Chapter 19
Chapter Nineteen
RORY
“So what’s the deal with you guys? Are you dating or just screwin’?”
I choked on the bite of pizza I’d just taken as Cord rumbled, “Not cool, Zach.”
“What?” he asked with a shrug, genuinely not realizing he’d done anything wrong. “What’s the big deal? It was just a question.”
“The big deal isn’t what you asked,” Cord answered, his tone chastising as he schooled Zach on manners.
“You’re far from a stupid kid, so I know you know how you just asked that was disrespectful to not only me but Rory.
And you never talk to a woman like that.
You get me?” Zach’s eyes lowered to the table, prompting Cord to repeat, “Bud, you get me?” only this time using a calmer, lower voice.
“I get you,” Zach returned, shifting his gaze to me and offering a mumbled “Sorry, Rory.”
“It’s okay, sweetie,” I said with a smile to let him know it was all good. “But to answer your question, Cord and I are just friends.”
Zach’s face went funny, like he didn’t understand my response.
Then the confusion flitted away, replaced with annoyance mixed with a touch of anger.
Sitting back in his chair, he crossed his arms over his chest and asserted, “You know, I’m not some dumb little kid.
You don’t have to keep it a secret. I won’t tell the lady from welfare services if that’s what you’re worried about. ”
I felt my head tip in bemusement. “Of course you’re not dumb. No one thinks you are.”
“Then why’re you lyin’? I mean, I see how he looks at you, like, all the time.” At that declaration, my back went straight and my lips parted in surprise, but he was nowhere near done. “And he’s always here. If you guys aren’t together, why’s he always here?”
“Because he wants to be here for you,” I stated softly, wanting Zach to know he didn’t just have one person who cared about him. “He comes here, honey, because he wants to make sure you’re good.”
“Yeah?” he asked with snarky sarcasm. “That why he’s always starin’ at you and touchin’ you like he’s about to kiss you at any second? I’m not an idiot,” he decreed firmly. “You guys are way into each other, so why not just admit you’re together?”
My eyes went so big it felt like they were about to pop out of my skull as I stumbled over my words. “I… you… that’s not… but—”
“Because we’re not, bud,” Cord stated, the rumbly timbre of his voice helping to unscramble my thoughts. “We really are just friends.”
Zach’s mouth snapped shut and his gaze turned speculative as it bounced between us. Several tense seconds passed before he finally asked, “Why?”
“Why what?”
“Why are you and Rory just friends? Like I said, it’s so totally obvious you like each other, so why haven’t you guys gone for it?”
Good Lord, who knew a kid could be so freaking perceptive.
It was a question I dreaded, mainly because I wasn’t sure of the answer anymore.
So many things had changed in the past couple of weeks that I could barely keep up.
My head was constantly spinning so fast it was a wonder I could stay standing.
But my issues were not something this sweet boy needed to concern himself with.
He was feeling his way around our new situation just as I was, and I didn’t want to give him anything else to worry about.
“Zach,” I said softly, drawing his focus my way.
When I got his eyes, I leaned forward and said, “Whatever Cord and I are or aren’t isn’t something you need to concern yourself with.
There’s a history between us that isn’t yours to have, and while, as you pointed out already, you’re not a dumb kid, you’re still a kid.
” He opened his mouth to argue, but I got there first. “And as a kid, all you need to concern yourself with is kid stuff. I’ll handle everything else.
All you need to know is that no matter how we feel about each other, we are both here for you.
All the time, honey. And nothing is ever gonna change that. ”
“But—”
“No buts, sweetie. That’s just how it is.”
It was obvious he wasn’t happy with that, but to my surprise, he let the subject drop by picking up his slice of pizza and taking a big chomp out of it before finally nodding in understanding.
One crisis averted, I thought as I turned back to the table and finished eating my dinner. Then my gaze landed on Cord, the man who’d forced himself into my life in such a way that he’d become a crucial part of it, and all that confusion came flooding back to the surface.
Dinner finished on a slightly better note than it had started. Zach still insisted that everything at school was fine, and though I could see there was something bothering him, I forced myself not to push, trusting that he’d come to me when he finally felt comfortable.
“Hey, Zach?” I asked, as he dug into the big slice of carrot cake I’d cut for him after dinner.
He looked up from shoveling cake into his mouth and cocked his head to the side. “Yeah?”
I twisted my fingers on the table in front of me.
“So… I was thinking. The room you’ve been staying in is nice.
I decorated it so it would be comfortable for anyone who came to stay for a bit, but it’s not really…
well... it’s kind of girly. I want you to be comfortable here, and I want that space to be yours, so how would you feel about going shopping with me one day so we can pick out all new stuff? Stuff you like.”
His eyes got big, filling with excitement as he mumbled, “Seriously?” through a mouthful of carrot cake.
“Yeah,” I said on a small laugh. “Seriously. That’s your room, Zach. It should be a reflection of you. Your personality, the things you like. And I’m sure my mom and dad would be happy to help us fix it up. What do you say?”
