“No. Gabby won’t budge from her townhouse. I don’t mind.” His phone buzzed, and he looked at the caller ID with an expression of tested patience. “It’s Bev. She thinks I broke into her trailer and stole her doorstop. Been blowing up my phone all day, threatening to call the cops on me.”
I gulped. “Oh, sorry. That was me. I took it.”
Ollie gaped at me, and then he let out a loud laugh, clapping his hands together. “Oh, please tell me you stole something that’s actually valuable. No, now that I think of it, a rock is the best thing to gank. Why would she care if it’s gone? Stealing from Bev. I didn’t think you had it in you. You’re always so well-behaved. You’re the good child.”
I shrugged. “I’m all kinds of bad to the bone now. I killed a man in cold blood this morning just for messing with my dog.” I tried to confess the truth about Titus to Ollie in my own way that wouldn’t let him too near Terraway. Mason sensed the tension under my blasé joke and rested his nose on my thigh. I reached down to stroke his fur.
Ollie laughed, and the levity looked good on him. “You seem happy now. Man, stealing from Bev? Proud of you, kid. And you’re not so allergic to human contact. I noticed you leaning into Von.”
The hint of tease to his tone needed addressing. “That was nothing. Von’s a nice guy. He’s like that with everyone. I’m surprised he hasn’t given you a lap dance yet.”
Ollie cocked his head to the side and donned a sympathetic expression. “Hey, I’m sorry Beto cheated on you. I had a talk with him about it. I had no idea. But now that I’m moving back home, I can keep better tabs on things.”
I swallowed my feelings and put on a convincing smile. “I’m alright. It was for the best. He’s happy with Jessica, so I guess that’s good.”
“So if the air went mysteriously missing out of his tires in the morning and there was sugar in his gas tank, you wouldn’t point any fingers at me?”
I giggled at the delinquency I expected of my brother. He wore polos now, but I knew him best as the white t-shirt king who didn’t let me get pushed around, even by his bestie. “You don’t have to mess with Beto on my behalf. He’s your best friend.”
“No, you’re my best friend,” he corrected me.
A soft smile touched my lips. “I love you, Ollie.”
“I love you, too, kid.”
When Von came back with seven pizzas, Ollie was too caught up in the liveliness of the night to examine the oddity of Von, Danny and my dog wolfing down six of the pies.
“Gabby and I’ve been talking more and more, so when they passed me over for the promotion again at work, I just up and left.” He confessed the crime as if only just telling himself what he’d done. “I still can’t believe I quit. I mean, all my stuff’s still in New York. I’ll have to go pack it all up and move it home. As soon as my lease is up, and I’ll be coming back to Georgia.”
“That’s great! That’s so great! I mean, think of all the fun we’ll have. Staying up late watching movies, going to the park. Oh! And they have a new ice cream shop in town I know you’ll love.”
“I’ll be going back to New York tomorrow early morning with Gabby. She’s going to stay with me these next few weeks, help me pack up, and then I’ll be moving home. Well, to her home, but still. I’ll be just ten minutes away now.”
We talked animatedly for the duration of the pizza eating contest Von, Mason and Danny seemed to be in. It was only when my eyelids started drooping that I consented to turn in. Ollie took a chance and hugged me one more time before going to his room to sleep. “You hug people without cringing now. I like it on you,” he commented.
“I could say the same thing about you. Gabby’s a good influence. Loosens you up. Look at us.” I tried to stand straighter. “Almost normal.”
“Almost. Goodnight, kiddo.”
It was only when Danny retreated to my bedroom that I realized I would be sleeping on the pullout sofa. It wasn’t that big a deal. It was encased in tight plastic still, so I wasn’t terribly worried about the mold spores and germs that might leak out and infest my lungs while I slept. I dragged out three comforters from the hall closet to make a suitable nest on the pullout.
I didn’t say a word to Von when he handed over the bathroom to me to shower and change into my pajamas, but I felt the tension building. I didn’t sleep with other people in the room. Beto had tried to stay the night a few times, but I’d made him sleep on the couch. Come to think of it, I might have an idea of why we kept breaking up.
