Page 40 of Just a Little in Love

“Why is she so worried about you?”

Killian leaned forward. “We know you have problems…” he waved his hand in the general direction of Rowan’s pants and flushed. “but it never made any difference to us.”

“We just want you to be okay,” Eric said. “You helped me pass last year, and more than that, I enjoy hanging out with you.”

Rowan’s throat seemed to close automatically, but he glanced between both earnest faces and realized he’d been wrong not to trust them with more. He wouldn’t share everything, but he told them about his mom, and the little girl, and his cancer.

They were both horrified, and Eric nudged him. “I wish we’d known. I would have hung out with you more.” He wished that too. “Why doesn’t she like you having a boyfriend?” Eric asked. “Is she homophobic?”

“No,” Killian butted in. “I think it’s because she can’t control you.”

“My dad’s helping me as well. He’s met Gabriel.” It sounded wrong calling Daddy that, but he knew Daddy would want him to feel comfortable with his friends. He squirmed a little. “I’ve gotten a restraining order on her.”

“Go you,” Killian said and high-fived Rowan. So, Rowan got even more brave and shared that he didn’t know what to do about a job.

“Well, I know you’re not keen on teaching a bunch of kids, but you rock at one on one,” Killian said. “Loads of kids need extra help with math, and you’re pretty good at English as well.”

“You are,” Eric said. “You used to help kids when we were younger. Even if it wasn’t voluntary.” Rowan blushed. Writing essays had been one way to stop the bullies.

Killian frowned. “Not sure how much it would pay.” Rowan didn’t say that didn’t matter, but it gave him a lot to think about as he gladly helped them both with an assignment, then glanced at his phone and smiled. Daddy had replied, telling him to drive safely but to have fun. He also said he could pick Rowan up if he didn’t want to have to drive home, and they could collect his car the next day. It made him feel all warm inside.

He was just thinking he ought to leave when Eric’s mom called up the stairs, asking if they could come down. Eric glanced at his phone. “Early for supper,” he noted, but shrugged, and they all gathered their books. Rowan walked down between Killian and Eric, so when he got to the bottom of the stairs and heard the voice from his nightmares, he came to such a sudden stop that Killian ran into him.

He didn’t feel it, though. He was too busy staring in horror at the woman who had made his life a misery.

“Rowan, darling,” Mother said. “I’ve been so worried.” Her hand flew to her mouth as if she was biting back a sob.

“Mom,” Eric whispered, looking at his mother. “What did you do?”

Eric’s mom frowned. “Eric, Rowan’s very vulnerable—”

“And Rowan’s mom is currently violating a restraining order,” Killian said, coming to stand in front of Rowan like some sort of guard. But Rowan barely heard them. It was ruined. He’d never be able to show his face here again.

“A restraining order?” Eric’s mom gasped.

And of course, because it just had to happen, Eric’s dad walked into the house in time to catch his wife’s words. “Who’s got a restraining order?”

“Rowan has one against his mom,” Eric said, “and she shouldn’t be here.”

John Cartwright’s eyebrows flew up, and he turned to Rowan’s mother. “Then I’m afraid I will have to ask you to leave, or I will have to call the cops.”

“Rowan,” Mother wailed and started sobbing. “How could you? After all I’ve done? After all I’ve sacrificed?”

Guilt clutched Rowan like a vise. He hated this, but she was his mother. She had—

Eric’s mom gestured to Eric. “Please take Rowan upstairs, darling, and call someone for him. We’ll deal with this.”

“You ungrateful, pathetic, child,” Mother spat out, all tears gone. “No one else would have ever put up with such a lazy, incompetent—

“That’s enough,” John boomed out and actually managed to shut her up. Rowan barely seemed able to get his legs to work, but Eric got him upstairs and Killian grabbed his phone. “Let me call your dad. You can’t drive home like this.”

“I’m so sorry,” Eric said. “Mom didn’t know.”

No, and Mother had manipulated her in exactly the same way as she had done so many others.

“Hi, is this Rowan’s dad?” Rowan looked up at Killian. He didn’t want him calling his dad—

“No, this is Gabriel. Who’s this?” Killian had it on speaker and Rowan would have gasped, but his lungs seized. Killian had looked at his few contacts and called “Daddy” rather than “Father.”

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