Page 20 of Rider Forbidden
“Sorry.” It's not like me to swear.
“No, I like it . . . it's hot.”
I slap him on the arm and have another swig of his flask as we swap it back and forth. It does occur to me that we’re essentially swapping spit here, is it weird that I kind of like that?
“Do you even know where his dad is?”
Fear grips me when I think of him. “Unfortunately yes, I hadn’t seen him since I moved away, but he still lives at Badger’s Cove.”
Realisation dawns on his face. “It wasn’t that stupid fucker from last week, was it? When you were kissing my face off?”
“Do you want me to smack you?” I laugh, “You were kissing me.”
“Yeah whatever, so was that him?”
I nod “Yeah, I’m terrified now, he’s never even tried to get in touch with us before, but I’m worried now that seeing me will make him want to get in touch and god, I feel sick of the thought - if he wants to see him I don’t know what I’ll do.”
He grabs hold of my hand and electricity shoots through me at his touch. “Hey, it's OK, he wouldn’t have a leg to stand on anyway, right? He didn’t want anything to do with you when you were pregnant, he abandoned you and his kid, what kind of lowlife does that?”
“Not a very nice one.”
He looks at me for a while “You’re so innocent.”
How does he know? He can’t know. “What do you mean?”
“I don’t know, just that’s how you come across, and four years ago, you would have been as vulnerable as fuck and he left you out in the cold. I feel like I want to smack him and I hardly even know you or Elijah. From what I’ve seen of Elijah, he’s the coolest fucking kid ever.”
I laugh “Well the feeling is mutual. He seems to think you’re some sort of rock star.”
“Yeah?” his face lights up, “He thinks I’m the shit, does he?”
“He got me to print out the photo from last week, he had me frame it and now he carries it around everywhere. So everywhere I go all I see is your grinning face looking at me.”
He throws his head back and laughs. “Oh my god, I fucking love that kid - now I just need to try and win his mum over.”
I smile at him; he is so attractive. I look down at his hand that is still wrapped around mine. His thumb is stroking over my skin and it tingles where he touches.
We’re in the air now, I have a nice buzz from all the alcohol, I feel more relaxed. He is a calming influence on me, well, that or the whisky. “So come on, your turn.”
He shrugs “Pretty boring really, my brother, sister and I were fostered when I was eight, he was ten and my sister was six. My real dad was never on the scene and mum drank, so she ended up losing us. We didn't have much from what I remember of them, my brother made sure we ate most days but eventually we got put into care. My mum and dad now, they're awesome, they fostered all three of us so that we didn’t have to split up. Thank god they did. They're the best parents ever. They're my real mum and dad - but we still grew up pretty poor. We got jobs as soon as we were able, obviously mum and dad got money for fostering us, but then they decided to adopt us because they wanted us to feel like we belonged - that it was home - so then they lost out on money. Dad works at a local warehouse, he’s a manager now, but not great money, you know? Growing up mum always felt it was important she was home so that she could keep an eye on us, and between you and me that was definitely the right move, I can't imagine what my brother and I would have got up to, my sister has never been able to get up to anything with two big brothers. So yeah, money was tight, but we've grown up in a happy home, mum and dad think the world of us - they couldn't have kids of their own.”
“I'm glad you've had a happy upbringing since them, but I'm so sorry about what you must have had to go through when you were younger. Do you have any contact with your biological mum now?”
He shakes his head. “She died a couple of years ago . . . her body packed in.”
I squeeze his hand. “I’m so sorry.”
He shakes his head, “It is what it is, she didn’t do anything for us, except give us up, that was the best thing she could have done.”
“What about your brother and sister, what do they do?”
“My brother is a firefighter, he always wanted to do it. My sister is nearly finishing Uni, she’s going to be a Marine Biologist. My brother and I, we help out with the fees, so at least she won't be in loads of debt when she finishes. She's really talented. She's awesome. We’re all close.”
I'm stunned. He pays to put his sister through Uni - is that not the sweetest thing I've ever heard? That’s why he doesn’t live in a posh house and flash his money around. He gives it to his sister, and I'm betting he helps his parents out too. This man definitely has hidden depths.
“Wow. That is so sweet, guess there is a nice guy under all this façade then, huh?”
He nudges my shoulder again with his. “Told you. What about you? Have you always got on with your parents?”