The water couldn’t get hot enough to cleanse all of Andy’s germs off, so I had to rely on my soap doing most of the dirty work. When I emerged from the shower and wrapped my soft pure white towel around me, I felt one-fifth more me, which made a world of difference.
8
Penny’s Dad
Von wasn’t as attuned to my nerves unless he touched me, so the plan was to give him a wide berth. When I came out of the bathroom ready for bed, I found him already stretched out on the pullout under the covers, reading a paperback. His free hand cradled his head as he stared up at the pages with his shirt off. So much for making him sleep on the floor.
I didn’t say a word as I climbed onto the creaky sofa’s thin mattress. The springy frame made every shift noticeable, so I tried to move as little as possible while I sought out comfort in the two feet of space his much larger body had left me. Mason left us to go take a quick shower. “Whatcha reading?” I asked politely.
Von flipped the cover to me with an expression that was firm, as if he knew something about the book would cause a fight. My eyes widened when they fell on the title. “Your Partner’s OCD and You? What the crap is that? Is that a joke?”
Von raised an eyebrow at me. “I’m not having a laugh. This is my job. You don’t like to talk about these things, and I didn’t want to push the issue. There’s a lot I don’t understand about you, and I need to if I’m to do my job properly.” His face pulled into a frown. “Are you quite sure you weren’t misdiagnosed? Some of the things in here aren’t lining up to what I’ve noticed of you. Sometimes it’s spot on OCD, and other times you’re fully functional. This books makes it seem like you can’t turn it on and off, like I’ve seen you do.”
“We already had this conversation. I’m about to make you eat that book, so I’d tread lightly if I were you. How would you feel if I read a book called Everything that’s Wrong with Von?”
“I’d be a bit embarrassed if there was a chapter about my night with Felicia. Not my best performance, but in my defense, I was stinking drunk. Other than that, I’d be flattered you wanted to understand me. That’s all this is.”
I blew out a long breath, trying to rein in my temper before it lashed out too much. “Fine. You want to know more? I can do normal things because I have to. I’ve been through years of therapy. Ollie and Allie were relentless, trying to make me normal. I’m on medication that helps me calm down about big things that other people think are small things. That’s how it might not look like your textbook, which should really be titled, Why October’s Going to Die Alone.”
Though I’d spilled my guts, Von wasn’t satisfied. “But this book even addresses people who are on medication and have gotten help. The fact that you are able to do normal things isn’t normal. I don’t understand it, but I’m trying to.” He put the book on the end table and rolled on his side to stroke my arm. “This is me. This is how I am when I care about someone in my life.” He brushed a light kiss to my lips and whispered, “Love me as I am, darling.”
I deflated, knowing he was right, and that I was very lucky to be in bed with such a thoughtful guy. Though I knew it was meant to be platonic, his precious little kiss sent warmth into my belly and brought color to my cheeks. “Okay. Could you not read that book around me, though? I feel on edge just looking at the title.”
“I can do that.” He rubbed my bicep, massaging lightly. “And you won’t die alone. Mason and I are here until the end – no matter what end.”
I don’
t know why this made my eyes water, the pledge that threatened to wipe away one of my worst fears. “Don’t say nice things to me,” I warned, my lashes sweeping shut so I didn’t have to take in the sincerity that radiated off him.
Von opened his mouth to respond, but his thoughts were interrupted by his phone, which he answered with a steadying sigh on the second ring. “Angela?” My dreamy mood had no effect on the dark cloud that settled over Von as his conversation grew harsher. “What? No! You can’t do this. We had an agreement!”
He ripped off the covers and stomped outside in his bare feet, but I could still hear him just fine. I tried not to eavesdrop, but it was impossible.
“She’s like a daughter to me! The new job is… They discovered a new Omen, and I was in the right place at the right time. No one else could suck the soul from her, so I did it. Now it’s my job… Yes, I’m telling you the truth. I have a new job, and this is it. You can’t take Penny away from me because I might miss my day with her! I was there this morning. I’ve never missed a date. This is a legitimate job, Ange… Must you always yell when you need money?”
