Page 52 of Naughty Nicky

I don’t even get the chance to defend myself or spew off some lie or excuse before Wes punches me in the face. Not once but twice. The first right into my eye and the second into my jaw. I don’t fight back. What’s the point? I definitely deserve this. If he even knew the half of what I was up to with his sister the last few days, he would probably murder me.

“Wesley, stop!” Pen cries out as she tries to pull her brother away from me.

“Let me go, Penelope. This fucker deserves it.”

Wes swings at me again, but this time I block him.

“Finally gonna fight back?” he taunts me.

I shake my head. “No, man. But we don’t need to fight over this.”

“Like hell we don’t!” he screams, his face turning red. “You promised me you would never touch her, and who knows what the fuck you all have been up to the past few days.”

“Wes, my car broke down at the store. Nick just drove me—”

“Don’t fucking lie to me,” he seethes as he turns toward Pen. “I know the truth.”

“Wes, come on. Let’s just talk—”

“No, you’ve been lying to me for how long now? I thought you were my best friend. But no, you are just another fucking asshole.”

He swings at me again, and I let him hit me because I feel like I deserve it. This time he gets me in the stomach, and I hunch over from the strength of his punch. I see another fist coming for my face, but it’s stopped by a strong arm.

“That’s enough, Wesley.” I look up to see their dad holding his son back. “This isn’t how we handle shit.”

“Dad, he is fucking your daughter!”

Jonathon, their dad, winces but then pulls Wesley back a few more steps. “Watch your mouth, son. We don’t know anything that’s happened.”

“He’s a fucking liar!”

“Wesley!” Jonathon snaps at him.

I look over at Pen, and tears are streaming down her face. She mouths an ‘I’m sorry’ to me, and I just shake my head at her, she has nothing to be sorry about.

Jonathon turns to his daughter. “Come on, sweetheart. Go inside with your brother. I need to talk to Nick.”

Wesley pushes off his dad and storms inside the house, his anger floating around us like snow. Pen gives me one more glance before following her brother inside.

“You should ice those hits,” Jonathon tells me. “I can get you some ice.”

I shake him off. “I’ll be fine. I’ll take care of it later.”

“I’m sorry about Wesley.”

“I didn’t think he was here.”

“He came home this morning. Wanted to make sure we survived the storm okay.” He pauses before continuing. “I didn’t tell him your secret. I let him know Pen was at a friend’s house. He didn’t know it was you until you pulled up.”

I nod.

“But I do want to talk to you about what is going on between you and my daughter.”

I gulp. I really didn’t want to have this talk this morning.

“You are an honorable man, Nick. And you are probably better for my daughter than any other guy she has dated. I just want to make sure your intentions are true.”

I stand in shock. I thought he would be mad at me the way Wes is. “I never saw Pen coming to be honest. She was always a little sister to me. But these last few days…I’ve seen a different side of her.”

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