19. Nicole #2
“Well, damn. Three brothers as hot as that is just trouble. Jaxson’s definitely the cutest, but not the hottest. That goes to Jenson and his fabulous beard.
I was talking to him the other day actually.
” I wiggle my brows at them, but stop when Angie’s face is frozen in shock and anger. Did I say something wrong?
I’m just about to apologise when she snaps out of her stupor and declares it’s time for pizza.
Edie doesn’t notice, and Angie’s eyes plead with me not to say anything, so I smile and clap my hands together excitedly, eager to order pizza and forget the awkwardness the mention of the Brady brothers caused.
“So you got pizza with Edie and Angie while I was run ragged looking after Brady? That was sneaky.” Owen clears the empty pizza boxes from the table and I can’t stop my eyes roaming over him as he moves around the kitchen.
The grey joggers he’s wearing are slung low on his hips, fitting snugly over his tight ass.
His ass that I want to reach over and take a bite out of.
Instead, I bite my lip, and I’m thrown off balance when he spins around and catches me ogling him.
He chuckles, winks, and tells me ‘later’ while I blush crimson, anticipation bubbling in my belly.
Lucky barrels into the kitchen and slams his rucksack on the table. He growls out in frustration and all lustful thoughts are forgotten at the sight of my boy upset.
“Are you ready to tell us what’s the matter? He was like this in the car too.” Owen’s blasé attitude irritates me slightly, but instead of acknowledging what he said, I go and sit next to our boy.
“Caleb, doesn’t wanna be my friend anymore.” Lucky’s voice rings out with hurt and anger and my heart breaks for him a little.
“Why not? What happened? You were fine with him a few weeks ago.” I force myself to keep my tone soothing as I try to figure out why one of his closest friends is now not. A sinking feeling creeps into my being.
“It’s his fault.” He directs his anger-filled gaze at Owen and my heart rate accelerates.
“Why?” I try to shake the panic from within me, but I know I’ve given myself away with the high pitch of my voice.
Owen turns around slowly, facing us both from behind the kitchen island. His palms press into the cold marble, confusion swarming his eyes and a frown firmly in place on his face. “Yeah, what did I do?”
“You made everyfing different. Made me change schools. Made us move. And I don’t wanna. I wanna go home. I want fings da way dey were.” Lucky’s voice starts to rise and I place my hand on his to quieten him down.
“Tough. Things can’t go back to the way they were, Lucky. I’m your dad and you live here now. It’s just the way it is.”
Owen’s firm voice makes me flinch, but I keep my mouth shut.
I don’t know what to do. I want to tell Owen to leave it to me, but I can’t because I don’t want to undermine him.
I want to tell Lucky off for being so ungrateful, but I understand where he’s coming from.
His whole life has been turned upside down.
Like someone came along and shook the snowglobe around him and made his world a mess of waves, glitter and snowflakes.
I don’t know how to react, so I just freeze, watching it all unfold in front of me like a car crash.
“Why? Why you gotta change everyfing?” Lucky matches his dad’s scowl from across the room. It’s like a standoff between future and past Owen.
“Because I’m your dad and things needed to change.”
“But we was fine wivout you.”
“Enough, Lucky.” Owen’s voice has taken a tone of authority that normally makes my panties wet, but this time it just makes me mad.
I have to take in a deep breath and remind myself that Lucky isn’t just mine anymore.
Owen has just as much of a right to take that tone with him as I do.
Especially when he’s being rude and hurtful like right now.
But it still really smarts hearing someone else discipline my son.
Our son.
“Whatevah Lockheart, I don’t haf to listen to you.”
It’s my turn to frown because Lucky has never shown this stubborn and obstinate side before.
Owen’s resulting chuckle makes Lucky’s face turn red and his scowl deepen. “Unfortunately you do, because I’m your dad.”
“I wish you wasn’t.”
A gasp leaves my lips as Owen’s face twists in pain and then back to his infamous frown. I quickly look at Lucky, who’s torn between frowning back and feeling guilty for what just left his lips, and I’m about to chastise him, when Owen’s voice booms through the air.
“GO. TO. YOUR. ROOM.”
I want to tell Owen off for being too hard on him, but I don’t. I know Lucky regretted what came out of his mouth as soon as it did, but he has to learn he can’t speak like that to people.
Lucky turns his wobbling lip towards me and I shake my head at him.
It breaks my heart to see him sad, but I know I have to have Owen’s back here.
I ignore the betrayal in Lucky’s eyes as they fill with unshed tears, looking down at my hands in my lap as he stands up and walks quickly away from the table.
“I’m sorry I shouted.” Owen’s voice cuts through the silence, and when I lift my gaze to his, my heart breaks a little. His head is lowered, his shoulders slumped, and even though I want to run to Lucky and check he’s okay, I go to Owen instead.
I wrap my arms around him and lay my cheek against his back. “It’s okay. Sometimes we have to be the bad guy. It’s definitely a change watching someone else do it with him, though. I’m normally bad guy, good guy, and the one in between too.” He chuckles slightly and blows a breath out.
“He didn’t mean any of that, Owen. He’s hurting because his friend was mean to him and he lashed out. I’ll have a word with him, although judging by his face as he walked off, he’s already sorry. I’ve never seen him be so stubborn before.”
I lift my head as he spins around, picks me up, and places me on the counter top. I gasp at how quickly he does it, then sigh as he rests his head on my chest and hugs me tightly. Running my hands through his hair, I wrap my legs around his waist and kiss the top of his head.
“I think it’s my fault. The stubbornness. My mum always said I was more stubborn than a mule. Sorry, Nico.”
I let my giggles subside before answering him. “Your mom was right. It was like looking at a mini version of you. The stubbornness, the obstinate stance he took. It’s not all a bad thing, but maybe we need to think about how we deal with that behaviour without shouting in future.”
He nods his head against my chest and sighs sadly. My heart aches for them both. I know Lucky’s upstairs crying right now. I know Owen feels miserable and guilty for shouting at him. And I know it's all because of me and my damn secrets.
“I’ll talk to him. And I’m sorry, Owen.” I force my voice not to crack with emotion.
“Don’t, Nico. It’s done. We can’t keep going back to the past. I’ll talk to him.”
When he lifts his head and brings his gaze to mine, I manage a wobbly smile. He places a quick kiss on my cheek and heads up stairs.
Anger, frustration, and sadness prickle my skin like a tattoo artist's gun, and I suddenly have the urge to run. To just escape from everything. To not have to deal with Owen’s hurt, Lucky’s pain, and the consequences I’ve caused.
If I’d told him who I was, that I hadn’t written the article, or even simply tried harder to let him know about Lucky, we wouldn’t be here right now.
But instead of doing what my dad did and run from my responsibilities and my family, I head to Owen’s indoor gym, ready to pound out my emotions on the treadmill instead.