Page 94 of Hired Help

“Congratulations. You made a teenage boy feel insecure. Why don’t you nominate yourself for a fucking award?”

My feet reach the gravel and I increase my speed, clutching my arms across my stomach, my heart aching, chest heaving, stomach twisting with misery. My eyes blur, still stuck with the strange gritty sensation.

The car is a smudge of black to my right. It’s not until Harrison calls my name that I turn in the right direction.

Then his arms are around me, escorting me the rest of the way. “Are you all right? Can I get you something? I’m pretty sure the driver’s got water if you need it.”

I stop walking, returning his embrace, hugging him so hard that my muscles complain about the unexpected exercise. “She never cared about me at all,” I say, having to push the words out through my resisting vocal cords, making them strain. “She kept me close to have access to my trust.”

“Fuck.” His arms close even tighter around me, his chest a shield against the world. “And to think she could have had such a great career in manufactured porn.”

The idiocy hits me just right, letting me burst into laughter as hard as I want to burst into tears. “You dope.”

“Mm. I’m so sorry.” He releases his grip in favour of cupping my face, his thumb stroking along my jawline with incredible tenderness. “Sorry I fell for the fucking bullshit on the video and sorry because I know how much her friendship meant to you.”

“I’ll survive.”

“We’ll make sure you do a lot better than survive.”

Another set of arms appears, Daegan slipping them around my waist, pressing against my back until I’m the meat in a father-son sandwich. His large fingers splay across my lower belly, igniting a storm of sensations.

The sun overhead. The warm men front and back.

When I ran after Harrison along this same stretch of driveway, head confused and heart breaking, I couldn’t have imagined landing here. Of finding someone new in such a short space of time. Of reconnecting with the boy I love.

CHAPTERTWENTY-FIVE

BROOKE

The flight home is uneventful.As we drove away from Alicia’s place, I’d asked if they still wanted to visit Gwyn, but both declined.

“I think a few weeks to compare notes and get a handle on our emotions will work better,” Daegan said, one arm slung around my waist, while Harrison sat on my other side, holding my hand. “And we’d both rather be here for you.”

It’s strange, having them both here to comfort me. Even if they still have bumpy patches ahead in their relationship, the bonds feel strong enough to hold fast.

But what do I know? The only family member I thought I had turned out to be a stranger.

By the time I walk through Daegan’s front door, I’m exhausted. I send a message through to Dad’s accountant, then decide to wash my hands of the whole thing. I don’t care if the trust fund had money stolen or misappropriated. If Alicia had asked, I would happily have given her anything she needed. It just hadn’t occurred to me she was wanting.

If the money was all it was, I’d have forgiven her on the spot. It’s the cover up that hurt me.

“What time do you need to get back to school, tomorrow?” Daegan asks, popping on the kettle for a hot drink. “I can drop you there or on Monday morning if you want to cut it really close.”

“Ugh.” I drop onto the couch, burying my head in my hands. “I don’t even want to think about it.”

Harrison sits next to me on the sofa. “If you want to skip on Monday, I’ll cover for you.”

I rest my head against him, closing my eyes. “How will you manage that since you’re not in any of my classes?”

“I’ll just tell your teachers I knocked you up and you’re suffering from morning sickness.”

I snort so hard that I’m in danger of dislodging something. “Knowing my luck, they’ll mark me down for being careless.”

Daegan’s voice is oddly thin as he asks, “Have you been ill?”

The way his gaze lingers on me, steam builds until my entire face is heated. There’s something deeper behind his eyes, a different question. Something that makes my stomach knot, and my nipples tighten, and my arms yearn for a small bundle to hold.

I shake my head, watching his reaction closely. “Did you want me to be?”

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