Page 99 of Bred
“Ted, why would Zoey be traveling with you? Shouldn’t she be working?”
“Well I don’t know all the details but she showed up at the house and saw the sold sign hanging out front. From what I could pick up listening to Mel talk to her is that she broke up with Lucas and moved out. I’m sure it will all get worked out, my boy Luke wouldn’t be stupid to let Zo get away. She’s a good girl.” I’m stuck between being irritated that I’m dealing with the fact an adult ran home to mommy because her boyfriend left the toilet seat up and slightly disgusted at thinking of Zoey as a good girl… for all the wrong reasons.
“And that has to do with you or hell even me why? Also I distinctly remember her planning some big graduation vacation and Mom had us give money toward that for her gift.” Why isn’t she in Mykonos, sipping a fruity drink with an umbrella? I leave the question unasked because frankly I don’t want to speak out loud the image of Zoey on a beach, undeniably in a swimsuit that is barely decent.
“Honestly Si, I don’t have the whole story but the girl is distraught. Can she please stay with you for a while? Mel and I will figure something else out. She was going to stay in a hotel. What kind of dad would it make me if I let her stay in a hotel? A terrible one. She’s family, Silas.” Oh I see we’ve taken to using familial guilt to get our way.
I don’t see an issue with her staying in a hotel for a few days. What twenty-two-year-old wouldn’t want to spend a few nights on her parent’s dime spending days by the pool and nights on twelve hundred thread Egyptian sheets?
“I mean you’re not really her dad and she’s been out of the house for four years but I’m not going to be a dick about it. Fine, send her over. She can stay for a little while until you guys figure out what she is doing with her life. But she’s an adult and I’m not a babysitter. I’ll barely even be home.” And with those words, I seal my fate.
“I knew you wouldn’t let me down brother. I’ll have Mel tell her the good news and she should be there soon. Family is everything, thank you for helping me look out for mine.” He didn’t need to get all emotional and sappy on me. I’m an asshole, but at the end of the day, there isn’t anything I wouldn’t do for Ted or Mom. Barlow’s always and forever.
“I suppose I should be here when she arrives. Have her show up between two and four this afternoon because I have a call to Tokyo at five.” And without waiting for a response I hang up.
I’m not worried about him being offended, we’ve long gotten over that issue and I don’t have the time to listen to any more of his rambling currently. I have a houseguest arriving in a few brief hours and no time to call anyone for assistance. I keep my home clean and well-kept, so really, I just need to make sure there are linens in one of the guest rooms. I also need to make sure I keep my eyes and hands to myself.
I don’t know how long Zoey is staying for, but I can only hope it’s a brief intermission in my life. Fighting my attraction to her has gotten harder over the years but it will test my restraint with having her here in my home. In one of my beds, rolling in my sheets. I can picture it and I know her unique apple scent is about to invade these walls and take root in my senses. Fuck, I am going to need to spend as much time outside of the house as possible.
CHAPTER THREE
ZOEY
IfIeverseeLucas again, I’m going to knee him directly in the ball sack. Because of him, I’m on my way to my step-uncle’s house. Ted assured me that Silas issuperexcited to have a house guest, and I didn’t bother calling him a liar. He means well, and I feel like in Ted’s brain he probably thinks Silas is happy about this. I shouldn’t entertain it. I should just try to convince Mom and Ted to loan me some money to stay in a hotel until I can get on my feet. If I’m honest, I don’t really want to stay alone in a place I’ve never been before. Lucas might be a sucky boyfriend, but he was always around. I should suck it up and just do it, but after Mom’s tirade about how dangerous it is for a young woman to be living on her own with so many people coming and going, I’m afraid. But I’m not sure that living with Silas is a much better alternative.
