.”
I shake my head and blow out an angry breath, feeling too upset to talk about it anymore. Cade pulls me against his strong, warm body. I wrap my arms around his waist and my heart rate slows as I breathe in his clean masculine scent.
“Has he come up at all?” I mumble into his chest.
“No.”
I release a sigh and step back, “All right. I’m going to go talk to him. Do you still have his phone?”
“Yeah.”
“Give it to me please, and I’ll give it back to him when I go down.”
“No. He isn’t getting it back for a few days.”
“Why?”
“Because the little shit threw it at me, and he never picked up when I called him so he can be without it for a few days.”
“That’s a little harsh don’t you think? He was upset.”
“So what, just because he gets upset doesn’t mean he can throw fits and ignore phone calls. How was I to know something bad didn’t happen to him?”
“You’re right and I will talk to him about that. Now give me the phone.”
He stares at my extended hand, “I’m not giving it back, Red.”
“Walker,” I try to say it warningly but what I really want to do is kiss his sexy stubborn face.
“Red,” he mocks in the same tone.
Giggling, I grab his shirt and try pulling him to me but he doesn’t budge. After giving me a sexy smirk, he pulls me against him and lays one hell of a kiss on me. I moan into his mouth as our tongues tangle in wild abandonment, his taste and scent flooding my senses. His hands cup my bottom to bring me closer while my hands snake up his shirt and my nails score across his hard, chiseled abs before they wrap around his waist. He releases a growl that has my panties growing damp and a throb starting between my legs.
When he finally releases my mouth, I take in lungfuls of much needed air. He stares down at me, hot and hungry.
“Is it bedtime yet?” I pant out heavily, still trying to catch my breath.
“Not yet, Red, but you better be ready when it is because your ass is mine tonight.”
I smile, “Mmm, I look forward to it.” Rising on my tiptoes, I give him one last kiss then step back and head toward the stairs. Once I’m far enough away I glance back at him, and hold up the phone I snuck out of his back pocket. “And thanks for giving back the phone, Walker.” I giggle at his shocked expression then quickly bolt down the stairs before he can take it back.
My smile dies and my mood sours as I reach Christopher’s closed bedroom door. I tap lightly and barely hear his mumbled, “Come in.” I open it slowly and see him lying on his bed, staring up at the ceiling, my heart breaking all over again at the sight of him. “Hey.”
“Hey,” he mumbles back, not looking at me.
I sit at the edge of his bed by his legs and face him. “I’m sorry Alissa’s mother is being so awful.”
He shrugs. “It’s not your fault. Besides it’s for the best, Alissa’s better off without me.”
“No, she isn’t!” I reply heatedly. “Do not let that woman make you feel like you are not good enough, Christopher, she is wrong. I know it and so does Alissa.”
He finally looks over at me and the pain in his eyes has me fighting to swallow back my emotion. “I’ll never get away from him. Everyone will always see me as his son. It won’t stop until I leave this place and go somewhere no one knows me.”
The thought of him leaving has my eyes welling with tears. Reaching over I grab his hand, “Please don’t leave me; I need you in my life. Once everyone gets a chance to see the real you, Christopher, they will know you are nothing like him, and if they don’t, well… screw them. You didn’t need them before and you don’t need them now. You have a lot of good people who care about you and have your back. Me and Cade, my family, along with Cooper, Sawyer, Jaxson and their families. We are what’s important and we will always have your back.”
He watches me a moment before asking, “How do you do it? After everything that’s happened to you. I mean, I don’t know the full extent of it but I can guess how bad it was by Cade’s scars. How can you not be bitter or angry? How do you just forgive people so easily all the time?”
I stare at him, taken aback, not expecting that question. I think about my answer for a minute. “Well, I don’t know. I guess it’s just the way I’m wired,” I shrug. “My grandma read me something a very long time ago that has always stuck with me, and it’s something I try to live by. Have you heard of Mother Theresa?”
“I’ve heard of her but I know nothing about her except she was like a nun or something.”
“Mmm yeah, but she was more than that. She was a woman who dedicated her life to helping the sick and feeding the poor. She spent her entire life trying to make the world a better place. Anyway, not everyone thought her intentions were good, and when I was younger, my grandmother read me this script by her and it goes like this:
“People are often unreasonable and self-centered. Forgive them anyway.
If you are kind, people may accuse you of ulterior motives. Be kind anyway.
