Page 18 of Ward Willing
My eyes rove over to Zoe. “It’s late,” I growl, crossing my arms and blocking the doorway.
Scotty has been over before, but never after dark. Usually they’re downstairs watching a movie on Sunday afternoons or giggling in her bedroom before one of his shifts—the latter of which causes me to leave the house and go angrily chop wood out back.
I am a walking cliché, apparently.
“I won’t be long, Mr. R. Just wanted to spend some time with Zo.”
Zo.Like the second syllable of her three-letter name is too cumbersome to say.
My nostrils flare as I let them inside, and Zoe gives me a chagrined glare before they walk to the kitchen.
Captain Sushi trots away, obviously irritated.
Me too, buddy. Me too.
“I made chicken if you’re hungry,” I tell Zoe.
“Fuck yes,” Scotty mumbles, pulling the refrigerator open.
My eyes flash with outrage as he helps himself like a heathen with zero manners.
“Scotty’s been working doubles,” Zoe explains, grabbing two plates for them. She’s seemingly unaware of the cold, flinty gaze I have aimed at Scotty. “He didn’t have time to eat dinner.”
I’m normally a pretty sympathetic guy. I have to be, considering I work with hormonal young adults all day long. But that empathy is nowhere to be found when it comes to Scotty. I don’t give two shits if he starves to death.
I tell myself it’s because Elias would hate him, too, so the hatred feels justified, at least.
Zoe was a bit too young to be dating when her parents died, so they never had to navigate these waters like I do. I’m the one who has to be strict, who has to vet her boyfriends and make sure they’re not disrespecting my home in all the ways that make me rage. I’m the one who has to look out for her to make sure she’s staying safe.
It’s exhausting, and quite honestly, infuriating. Ifucking hateit, but I can’t tell her that. I can’t admit that watching someone else touch her eats me up inside. Especially someone ten years older than her and completely lacking ambition.
To assuage my hatred, I don’t interact with Scotty whenever possible.
Out of sight, out of mind.
A loud slap rings through the kitchen, and my eyes hone in on Scotty’s hand connecting to Zoe’s ass for asecondtime as a vein pulses in my forehead. I was about to give them some privacy but fuck that.
Instead, I grab a stool.
My eyes hover on Scotty’s hand sliding into Zoe’s back pocket as I sit down, and before I realize what I’m doing, I clear my throat.
Loudly.
My house, my rules.
Scotty gives me an apologetic smirk, the fucking bastard, and Zoe is completely unaware of the entire interaction, because she’s too busy making her boyfriend a plate of food.
Heshould be makinghera plate a food, but what the fuck do I know about chivalry? It’s not like I have women lining up for me.
“I hear you’ve got yourself a new student,” Scotty interjects, looking like a dope as he shakes his hair out of his face.
Zoe stiffens, barely, but I notice the way her spine straightens, the way her fingers curl tighter around the knife she’s holding.
“Surprise of a lifetime,” she grumbles, finished plating the food and popping one plate into the microwave. “But I suppose it’ll be an easy A,” she adds, catching my eye as she turns around and winks.
And that wink… does something to my cock.
Fuck.