It was at that point I decided I knew enough about the situation to make myself useful. I slipped my shoes on and moved out onto the porch where Von was frantically trying to reassure Angela that no, he wasn’t a deadbeat dad, and yes, he really was my Reaper. I motioned for the phone, keeping my voice even when Von handed it over. “Hello? Is this Angela?”
The woman’s nasal voice went from aggressive to confused. “Who is this?”
“This is October. I’m the new Omen working with Mariang. Is something wrong with moving the date Von sees his daughter? Because we can try to work around your schedule if you can clear it with Ezra. I know Von’s just crushed that he might need you to switch dates, but it’s not really something we have control over. Maybe if you cleared your schedule with Ezra, we could work something out.”
Girlfriend was shocked, which meant she stopped any edge in her voice when she answered me. “I didn’t know the kingdom found a new Omen. I mean, there’s been no announcement Topside. Forgive me, Lady… I’m sorry. What was your name again?”
“October.” I batted at Von’s hand to stop him from nervously chewing on his nails. He was on edge while he watched me work the human magic of diplomacy. “You haven’t heard of me yet because I’m still in training. Von and Danny have been real helpful, showing me the ropes. I don’t know what state the kingdom would be in, were it not for Von stepping up when no one else could. Please make sure Penny knows what an asset her daddy is to the kingdom.” I put on my kindest voice.
“Von’s not Penny’s father,” Angela informed me.
My eyebrows drew together in confusion as I looked up at Von for verification. He shrugged noncommittally, which cleared absolutely nothing up. “Okay. Well, thanks for being so understanding with moving your schedule. I know it’s hard, and I’m sorry for being a pain to you.”
“So the money will keep coming in regularly?” Angela asked tentatively, getting down to the bottom line.
“I don’t see why it wouldn’t.”
“Working for the new Omen, eh? He’s really your Reaper? That’s gotta pay well. Does it pay better than his gig working security for King Manaul? Will Von be sending more money?”
Ah, there it is. The classiest girl a blowhole who didn’t think with his upstairs brain could procreate with. Or not procreate with. I wasn’t totally sure what was going on. “I really can’t speak to that. I’m still in training, so I haven’t been paid anything yet myself. That’s something you’ll have to work out with Von.” I lowered my voice. “But I’ll tell you that threatening to take Penny away from him isn’t the way to go about getting more money. In fact, if this becomes an issue, I might have to fire him and get myself a whole new Duwende if he’s too distracted by family drama to do quality work. I would imagine whatever lesser paying job he has to slum it with after this would give you a lot less to work with.” I pushed the issue further, narrowing my eyes at Von in a threat. “Has he ever missed a child support payment before?”
Von shook his head from side to side so fast, I swear his eyeballs rattled.
“No,” Angela confirmed. “And it’s not child support, but it’s not exactly enough money to live on.”
I ignored Von’s look of anxiety and introduced a bit of edge to my voice, my accent dipping into my southern lilt that sometimes flew out when I was tired or impatient. “Well, I would think that his new steady government job would help with all that. If I were you, I’d be accommodating as a sunshine in July right about now. I’m tired, and if my Duwende can’t pull enough stress from me, I’ll move onto someone who can. I’m handing you back to Von now, so I’d wrap it up in a pretty little bow that serves Penny’s best interest.”
I gave the phone to Von, not expecting him to engulf me in a hug that was filled with relief and gratitude. His tone was light, and he gripped me tight as he ended the conversation with a much more amiable Angela.
He shoved the phone into his pocket and squeezed me with both arms, incredulous that he’d escaped losing his daughter. Or not daughter. I still wasn’t sure. “That was brilliant! I didn’t want to bring you in on the drama, but boy, was that a good time for you to step in. Did Danny tell you about Penny?”
