Page 22 of Restless
“I swear, Auntie.”
She lifted a brow. “Are you sure?”
“Positive. Harley is a good girl. She doesn’t have it in her to cut.”
The words hit the jackpot.
Aunt Bailey beamed at him, then hugged him again. “I didn’t think she did either,” she said with relief. “I knew she’d gotten permission. My baby is a sweet girl whose trusting nature can lead her to disaster. Her gullibility worries me.”
CJ remained silent. Harley was no wilting flower.
“To keep the peace, she will blindly follow.”
“Are you referring to the night she went to the movies with Nardo?”
“Yes,” she hissed, and sniffed. She straightened her shoulders. “I have to get home.” Her abrupt end to the conversation told CJ she still blamed him for Harley’s behavior. “Do you need a ride?”
“I have my pussyped, Aunt.” He wouldn’t bother with Aunt Bailey or Harley’s feelings about him for now. He had to find Ryan. “I’m headed to the hospital to check on Mom and Jo once I leave here.”
A few minutes later, Aunt Bailey drove off with Harley, Rebel, and Mattie, allowing CJ to continue his trek to the football field. The Byrd brothers were supposed to return to school weeks ago but hadn’t yet.
Practice was just wrapping up when CJ reached the field and spotted Ryan, talking to two wide receivers, Head Coach Yancy, and the Athletic Director, Roger Marksum. Molly hovered in the background.
“Hey, CJ,” she started, alerting the others to his presence.
“Caldwell, shouldn’t you be at the hospital—”
CJ snatching Ryan by the jersey and punching the fuck out of him interrupted Coach Yancy.
“Who the fuck is Bash, motherfucker?” CJ snarled, in a blind rage, overcome with almost losing his mother and his little sister, and so betrayed by Harley he didn’t know if he ever wanted to talk to her again.
Ryan swung at him, but CJ ducked and punched him again.
“Who?” he snarled, just as Yancy and Marksum dragged him away and the two wide receivers grabbed Ryan. “He knows our entire fucking family, asshole. Who is he?”
“Enough, Mr. Caldwell,” Mr. Marksum warned, “before I suspend you.”
Molly was staring at CJ, wide-eyed and frightened. She’d mentioned Bash, too. He hadn’t forgotten. He just hadn’t made the connection because the same night he’d overheard Tabitha and Ryan…
Bash was bad fucking news and Ryan, the prick, was somehow involved with him.
Ryan zeroed in on Molly’s trembling and fury settled into his features. She started to cry.
“I’m letting you go, son,” Coach Yancy told CJ. “We’re giving you a pass because of all that you’re going through, but don’t let it happen again.”
“It won’t,” CJ promised. And it wouldn’t. He’d get to his motherfucking cousin on club grounds.
In the meantime, he had to save Molly from her own trauma.
“I have a meeting with Roger, CJ,” Coach Yancy continued. “I trust you not to fight. Understand?”
CJ nodded.
“Good.”
“Mo?” CJ called, once the two men disappeared into the building.
“You call my girlfriendMo?” Ryan asked in outrage.
