Page 63 of Teasing a King

I look around at the faces of my friends. I can feel their curiosity, but more than that, I can feel their support. They care about me and want what’s best for me. I don’t know why I haven’t trusted them sooner.

“I never knew my parents,” I say. “I grew up in foster care. For as long as I can remember, I never had a family of my own. I was just passed around from one place to the next until I turned 18 and the system booted me out.”

Hope’s hand tightens on mine, offering her support. I squeeze back, grateful for her presence.

“Oh, sweetie,” Hannah says, making me look her way. The sympathy in her eyes makes me uncomfortable, so I look away quickly, clearing my throat.

“So, I had to work harder,” I say, keeping my tone matter of fact. “I busted my ass to get into college. Then I busted my ass to pay for it. I met Hope there, and she became my family. The only one I had.” I squeeze her hand again. “Until my dumbass decided to go digging into the past, that is. I wanted to find out about my parents.”

I shake my head. “What I found was pretty awful. My parents were basically a fling while my father, who was already married with a child at the time, was in town for a business trip. He and my mom hooked up and she got pregnant. Neither of them wanted to be parents. At least not to me, because Daddy Dearest raised his son. He just didn’t want anything to do with his bastard daughter.”

“Luke?” Hannah asks.

I nod. “Our father is a total dick, by the way,” I add. “He tried to give me money to disappear, to never bother him again.”

“Asshole,” Claire mutters.

I smile at her. “Agreed,” I say. “But Luke was different. Once he found out he had a sister, he was nothing but nice. He wanted to get to know me, be part of my life. I resisted at first. I didn’t want anything to do with the Wolfe family, including him. But he’s pushy.” I shake my head. “Wouldn’t take no for an answer.” I shrug. “It’s not so bad having a big brother.”

“Try having four of them,” Claire says, rolling her eyes.

I laugh. “One is enough, I think.”

“My mom died when I was a teenager,” I say. “I never got a chance to meet her. I never got the chance to ask her why she gave me away.” I shake my head and suck in a deep, steadying breath. “It doesn’t matter now,” I say. “It won’t change anything to know. I’ve always just figured that having a kid was too much for her. She couldn’t do it, so she gave me to people she thought could. That’s what I choose to believe, anyway. It’s the only way to not be angry at her.”

I feel a hand on my back and look over to see Quinn studying me. “It’s hard not to be pissed at our parents for fucking us up,” she says. “Even if they didn’t always mean it.”

I give her a small smile.

“I know better than some how easy it is to let the past ruin something good,” Quinn says. “I almost did it myself.”

I wonder what she means, but she goes on before I can ask.

“But you have to let some things go,” she says. “And focus on what you have now.”

I nod, knowing she’s right. “That’s what I’m trying to do,” I say.

“No, you’re not,” Hope says. “You’re pushing away a man who loves you because you’re scared.”

“She’s right,” Claire says, speaking before I have a chance to argue.

I look around at the others to see them all nodding their agreement.

“I’m not scared,” I say. When they all just look at me, I start to feel myself growing angry. “I’m not,” I insist. “Van and I had a fling. That’s all it was. It was just a fling until I got pregnant. Then he felt responsible. He’s just been trying to do the right thing. He’s a good man, so he’s not just going to throw us away. Now he thinks he loves me, but that’s just because he thinks this is what he’s supposed to do. It’s guilt and obligation.”

“Bullshit,” Claire says, drawing everyone’s attention to her. “My brothers never do anything they don’t want to do. They irritate the shit out of me every chance they get, but they’re good men. And they’re not liars. So, trust me when I say that Van wouldn’t tell you he loves you if he didn’t mean it. And I’ve seen the way he is with you. He lights up when you’re around. He can’t take his eyes off you. I’ve never seen him so happy.”

I look at Claire and take in her words, a sinking feeling in my stomach. What if she’s right? What if Van really does love me and I pushed him away? What if I ruined everything?

“Shit,” I whisper, my eyes filling with tears again.

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Van

I pace the living room, my cell phone pressed to my ear. I’d come home to talk to Mya after my conversation with Wyatt, but she’d been gone. I’d tried calling her, but her phone was turned off. So, I decided to call the one person who will know where she is. I just need to know she’s okay. If she doesn’t want to talk to me yet, that’s fine. I just need to know she’s safe.

“Hello?” Hope’s voice comes through my phone. I’d begun to wonder if she was going to answer.

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