If you are honest, people may cheat you. Be honest anyway.
If you find happiness, people may be jealous. Be happy anyway.
The good you do today may be forgotten tomorrow. Do good anyway.
Give the world the best you have and it may never be enough. Give your best anyway. For you see, in the end, it is between you and God. It was never between you and them anyway.”
“That always stuck with me because it made sense. After Iraq happened, and yes, you are right it was horrible, it was my faith in God and the support of my family that helped me begin to heal. Every morning I would begin my day by saying that quote. When I moved here it was for a fresh start, not just for me but for my entire family. I’d hoped that starting over somewhere new would help me lay to rest the remainder of my pain.”
“Did it work?”
I smile, “Yes, I have finally healed but not because I started over somewhere fresh.” He looks at me perplexed. “It’s because of the people I found here. It’s because I found Cade again, and because of you and Ruthie. All three of you have healed my soul more than anything or anyone ever could have. Which is why I ask you not to leave me, because I need you, Christopher, just as much as you need me.”
He looks away, clearly uncomfortable by my admission, but he also gives me a nod and I watch him swallow thickly. “I won’t leave.”
I let out a breath and give his hand a squeeze. “For the record Alissa is heartbroken.”
His gaze snaps to mine again, “What do you mean? Did you talk to her?”
“Yes. I went to her house to talk to her mother.”
“Why?” he asks quietly, staring at me in shock.
“Because I had hoped you were wrong, and if you weren’t wrong I was going to lay into her. Which I did. I even used some pretty harsh words.”
He rolls his eyes and smirks but his expression becomes somber when he asks, “And you saw Alissa?”
“Yeah. She was crying and fighting with her mom. She’s really heartbroken and she told me to tell you how sorry she was that her mother was doing this. She said she likes you a lot.”
He looks away. “Yeah, well now that jerk Ryan is going to get to take her.”
I shake my head, “No. She said if her mother doesn’t let her go with you then she isn’t going at all.” I watch relief flicker in his eyes before he hides it. “Look, the best advice I can give you is this: if you guys like each other that much, and I think you both do, then be patient and wait for her. Don’t give up, Christopher. This is her mother, not her. And I do have faith that this will all work out in the end… No pun intended,” I add with a smile.
“Well let’s hope you’re right.”
“I’m always right.” I giggle when he rolls his eyes again. “In the meantime though, here,” I toss him back his phone, “take this back in case she tries texting or calling you. Now you need to g
o apologize to Cade for throwing it at him and not answering his phone call.” He looks away guiltily. “You can’t do that again, Christopher. When you are expected to be somewhere you have to let us know if something has happened and you aren’t coming. Cade was worried about you. I know things with your father and Spike have been quiet for weeks, and nothing will probably ever come of it, but Cade is the kind of guy who wants to know you’re always safe and so do I.”
“I know. I’m sorry I shouldn’t have done it and I won’t do it again. I’ll apologize to him.”
I smile. “Good. Come on let’s go eat. Cade and Ruthie ordered pizza.”
He gets up to follow me then grabs my arm before I can leave the room. “Wait, hold up. I, ah…” he stutters nervously. “I’ve been thinking and I decided that if you still want me to sing with you I will.”
I stare at him in shock. “Are you serious?” He nods. “Why, what’s changed your mind?”
“It’s the least I can do after everything you have done for me.”
My excitement deflates, “Oh, Christopher, you don’t owe me anything. I don’t want you to do it just for me. I want you to do it for yourself.”
He shrugs, “Well I’m uncomfortable in front of people, especially since my father made sure I knew what a pussy I was for wanting to play music. It’s something I want to get back, but I’m not singing any churchy stuff. Sorry, I mean no disrespect, but that just isn’t my genre.”
I smile, “That never even crossed my mind. I actually have the perfect song picked and I do think you will like it, especially when we make it our own.”
He nods, “Okay then.”
I return the gesture with a smile, “Okay.”
He slings his arm around my shoulder as we walk out of the room, causing me to falter in surprise, but I quickly recover not wanting him to get uncomfortable and remove it. We walk into the living room to see Cade and Ruthie on the couch, eating pizza. I bite back a smile when Cade glares at me, his heated gaze promising retribution. I am very excited for whatever punishment he has in store. I love getting him worked up…
“I’m sorry for not answering your call, and I’m sorry for throwing the phone at you. It won’t happen again.”