Page 99 of Family Bonds- Kelsey & Van

“Stay with me tonight,” she said. “You shouldn’t be alone.”

“I’ll be fine,” he said.

“Maybe I don’t want to be alone,” she said. “Did you think of that? I knew Barry for most of my life. I just watched a man that I lost. I saw the hurt in his eyes like never before. Please, stay with me tonight.”

“I will,” he said. She saw some of the hurt she was feeling in his eyes and knew that Barry was getting through to Van.

27

EMOTIONAL MELTDOWN

Van was outside with Frankie while the puppy was running around the yard doing his nightly business.

He’d felt bad the dog had been locked up while he was having an internal emotional meltdown.

Kelsey had been a rock until the end.

Guess she did mean it when she said everything in her life wasn’t a joke.

He wouldn’t admit that her tears almost pulled some out of him for a man he didn’t know.

It was getting harder for him to deny that his grandfather wasn’t the bad guy in this.

He knew where it all lay. Right at his father’s feet.

But there were still unanswered questions as to why his mother would believe his father. Or what the pull was there.

His mother had never been motivated by money. Ever. And if that was what his grandfather was trying to sway her with, he could see where it wouldn’t work.

Could it have been something as simple as that?

He didn’t believe it.

But he knew his mother could hold a grudge. He’d seen it a lot in his life when his father did something and his mother didn’t always let it go. Even friends she’d had, if her mother wanted to wipe them out of her life for some minor offense, she could do it.

“Come on, Frankie. Are you done playing now?”

“He has to run a few laps to make sure the pee is all out,” Kelsey said, coming out onto the deck.

The pup ran toward his mother and into the house. Van wanted to get his hands on Kelsey and knew he’d have to do it before bed. Otherwise the dog would be between them and that wasn’t going to happen. Talk about a mood killer.

“There isn’t much on TV,” he said.

“I wasn’t thinking of watching TV,” she said. “I need you to comfort me.”

It was the grin on her face. “Is that what you’re calling it now?”

“Yep,” she said. “I think we both need it. Not sure which one of us needs it more.”

“Is this your way of trying to help me?” he asked.

“Well, if giving me an orgasm is helping you, sure. We can say that.” She did a little hip thrust with the words.

There was no reason to tell her to be serious. He realized that was part of her personality that he enjoyed the most. She came through for him today without him even knowing until a few minutes ago.

He wasn’t sure why he gave her such a hard time earlier.

Talk about a rollercoaster of a day.

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