didn’t pay attention to how things worked out; it was a waste of time to listen to high school gossip.
“Tread carefully, she’s a single Mom.” Even if it was just Malory, it wasn’t right. I had a sister who I would’ve hated to see hurt by an asshole. His frown was pretty much like Jake’s when something had to be explained further. “Malory has a five year old son, Mitch. You don’t want her to—”
“Son?” Mitch’s drink splattered around the table after he slammed the glass. “She never mentioned a son, are you sure?”
“Yep, he’s my ex’s little offspring,” I confessed. “Not my best decision during my teenage years—dating him. I’m terrible at making those. I really need to fire me, darn it. But then I’ll have to hire someone, and what if I hire the wrong person—” Jake gave me a light nudge to keep me focused on the conversation. “But yeah, the rumor mill says we dated him simultaneously, but I was the blind idiot who didn’t know. And the asshole had the balls to break up with me. Imagine that, as if I deserved to be cheated on for not giving him the goods. Even when one time he gave me plenty of alcohol in an attempt to date rape me at a party.” The three gasped, and the ever protective Jacob Knight pushed himself off his seat, but I stopped him, shaking my head.
“I didn’t drink whatever he served.” A sigh of relief and a big gulp of whiskey later, he allowed me to proceed. “Obviously back then I was too innocent to know why he was trying to get me drunk. But I avoided anything with alcohol because of Dad. He owned a Breathalyzer that he kept handy for after parties. After Chloe’s teenage performance, he and I battled to get along. Dad never trusted me, and I resented his insinuations. No matter what I did, he was never happy with me. I was always in trouble with him.”
“Why?” the three asked curiously.
“Because…” I scratched my nose and crinkled it. Someone shut me up, waiter a tranquilizer for table six, please. “I worked on my art 12 hours a day, went to school for eight and he considered my paintings and other art pieces a game. Dad wanted me to grow up and take life serious. Each time I got some sort of praise for my art, he gave me grief—big time.” Jake caressed my hand with his thumb, and I glanced at him, catching a sad smile. “He lectured me when he found me inside the art room and it was past midnight. He criticized my school habits, but I never got less than an A minus—to avoid his anger. Imagine if I added Chloe’s partying style. She lost her v card at fourteen, and not with Gavin.”
“Why did you whisper the last part? No one can hear you,” Liam wisely pointed out, and Mitch arched his eyebrow, while Jake gave a welcome to my world look.
“I promised not to tell my parents.” I searched the entire room for any anomaly. “There’s no guarantee their spirits aren’t around, and I don’t like to break promises. Can you imagine the grief they’ll give her? Not that it matters, Dad caught her doing pretty hard stuff. And she’ll kill me if she hears.”
“I thought you guys didn’t talk to each other?” Jake asked.
“You’re asking too many questions, Knight.” He tapped the table awaiting some explanation. I sipped a little more of my drink and bit a strawberry. Courage tonic? “Sorry, I can’t.” A tear came out, and Jake wiped it with his thumb.
“Is she still partying?” Mitch asked. I narrowed my eyes, how did he know about her little habits? My body froze for a few seconds, shocked that they knew about her. Then again, they were friends with Gavin. I needed to cut this conversation. Chloe was a subject I never wanted to talk about.
Chapter 13
Emma
I BLAMED THE ALCOHOL for the lack of creativity. I couldn’t stir the conversation before they asked me again about her partying. Finally, my head understood and I shook it, hoping they’d let it go.
“Sorry,” I repeated, “I would rather not talk
“Tread carefully, she’s a single Mom.” Even if it was just Malory, it wasn’t right. I had a sister who I would’ve hated to see hurt by an asshole. His frown was pretty much like Jake’s when something had to be explained further. “Malory has a five year old son, Mitch. You don’t want her to—”
“Son?” Mitch’s drink splattered around the table after he slammed the glass. “She never mentioned a son, are you sure?”
“Yep, he’s my ex’s little offspring,” I confessed. “Not my best decision during my teenage years—dating him. I’m terrible at making those. I really need to fire me, darn it. But then I’ll have to hire someone, and what if I hire the wrong person—” Jake gave me a light nudge to keep me focused on the conversation. “But yeah, the rumor mill says we dated him simultaneously, but I was the blind idiot who didn’t know. And the asshole had the balls to break up with me. Imagine that, as if I deserved to be cheated on for not giving him the goods. Even when one time he gave me plenty of alcohol in an attempt to date rape me at a party.” The three gasped, and the ever protective Jacob Knight pushed himself off his seat, but I stopped him, shaking my head.
“I didn’t drink whatever he served.” A sigh of relief and a big gulp of whiskey later, he allowed me to proceed. “Obviously back then I was too innocent to know why he was trying to get me drunk. But I avoided anything with alcohol because of Dad. He owned a Breathalyzer that he kept handy for after parties. After Chloe’s teenage performance, he and I battled to get along. Dad never trusted me, and I resented his insinuations. No matter what I did, he was never happy with me. I was always in trouble with him.”
“Why?” the three asked curiously.
“Because…” I scratched my nose and crinkled it. Someone shut me up, waiter a tranquilizer for table six, please. “I worked on my art 12 hours a day, went to school for eight and he considered my paintings and other art pieces a game. Dad wanted me to grow up and take life serious. Each time I got some sort of praise for my art, he gave me grief—big time.” Jake caressed my hand with his thumb, and I glanced at him, catching a sad smile. “He lectured me when he found me inside the art room and it was past midnight. He criticized my school habits, but I never got less than an A minus—to avoid his anger. Imagine if I added Chloe’s partying style. She lost her v card at fourteen, and not with Gavin.”
“Why did you whisper the last part? No one can hear you,” Liam wisely pointed out, and Mitch arched his eyebrow, while Jake gave a welcome to my world look.
“I promised not to tell my parents.” I searched the entire room for any anomaly. “There’s no guarantee their spirits aren’t around, and I don’t like to break promises. Can you imagine the grief they’ll give her? Not that it matters, Dad caught her doing pretty hard stuff. And she’ll kill me if she hears.”
“I thought you guys didn’t talk to each other?” Jake asked.
“You’re asking too many questions, Knight.” He tapped the table awaiting some explanation. I sipped a little more of my drink and bit a strawberry. Courage tonic? “Sorry, I can’t.” A tear came out, and Jake wiped it with his thumb.
“Is she still partying?” Mitch asked. I narrowed my eyes, how did he know about her little habits? My body froze for a few seconds, shocked that they knew about her. Then again, they were friends with Gavin. I needed to cut this conversation. Chloe was a subject I never wanted to talk about.
Chapter 13
Emma
I BLAMED THE ALCOHOL for the lack of creativity. I couldn’t stir the conversation before they asked me again about her partying. Finally, my head understood and I shook it, hoping they’d let it go.
“Sorry,” I repeated, “I would rather not talk
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