“He—” He quickly caught himself. “I mean heck yeah. That’d be awesome.”
He was right, it would be awesome. I couldn’t wait to give him that.
When I glanced across the table to Cord, I could see by the way he was looking at Zach that his reaction had given him the same warm fuzzy feeling it had given me. And when he turned to me, as if feeling my gaze on him, and shot me a wink, that warm, fuzzy feeling grew until it nearly filled me up.
Zach headed back to his room a little while later to finish his homework.
The evening was coming to an end, which meant it was time for Cord to head back to his place.
And while I knew it was for the best, that I needed some space to try and clear my head, I couldn’t stop the pang of disappointment from shooting through me as he stood and prepared to make his exit.
“Thanks for the cake, dollface,” he said with a gentle smile on his face. “It was fuckin’ fantastic.”
Warmth bloomed in my cheeks as I returned his smile. “Glad you liked it.”
Instead of moving toward the door, he took a step closer to me, lowering his voice before asking, “Walk me out?”
I was a little taken aback at the request but quickly shook it off. “Uh, yeah. Sure.”
I followed him out to his truck, stopping two feet away when we reached the driver-side door. He didn’t pull out his keys or beep the locks, just slowly turned to face me and shoved his hands in the pockets of his jeans.
“Everything all right?”
“Yeah,” he answered. “I just wanted to talk to you about something without Zach overhearing us.”
My forehead pulled into a frown as my head dipped to the side in concern. “What’s wrong?”
“I’ve been keepin’ an eye on those assholes that Zach was livin’ with before he came to you,” he said, making my back shoot straight. “The list of charges against them is longer than my goddamn arm, and the evidence is undisputable.”
“Well… that’s good, right? I mean, there’s no way they can avoid jail time.”
“Yeah.” He nodded and continued ominously, “Eventually.”
A shiver crawled along my back while my stomach twisted. “What’s that mean?”
“It’ll take a while for their case to go before a judge. Unfortunately, they made bail, so while we’re waiting for that to happen, those pieces of shit are walkin’ free.”
My body rocked, the force of my shock taking me back a step. “They made bail?” I screeched. “Who in the hell would post bail for people like that?”
Cord pulled his hands from his pockets and moved closer to me, reaching up and taking hold of my arms. “Brace, Rory, because you’re gonna like this part even less.” Oh hell. “Miriam Weathers posted bail.”
My jaw dropped. “The welfare officer?” He nodded again. “Why?”
“She’s Doreen Caswell’s cousin. The three of them were workin’ this shit together.
She got the Caswells approved to be foster parents, then, instead of actually doin’ her job and watchin’ out for those kids, turned a blind eye to the shit they were doin’ because they’d cash the checks they got for each of the kids and split it with her. ”
I blinked several times as that information rolled over me. “You have got to be kidding me!”
“Wish I was, dollface. That bitch was profiting off the misery of children. There’s a special place in hell for someone like her.”
“But… but… but… how the hell is she not in jail for that?”
“Beats the fuck outta me,” he replied. “But I’m sure it’s just a matter of time before she, her batshit crazy cousin, and her cousin’s dickhead husband are all up a shit creek together.
” His fingers pressed deeper into my skin.
“Now, I know you’re pissed right now, but those three will eventually get what’s comin’ to them, Rory.
You can count on that. So let go of what you’re feelin’ right now so when you go back in that house, you can keep giving that boy a good life, yeah? ”
It was one of the hardest things I’d ever done, but I somehow managed to calm the rage swirling around inside me. And after a full minute of deep breathing, I finally began to calm down.
“You good now?” Cord asked once he sensed I wasn’t at risk of losing it.
“Yeah,” I said on a sigh. “I’m good now.”
He stepped even closer, forcing me to tip my head back so I could look up into his handsome face. “Now I know this isn’t a good time, and I tried like hell to get out of it, but I have to head out of town tomorrow for a job.”
“You… you’re leaving?” I asked, the crestfallen words spilling from my lips before I could stop them.
“I’ll get this done as fast as I can, sweetheart. And in the meantime, I’m just a phone call away. You need somethin’, you don’t hesitate to call me, and I’ll check in regular.”
“Okay.” Again, the disappointment rang clear in that one word as I cast my gaze over his shoulder.
“Rory.” His voice was tender as he placed his fingers beneath my chin and turned my attention back to him. His head started to lower as he said, “When I get back, I want to take you out to dinner. Will you let me do that?”
Holy crap. “O-okay.” That time there was no disappointment, only soft, breathy longing.
He smiled, and my belly dipped at the beauty of it. “Great, baby. It’s a date, then. I’ll make us a reservation at the Groves.”
Then he leaned the rest of the way down and brushed his lips against mine. It wasn’t an actual kiss, just a featherlight touch. Nevertheless, my lips tingled for hours afterward, and that warm, fuzzy feeling consumed me completely.