“I wanted to check in, make sure you’re okay and so you know I’m okay.”
“How considerate of you,” she murmurs.
“I won’t put you through that again, Mom. I’m gonna be a better son.”
She crosses the kitchen and cups my cheek, side-eyeing the dog. “Just keep yourself alive. Don’t put yourself in reckless situations. And come home for dinner more often and I’ll be happy and content with life.”
“I can do that. Iwilldo that.” Glancing at my watch, I need to get back to the club. Standing, I say, “I’ve got to go but I’ll see you soon.”
“Can we not bring the beast next time, please.”
I laughs as I ruffle Princess’s head. “Sure.”
Out on the front step, I stop and light a cigarette and smile. Perfect timing. Phoebe’s taking out grocery bags from the back seat of her dad’s car.
“You want some help?”
She jumps but she keeps her back to me. I exhale the smoke and flick it across the street as I walk toward her. She always hated me smoking, wouldn’t kiss me until I brushed my teeth.
Princess plods beside me and sits when I stop behind Phoebe.
“Leave me alone, Ford.”
She uses her hip to close the car door and glares at me when I have her full attention.
“Just being neighbourly.” I shrug.
I take in her hair all piled on top of her head and her makeup free face. Her beauty has me growing hard and I will my dick to go back down.
“Go out with me tomorrow night,” I blurt out.
“Even if I weren’t heading back to school in the morning, I wouldn’t go out with you.”
“You wound me.”
“Don’t joke about this, not with me. You broke me, you don’t get to decide you want to pick me back up after I made myself whole.”
I drop the jesting, and tell her seriously, “I want to make it right between us.”
“Why?” It almost pains her to ask.
Or maybe she’s protecting herself from my answer. It doesn’t matter, a reason doesn’t come to me, and my silence angers her.
“Go back to your new life, Ford. Leave me to live mine.”
I watch her head into the house and slam the door shut. Princess nuzzles against my thigh, and I start our walk back to the club.
I should’ve told her that I want it right between us because I should never have fucked it up in the first place. That every move I’ve made since she left for school has been made in pain of her absence. While I’m not going to change my lifestyle now for her, it could’ve been different if I just told her the truth.
I scope out every shadow we pass as I walk. Four guys hanging around just inside the alley coming up have me tightening my hold on the leash.
I keep my face forward, wanting to just get back to the club. I should have known better than to leave the club alone when they step out onto the street. Princess lets out a low growl.
“Look, boys. A lone asshole.”
I come to a stop, and it doesn’t take them long to circle me. My mind moves at top speed, and I try to figure out how I’m going to get out of this.
None of them draw any guns. That gives me hope I won’t die tonight.
