Page 118 of Puck Prince

I lean back against the headboard, and Callie cuddles into my bare chest.

“I’m sorry I got so worked up,” I say after a long moment. “I’m just… too used to assholes that think they can do whatever they want. I’m over it. Especially when someone I care about is the victim.”

Callie doesn’t say anything.

So I go on. Because she just poured herself out to me. Because she is terrified and has been carrying that fear around by herself for a while now, and I feel like I owe it to her to be real with her, too.

“My mom went through a lot of guys. It started with my dad, who got her pregnant and dipped. And then she just went down the line, one piece of shit after the next. There were times it felt like our door was open to every schmuck that walked by. They’d come in for a night cap, things got… well, you know. And then they were gone.”

“So she never actually dated? They were all just one-and-done?” Callie asks. Then she looks up at me quickly. “Sorry, I didn't mean to paint your mom that way. I just meant it must have been hard for you.”

“It was. She dated some of them for a bit, but it always got abusive and then it never lasted long. One of them resulted in Summer and, for all of two seconds, I thought maybe we’d have a family. But my mom wasn’t really wired for that. He left, taking Summer with him. It was like that over and over and over while I grew up. I threw myself into sports, into school, into anything that got me out of the house and took my mind off what was happening on the other side of my bedroom walls.”

Callie props herself up on my chest and looks at me. “I’m sorry you went through that.”

“Don’t be. I got out. And when I got out, I made two promises to myself.”

“What were they?”

“That I would reconnect with Summer and make sure she was okay. And that I would never, no matter what, be that kind of man.”

There is a beat of silence before I go on.

“I want to find him,” I growl. “Whoever the guy is who hurt you. He can’t get away with any of this.”

She looks panicked. “Please don’t. I don’t want you getting in any more trouble, and I just… I want to just put it to bed.”

“Oh, I’ll put him to bed. I’ll put him in the goddamn ground while I’m at it.”

She presses a hand to my heart. “Owen, you already have your sister and nephew to take care of. You don’t need to worry about me, too. Promise me you won’t.”

I don’t say anything, but she snuggles back into me. It takes all of five minutes before her breathing becomes rhythmic and even. I know she is out.

I slip out from underneath her and throw on a t-shirt.

Before I leave, I cover her with a blanket and brush her hair from her face.

“I’m sorry, Callie Coleman. But I won’t make promises I can’t keep.”

I knock on Kennedy’s door and wait. I don’t know if she’s home. I don’t know if he’s with her. If so, cool. Two birds, one baseball bat.

For the second bird, anyway.

I knock again before hearing rustling inside. “Hang on a second. I’m coming!” The door opens and Kennedy’s face shifts from annoyed to shocked to amused. “Well, if it isn’t Hockey Boy? Wait. If you’re here, where is?—?”

“She’s asleep in my apartment.”

“You wore her out, didn’t you?” She crosses her arms.

My God. Does salty and spice and nothing too nice run in this whole fucking family?

“Sure. Listen,” I say, “I need to ask you a question.”

“She’s a five. Pretty sure.”

I squint. “A five what?”

“Ring size.”

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