Page 20 of Let Me Protect You

Taking in my surroundings, I hold in a string of curses that innocent little girls shouldn’t hear. Sunlight blares in through the window since there aren’t any curtains, only blinds. My single bag rests on the floor by the door. This spare room at least has a dresser, a bed, and a closet, which I found out last night has zero hangers. All of my stuff is how I left it before I collapsed on my bed and passed out. I drop my head back down on my pillow and cover my face with both of my hands.

Well, isn’t this a craptastic discovery? I’m certainly at Elias’s house, and this isn’t a dream.

Summer plops down beside me, and I uncover my face. She leans over me like when she woke me up, and her curls fall down with the movement, landing on my face.

We’re so close our eyeballs almost touch. “What are you doing here, sweetie?”

Summer points at my closed door. “Mommy wants to talk to Elias.”

I resist the urge to make a face. Serenity is probably causing a scene like she did when he came to our house to pick me up for our first date. I smile. He had no clue what he was coming into. My mother was so sweet when she opened the door for him, but then Serenity came over and started accusing him of only wanting to get into my pants. I suppress a laugh. I wonder if that was why he waited until we were both eighteen for us to have sex for the first time.

Summer tugs on my hand, pulling me back to the present. Should I go out there and play peacekeeper?

I sigh, and instead, I say to Summer, “I missed you.”

“I missed you, too, Auntie.” A thoughtful expression crosses her small face. “Why did you move out? I thought you were going to stay in my room and we were going to have slumber parties.”

“I’m sorry. I know this is unexpected, but I’ll be back soon.” I pinch her nose, and she giggles. “You won’t be able to tell that I’m gone. So don’t worry. Everything is going to be okay.”

For her at least. I’ll make sure of that no matter what happens to me. And even though Elias and I aren’t always on the same page, he’ll also protect Summer with his life.

I roll out of bed with a groan. Why can’t he be a complete asshole now so I won’t forget how he disappeared? Maybe if I call Sully, he’ll assign someone else. He was almost like a father to both Elias and me after we worked at his coffee shop, Cutesy’s, during our junior and senior years. I’m sure he’ll listen to reason.

An angry hushed voice slips in through my closed door. “I just don’t get why she has to live here with you. I’ll pay for a hotel if I need to. You two never got the chance to talk. So, how do I know that she’s safe with you?”

Serenity. Oh, no. She’s in full mama bear mode. Hopefully she left her shotgun at home.

“You’ve known me for like half of my life. Do you honestly think I’d hurt her?”

Well, it wouldn’t be the first time …

“Physically? No. But I know how easy it could be for lines to be crossed when you two are living together.” Serenity put extra emphasis on that one word. “If you fuck with her, expect to face me. No one messes with my family and gets away with it. Do you understand?”

“Geez, do you really have so little faith in me?”

“I hope you didn’t think I didn’t see her all cuddled up to you when you carried her inside last night. I swear she looked at you like you were a god here to save her.”

Ouch. I’ll have to work on my poker face.

“Do you think I wanted that? It’s just a job. Protecting her also means from herself. It wasn’t my fault she ran out there with no jacket or shoes.” His frustrated voice seeps into my ears, curling my stomach. And then he laughs. “Trust me; I have no intention of ever trying to get back with her or even hook up. She and I are one hundred percent over.”

My breathing hitches. I’ve never heard such distaste from him before. And about me. He acts as if he’s the one who got hurt. As if he didn’t ghost me.

“Well, good. You’ll just hold her back.”

I gasp. Sure, I’m angry at him still, but I never thought he’d hold me back. There are at least four reasons I’ll never get back with him, but that isn’t one.

Seconds pass, and each one feels like a year. I strain my hearing, wondering if maybe he lowered his voice when he says, “I know.”

He knows? No way he actually agreed.

Summer pulls on my arm, and I glance down at her. I paste a smile on my face as she points to the closed door. “Let’s go see Mommy.”

I hold back a sigh. If Serenity isn’t at work, Summer never wants to be more than five feet from her mother, but I’m not ready to go out there. How can I after overhearing that truth bomb?

Summer doesn’t wait for my response. She whips open my door and zooms out. Greaaat. I have no option now. They have to know I’m awake after seeing Summer.

After a quick glance in the mirror and hair fix, I follow her. Both Elias and Serenity stand in the kitchen, right off the living room. My sister has her hands on her hips until Summer leaps at her. I keep my eyes glued to my feet. What will I do with all of that new information? Elias doesn’t want me, which is okay. But the fact that he thought he’d hold me back? What a horrific revelation that is.