Page 54 of No One But You

Terry was so not good for my health. My blood pressure was sky high, and a dull ache started in my temple. A headache. Just what I needed. “You got high with a bunch of high school kids. Seriously?”

I paced the small living area and gripped my neck with my hands. “This is a small town. I’m trying to make a home here, and your stupid choices better not mess things up for me. Again.” This was ridiculous. I really needed to punch something, or better yet, someone. “And that money you used was for my driveway. You had no right to use it. That’s stealing, old man.”

“You’re my son. It’s not stealing. I helped you out while you were growing up. It was about time you did the same.”

“You were my father. I was your son. It was your job.” I placed my hands on the counter and leaned heavily on them. “Once I was old enough to make some money, I took over all the responsibilities. We ate because of me. We had lights on because of me. The twins had everything they needed Because. Of. Me.”

“Oh, yeah, I remember. You made some good money on the side. Don’t you dare judge me, son. I’m sure your pretty piece of ass would love to know your history.”

I froze and held his glare. He wouldn’t say a word, would he? I hadn’t planned on things with Kora going as far as they had. She needed to know everything, but I wasn’t sure how to let her know. I wasn’t happy with the choices I made, or what happened because of them, but it was for clothes, food, survival.

A sneer appeared on Terry’s face. “She doesn’t know, does she?”

I started to pace again. I can’t do this. I came here to get away from the crazy that was Terry Lawson. Now here he is, trashing my place, stealing my money, and threatening to ruin my life—again. “Terry, I can’t do this.”

“It’s Dad.”

The tone of Terry’s voice froze me in place. How dare he talk to me like he deserved the respect the term dad held. How dare he talk to me in my house like he had any authority over me.

The rubber band that was holding my anger in check stretched to the max. “You aren’t a dad.” I sneered. “The term dad is for the men who work hard and take care of their families so their teenage son doesn’t have to take matters into his own uneducated, immature hands. You are a stranger and a loser. And your name, Terry, fits you perfectly. You are a Terry.”

Terry’s fist caught me off guard as it slammed into my jaw. I stumbled back, held up by the counter.

“I’m your father, and you’ll start respecting me as such.” Terry’s words slurred slightly.

I wasn’t the skinny teenager he could bully around and use as a punching bag anymore. I was thirty-one and had the body of someone who worked hard all day lugging heavy material around a construction site. Terry was no match, and there was no way in hell I was going to back down. “Fuck you and your respect,” I spat as I rubbed my aching jaw. “You’re in my house. You will respect me. While you’re here, you will not drink. If that’s going to be an issue, I’ll kick you out on your ass.

“I can see what you’re doing here, boy.” Terry took a small step in my direction. “You think you can come to a small town, find a job, get to know the locals, and start fucking the cute little brunette, and your life will become a storybook romance? Don’t forget who you are, you dumb fuck. You are Kai Lawson. You’re a useless piece of shit who has a record, whose mother didn’t even love you enough to stick around—or even better yet, take you and your brother and sister with her.” Terry took another step closer. “What mother would leave a kid who was worth anything?”

I was dumbstruck. A part of me had always thought those very things Terry just said. What kind of mother left her children behind? What type of person made the stupid decisions I did and spent time in jail? I felt the familiar heaviness in my chest settle in and make itself at home like it did when I was younger.

“If your own mother couldn’t love you, what makes you think a pretty little thing like that Kora could ever want anything to do with you? You are just a pity case for her,” Terry spat with venom.

Anger and hatred rose from deep within my chest.

The anger turned to rage, and the rubber band snapped.

Broke.

Exploded.

Before I could stop myself, I punched Terry in the gut, then punched him again with an uppercut to the jaw. He flew backward and landed on the chair he just got out of. He didn’t move. He was knocked out. Good.

I fled from the fifth wheel and stalked across the yard to my truck. Terry couldn’t stay here. This wasn’t a good thing at all.

I climbed into Matilda and tore down the dirt and gravel drive and back onto the road. The clock on the dash read eight o’clock. Had I really only been home an hour? It was amazing how time stopped when Terry was around.

I shook my hand as I drove. It throbbed. I didn’t feel it at the time, but now, I felt it. It throbbed, and it sucked. It was my right hand. I needed it to work. Luckily, I was in charge now and didn’t do much manual labor, and the work at the salon was completed.

I pulled up in front of Jerry’s Pub. The parking lot was about empty, and I didn’t recognize any of the cars. I laid my head on the steering wheel for a beat and tried to get control of my breathing.

What Terry said was true. If Kora found out the truth about me, she wouldn’t waste another second. She was too good, too perfect, to allow the chaos and negativity that was my past into her life.

If Terry had just stayed away, I could have left this crap in the past and took my time telling Kora. I couldn’t put it past him to let it out. He’d do anything to ruin my happiness. He’d done it plenty of times in the past.

My breathing calmed. I considered leaving and driving around for a bit. I could find somewhere else to stay for the night. I still had the salon key. Kaye and Diane wouldn’t mind if I crashed one more night. Or I could call Kora.

No. Just go in, get something to eat and drink, and calm the fuck down. I entered the pub and sat heavily on one of the bar stools at the counter.

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