Total pages in book: 13
Estimated words: 11683 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 58(@200wpm)___ 47(@250wpm)___ 39(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 11683 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 58(@200wpm)___ 47(@250wpm)___ 39(@300wpm)
Nate’s attention lands on Dex’s stomach and he frowns. As soon as Dex realizes it might make Nate uncomfortable, his skin turns bright red. He starts to rush off to put on a shirt, but Nate grabs his wrist, stopping him.
“He can relax without a shirt on,” Nate says, pinning me with a firm stare. “He’s not Dad.”
I shudder and Dex’s jaw ticks with fury. It wasn’t what I’d meant when I said it, but now I feel like a dick. Dad liked to dish out his punishments in three variations of abuse: physical, emotional, and sexual. While he emotionally mindfucked me calling me every hateful word and insult he could think up, he beat the shit out of Dex. As for Nate…he has his reasons to be depressed. No kid should ever have to go through what he did with his own father.
“Let’s eat,” Nate urges. “Everyone’s so tense tonight. It’s making me nervous.”
Dex swallows and gives Nate a quick nod. He turns, revealing his sculpted shoulders to us. I wonder if they’re as firm as they look.
Sick piece of shit.
I can practically hear the disgust in Dad’s voice when I’d casually mentioned how I thought our neighbor was good-looking. Our male neighbor. He called me everything from prissy faggot to filthy dick sucker and everything in between. Which was pretty rich coming from him considering what he did with his dick and with whom.
Tearing my gaze from my brother’s back, I focus on bringing the food to the table. We all settle eventually once our plates are filled. This is something we used to do when Mom was around and Dad was on the road. Those days when it was just the four of us were my best memories. But being a truck driver didn’t mean Dad stayed away forever. Eventually he’d come home and our little slice of happiness would be devoured. She died and then he was forced to take a job in town so he could be home for us. Worst five years of our lives.
Aside from my meltdown, Dex seems lighter tonight. Like maybe life isn’t so hard on him. It makes me incredibly happy. Every day while I sit in class and study boring shit, guilt eats me alive that he’s not there with us.
Someone raps on the door. Dex flies out of his chair, his homemade garlic bread still in hand as he goes to answer.
“Here with your delivery, Mr. Love,” the man says. “Just sign here for it.”
Delivery?
Nate and I exchanged a confused look. Then, Dex saunters back over to us, munching on his bread. His whole face is lit up with happiness.
“What did you buy?” I demand, trying to look past him and out the door.
“You’ll see.” He wolfs down the rest of his food before trotting to the back bedroom.
Nate and I scarf down our food as well. Just as we’re standing, two big guys enter through the open trailer door carrying a giant mattress.
Holy shit.
Like two excited little kids, me and Nate follow them into the bedroom. Dex has propped our air mattresses up against one wall to make room. The guys lean it up against one wall and then leave.
“We got a bed?” Nate is gaping like it’s the best thing he’s ever seen. “I can’t believe we got a bed.”
The mattress is still in its plastic packaging. It’s brand-new. Tears burn at my eyes and I feel like the biggest asshole for nearly ruining Dex’s big surprise by being pissed about Seth. Fuck Seth.
Dex smiles so big both his dimples are showing. I have the incredible urge to kiss both of them. Nate launches himself at Dex, nearly tackling him. Dex cracks up laughing as he hugs Nate. I’m too stunned to move.
The guys come back with box springs and a metal frame. All three Love trips watch in awe as the two men assemble the bed in record time. Once it’s complete and taking up most of the room, they leave for good this time. Dex follows them out and then returns with a sack in hand. He’d brought two home with him—one with groceries in it and the other remained a mystery because I bitched him out. He pulls out a packaged set of sheets for the bed and some pillowcases.
It takes all three of us to wrangle the fitted sheet onto the queen-sized bed, but we eventually manage. There’s a top sheet so we lay it neatly on top. Once all three of our pillows are covered, we put them across the top of the bed. All three fit perfectly.
Since Nate’s blanket is the biggest—a giant quilt Lavinia also gave us, we set to stretching it across the bed. When the bed is made, we just stare at it in disbelief.
“I can’t believe this is ours,” I murmur, my throat thick with emotion. “And we’ll all fit.”