man yelling at me. I didn’t care any more.
Jared’s words were nothing more than a blur. ‘... So you can tell your boyfriend here to get stuffed, because I’m taking control of this situation from now on.’
‘That’s not her boyfriend,’ came a voice from behind him. ‘I am.’
Jared spun around. Startled by the new visitor standing inches from him, he tripped down the porch steps. Muttering a string of profanities, he steadied himself in front of Kal and pushed his chest out. ‘So, which one are you?’
‘I suggest you stop yelling at her,’ Kalen’s mouth pressed into a thin line, his fists clenched by his sides. In the time I’d known him, I’d never seen him overwhelmed with any type of emotion and though I was aware there was a lot I didn’t know about him, his intense anger came as a shock to me.
Jared stared at Kalen. ‘She’s my sister-in-law. I’ll talk to her how I like. Who the hell do you think you are to tell me any different?’
Kal took a step closer so they were toe to toe. ‘It doesn’t matter who I am. All you need to know is that I don’t care who you are. I’m warning you, leave now.’
Scared Jared might throw a punch, I held my breath. Thankfully, Rachel stepped forward and placed a hand on his shoulder.
‘Babe, don’t yell at Ronnie, she’s just a kid. She doesn’t know what’s what with the house. We’ll look into it, okay?’
Jared’s thin face darkened with rage as he looked wildly between me, Kal and Rachel. Finally, he grunted. ‘Ronnie, I’m sorry I yelled,’ he said flatly, clearly not sorry at all. ‘But we’re here to take care of you now. Rachel and I will deal with it.’
‘Jared, Dad lost all the money. I wish he hadn’t, but he did. If Rachel had bothered to turn up to the meeting with the solicitor she would know all of this. We have a bit in the bank, but after the funeral costs there’s very little left. You can check it all you want,’ I croaked, holding my chin up defensively, ‘but I’m not wrong. I am sorry for the situation that Daddy got us into – but I’m not wrong.’
‘We’ll see. Rachel and I just want what’s best for you and hanging out with these idiots is not a good start. We just worry about you, is all.’
‘Thanks Jar, but I can take care of myself – just like I always have.’
Rachel clucked at that and stalked off towards their car with Cloud still whimpering unhappily in her arms. ‘Leave her now, Jar,’ she yelled over her shoulder. ‘We come over to visit the little madam and this is the thanks we get.’
‘Will I see you Christmas Day, Rach?’ I called over, ignoring her insult.
‘If your new friends aren’t around, then of course I’ll spend Christmas here, like I do every year. It is my house too, Ronnie – don’t forget that.’
Jared pushed past Kalen and darted down to the car with Rachel. As they pulled away Denver nodded a goodbye and left swiftly over a side fence, leaving me alone with Kal.
‘It’s not Rachel’s fault,’ I said, instinctively defending her. ‘She’s had a hard time and Jared is just looking out for her the best way he knows how, I guess.’
‘So you keep saying, but it’s not okay for anyone to yell at you like that,’ he said, following me back inside and closing the door behind him.
I sighed. ‘Still, you can’t put me in that position, why did you all have to behave so violently?’
‘I think a grown man yelling in the face of a teenage girl is quite violent, personally.’
‘Look, I really appreciate you sticking up for me, but he’s my sister’s partner and for the sake of my tiny family, which is all I have, I have to try to keep the peace. It’s what I’ve always done.’
His eyes softened. ‘I’m not apologising for defending you, but I’ll leave you alone if it’ll make things easier for you with your family.’
‘I don’t want you to
Jared’s words were nothing more than a blur. ‘... So you can tell your boyfriend here to get stuffed, because I’m taking control of this situation from now on.’
‘That’s not her boyfriend,’ came a voice from behind him. ‘I am.’
Jared spun around. Startled by the new visitor standing inches from him, he tripped down the porch steps. Muttering a string of profanities, he steadied himself in front of Kal and pushed his chest out. ‘So, which one are you?’
‘I suggest you stop yelling at her,’ Kalen’s mouth pressed into a thin line, his fists clenched by his sides. In the time I’d known him, I’d never seen him overwhelmed with any type of emotion and though I was aware there was a lot I didn’t know about him, his intense anger came as a shock to me.
Jared stared at Kalen. ‘She’s my sister-in-law. I’ll talk to her how I like. Who the hell do you think you are to tell me any different?’
Kal took a step closer so they were toe to toe. ‘It doesn’t matter who I am. All you need to know is that I don’t care who you are. I’m warning you, leave now.’
Scared Jared might throw a punch, I held my breath. Thankfully, Rachel stepped forward and placed a hand on his shoulder.
‘Babe, don’t yell at Ronnie, she’s just a kid. She doesn’t know what’s what with the house. We’ll look into it, okay?’
Jared’s thin face darkened with rage as he looked wildly between me, Kal and Rachel. Finally, he grunted. ‘Ronnie, I’m sorry I yelled,’ he said flatly, clearly not sorry at all. ‘But we’re here to take care of you now. Rachel and I will deal with it.’
‘Jared, Dad lost all the money. I wish he hadn’t, but he did. If Rachel had bothered to turn up to the meeting with the solicitor she would know all of this. We have a bit in the bank, but after the funeral costs there’s very little left. You can check it all you want,’ I croaked, holding my chin up defensively, ‘but I’m not wrong. I am sorry for the situation that Daddy got us into – but I’m not wrong.’
‘We’ll see. Rachel and I just want what’s best for you and hanging out with these idiots is not a good start. We just worry about you, is all.’
‘Thanks Jar, but I can take care of myself – just like I always have.’
Rachel clucked at that and stalked off towards their car with Cloud still whimpering unhappily in her arms. ‘Leave her now, Jar,’ she yelled over her shoulder. ‘We come over to visit the little madam and this is the thanks we get.’
‘Will I see you Christmas Day, Rach?’ I called over, ignoring her insult.
‘If your new friends aren’t around, then of course I’ll spend Christmas here, like I do every year. It is my house too, Ronnie – don’t forget that.’
Jared pushed past Kalen and darted down to the car with Rachel. As they pulled away Denver nodded a goodbye and left swiftly over a side fence, leaving me alone with Kal.
‘It’s not Rachel’s fault,’ I said, instinctively defending her. ‘She’s had a hard time and Jared is just looking out for her the best way he knows how, I guess.’
‘So you keep saying, but it’s not okay for anyone to yell at you like that,’ he said, following me back inside and closing the door behind him.
I sighed. ‘Still, you can’t put me in that position, why did you all have to behave so violently?’
‘I think a grown man yelling in the face of a teenage girl is quite violent, personally.’
‘Look, I really appreciate you sticking up for me, but he’s my sister’s partner and for the sake of my tiny family, which is all I have, I have to try to keep the peace. It’s what I’ve always done.’
His eyes softened. ‘I’m not apologising for defending you, but I’ll leave you alone if it’ll make things easier for you with your family.’
‘I don’t want you to
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