Page 60 of Single Teddy
What on earth had possessed me to kiss Wesley?
EIGHTEEN
WESLEY
My head was still spinning.
I might have only been kissed on the forehead, but he may as well have claimed my mouth with his.
And it was that…feeling, that sensation that made my skin feel tingly and electric, that spurred me on.
Because the closer I got to the house, the harder it got to breathe. It was one thing approaching the dad when I had none of the details, it was a whole other thing approaching it undercover.
“Oh god,” I muttered and pushed a little more strength to my knees that threatened to give out.
I took a deep breath, stepped up to the porch, knocked on the side of the door, and waited.
I waited, and waited, and when no one came to answer my call, I knocked again, louder. And again and again until I forgot all about my nerves and frustration took over.
“Hello! Anyone here?” I shouted, leaning through the beaded curtain.
I almost jumped out of my skin when a mountain of a man walked out at the same time and collided with me.
“I’m sorry,” I mumbled and looked up.
“What?” he asked and crossed his arms, flexing his muscles.
That wasn’t the boys’ dad. I knew that for sure, even if I’d only met the guy once.
“I…um…I’m here for the twins?” I managed to say and mentally slapped myself. That was so not clear, was it?
“Who?” the man asked.
Seeing as the mountain man showed no initiative to take a step back and give me some breathing room, I did, and my neck already thanked me when it didn’t have to strain to look up at the guy.
“Um, Valentin? Niko? I’m their teacher. I’m here to talk to their dad.”
That didn’t seem to make it any clearer for him, so I sighed and pointed into the house.
“The guy who lives here? He has two kids?”
The mountain man grimaced.
“Wait here,” he grumbled and walked back into the house, giving me the chance to recompose myself.
How could he not know about the boys? How could he be so confused? I had to admit, the more I saw of this place, the lessconfident I became about the boys’ safety. I feared the kids were indeed trapped in a drug den. That Teddy, Wyatt, and all the others weren’t exaggerating.
I didn’t have to wait long for the mountain man to return, and he did with Barnes. The Dad of the Year.
“It’s you!” he said as soon as he saw me. “What do you want?”
The mountain man sat on the bench on the porch next to me, and even though I felt a little trapped, I shoved the feeling deep down and focused on the task at hand.
“I’m here because the boys have missed more school,” I said.
“Yeah, and?” he answered.
I smiled with a huff and plastered the fakest smile on my face when I spoke again.
