Page 68 of Breaking Storm

She smacks her hand on the couch. “I will not be disrespected. You’ve been nothing but a smart mouth your whole life. It’s surprising you caught someone like Joey. You’re blunt, crass, and… and you’re undignified.”

“Does sucking men’s cocks or fucking them mean you’re dignified?”

My mom and Leo both stand and say in unison, “Enough!”

Leo turns to my mom. “Go home. Arrangements have been made. There’s nothing more to do here.”

My mother power walks to the door. “Fine.” She turns and looks directly at me. “You’ve been a disappointment since birth.” Her eyes shift to Joey. “If you ever need someone to satisfy your needs, I’m a call away.” She twirls on the balls of her feet and is gone.

I grind my teeth and wipe at the tear drops dangling on my lower lid. Why do I let her get to me? We’re nothing alike. I have no respect for her, so why? On top of that, I’m shedding tears because of her cruel words.

Joey crouches in front of me, takes my face in his hands, and says, “Don’t let her get in your head. You’re incredible.” He plants a kiss on my lips, which makes me smile.

Leo drops into his chair. “I don’t know why you bother arguing with her, Teagan. It gets you nowhere.”

“Because she hasn’t said one nice thing to me since… ever.” My eyes narrow at him. “Because she was hitting on my husband right in front of me. And because she’s a whore.”

Leo’s head drops and shakes. “She is what she is.” His eyes connect with mine. “Arguing with her won’t change that.” He rubs his temples. “Anyway, the wake is tomorrow and the funeral the following day. Can you behave?”

My head swings in the opposite direction from him. Leo used to stick up for me. We were close. Yes, he handles my parents better than I do, but we’re different people. He has a mild personality. Leo assesses situations first and acts accordingly. Me: my voice and actions come before thought. Right or wrong, it’s how I’m wired. My temper short-circuits.

Joey changes the subject and asks Leo, “Are you taking over the business?”

“Yeah.” He sighs and runs a hand through his hair. “There’s a lot going on right now. Between keeping my pregnant wife happy, my dad dying, and the arrangements, I haven’t had time to do much else. Over the years, I’ve incorporated myself into the business, so the family and men are loyal to me.” Offering a soft smile, he says to Joey, “You interested in joining our family business?”

Joey adamantly shakes his head. “No thanks. I’m not even interested in myownfamily.”

THE ONLY GOOD THING ABOUT the wake is seeing Erin. God, I miss her. She’s the one consistent person I’ve leaned on. We’re there for each other. And when she hands me a flask filled with Grey Goose, I appreciate her ten times more. We sneak into the other room where a wake will be held tomorrow. The body is laid out at the front, but we pretend it’s not there. I take a gulp from the flask, hand it over to her, and she does the same.

My arm nestles around her neck, and I pull her closer. “Thank you so much.” I kiss her head.

Erin laughs. “You’re welcome.” I stare across the room at the casket. She nudges my shoulder with hers. “Hey, what’s up?” I rest my head on her shoulder and let out a breathynothing. “It doesn’t sound like nothing.”

I sit up and smile at her. “You’re the best friend I’ve ever had.”

She pulls back as if shocked, placing a hand over her chest. “Moi? What about your college friends?”

My hand swats at the comment. “They’ll never be you. We have a special connection.”

Erin takes another swig and I watch her. She has the Irish kind of beauty with black, shiny curls, pale skin, blue eyes, and a figure worth a man exploring. She’s had her fill of neighborhood guys, but none ever stuck.

“Erin, why aren’t you with anyone?”

Her head tips back against the wall, gazing at the gray puckered ceiling with its recessed lighting. “Because I’ve had a secret crush on someone for years.”

My legs swivel to the side to face her. “Who?”

Erin gives me a sideways glance. “Sean. Joey’s best friend and bodyguard.”

Shit! He’s going to break a lot of women’s hearts.

“Oh! I never knew that.”

She sighs. “Not much to tell. I’ve been invisible to him, so admitting it was fruitless.”

My butt wiggles back into the chair to where we’re sitting parallel. “Have you hinted to him about your crush?”

Her head pivots from side to side. “Nope!” She pops thep. “I’m not model material. Besides…” She sits forward on her hands. “Like you, I’m sure I’ll be married off to a son of a family friend.”

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