Page 76 of My UnTrue Love
“I’m just gonna have to keep you closer, I think. I don’t like it when you’re outta my sight, anyhow.”
His va-va-voom vixen drew in a deep breath, so the tips of her breasts grazed his chest. The contact made her gasp, and she suddenly seemed to realize she was pressed against him. She tried to shift back, but Bill didn’t let her get far.
Instead, he put his palms on her waist. “Now what did Ijustsay?” He scolded. “You stay right here with me, like a Good girl. Tell me more about that coyote kid.”
Surprised green eyes flashed up to his, as he kept her still. Her hands remained on his arms and he could feel the jut of her nipples against his chest. Oh yeah, this was right where she belonged. He made a soothing sort of sound, wanting her gentled to his touch.
It seemed to be working. Her expression was a little dazed, but she wasn’t trying to retreat.
“Clem?” He prompted, when she gazed at him.
She swallowed. “Um… I’m sorry, what were we talking about?”
“That coyote boy. What was he doing here?”
“Well, I didn’t invite Luke to dinner, exactly …but I kind ofdidinvite him?”
Bill sighed in exasperation.
“He’s just a kid.” Clem defended. “I’m sorry he was so upset with you. He’s very moody.”
Luke was a miserable little shit. He’d been willing to throw down with Bill over Clem getting food, though, so it washard to write him off as completely useless. Notimpossible. Just hard.
“I don’t think his attitude had anything to do with you.” Clem assured him. “I think he had a rough home life and now he’s on his own. It’s difficult to be a teenager without parents. Trust me. I know.”
Sometimes it was easier without parents. Not when they were kind and caring, like Clementine’s had been. But when they were selfish, abusive shitbags, they were better off gone. Just ask Bill. He did his best to forget his father even existed. An angry coyote could be dangerous to a child.
And a woman.
Luke had clearly internalized that same lesson. He saw Bill as a threat to a compassionate, cheerful angel of a girl, who had no idea she was in over her head. The kid was right. Bill wasn’t a physical danger to Clementine, but he’d sure as hell hijacked her life. She had no idea just how trapped she was. From the outside looking in, Bill was the clear villain of the tale.
And, like all true villains, he didn’t give a shit.
“I would never hurt you.” He reiterated, making sure she knew that much.
“I know.” She smiled at him. “It’s Luke’s pain talking. Let him adjust to you and he’ll see how nice you are.”
Bill doubted all the cops and medical teams agreed with her about his “niceness.”
“Luke’s struggling.” Clem persisted. “Emotionallyandfinancially. He’s going to be homeless soon. Woody said he was evicting him tomorrow. Luke was starving when I gave him that pizza, like he hadn’t eaten for days on end.”
“Lots of coyote kids don’t eat for days on end.” Bill had gone hungry countless times.
Clem looked at him. “Your childhood was like Luke’s.” It wasn’t a guess. Her palms rubbed up and down his arms, soothingly now. Hearing all the things he wasn’t putting into words. With Clem, he never had to talk much to communicate everything important.
“It’s better not to need people.” Bill muttered for absolutely no particular reason, at all. “Then they can’t break you when they leave.”
“What if theydon’tleave?”
He lifted one shoulder. “Why would they stay?”
“Because you are awonderfulperson, Bill. And very strong. Tonight, you went from the triumph of your first solo performance, to Hank nearly arresting you, to all these harrowing memories resurfacing. I think it’s inspiring how well you’ve endured it. So many artists would have crumbled under the trauma.”
“I find the secret to dealing with trauma is to look outside myself.” …So he could find some other motherfucker to inflict trauma on.
She nodded. “I know you like to focus on the people around you. It’s your nature to give. But we’re going to concentrate onyou,right now, and not just bottle up your feelings. Is there anything I can do to help you process all this?”
“You do plenty for me.”
