Page 12 of Straight, No Chaser
"Your underwear is weird."
Crimson floods her cheeks, and she grabs the panties from him, shoving them into the front pocket of her black rolling bag. She points to the stack next to her bed. "How about you unpack that box over there?
"Okay!"
His face lights up with his new assignment, and he races over and lifts the cardboard flaps. The smile never leaves his face as he unloads books and sets them on her dresser one by one. Clumsy fingers attempting to be careful with Molly's precious stories. Because even my little brother realizes how lucky we are that she's here permanently. Now, I just have to figure out how to get her out of this bedroom and into mine.
"Thank you again."
Her delicate hand grasps mine, so small compared to my huge fingers. Another reminder of how different we truly are. Makes me want to fucking protect her that much more. I mean fuck her. My head shakes of its own accord from what a fucking dumb ass I am. All I want is to fuck her. That's it.
"I don't know how to repay you for all of this."
Oh baby girl you have no idea what I have in store for you in form of payment. "Nothing to repay."
"I still don't understand how my landlord could kick me out when I still had six months left on my lease. If you hadn't invited me to stay here, I don't know what I would have done."
Only a comforting smile to hide my deception. Then I turn back to Eli, who's unloading another container. Talking too much gives away a guilty conscience. Shakespeare got it right. But, then again, if I don't feel remorse, I don't have anything to hide. At least that's the lie I like to kid myself with.
"Is this Copper?"
Excitement bubbles in Eli's voice as he holds up a white frame lined with rainbow curly cues.
"Yes, that's him." She drops down next to him on the floor, and he automatically climbs onto her lap. Nesting into her crossed legs. A perfect symbol for what I'm doing and why. All for him. Well, his heart and my cock, but still. "I'd just brushed him for a competition. That's why his coat is so shiny. See? It's almost orange or copper."
"Cool!" He studies the image intently and then lays the picture next to them, grabbing a cube covered with photos on each side. Small fingers tap on the glass displaying a group of people at the beach. "Is this your Mom?"
"Yes, and that's my dad and grandma and grandpa. We were in Florida." She flips the square slowly, letting him inspect each section. "Here we're decorating our Christmas tree from last year, and this one is of us carving pumpkins for the front porch. My family absolutely loves Halloween."
He nods yet his smile slowly fades. Already realizing what he's missing out on. Stuff we've never done. Fuck. Stuff I never even thought about doing with him. Proof what a fucking failure I am as an impromptu parent.
Eli untangles himself from her arms and hops up, running into the hallway. "Be right back!"
Confusion lines her face matching mine. He didn't seem upset, but I'm genuinely surprised he would willingly leave the comfort of her embrace. I know I never fucking would.
A thick blue book decorated with a large white "E" fills his arms as he jogs back in and plops down in her lap. They both have to lean back for him to be able to get the cover open. His smile returns, and he points to a baby swaddled in a woman's arms. "That's me and my Mom."
Pure love brightens Harper's face, my fourth fucking step mother. Which is so fucking twisted because at twenty-seven she was five years younger than me. But for all her faults, she really did love her son. And fought hard to keep her marriage intact despite my bastard father's wandering eye. To the point her devotion ended up killing them both.
"She's so beautiful Eli."
My little brother beams with pride and flips to another page. Icing and love covering him at his first birthday party.
"Looks like you really enjoyed your cake."
"I did!" His cowlick bobs from the fierce nodding of his head. "That's my Dad."
"Oh, he's very handsome." She kisses his cheek. "You look just like him."
He wipes off her affection with exaggerated force, but I can tell from his straighter posture he's pleased. I guess every young boy wants to be like his Dad. Before he finds out the truth of what an asshole he really is. Hopefully Eli only inherited his looks. Not his shit ass selfishness.
"They died in a car crash." His gaze remains on the images. The pain of his reality never able to completely fade. "They were going on vacation just the two of them. Mommy said then Daddy wouldn't be mad at her any more. That's why I couldn't go with them."
Hurt flames in his voice matching the rage boiling in me. What the fuck? Why the fuck would Harper tell him something like that? Not that it wasn't true. She thought a surprise trip to celebrate his sixtieth birthday would somehow rekindle the spark my father smothered.
I roll my eyes. Sure, because endless sex for a week would keep him in their bed and not his latest fuck buddy's. Never understanding it was the thrill of the chase for him. Harper gave him everything he said he wanted. Wedding ring, baby, and domesticity. Which she discovered much too late that was actually everything the old man despised.
Molly's at a loss for words too. None can console a child who thought his parents were going to have fun without him and ended up losing so much more than just a trip to the Bahamas.
