Page 75 of Avery's Hero

He shifts between the balls of his feet. “You shouldn’t be here alone. They might see you and… It’s just not safe.”

“What’s going on?” I ask, stepping closer.

Belle wraps her arms over her body, folding the coat that was once Linc’s tighter to her body. She chews on her bottom lip, then she looks me right in the eye. “Lincoln has been trying to stop some guys from bullying me. I told him not to get in trouble over me, but he won’t listen…” She waves a hand at him, “I can’t stop him. I would think you know what I mean.”

I stare at her as my brain adds up all the things that have been happening. That, plus what Avery said about a girl, andeverythingmakes total sense.

“Want to join us for some ice cream?”

Linc’s mouth falls open, his eyes flare. Then he gives me the look that says, what the hell?!?”

Belle looks around the park once more. “Yes. I’ll just tell Amanda that I had to go. She’s probably stuck doing something with her mom, anyway.” She pulls out her phone. With thumb speed only a teenager has, she texts someone. When she’s done, she shoves the phone back in the little purse that’s fastened to her belt. “Okay. Let’s do it.”

“I’m parked over there.” I turn and head toward the truck. Belle hurries until she’s in step beside me, like she doesn’t want to listen to whatever Linc is going to say to her. Linc, on the other hand, is still standing where we left him when I glance back.

“You coming?”

He glares at me, but finally gets his ass in motion.

If Linc won’t talk to me about what’s going on, maybe his girl will. Regardless, I figure it’s about time to get to really know what’s going on in his life… or shall I say, who.

Belle’s a nice kid. She politely orders two scoops of vanilla ice cream in a cup, then thanks me when I pay. Linc,on the other hand, is all grunts and grumbles and narrowed eye glances.

We take a seat on the patio by the boardwalk. I break the ice. “So, have you lived here long?”

“Two years. Mom and I moved here from the Inland Empire. Mom’s uncle lives here, he’s got an apartment in his house, so when my mom found a job here, we moved to save money.”

She chats easily with me. Talks all about how much she loved volunteering to teach people to read through a program at the bookstore. Then she tells me about meeting Linc in the hall one day when she couldn’t get her locker open.

The conversation is so innocent, and the look they share alternately makes my heart squeeze and my hair turn gray.

These two are in deep. At fifteen.Fuck.I need to be buying the kid condoms.

I’m not ready to handle a kid that’s dating. Where the hell did my innocent little ten-year-old skater kid go?

Gone. Far away, apparently.

Linc doesn’t take his eyes off her for more than two seconds the whole time we sit and talk. He’s pretty tight lipped. As I expected. But that’s not gonna change overnight.

After we’ve finished our ice cream, I ask the question that’s been burning me up. “So, you mentioned something about not being safe in the park. Have you had some kind of trouble, Belle?”

Her color changes instantly. From rosy and youthful to pale. Linc sits up in his chair and fists his hands on the table.

“Some people have been really shitty to Belle,” Linc says as he looks me right in the eyes.

Belle sweeps her long, brown hair aside. “I guess peopleare like that everywhere. That’s what I keep telling Lincoln, that it’s not a big deal. I’m sure they’ll find someone else to pick on soon. I told Lincoln it’s not worth getting in fights over.”

“I disagree,” my son says and leans back in his chair with his hands gripping his thighs. “It’s fucked up,” he says with a hard exhalation.

She sighs tiredly, and looks down at her clasped hands. “I’ve never dealt with bullies before. At my last school, everyone was, you know, normal.”

I’ve dealt with bullies plenty, but I’ve never been on the outside looking in. Worried about these two, I ask, “Who’s the bully?”

Linc narrows his eyes. “There's more than one.”

“You’re taking them on for her?”

He nods, pushes the empty ice-cream cup around with his fingers.

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