going to let this slow-talking motherfucker tell me what to do?”
She leaned around Sam. “Yeah, Prince. Tonight I am. I’m sick of dealing with you when you’re like this. Go home. We’ll talk tomorrow.”
Blaze was already behind them, pulling out his keys. “Come on, Prince. We can pick this up again tomorrow. You’re done tonight.”
Prince tossed one last angry glare back at Aston and Sam, and climbed into Blaze’s F-250. The gravel crunched under the large tires as they rolled out of the parking lot.
Aston whirled on Sam. “What the hell, Sam?”
He gazed at her, bewildered. “What did I do?”
She shoved him in the chest, not fazed when he barely moved. “What did you mean… ‘now’ he wants to touch me?”
“He never touches you! And you want him to…I know you do. The men in your life treat you like you’re wearing a fucking suit of armor. Princeton, your dad…even Reed. You’re tough, but you’re not unbreakable. He doesn’t touch you.”
She stared at him, the scope of emotions in her eyes going from shock, to anger, to sadness, until she finally shuttered them off. Her gaze hardened, as if she’d put on that coat of armor Sam had spoken of.
“You care enough to rescue me from a drunk asshole, but you can’t tell me Ever is coming to visit this weekend? Were you just going to bring her to the house and introduce her?”
She began walking away toward her car. Sam caught up to her and matched her strides.
“Aston, stop. I only just found out. Why does it piss you off so bad? You were getting ready to leave the bar and go home with that drunk asshole. What happens between you two when you’re alone with him like that? When I’m not there to step in?”
She glared at him. “I’m not a weak little girl, Sam. I’ve told you that before. I would never be with a guy that would hurt me. He’s a little rough around the edges when he’s drunk, but honestly, Sam, you’re bringing that out in him worse than usual.”
“Me?”
“Oh, please don’t widen those little-boy eyes at me, Waters. You have fun with Ever this weekend. And when you figure out what the rest of this crew already knows, let me know.”
She climbed into her little car and gunned the engine. She looked at Sam again as she moved the gearshift into reverse.
“I realize that Princeton isn’t the right guy for me. I plan on correcting that. So you can stop worrying about me, and start worrying about your upcoming weekend with the girl you love.”
She drove away, and he caught sight of one glistening tear before the wind ripped it away. His heart lurched, and he rubbed at his chest as he watched her speed off.
The weight of the night’s events nearly sent him to his knees, but he stayed standing long enough to grab his helmet from inside the bar. When he had the familiar weight of the Harley between his legs, he let himself fly along the back roads, his thoughts flipping furiously between the girl he loved and the girl he couldn’t stop thinking about.
Eight
Ten years previously in Duck Creek
Y ou’re eating again ?” Sam’s mother asked as she entered the dirty kitchen.
“It’s dinnertime,” he answered through a mouthful of peanut butter and jelly.
“If you’re gonna keep eating me out of house and home, you need to get a job,” she snapped.
“A job?” Sam was bewildered. “I’m eleven.”
“And you’re a completely worthless piece of shit!” Her voice rose to a scream. “All of this stuff I have to pay for? Football equipment, food, clothes. How do you think I’m supposed to handle it all by myself?”
Sam sighed. She was in a mood. It was rare she wasn’t, but Hunter wasn’t here to take the negative attention away or deflect her sharp blows. He took another bite of his sandwich and stood.
“I’ll start looking for one, Momma. But it’s dark out now.”
“I don’t care.” Her answer was weary, and sad. “I don’t care where you go. Just get out.”
So he obliged her.
She leaned around Sam. “Yeah, Prince. Tonight I am. I’m sick of dealing with you when you’re like this. Go home. We’ll talk tomorrow.”
Blaze was already behind them, pulling out his keys. “Come on, Prince. We can pick this up again tomorrow. You’re done tonight.”
Prince tossed one last angry glare back at Aston and Sam, and climbed into Blaze’s F-250. The gravel crunched under the large tires as they rolled out of the parking lot.
Aston whirled on Sam. “What the hell, Sam?”
He gazed at her, bewildered. “What did I do?”
She shoved him in the chest, not fazed when he barely moved. “What did you mean… ‘now’ he wants to touch me?”
“He never touches you! And you want him to…I know you do. The men in your life treat you like you’re wearing a fucking suit of armor. Princeton, your dad…even Reed. You’re tough, but you’re not unbreakable. He doesn’t touch you.”
She stared at him, the scope of emotions in her eyes going from shock, to anger, to sadness, until she finally shuttered them off. Her gaze hardened, as if she’d put on that coat of armor Sam had spoken of.
“You care enough to rescue me from a drunk asshole, but you can’t tell me Ever is coming to visit this weekend? Were you just going to bring her to the house and introduce her?”
She began walking away toward her car. Sam caught up to her and matched her strides.
“Aston, stop. I only just found out. Why does it piss you off so bad? You were getting ready to leave the bar and go home with that drunk asshole. What happens between you two when you’re alone with him like that? When I’m not there to step in?”
She glared at him. “I’m not a weak little girl, Sam. I’ve told you that before. I would never be with a guy that would hurt me. He’s a little rough around the edges when he’s drunk, but honestly, Sam, you’re bringing that out in him worse than usual.”
“Me?”
“Oh, please don’t widen those little-boy eyes at me, Waters. You have fun with Ever this weekend. And when you figure out what the rest of this crew already knows, let me know.”
She climbed into her little car and gunned the engine. She looked at Sam again as she moved the gearshift into reverse.
“I realize that Princeton isn’t the right guy for me. I plan on correcting that. So you can stop worrying about me, and start worrying about your upcoming weekend with the girl you love.”
She drove away, and he caught sight of one glistening tear before the wind ripped it away. His heart lurched, and he rubbed at his chest as he watched her speed off.
The weight of the night’s events nearly sent him to his knees, but he stayed standing long enough to grab his helmet from inside the bar. When he had the familiar weight of the Harley between his legs, he let himself fly along the back roads, his thoughts flipping furiously between the girl he loved and the girl he couldn’t stop thinking about.
Eight
Ten years previously in Duck Creek
Y ou’re eating again ?” Sam’s mother asked as she entered the dirty kitchen.
“It’s dinnertime,” he answered through a mouthful of peanut butter and jelly.
“If you’re gonna keep eating me out of house and home, you need to get a job,” she snapped.
“A job?” Sam was bewildered. “I’m eleven.”
“And you’re a completely worthless piece of shit!” Her voice rose to a scream. “All of this stuff I have to pay for? Football equipment, food, clothes. How do you think I’m supposed to handle it all by myself?”
Sam sighed. She was in a mood. It was rare she wasn’t, but Hunter wasn’t here to take the negative attention away or deflect her sharp blows. He took another bite of his sandwich and stood.
“I’ll start looking for one, Momma. But it’s dark out now.”
“I don’t care.” Her answer was weary, and sad. “I don’t care where you go. Just get out.”
So he obliged her.
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