Page 71 of Happy Krampus Xmas & the Meet Not Cute
“Do you know whoIam?” Lori suddenly asks, catching TJ’s father’s icy gaze for a second before he moves it to me. I’d laugh if the situation wasn’t so grave.
I grab Lori’s arm to stop whatever sassy statement he has ready. This doesn’t concern him.
“I certainly do, Mr. Anderson. Your background is quite…colorful.” His expression turns to disgust for a moment.
“That’s one way to describe my past,” I snort, while inside, a cold fury is slowly rising. I won’t let old memories weigh me down.
He lowers his supercilious gaze on me, his eyes quickly cataloging my inferior traits. “Let’s cut to the chase. How much?”
I feel Lori tensing near me, but I tighten my fingers around his winter jacket’s sleeve.
I feign ignorance, tilting my head to the side.
“How much to disappear from my son’s life?” Mr. Moore clarifies. He doesn’t deserve to be called a father, especially TJ’s.
“What life? The one under your dictatorship?” I retort heatedly.
“You know nothing about my relationship with Taylor.”
“I know more than I’d like, and it’s total bullshit. Your soon-to-be-ex wife told him the truth about his grandfather’s trust fund. There’s no clause that says he must work for your company. He’ll get the money next year anyway.”
“Lies. My wife is an addict,” Mr. Moore hisses.
“TJ talked to his lawyers”—I even asked Gabe and Lori to double-check the papers—“They confirmed that if he decides to work for your company, half of the trust found will be transferred to it. Odd, TJ was never informed of that, nor of the fact that your company is on the verge of bankruptcy,” I repeatwhat TJ told me a few days ago. Mr. Moore is a fucking dick who has disgustingly used his son all his life.
“You little shit, you don’t know what I’m capable of,” Mr. Moore hisses, looking ready to pounce on me.
“I’m not afraid of you. Bring it on,” I growl, ready to punch some justice into his pompous face. TJ defended me against his teammates, and I’m going do the same for him.
“One wrong move, and you’re dead.” Lori smirks menacingly at him. I know Gabe is into something shady. His whole family is. But I never asked, because I respect the guy. And I love Lori.
The crowd suddenly shouts and screams, and I notice that the Wolves have made a goal…no, touchdown. TJ’s helmeted head is tilted up toward me, arms in the air, before one of his teammates jumps on him.
Mr. Moore’s face morphs into a satisfied, evil, hateful smirk. “I see right through you. You’re scum. You think Taylor will keep you? When he discovers your past, he’ll discard you. He’ll never settle with trailer trash from the worst neighborhood in Chicago. You are just a pastime until he gets his hands on his trust fund. Then he’ll toss you aside. And if he goes to the NFL?” He sneers. “He’ll leave you behind like yesterday’s trash.”
“No, he won’t, you snobbish arsehole,” Lori retorts, earning a glare from Mr. Moore.
The fury inside me has reached its peak. This piece of shit needs to leave now, or I’ll rearrange his face and probably end up in jail. “I’m tired of listening to you. Get the fuck away from me and TJ,” I snap, adding a hint of threat to my words.
He slowly stands up and takes his time to adjust his gloves, to prove that he’s not afraid of me. “You are nothing, an insect ready to be squashed.” Then with a derisive sniff, he walks away.
“See you soon, stylish arsehole!” Lori calls after him, then he turns to me. “Blimey! That was intense.” I hardly hear him as he keeps talking.
Mr. Moore’s words keep echoing in my ears.Dump, never settle, toss aside, pastime, scum, trash, squashed.
“Spencer, hey!” Lori suddenly flicks my nose, making me blink. “Snap out of it. Don’t let him get inside your head. That twat was spewing shit.”
I nod. All the bastard wanted was his son’s money, and when he discovered he couldn’t get it, he hurt me by feeding my doubts. He went right for the jugular, leaving me naked and open, like a wound bleeding out. He must have paid for a very detailed background on me since he knew where to aim.
I can’t believe that my sweet TJ came from that…arsehole.
I stand up, moving the blanket away from my lap. “I’ll grab something to eat,” I hurriedly say to Lori as I start walking toward the stairs. He calls after me, but I keep going.
I need to move. I can’t breathe properly, still smelling his disgusting cologne on me. Anger is riding me hard, and doubts whirl inside my head. I need TJ. I need to feel his adoring eyes on me and his reassuring arms around my body. It took only three weeks with him to turn me into a needy idiot.
I hear a long, loud whistle. Then the crowd roars with excitement. I glance back and then blink multiple times as I see TJ rapidly climbing the stairs between the rows of bleachersuntil he reaches me. He’s not wearing a helmet, and his messy hair and red face are damp with sweat.
“Baby, where are you going?” he pants, his fearful eyes flickering between mine.