I wrapped my arms around him and rubbed his naked back, smiling at his elation that made him seem like a younger boy in the moonlight. His black hair was messy, and made him look even more adorable than usual. I don’t know how guys can roll out of bed with chaotic hair and still look as sexy as a magazine cover. “No, I just put it together from your conversation. For the record, I am sorry I’m making things more complicated for you with Angela and Penny. How old is she?”
“Six going on sixteen.”
“Is she your daughter or not? I was getting kind of confused.”
Von let out a heavy sigh. “Technically, no. I had a one-night stand with Angela a while back. She told me I got her pregnant, and I believed her without checking the facts. When Penny came, Danny went behind my back and got a paternity test. Turns out she’s not mine. Angela just knew I’d step up and help her out with the kid if I thought she was. But it was too late; I got attached.”
“This was six years ago, and she’s still in your life?”
“Yeah. Angela’s not the best at paying bills when there’s alcohol to be had. I help out when I can. I never give Angela the cash, of course. The woman’s got a gift for turning cash into alcohol.”
“That’s some magic trick.”
“I pay the heat bill and the water bill directly. Same with Penny’s school tuition.”
I looked up at him with a small smile. “You love Angela. That’s very sweet.”
Von made a face. “That wench? No. I don’t love Angela. I love Penny. Penny’s amazing. Best thing that ever happened to me, no contest. I can’t believe you… Let me show you pictures!” He took his phone back out and flipped through the photos stored there to show me the best-ofs with his almost-daughter. His arms were still wrapped around me, my temple pressed to his cheek. The funny thing about it all was that I didn’t mind it. In fact, I think I kind of liked being held so sweetly by the hot half-naked man.
“So let me get this straight, you’re paying the bills for a kid who’s not yours?”
“When you say it like that, it sounds off. Penny thinks of me as her father. She doesn’t know I’m not. I can’t let that die in a little girl so young. Angela asked me to take Penny out once a week so she can get things done. Angela had an emergency and needed me to watch Penny this morning for a few hours. Best part of my week, that girl.”
My mouth fell open. I couldn’t believe someone could care that much about a child, to protect her and provide a better life for her even though he didn’t have to. “That’s maybe the nicest thing I’ve ever heard. Why didn’t you tell me that’s where you were this morning?”
Von shrugged. “No one asked. I’m fine with people assuming I’m lazy.�
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My conscience pinged. “I’m sorry I jumped to conclusions.”
“We’re still getting to know each other. How about you don’t apologize for not knowing me when I’m purposefully being evasive?”
“You’re too nice. You should be madder at me.”
“I’ll save my anger for when you insult my cigars.” He found a picture that made him smile even wider than the others had. “This one was us making birthday cupcakes for her kindergarten class. Her favorite color that week was green, so I pureed broccoli and added it to the batter to make them match her dress. They were horrid, but she didn’t care. She was so proud to take those into school.” He chuckled at the photo. “I learned an important lesson in the kitchen that day: if you cover something inedible with chocolate icing, children don’t know the difference.”
“Aw, she’s a cutie. I didn’t know you baked.”
“Only broccoli cupcakes.”
“Well, I hear they’re the best kind.”
Penny was a pretty little gangly girl. She had a round face and blonde hair, unlike Von’s angular model-like facial features and messy black hair. She was tall for her age, and wiry. Totally cute. Von was eager to show her off, as if he was truly her father. “This one’s of us at the zoo. She didn’t believe me that wombats weren’t bats.” He showed me one of her next to the wombat exhibit with her eyebrows furrowed in confusion and disappointment.
“She’s stinking cute,” I commented, and she was. In nearly every photo, Penny was looking at the man holding the camera, or the man in the photo next to her as if he hung the moon. I’d never known a father figure like that, and knew that I had to do whatever it took to keep Penny’s idyllic image of her daddy intact. Someone should have a happy ending, and if it couldn’t be me, it should probably be the six-year-old with yellow-colored pigtails. She still had a chance at normal. “Come inside. It’s getting cold, and I’m beat.”
Tremble (Terraway Book 2) Page 5