Page 2 of Step Daddy

“Hey, what are you doing out here? That rat bastard’s gonna rip you a new one.”

Kit struggled to slow his breathing, to quit gulping in lungful’s of air so he could speak. He’d made it this far, he wasn’t going to be struck silent again.

“I-I…” Kit exhaled and fought to gain control of his breathing.

“What is it, kid?”

Tears sprung to Kit’s eyes, but he swallowed them down. He couldn’t bear it if the brother he worshipped saw him cry like a big baby.

“I didn’t get to say goodbye. To tell you I’ll miss you and…” Damn, now he was sounding all mushy. If only he’d had enough warning so he could’ve planned out his words better. “And you know, to be careful and all that.”

Gareth didn’t respond right away, his expression unreadable in the dim glow from the streetlight above. He shifted on the seat, the action small yet noticeable enough it struck Kit that his self-assured, cocky brother was suddenly uneasy in his own skin.

At last, he spoke. “Uh, thanks.” Gareth dragged the back of his hand over his mouth then gripped the throttle again. “You take care, too. And uh, you know, go ahead and raid my CDs. They’re all yours.” He glanced away, no longer meeting Kit’s eyes. “I gotta get outta here. Like I said, ignore that asshole. You’re a good kid.”

Gareth revved the bike, the roar of the engine deafening. Kit covered his ears as he frantically searched his mind for something he could do or say to keep Gareth from leaving. But he sped away before Kit could come up with a single thing. Kit lost control, his tears now flowing freely.

He’d never felt so alone in his whole life.

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