Page 62 of Chasing Xander
“I won’t tell you again,” Kylie yelled. “Get out. Now. Or else I’m calling Sheriff Rick.”
“You’d really call that fucking asshole pig on your old man?” The man’s words were slurred.
Xander’s stomach clenched. That must be her father, and he sounded drunk.
“I’ve got him on speed dial.”
“You rotten, no good, ungrateful brat. I have nowhere else to go. I fuckin’ told you that!”
“That’s not my problem. I don’t even know how the hell you got in here. Nammy Joyce would be pissed if she found out.”
“That old broad can kiss my—”
Xander entered the house, and Kylie’s father’s words stopped abruptly. She spun around and glared at him. His gaze darted between her and her father, who was wearing a dirty T-shirt and a pair of grease-stained jeans. He reeked of cheap liquor and even cheaper cigars.
“Who the fuck are you, pretty boy?”
“Dad!” Kylie snapped. Her face was beet red, but he didn’t know if it was out of anger or something else.
“Xander Collins.” He held out his hand to her father, who looked at it with disgust. “I’m a friend of your daughter.” He pulled his hand back and crossed his arms over his chest.This guy’s a piece of work.
Her father grunted, then shoved past Xander. A second later, the front door slammed, and Kylie jumped, letting out a small gasp of surprise. She sighed and put her cell phone in her pocket. “I’m sorry you had to hear that.” She covered her face with her hands before looking up at him. To his surprise, her eyes were dry. “That was my alcoholic sperm-donor.”
“Yeah, I figured as much. You all right?” He put a hand on her arm and gave a reassuring squeeze.
She nodded. “I don’t know why I’m surprised. He’s always doing shit like this. Stealing from his own mother, taking whatever he can whenever he can. It was a shock to find him here. He knows this house isn’t his.” She balled her hands into fists at her sides. “And the sheriff was supposed to be keeping an eye on this place to make sure my father didn’t break in.”
“Hey, relax. He’s gone now. Probably wouldn’t hurt to have the locks changed, though.”
“Yeah.” She flexed her fingers. “I had hoped you’d never have to meet him.” She groaned, and her face reddened even more. “I am so embarrassed.”
“Don’t be. He’s a grown man, and his actions are his own. You can’t control him.”
“Yeah, tell me about it.” She sighed. “I really hope he doesn’t show up at the funeral drunk.”
“If he does, we’ll deal with it.”
Frowning, she nodded.
“I’m going to go get our bags.” He went out to his car in time to see Kylie’s father back out of the garage, flip his middle finger in the air, and then squeal his tires, leaving behind a cloud of smoke and the stench of burning rubber. Shaking his head, Xander wondered how someone like that managed to produce a daughter as wonderful as Kylie.
He carried their bags inside and kicked the door closed behind him. “Where do you want these?”
“Oh, uh… Follow me.” She led him through the living room and up the stairs. Stopping at the first door on her left, she went in. “This is the guest room. Nammy Joyce used to use it for her sewing, but you can stay here. My room’s down there.” She pointed to the last door at the end of the hall. “And the bathroom is right next to your room.”
Xander dropped his bag on the floor, then carried hers to her room. He glanced around, noting the matching floral comforter and curtains and the collection of stuffed animals in the corner. “This is nice.”
“It’s not much, but it’s always been home.” She shoved her hands into her pockets. “I’m going to take a shower. Make yourself at home.”
He went back downstairs and explored the house. There were so many pictures sitting atop the mantle. A lot were of Kylie throughout the years. In fact, there appeared to be a school picture of her for every single year. In one, she wore a purple dress with her hair in pigtails, and her front tooth was missing. There was another of her with a woman who was an exact, older replica of Kylie.
Carefully, he lifted the framed photo and studied it closer. The woman had to be Kylie’s mom. She was stunning. No wonder Kylie was so damn beautiful. There wasn’t a single photograph of Kylie’s father, though. No big surprise there. He returned the photo to its place and moved across the room. There were spelling bee and science fair trophies lined up on a bookcase. Several framed awards hung on the wall, including her high school diploma. She’d graduated with high honors?
Great. She was crazy smart, and he was on the verge of flunking out of college. He shook his head, truly realizing how wrong he was for her. Taking a deep breath, he walked into the kitchen, which was small but quaint. Decorated in sunflowers, the space was cheery. A small table sat in the corner, a vase of long-dead flowers in the center. They looked like they’d been there for as long as Kylie had been gone. Afraid the sight of them might upset her, he emptied the flowers into the trash, then set the vase in the sink.
Forty-five minutes later, Kylie stood at the bottom of the stairs, dressed in a black dress and matching heels. Her hair was swept back in a headband, and there was a touch of makeup on her face. “Wow, Ky, you look…” He couldn’t even think of a word for how amazing she looked.
Even though it was the worst possible timing, he wanted her with an unparalleled desperation. He exhaled, his nostrils flaring.