He’s never been flat out mean to me, but I get the distinct impression that he thinks I’m a brainless twit. He’s always on his phone, holding his finger up to shush Ted while we’re in the middle of holiday dinners. Mom told me not to worry, that he’ll barely be home for the next couple weeks and that she’ll feel much safer with me staying at his house than anywhere else. It’s not like we have any other family besides each other, so unfortunately, Salty Silas is my only option.
I follow my GPS down the suburban street that leads to the upscale community where Silas lives. I tap my brakes when I see the heavy wrought-iron gate that is meant to keep anyone who doesn’t live in this specific development from entering. A young man with red curly hair steps out of the small box office. He has on a crisp white polo shirt and khaki pants.
“Hi,” I eye his nametag before I continue, “Hi, Vernon. I’m here to visit Silas Barlow.” Ted told me there isn’t a code or anything, just to say his name and they would let me in.
But nothing is ever that easy.
Vernon laughs, a loud cackle that doesn’t match the pristine outfit he’s wearing. “Silas doesn’t allow visitors. What’s his house number?” He’s smiling at me, and I’m not sure he’s serious at first. He leans an elbow on my roof, bowing his tall, lean frame in order to look down into my car. His eyes rake over my thighs that are exposed by my bike shorts, and that’s when I snap.
“My eyes are up here, Vernon.” He playfully grins at me, shrugging his shoulders as he meets my eyes. “I don’t know the address, but he’sexpectingme.” I’m trying to sound assertive because everyone treats me like a fucking kid and talks over me all the time.
But it doesn’t come across that way because Vernon grins, his white teeth flashing. “Are you a stripper?”
“What? No! Why would you think that?” I huff, pressing the button to raise my window so it’s only open to a slight crack. “Silas is my uncle.”
Vernon shakes his head, still smiling. “I’m not falling for that. Silas is a bear and I’m not getting reamed out again.”
“Again?” I instantly regret asking when Vernon flails his arms toward the gate.
“I hit the button too earlyonetime and dinged his door and you’d think I punted his first-born child over the gate,” he says animatedly, huffing before resting his hands on his hips.
I grimace for two reasons. Vernon is annoying and I’m going to have to see him at least twice a day on the days he’s manning the gate and the other reason is that I don’t doubt anything he’s saying. I bet Silas is a peach to deal with and is probably going to be a nightmare to live with.
I get butterflies in my stomach at that sentence.Living with. I wouldn’t even say I was living with Lucas in that way. We were roommates, basically. He had his video games and his friends, and his side hustles and I had work and school up until just a little while ago. It wasn’t the same thing as making a house a home together type living situation. I shake off the thought. I shouldn’t be having these unprompted feelings about anyone, especially my step-uncle, who is annoyed that the entire world exists. I bet he bills his mother when she calls him. I smirk at the thought and when I’m finally out of my little daydream about what it would be like to live with Silas, I glance up and realize that Vernon is staring in my window again and his eyes are on my t-shirt.
“Do you mind?” I hiss. “Please just buzz me through. I’ve had a bad couple of days and Silas is literally waiting for me. I was supposed to be on his doorstep fifteen minutes ago.” I wince because the fact that I’m late isn’t entirely Vernon’s fault. I did stop to get another iced coffee on the way in hopes it would help me get through the awkward first meeting with Silas. I wonder if he’ll even speak, or if he’ll just grunt and point to the dungeon he probably has for guests.
“Okay, okay, but put your window down,” he huffs, like he’s finally given in and is going to let me through without any more trouble.
I press the button, letting the window go all the way down. I assume maybe he has to give me a ticket or a pass or something because Ted told me that even though it’s a gated community and there is surveillance at all times, they still have police patrol for cars that don’t belong here. Instead of heading back to the booth to get my stuff, he leans in the car and smirks.
“What will you give me if I let you through? I’d settle for seeing your tits. Are they real?” He blinks several times quickly like he’s trying to be cute. It’s when he slowly reaches out, like he’s going to grab a hand full of my left breast that I snap. I pop him right in the nose with the heel of my hand, causing it to start bleeding immediately.
