Page 34 of Running Winter

Mom followed him before she kissed my Pops and Mom on the cheeks.

"On that note, I'm off,” Dad declared. “Chase, don't pick up any bad habits from this old man."

"I'll bury you!" snorted Pops as Dad grinned.

Mom hugged me loosely before looking up at me.

She was so tiny it was absurd.

"Will you be home for dinner tonight or…."

"I dunno. I'll text you," I shrugged, and Mom nodded.

"I know you will. Love you."

"Love you too, Mom."

Rafe seemed distracted, staring at his phone with intense concentration when Dad reminded him of his appointment at the parlor next week.

"Yeah, I'll be there," Rafe reassured him before turning his attention back to his phone.

"Enlighten me, now your uncle's gone," Pops drawled, nodding at Rafe. "What were you doing last night?"

"What?" Rafe mumbled, barely looking up from his phone. "I just chilled out."

Pops frowned before turning to me.

"And you, who were you out dating?"

"A girl I saw first," Rafe winked. "But I don't care. She's the sister of Jared Herrod, so no thanks."

"The quarterback?" Pops asked as Raven looked up with interest.

"I like his tattoos.” Raven smiled, and Rafe dropped his phone to glare at her.

"Go on Google images if you wanna look at tattoos, Raven."

"No, I mean, on him…."

Before Rafe can respond, Nanna has Raven up and following her to the kitchen, where she promised more cookies.

"Sounds like forbidden love," Pops chuckled, winking at me.

"It's not me dating her," Rafe huffed, nodding at me. "Although, he didn't fuck her. Even though I bet she was all over him."

"Of course she was. Look at him!" Pops exclaimed, gesturing in my direction.

"Chase said he is going on a dating website," Rafe continued, picking his phone back up. "I reckon it's to find a man."

"There's fuck all wrong with being gay." Pop frowned, looking at me. "There's no shame here, bud; you can't help who you fall in love with."

"I know that, but I'm not gay, " I protested as Pops continued thoughtfully.

"Everyone thought Zane was gay, but he was earning more money taking women out—"

"I'm not gay!" I yawned as Rafe peers at me.

"So why didn't you fuck Heather?”

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