Chapter Twenty-Two #2
And yet they haven’t made it to one of my games, even though I play in Boston as well.
Whatever, though. Riley is Kevin’s favorite, even if he won’t admit it.
He dotes on all his children, but Riley is the most athletic, and Kevin has latched onto his twenty-one-year-old’s talent, living vicariously through him since he’s past his own glory days.
“James came from New York to a few of the games too,” Mom adds with a smile. “Isn’t that so good of him? Taking time out of his busy schedule to support his brother?”
An intentional dig because I didn’t go to any of Riley’s games… mostly because I know Riley wouldn’t want me there. When I left for college, Kevin swooped in and convinced him and my other siblings that I’d abandoned them and didn’t give a shit about them anymore.
I do my best to let their words roll off me, but Abbie is not able to do the same.
In a cool voice, she asks, “Did you watch Jake’s last game? He was fantastic.”
Mom and Kevin give her blank looks, as if they can’t comprehend what she’s saying.
She raises her brows. “You know your son is a professional hockey player, right?”
Kevin scowls. “Our lives don’t revolve around sports.”
It takes every ounce of self-control I have to avoid snorting. They were just gushing over Riley’s college football career. I glance over at Abbie, who is arching an eyebrow, and I don’t know if she’s ever looked hotter.
Kevin’s not done yet, though. “You’ve always been so arrogant, Jake. So obsessed with yourself and your supposed talent. I thought maybe once you grew up you’d have a little more humility and realize the world doesn’t revolve around you, but that just hasn’t been the case, has it?”
Fuck, suddenly I’m a lonely kid again, desperate for just a nugget of affection from these people, and instead being told how unworthy I am of it. I feel small and worthless…and I hate that they still have this kind of hold over me.
“Holy shit, you people are awful,” Abbie snaps, surprising the shit out of me.
“What about how loyal, protective, kind, and intelligent he is? You know you haven’t asked one question about Jake’s life since we got here?
Not one! You’ve only criticized him or gone out of your way to make him feel like shit. ”
Mom narrows her eyes. “Excuse me, miss, but you are a guest in our house…”
Abbie shoves to her feet. She does it so fast that it rattles the dishes on the table. “Yeah, well, let me rectify that for you. We’re done here. You don’t deserve Jake, and I’m not going to sit here and listen to you two disrespect him anymore than you already have.”
“How dare you?” Kevin growls. “Who do you think you are?”
“Someone who actually cares about your son.” She grabs my hand and pulls me to my feet. “Thanks for dinner, not that I actually got to try any of it. Goodbye.”
She turns to storm out of the dining room, pulling me along with her. I’m stunned — and I have to admit, a bit turned on — so I follow after her without protest or hesitation. Damn, it’s easy to forget how confident she can be when she’s sticking up for somebody besides herself.
We get out to the car before I can find my voice again.
“Holy shit,” I murmur as I climb in behind the wheel and drive away from the house. “That was…”
“I know, I’m sorry,” she sighs, shaking her head.
“I shouldn’t have blown up on them like that.
I just… I couldn’t stand the way they were talking about you.
Your stepfather was just being so cruel!
How dare he call you arrogant? I mean, you are, but in a sexy way, not the entitled, asshole way he was describing. Or like how he is.”
I glance over at her and I realize I’m getting hard. Her face is flushed and her breasts are pressing tight against the neckline of her dress as she takes deep, sharp breaths.
Fuck me. Thinking about the way she stood up for me… when no one has ever stood up for me…
I spot a dark, empty parking lot ahead and pull into it.
“What are you doing?” Abbie asks, frowning at me.
Parking, I turn the car off and reach over for her. Cupping the back of her head, I pull her into a hungry kiss. She gasps, opening her mouth, and I slip my tongue in to tangle with hers.
When I pull back, she looks at me with wide eyes.
“What was that?”
“The start of your reward,” I tell her, setting my seat all the way back so I’m almost lying flat. “Get over here.”
“I don’t understand…”
I grab her around her waist and drag her over the center console until she’s straddling my waist. Before she can gain her bearings, I lie back and yank her up so her knees are around my face.
“Jake!”
I tug her panties aside and drag my tongue through her folds.
She’s already so wet… I lap at her, wanting to drive her crazy with pleasure.
Her fingers tangle in my hair and she moans, grinding against my face.
It’s a bit cramped in the car, but I don’t care.
I need to feel her to come on my tongue.
“Oh, my God!” she whimpers. “Don’t stop, Jake! Please!”
I grip her hips, holding her against me. I have no intention of letting her get away from me.
When I find her clit, I wrap my lips around it and start to suck.
“Fuck!” she cries, her body shuddering over me as she hits her peak. Her thighs squeeze around my head and I growl as I lick up everything she has to give me.
Afterward, I pull her onto my lap and hold her.
It feels good. I feel good.
We sit there for far longer than I intended.
Almost an hour. Admittedly, I didn’t plan any of this.
It just happened. But sitting together in the car, under the darkening sky, lit by headlines of other passing vehicles on the road outside the parking lot…
it feels good. Like we’re in this big, huge world full of so many tiny and moving pieces, and yet still all alone, just the two of us. It’s hard to describe.
She kisses me, and breaks the silence. “I didn’t realize how bad things really are with your family.”
I sigh and shrug. “Yeah, things aren’t great. Mom had me when she was eighteen. Definitely not planned, and not something she was ready for. Neither was my dad, for that matter.”
“You’ve never really talked about your dad.”
I snort. “There’s a reason for that. I went to visit him when I was younger, and he pretty much left me alone all weekend while he went out to party, so I didn’t bother seeing him again.”
My stomach twists as I remember being a little boy and just wanting my father’s affection, only to be denied it over and over again.
“That’s awful,” she murmurs.
“It wasn’t great,” I agree. “Not that living with Mom was all that much better. When she married Kevin, he made it clear early on that he didn’t give a shit about me.
Then, when they started having kids together, the gap only widened — she got to have the kids she wanted, instead of whatever I was to her.
My mom had me help raise my siblings, which wasn’t so bad because they were all great kids, until I left for college. ”
“And after that…?”
I sigh. “The older ones feel like I abandoned them so they avoid me. It made it even easier for Kevin to turn them against me with his bullshit.The two youngest still like me … so I’ve got that, at least.”
“I’m sorry you had to live like that,” she whispers. Then, more firmly. “But fuck it! You don’t need to put up with the bullshit your mom and stepdad give you. You are so much better than that.”
She kisses me, and then we stare up at the moon together.
I feel a wave of warmth and gratitude toward her.
I can’t remember the last time someone stood up for me as fiercely as she did.
Come to think of it, I don’t think anyone ever has.
I’ve always been more embarrassed about my home life than anything else.
Growing up, I felt worthless. Not good enough.
And I was terrified that if my friends knew the truth, they would think of me the same way my parents did.
I really don’t think that fear ever left me. Not until today.
“I’m glad you’re on my side,” I tell her. “I couldn’t ask for a fiercer defender.”
She arches a teasing brow. “Don’t worry. I’ll protect you. Even if you do actually break a leg someday.”
Grinning, I brush a lock of hair off her face and caress my thumb along her cheek.
“I have no doubt about that,” I murmur.