“The issue”—Atlas cuts her a look—“is that your kid is a bully.”
“Excuse me?” She raises an eyebrow.
“You’re not excused. Do better. It’s not a good look to have a kid going around school making fun of classmates who are technically orphans, ya know?”
“Don’t talk to my wife like that,” Dylan’s dad interjects.
I tug on Atlas’ arm, feeling the panic rising in me. “Atlas, come on. It’s not worth it. It’s over.”
“Yeah. Listen to your little girlfriend there, buddy. She knows her place.”
Atlas’ body tightens, and I don’t know what’s about to happen, but I doubt it’s anything good.
“Look, asshole. I heard what your kid said to Noah. Your place is to teach him not to be a little shit. Try being better human beings, and maybe your kid will be one too,” Seth cuts him off. I didn’t realize he followed us over, but I’m suddenly grateful for his appearance.
“He hit my son.”
“Be lucky I don’t hityou,” Atlas returns. “You’re not worth the grass you’re standing on. If he does something to Noah again, though, I promise this won’t be the last you see of me.”
“We aren’t afraid of you thugs,” the woman spits out.
Now I’ve officially lost my temper. Taking a deep breath, I tilt my head in her direction. “Look, you blonde bag of bones, tell your kid to leave mine alone, or so help me God, I’ll make your life so miserable that you’ll never be able to show your face at a PTA meeting again. Especially when everyone finds out that your son bullies other kids who have dead parents. It’s pretty sad when a kid who is being raised by his sister”—I move closer and sneer—“is raised better than a kid with two dickhead parents.”
Turning on my heel, I grab Atlas’ hand and Seth’s as well. “Let’s go. It’s cold, and I’m done.”
Not waiting to see their reaction, I head over to where Noah and everyone are waiting. “So,” I start, “who wants to get pizza?”
“I’m buying,” Seth offers.
Turning to look at him, I take in his dark hair and small smile. Seth rarely smiles. “Who says you’re invited?”
He waves my comment off and stuns me with his response. “The least I can do for my buddy’s girl is buy her lunch when she calls someone a— What was it? Oh yeah— blonde bag of bones. That’s the best shit I’ve heard in a long time, Cora; plus, it probably saved Atlasfrom going to jail.” He gestures to my side, where Atlas is glaring at the retreating forms of the family.
Mara gives me an appreciative glance, while Mila looks at me in shock. “I don’t want to talk about it, but those are the parents of the kid who was picking on Noah.”
“Assholes,” Mr. Morgan says.
Laughing, I stare at him in shock. He’s not wrong.
I can’t believe this is my life sometimes.
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Atlas
It’s been a few days since we went to Noah’s game, and Cora seems to have retreated into herself.
I don’t like not being able to talk to her, and I’m itching to see her. I don’t want to overstep with him, but when I found out that the kid who was bullying Noah was on the other team, I couldn’t help myself.
She’ll text me and come in, but it doesn’t feel the same. I’ve been a bit busier than normal, and with Halloween coming up, everyone wants a creepy tattoo, but business is business.
Looking over at my girl, I take in her appearance. I know she’s beautiful, and so does every fucker who looks her way, but she’s all mine. Only I get to see the way her eyes shift color depending on her mood, or when she’s looking at me. There’s something sexy about seeing those blue orbs directed my way with a hint of fire.
She’s currently sitting at the reception desk, looking over something on the computer with Kash. I don’t want him close to my girl, but I also know he’d never do that to me. We’re brothers in all the ways that matter, and I know he sees Cora as an extension of me. If he didn’t, we’d have a big problem.
He finally broke down and did the piece I wanted. Naturally, he gave me shit about it, but I told him to count it as my birthday gift and to shut up.
Cora’s hair is in another updo, with her glasses resting on top of her head. Her contacts have been bothering her, so most nights when she shows up here, she’s in her glasses. I’m not going to complain. It just adds fuel to my ‘sexy librarian’ fantasies.
