Total pages in book: 103
Estimated words: 97409 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 487(@200wpm)___ 390(@250wpm)___ 325(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 97409 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 487(@200wpm)___ 390(@250wpm)___ 325(@300wpm)
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
THEO
I stand at the entrance of the bedroom, as far away as I am going to let myself be from her and her parents. I saw the look on her face when she saw them there. There was no fucking way I was going to leave her alone with them.
“Don’t sit there and pretend I’m talking about the one-hundred-dollar check.” Her voice is low and filled with anger. “I’m talking about the thousand-dollar check you guys took and forged.” I close my eyes and ball my fists by my side. “My rent bounced.” I put my head back and look at the ceiling, trying to stop myself from going in there and kicking them out of my fucking house. “And now I have to pay for new tires since insurance didn’t cover it.” The guilt that she would have had to pay for something that was my fault cuts me at the knees.
“We all go through tough times.” There’s not an ounce of love in her father’s voice.
“Yeah,” her mother sneers out, “everyone goes through tough times. But it looks like the tough times are behind you now.”
“This is not my house,” she hisses at them.
I can’t hear anything else, not until the front door closes. I enter the kitchen to find her alone, with her head hanging down. “Hey.” I wish I could see her face.
“Hey.” She doesn’t turn.
I hug her from the back, kissing her neck.
“Theo,” she whispers, and her hands reach to hold my arm around her chest. My other arm is wrapped around her waist, my hand on her stomach. “That was . . .”
I bury my face in her neck, not sure what I should say. The minute I opened the door, and he told me who he was, I got a feeling up my spine that this was not good. But these were her parents, and I wasn’t going to do anything to jeopardize my relationship with her. It was up to her, and I would follow her lead. “Are you hungry, baby?” I ask, not wanting to upset her before she’s about to eat.
“I was, but I’m not anymore.”
I close my eyes and try to fight back the need to go after her parents and tell them to never fucking come here again. “Want to talk about it?”
“What is there to talk about?” The defeat in her voice radiates through her. “Those are my parents. There really isn’t anything else to say.” She sniffles. “It’s night and day compared to your family.” I don’t say anything, I just hold her tighter. “I’m sorry that—”
I stop her. “Don’t say another fucking word.” I have to remind myself I need to be gentle with her, but I will not be fucking gentle when I have to protect her or fight for her.
Her shoulders slump and I turn her around because I need her to look at me when I say these words. “Collins,” I put my finger under her chin, lifting her head up so I can see her beautiful eyes, eyes that let me see into her pure soul. “Listen to me”—I move my hand from under her chin to cup her cheek—“I let them in because I didn’t know what to do. But you say the word, and they will never step one more foot in this house.”
She smiles sadly, and I can tell she’s trying to cover up what she is really feeling. “I don’t want you to have trouble.” Her words feel like they are ripped from her.
“Stop it right now.” My voice is tight. “I don’t want you to give them another thought. Not one more fucking thought. I’m going to go into the kitchen and make you something to eat, and then you are going to get to bed.”
She swallows down. “Okay.”
I bend to kiss her lips before pulling open the fridge. “What do you feel like having? Is there anything you’re craving?”
“Um.” She comes to stand beside me, looking into the well-stocked fridge. “I’m going with scrambled eggs on toast.”
“That’s really not dinner.”
“It is if you add bacon and maybe sausage.” She shrugs her shoulders. “Besides, it’s quick and easy.”
“Okay, but tomorrow we’ll eat a well-balanced meal.” I grab the egg carton and the pack of bacon. She doesn’t say anything to that, she just grabs the bacon from me. “What are you doing?”
“I’m going to help.” She grabs a pan.
“No, you aren’t. You’ve been working all day long.”
“Have you not been working?” She tilts her head to the side.
“Yes, but I’m not growing a human.” I take the pack of bacon from her. “You have only one thing to do: decide if you are going to rest on the couch or in the bed.”
“Um.” She looks at me. “Can I sit on the stool?”
“I’d like for you to stretch out your legs.” I put the stuff down on the counter and turn two stools to face each other. “There, you can sit on the stool and put up your feet.”