Page 150 of Crew Princess
“She is.”
“She married my dad,” Runner added. “She’s not Mason’s mother.”
“Why are you warning me off from her?” I asked.
“Fucking Christ,” Heather breathed.
The runner sent Heather an apologetic look. Heather sent one right back.
The two people not apologizing were the guy and me. I thought that was funny. He seemed perfectly content with what he was saying. Fine. Fuck it. He wanted to metaphorically push me around? Bring it, asswipe.
I took a step toward them and lowered my voice. “What is this? You’re circling the wagons around your loved ones? Warning me not to mess with them or something? Do you know me?” My nostrils flared.
This guy’s eyes were jaded and old, and he had seen and dealt with a lot. I saw all of that, felt all of that, and maybe that’s why I was getting all riled up.
But then I wasn’t.
Whatever the reason, I felt myself deflating into an odd serene feeling. No clue why. “You don’t need to,” I told him. “Everything you said is right, and though I haven’t seen the lady again, I’m sure I will. It’s inevitable since she seems to be the neighborhood watchdog. But you’re wrong to worry about me. I’m not a typical high school punk. And I’m guessing she never confided in you either. That woman knew my mom, said she was friends with her. Why the fuck would I mess with someone who loved my mom?”
I heard Heather’s intake of air.
She loved my mom. She’d said it. She and I had that in common, and it wasn’t a connection a lot of people could claim. The right thing would be to cherish it, and since Mason had brought her up, since I was declaring all of this, I made the decision then and there.
I was going to seek her out and ask her to tell me about my mom, tell me more.
Finally, the guy cracked a bit and showed a sliver of emotion. He showed regret, but it was gone just as soon as it showed.
“Fuck’s sakes,” Heather said. “Where’s Logan when you actuallywantan inappropriate joke to ease the tension?”
I flashed Heather a smile, but I knew it was sad. She’d been watching me, and she knew it was sad too.
“Bren.” She reached for me.
I evaded her touch, but I spoke softly so her feelings weren’t hurt. “You know me. I got default settings. I’m pretty sure Jordan is distracting Brandon so Z can sneak booze from your bar, but don’t worry. After the last time, I reamed his ass. He’ll leave money to cover. Jordan asked Brandon one night how much each bottle cost. Your brother didn’t know the real reason he was asking.”
Her eyes widened. “Are you kidding me?”
I shook my head. “Maybe you don’t know us…”
“I’m sorry, guys. I have to take care of those little shits.”
She stormed off, hurrying to Manny’s in a quick gait, and the opposite of what I’d wanted just happened. I was going to be the one to go and handle them.
“Regretting your words?” the guy asked.
I looked at the guy again. “Maybe.”
Another tug at his lip and the runner bit down on hers, looking down. Her shoulders shook silently.
Great. I was entertainment to them. This wasn’t usually the response I got from adults.
“People older than me are usually scared I’ll slip out a knife. You guys are laughing at me.”
“Oh my God.” The runner’s shoulders stopped, and her head whipped up. “No! Oh no. We are not laughing at you. Just…” She turned, shared a look with her husband. “Mason’s being protective of our friends. That’s all. You can hurt Channing and Heather easily, and they’re not usually people we worry about getting hurt. That’s all.”
That was… “That’s insulting.”
Both of them straightened at that.
