Page 44 of Tempt Me

“Enough!” he barks back to her. “I don’t want to count to ten. Like counting to ten is going to cut it.” He rakes a hand through his hair, leaving the graying strands sticking out in all different directions. “This is my daughter we’re talking about. And a guy that took advantage of her. A kid we took into our house and treated like a family member.”

“Counting will make it better.”

“No, it won’t.” His shoulders sag as my head continues to pound. I shouldn’t have drunk anything last night.

“Dad, just let it go. It’s not a big deal.” The words choke in my throat, but the alternative would make the entire situation worse. “Fine.” He shakes his head. “I’m going to work. I’m not meant to be a girl dad.”

“Yes, you are.” Tears sting my eyes. “This is all my fault. I’m sorry.” There’s no way I’m adding leaving school to this already shitshow of a morning. “I’m fine. It’s not a big deal.”

My mom points her wooden spoon at me with eggs dripping off the end as the door snaps shut behind my father. Great. He’s so upset, he’s leaving without eating breakfast. “If you hurt that boy’s feelings….”

“If I hurt his feelings?” My head is going to blow. “That’s ridiculous. It’s ridiculous that you care more about his feelings than mine. And it’s ridiculous that you think he has feelings that can be hurt.” The tension from everything that’s happened in the last twelve hours causes me to snap. “It didn’t mean anything to him, so let it go. We don’t need to slaughter the fattened calf to place at his feet.”

“Yes, we do.” Her back is stiff as she returns to the stove. “I’m making ribs, and you’re taking them over to Sam and Ben’s house before the game.”

“Mom….”

“No buts, young lady. You’ll do as you’re told.”

Fucking hell. I spin on my heel and march back up the stairs. To hell with school, I’m going back to bed. Today is fucking ridiculous.

Chapter Twenty-Two

Friday Afternoon

Dominic

After pulling into my mom’s driveway, I put my pickup into park and honk the horn. Seconds later, my brother pops his head out the front door, waves, yells something at our mom, and bounds down the steps. With his pickup in the shop, I told him I’d stop by and drop him off at the field.

Levi is dressed in his football pants and a skintight white Under Armour shirt with his oversized sports bag hanging from his shoulder. Where did the time go?

Just the other day, I was the one headed to the game, and he was tagging along with his football tucked under his arm. He didn’t watch a second of my games as the younger kids all played catch and simulated plays with their friends.

He tosses his gear into the bed of my pickup and swings open the door. “Hey, Dom.” His eyes twinkle as he slides in and slams the door shut. “How’s it hanging?”

I chuckle despite myself. “Low and to the left.”

“You’ve still got it, old man.” He smacks my upper arm and settles into his seat.

“I’m not that old,” I grumble as he puts on his seatbelt while I ease out of the driveway. My mom had offered to take him, but sitting around the house knowing Bella was dropping food by was driving me crazy so I bolted like the pussy I am.Someday, I’ll have to see her again. Unless I pack up and move out of the country.

“Thanks for dropping me off.”

“No problem. I wasn’t doing anything else until the game.”

Levi leans forward and switches the radio station from country to rap. I grip the steering wheel. Shit. That hurts. I loosen my hold. His music choices aren’t my favorite, but it’s better than listening to myself think.

The music screeches as he turns the volume knob to the off position. “What happened to your hand?”

I rotate my fingers on and off the steering wheel. “Fight.”

“Over the remote?”

“Shit, no.”

“Then with who? It’s not like you’re a brawler or something.” He stares at me in disbelief.

“A guy that was messing with Bella.”

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