Page 83 of Hold On Me

So. Much. Trouble.

Jaxson

I like this dude. A lot!

41

BEN

“I just don’t think this is necessary. It was Penelope who said she wanted to see her dad, and she’s not here, so I don’t need to be either.” Backing away from Hank’s porch, I make my case, but Jenson’s stupidly hard body stops my progress and forces me to stay where I am. And with one hand on my shoulder, the other pushing in between my shoulder blades, I’m no longer backing away but stepping closer and closer to Hank’s house.

I know I shouldn’t be nervous. Hank has practically told me he wants me with Penelope. But this will be the first time I’ve seen him since I saw his daughter naked, and I’m a little freaked out by it.

“Jenson, you don’t need to be here. You can go and annoy someone else. I’ve got this.” The laugh I attempt to let out is less confident and more anxiety fueled, which contradicts my words even more. I wouldn’t say I’m scared of Hank, but I also wouldn’t say I’m not either.

I’ve seen how protective he is of Penelope. Watched grown-arsed footballers cower beneath his stare when he’s caught them looking at her or talking about her. I know he’s capable of a lot, but it’s more than fear of being hit by him. It’s disappointing him.

Hank’s been like a father figure to me since I came over here. He’s been my best friend for that whole time too, and I’d hate for anything to change that. I don’t want to lose him. And turning up here, without Penelope, knowing he knows I took her away for a dirty weekend, is making me want to turn and run.

“You need me here as a buffer.” Jenson’s voice reminds me where I am and what I’m doing, and I sigh loudly. His hand moves from my back and drops around my shoulder as he navigates me to stand outside Hank’s door. “Besides, I really wanna see Hank kick your ass.”

Before I can respond, he knocks on the door and laughs in my face. A voice bellows, “It’s open,” and the buffoon next to me cackles in glee as he opens the door and drags me through it.

“Yo, Hank, where you at?”

I ignore Jenson and the reply he gets, opting to focus on managing my breathing and stop myself from panicking. I’m a billionaire, a mogul in the corporate world, and yet here I am—terrified to face Hank, my right hand man and my girlfriend's dad.

Girlfriend. It sounds so juvenile. But it also feels really fucking good to be able to call her that.

I swipe my sweaty palms on my trousers, straighten my spine and snap my shoulders back. I can do this.

Walking into his living room, a place I’ve been to millions of times before, I glance around and take comfort in the vast array of pictures of Penelope everywhere, ranging from a child all the way up to now. Seeing her smile brings a calmness I need. I let my eyes scour over each frame, pausing slightly on one of her holding a sign saying ‘I want to be a teacher.’

A momentary flint of anger surges through me when I think of Director Allen forcing her out of her dream job, but I push it aside. She doesn’t want them to know. I force my gaze to another picture. It’s my favourite one. And unlike the other times I’vebeen here and had to ignore it, I can openly admire it today. I don’t have to hide the fact I enjoy seeing her pretty face. She’s sitting on the front porch with her dad’s arm around her shoulders. She’s beaming at the camera and he’s looking at her like she hung the moon. And I know that feeling well. The love he has for her pours out of his eyes and is laid bare for everyone to see. It’s beautiful and it's exactly how I look at her too. Like she’s my everything.

Because she is.

The little voice in the back of my head pipes up, and suddenly I realise this isn’t just a normal relationship. I’m in love with Penelope, and have been for a while now. I just didn’t see it before. I’m everything I promised myself I would never become. Dependent on a woman, leaving myself vulnerable and open, like prey to a lioness.

But rather than panicking and trying to find an escape hatch, I smile. I don’t give a rats arse about being open and vulnerable. Not if it means I get to look at Penelope like that. To openly walk down the street with my Little One and have everyone know she’s mine. She wants my money, she can have it. As long as I get to keep her.

“Well damn, I was gonna give you the whole father spiel about hurting Penny and what I’d do to you, but that look on your face tells me everything I need to know. You’re hooked on her.” Hank pats me on the shoulder, bringing me out of my head, before he turns to a grinning Jenson. “Maybe I should give Penny the talk.”

“Oh, for sure. Out of those two, she’ll be the one to screw up for sure.”

A frown forms on my face as I stare Jenson down. “She won’t screw up.” An element of doubt creeps into my mind, however strongly I protest in her defence. These two know her far betterthan I do. And even though she has this hold on me, maybe I should be a little cautious.

“But don’t worry. When one of you… Penny,”—he coughs into his hand and then grins like an imbecile at me—“screws up, you’ll have the whole Brady clan to help sort it out. You’ll be fine.”

Groaning loudly, I roll my eyes and turn my attention away from a laughing Jenson and focus back on Hank. “Should you be standing on that knee?” I motion with my head to Hank’s leg and he scoffs his disgust at my concern.

“I’m fine, son. Doctor said I should be moving about more. I’m even going fishing with Pops after Christmas. Which reminds me, who did you get in secret santa?”

He limps back to the sofa while I let the word son sink into my thoughts. He’s called me that a million times before, but today it hits differently.

“Now you know we’re not allowed to tell you that. Mama would kill us.” Jenson throws his reply over his shoulder as he strolls over to the sofa as well and flops down on it. Hank gives him a warning look but he just grins back. I honestly think if he was faced with a zombie apocalypse, he would still be grinning.

I sit down opposite the pair of them in the armchair. “My lips are sealed. I’m saying nothing.” I mimic locking my lips up and grin when Hank frowns.

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