Page 99 of Treacherous

"For a girl who turned eighteen last week your behavior is incredibly juvenile," Max muttered and I had to bite my tongue to stop myself from shouting out a string of F-bombs that would only prove how juvenile I truly was.

"No need to remind me about my fabulous eighteenth," I replied sarcastically. "It was such a joyous occasion." Not really, since I spent the entire day in bed feeling sorry for myself.

"I'm due back at work today," he said. "But don’t for one moment think that changes the stipulations of your punishment…I'm speaking to you, Teagan," he snarled in a condescending tone and I snapped.

I'd had all I could take.

"I'm eighteen now, Max," I hissed, glaring across the table at the man I'd once worshipped. "And luckily for me that means you don’t get to tell me what to do anymore."

"While you're living under my roof I do," he shot back, cheeks flushed.

"Maybe I should move back home and live under my own roof," I tossed back angrily.

"Well then maybe you should," Max growled before letting out a heavy sigh.

Shaking his head he stood slowly and picked up his mug. "You may not believe this, Teagan, but I'm doing this for your own good."

"Doing what?" I snapped. "Tossing me out on the streets. Gee, thanks a bunch."

Max sighed heavily. "No one is tossing anyone out. Teagan, all I'm trying to do is protect you from making the same mistakes your mother did," he told me. "With that waste of space."

My hackles rose. "Patrick Connolly may not be your cup of tea, Uncle Max, but he's still my father – my flesh and blood."

I hated my dad for what he'd done, for the absolute fucking agony of not having my mother in my life every day, but he was still my dad. The bond was still there, buried deep, and I sure as hell wasn’t going to sit here and listen to Max talk shit about him. And comparing me to my mother was just sick.

"And he's still the reason your mother is in a grave," Max spat as he stalked towards the door. "Four years today, Teagan. December thirty-first that man you call your father put my sister in her grave." He let out a shaky breath. "Don’t make the same mistakes she did… seeing that boy could put you in yours."

"Noah is agoodperson," I all but screamed as tears welled up in my eyes. I didn’t need Max reminding me what day it was. I was fully aware New Year's Eve was my mother's fourth anniversary.

"Ask Noah who his father is," Max snarled. "Or better yet, ask him what price is on his head."

"I know who his dad was," I shot back, furious. Closing my eyes, I inhaled slowly and tried to keep calm. "I know enough about him to know he's who I want to be with."

The sound of the front door slamming provided me with a miniscule amount of relief though the damage was done and I felt truly shattered.

Climbing to my feet, I hurried up the stairs and reached my bed before the tears flooded me.

Dammit, I hated New Year's Eve…

****

Noah

I watched from my living room window as Teagan's uncle stormed out of their house before tearing off in his car. Miraculously, Ellie and George were still away and – according to a text I'd received from Ellie – wouldn’t be back until school resumed.

My heart hammered in my chest as I watched his Focus drive out of sight.

This was it, the moment I'd spent the past two weeks waiting for, only now I was suddenly nervous.

Shit, what if Teagan didn’t want to see me as badly as I wanted to see her –neededto see her. Hell, it had been two weeks since we'd slept together. What if she regretted it – regretted me…

I stood at the window, freaking the hell out of myself, relaying to myself everything that could possibly go wrong until the sky turned dark and the street lamps came on.

Across the street, Low's house was lit up like the fourth of July and I knew just how much food I'd be consuming and alcohol I'd be swiping if I walked across the street and joined the Carter's New Year's Eve party – I'd been to the previous four – but the gorgeous blonde in the house next door kept my feet firmly on this side of the street.

Dammit, I needed to see her.

I had to.

---