Page 13 of Just a Number

“I pay to live here.”

“Well, it ain’t enough. You eat all the food. Time you grew up and acted like the adult you are now.” His speech is slow and pronounced, like he’s really having to concentrate.

“Like you, you mean?” I poke the bear; it’s too tempting.

“Sitting around making vases and cups. That’s not gonna earn your keep. You need to get a proper job. You should be labouring. You don’t know the meaning of hard work.” Disgust clouds his features.

“What crawled up your ass? You’re being more of a dick than usual.”

“Fed up with seeing your face every time I come home. Me and your mother want the place to ourselves.”

“Well, you’re in luck, because once I’ve finished this, I’ll be out for the night. And then I’m working all weekend.”

He stumbles as he heaves himself out of the chair. I don’t know what my mum sees in him. He’s always been a cunt. At least he’s never lifted a hand to her, but the mouth on him is alwaysabusive. He drags himself to the fridge and pulls out a beer. It takes him several attempts to grab the bottle opener from the drawer and I snigger as I walk past him to the sink.

He takes me completely off guard when he spins around, faster than I could have ever thought possible, even if he was sober. He leers at me, stepping up close and breathing alcohol fumes into my face.

“You little fucker. Don’t you laugh at me.”

It takes everything in me not to laugh again. He pokes my chest once, then again, harder. “I want you out of here.”

“I’m working on it, Dougie.”

“Not fast enough. You fucking parasite.”

I heave a sigh. There’s no point arguing with him, so I decide to wait him out. He’ll remember his beer soon and get out of my hair.

Sure enough, he lurches to the counter to lift the beer and bottle opener he dropped there.

“Make yourself useful, open this.” He goes to pass them to me but loses his grip and they both fall to the ground, the bottle shattering on impact.

“What the fuck did you do that for?”

“You dropped it, Dougie, not me.” I try to rein in the sarcasm, but it’s difficult.

He storms at me, pushing at my chest. He’s right in my face now and I see his fist making its way towards my jaw from my periphery. I push him, not too hard, but enough to have him stumble back.

“Don’t you dare fucking touch me. I will end you.” My anger rises up like a fever.

Why the fuck is this man living in my home?

What does my mum see in him?

I can’t stay here.

I need to cool down.

I storm out of the kitchen, pausing to grab my leather jacket and keys from where I left them. I shrug the coat on and check my pocket for my phone. There’s nothing else I need. I shut the front door gently behind me, refusing to slam it like my stepfather regularly does. I want to be nothing like that pathetic excuse for a man.

Out in the garage, I sling a leg over my bike and start her up. Straight away, I’m comforted by the purr of the engine between my legs. Being on the bike soothes me and gives me a chance to get out of my head. As the automatic garage door opens, I rev the bike and head out.

I don’t go straight to Zack’s. I know I need to calm down first. I take the bike for a ride, heading out to the more rural roads outside of town. There’s hardly any traffic, and I gradually lose the tightness in my shoulders from the encounter with Doug.I really have to move out of there as soon as I can.

Once I’ve cooled off, I head over to Zack’s place. I pull the bike up in the driveway and note the silver SUV parked there. Mel’s car. I hope that means she’s home. Getting another look at Zack’s hot mum wouldn’t be bad at all. I can’t stop thinking about how good she’d looked standing there in her skimpy pj’s.Fuck, I have to stop. I can’t walk into Zack’s house with a boner, dammit.

I take a moment, counting backwards from fifty, as I will my stiffening cock to calm the fuck down. Maybe I need to get laid sometime soon and take my mind off my friend's mum.

Once there’s no hint of a tent in my jeans, I ring the doorbell. Footsteps approach from the other side as I wait for the door to open.

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