CHAPTER 7 #2
He clamped his hand over mine and pushed down on the suitcase that I struggled to lift, weighing it down until it was too heavy to hold. “You’re not going anywhere, little girl.”
God, the stench that wafted off of him. Who’d have guessed a man could smell like a literal grave? Pretty sure cutting him open would’ve sent a corpse spilling out.
“Lil! Angelo! Brought some coneys home! Come on an’ eat!” The sound of Conner’s voice stoked a turbulent mix of relief and alarm. I’d hoped to be gone before he got home.
The note I’d written was a sad and inadequate exit, but I couldn’t take a chance he’d try to guilt trip me. Or that we’d fight, and I’d end up pissing him off enough to withdraw Bee’s tuition.
“Sounds delicious!” Angelo called back, his lips curving to a smile.
“By the looks of things, you weren’t planning to tell Connor, either.
” He pushed off the wall and headed down the hallway toward the kitchen.
Much as I had the urge to slip out the window of my bedroom, I owed it to Connor to at least tell him what was going on.
Exhaling a sigh, I left my bag in the bedroom and made my way through to them.
Coney in hand, Connor frowned as I stood in the doorway. “Hey, Angelo says you’re heading out. Where to?”
“I’m staying at a friend’s. Why the hell was he here before you?”
“We were having a meeting. I ran out to grab dinner. He stayed.” Brow winged up, he stared back. “What friend you staying with?”
“Someone from school,” I lied. “You don’t know her.”
With a shrug, Connor bit into his coney, dribbling sauce down his chin.
Angelo tapped his finger against the table, while his uneaten coney sat in its paper tray in front of him. “That’s it?” he asked, not taking those creepy eyes off me. “Aren’t you gonna ask who?”
Frowning, Connor wiped his chin across his forearm, taking the bit of sauce with it. “’The fuck do I care? She’s twenty years old.”
Relief uncoiled some of the knots in my gut, so much so, I didn’t want to dare disrupt the mood by telling him about Dracadia. I’d call him. Leave the note in his lunchbox. Send a carrier pigeon. Or owl. Something that didn’t involve Angelo.
“Ahh, there’s something else, though, isn’t there, Lil?” Angelo’s face stretched to a wicked smile that I could’ve slapped with a fly swatter right then.
I shook my head, swallowing back the dryness in my throat.
“Oh, come now. There was something about a … Dracadia, I believe.” The theatrics in his voice grated on me, and I would’ve happily sacrificed my pinky toe to watch the ceiling cave in on him.
The asshole had clearly opened the envelope on my desk. He had been in our apartment for God knew how long and had rifled through my shit.
“’The hell is that?” Connor asked, shoving another bite into his mouth. “Sounds like something out of one of them vampire movies.”
“It’s a university. I was accepted there,” I offered reluctantly.
Conner’s brows winged up, his eyes bright with surprise. “Oh, yeah? That’s great, Lil. Congratulations. Is this, uh … another community college?”
Shifting my attention brought Angelo’s smug grin to the fore. “No. It’s an ivy league college about three hours north of here.”
“Three hours?” Conner buried his frown into a long swill of beer, and when he placed the bottle down, the frown had deepened. “And did you just say ivy league? Is this a joke? You can barely pay for two classes at Covington.”
I had to tread carefully, for Bee’s sake, in spite of the tensity simmering in my blood. Telling him that I had been gifted money would’ve been stupid–particularly in front of Angelo. “I received a full paid scholarship.”
The cluck of his tongue told me he wasn’t happy. “Well, that’s not gonna work. You got Bee and half the rent here.”
“This is my one and only opportunity, Connor. My one chance. And I’m not going to be made to feel guilty.
I stayed when I didn’t have to. I helped when I could’ve left.
And I never asked you for anything. Ever.
But I’m asking you now to be the decent guy my mom loved all those years ago and help me out. Please.”
What I surmised as understanding flashed across Conner’s face, and he let out a huff. “Angelo, give us a moment, will ya?”
Angelo’s jaw shifted, his stare more intense. “I could use a smoke.” With that, he pushed up from his chair and, never taking his eyes off me, strode out of the room.
At the click of the door, I let out a relieved exhale. “Thank you.”
Arms crossed, Conner stared down at the floor. “So, this school. Wow. You think you can handle all this?”
Finally, a real conversation without all the show of dominance. “I’m gonna try.”
He rubbed his jaw and blew out a resigned breath. “Fine. I’ll figure out rent. I got some applicants for the room. Callaghan mentioned some interest in it.”
Jesus, I’d take lady Callaghan any day over Angelo, that was for sure.
“So long as you can still help me with Bee?” he asked, and I smiled, glad to know that was still a priority for him.
“I’ve got … a little cash saved for it. I’ll get a job at school. They have work study, and maybe I can get another evening gig.”
Lips thinned to a straight line, he nodded. “You were always a smart kid, Lil. From the time you was little, you know? Smart little shit. Your mom …” With the back of his thumb, he scratched his nose. “I know she’d be proud.”
“Thanks.”
“The room will be here for ya. And Bee. I won’t rent it out, or anything.”
Not that I planned to come back for any great length of time, if I could help it. Even if things didn’t work out at Dracadia, I intended to use the move as an opportunity to be on my own. Still, it was decent of Conner. “I appreciate that.”
“When do you go?”
“I’m leaving right now. Staying with a friend for a few days, then she’s going to take me to the train station.”
“All right.” He rubbed his jaw again and stepped forward, as if to hug me, but hesitated and stepped back again.
Lips pulling to a half-smile, I held out my hand for a shake, to which he reciprocated. “Take care, Conner.”
“Yeah. Take care.”