Page 62 of His Stepdad Wears Leather

“That won’t happen,” Geena said. “We won’t let it.”

Another knock came to the door.

Stacey jumped up. “That’s likely Walt.”

Geena pulled Noah to his feet. She pushed the boy toward Brody. “Hide him.”

Brody could only stare at the kid as the pounding on the door grew.

“Hidehim,” Lex parroted, taking Noah’s arm and heading for the garage door. After a second, Brody followed, needing answers.

They were shut away from the rest of the family in the garage.

“Chris?” Brody asked.

Noah turned around, rightfully seeming ashamed. “It’s the name on my fake ID. I used it to get into the club, so I gave you the same name. Just in case. When I found out you owned the place, I was scared to tell you.”

“Sneaking into a bar when you’re underage?” Brody asked, skirting the bigger issue at hand. “I could lose my liquor license for that.”

“While important,thatseems low on the list of concerns here,” Lex said under his breath.

“A guy got off on the same bus stop I did… and he came on to me.Aggressively. Offered me a ride to mom’s… and hinted he wanted a fuck as payment. I declined. Later he and his carload of friends came searching for me. I ran away… to the closest place I saw that was open.” He watched his feet. “I knew I was breaking the law by entering, but it seemed a safer bet than disappearing in that car.”

Silence fell between them. Was it another lie? Brody couldn’t recognize the truth at that point.

“I didn’t lie.” Noah paused, as if he was answering Brody’s question. “About not remembering you. I hadno ideayou’d once been married to my mom.”

“But you lied about everything else. Your name. Your age. The bad relationship you were running from,” Brody spat.

“Name and age, yes. But Iwasrunning from a bad relationship—only not the kind you assumed. I couldn’t say I was running from my parents or you guys might’ve guessed I was underage. And trust me… my relationship with my dad and stepmonster isreallybad.”

“Had you told me your real name, I might’ve put two and two together. Before I tookmy stepsonto bed.”

Noah scoffed. “Well, it wasn’t like we did much in a bed. It was a desk, a floor, a couch, a shower, and the back of your truck.”

“Jee-zus,” Lex muttered, turning to Brody. “You take a Viagra or something?”

“Stay out of this,” Brody spat. He stared back at Noah. “No one likes a smartass.”

“Yes they do,” Lex whispered.

Brody shook his head, flustered.

Noah approached him, running a hand over his chest. “Come on, daddy. I had no idea.”

Brody stepped back. “Donotcall me that.”

“Mom said I was barely here when you were. You already told me you and my mom didn’t really have a relationship. It was a business proposition. Isn’t that what you called it?”

“He’s got you there,” Lex said.

“A few months doesn’t make you my stepfather,” Noah said. “I don’t remember you.”

“ButIremember you. The little four-year-old who couldn’t say my name right. The kid that bounced around the house watching Sesame Street and playing with his Legos. The one that beat my ass in Go Fish before his father took him to Disneyland and never brought him back home.”

Noah’s face shriveled up a little. “Oh my god… Idoremember that. The cards before Disney. You were on crutches or something like that.”

“I’d just had my knee surgery,” Brody replied.

---