Rebound: Passion Book 2 (4 page)

MATT

“I think
she’s been hurt.”

“Who what?”

I’d dropped
down on the floor in my brother’s room as soon as I got in the house. Since him
and his wife weren’t doing the horizontal mambo it was safe to come in. She was
downstairs with mom and sis making cookies or some shit in the kitchen and Josh
was reading on the computer. This was as rare as an ice storm in summer so I
had to get in there while I could.

“Kadyn,
I think she’s been hurt.” And that shit was really beginning to bother me now
that I was no longer where I could see her. All the way here it felt strangely
like I was abandoning her somehow, like maybe I should’ve hung around until she
was done and walked her back to the diner. There were so many confusing
thoughts going through my head lately that I didn’t know which to choose. There
was no reason for me to feel this strongly for a total stranger, this need to
stand over her and protect.

“And you
know this how?” He was still tinkering with his keyboard but I could tell that
I had his attention.

“I ran into her in town and she
damn near freaked when I touched her.” Yeah Matt you ran into her, that sounds
more innocent and less creepy. He turned to study me now and I avoided eye
contact; nosy fuck sees too much.

“Well bro
the last time you saw her you damn near took her head off. Put that together with
the fact that she’s about five three to your hulking mass of six four and
that’s enough to put the fear of hell in her.”

“Fuck
off, I’m serious bro, I think something happened to her. I’ve never seen anyone
react that way to a simple touch and then I see her go into Dr. Graves’
building.”

“So, maybe she was making a food
delivery or something, what’s it to you anyway?”

“I don’t know something about
her bothers me.”

“Bothers you how?”

Oh I had his full attention now,
I could almost see the wheels turning in that brain of his.

“Don’t
start, I don’t know but…I saw her with old man Stanley and I wanted to slap the
shit out of her.”

“What
the fuck was she doing with him?”

“I thought it was some sort of
lover’s embrace but she claims he’s her dad.”

“And?”

“And what? That’s it, she had to
go somewhere so I told her I’ll see her around.”

“You like this girl Matt?”

“What?
No, you saw me at the diner. I don’t know what it is there’s just something
about her that drives me bat shit.”

“Welcome
to the club.” He grinned down at me and turned back to the computer.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“You’ll see, so when are you
seeing her again?”

“Fuck if I know; feel like going
to the diner for ice cream later?” Just the thought of seeing her again so soon
had my heart jumping in my chest. What the fuck was that shit about?

“Sure bro, welcome back.”

“Don’t go getting any ideas,
that happily ever after shit is not in the cards for me been there done that.”

“Matt
you’re eighteen not ninety get your head out your ass and join the living.”

“Whatever,
where the hell is she from? And how come we never knew old man Stan had a
daughter that looked like that?”

“Like what?”

He thought he was so slick.
“Never mind, I’ll be in my room call me when you’re ready.”

Back in my room I kept picking
at it in my head. I didn’t like the feeling in my gut, or the thoughts in my
head. No one reacted that way unless…no don’t go there Matt; and the question
still remains what is it to you?

Dad
cornered me in my room a few minutes later with Josh in tow. I rolled my eyes
at my brother. He’d probably blabbed and now dad was going to ask me a million
and one questions about my feelings. That’s the thing about our parents, they
let us pretty much do our thing but when it came to serious shit they were all
over it. I know I’d scared him and mom with my behavior of late. That on top of
the way things had gone down when Josh wasn’t talking to Carrie and Nessa and I
had pulled the family card and he’d ripped us new ones was probably too much.

“I
hear we’ve got the college situation squared away finally. I’m glad you got
your head out your ass on your own son. Your mother and I were going to take
care of it for you but it’s good you came to your senses on your own.”

“It
wasn’t me, it was your new daughter and your nosy ass son.” Josh gave me the
finger and dropped down next to me snagging my ball in the air. I elbowed him
on principal for
siccing
dad on my ass. “Whatever so
long as it’s done; now as you know that’s your mother’s and my old alma mater.
We know from our conversation with your brother and his wife that the three of
you are going to be living together so your mother and I have been looking for
a place up there for you.”

“Dad
that won’t be necessary, I’m still not sure about the living arrangements…”

“Don’t
pay him any attention dad, we’re rooming together. What did you and mom find?
Carrie and I have been looking at condos and apartments but there doesn’t seem
to be anything that fits our needs. Nothing
close
enough to campus anyway.”

“In
a situation like this it’s all about who you know son. We found you guys a nice
little starter home right off campus. It has three and a half bedrooms so when
your mom and I come to check up on you we can all stay together.” He smirked
and rubbed my head. What the fuck?

I
felt my shoulders relax a little bit, at least he wasn’t here about Kadyn; I
don’t think I’m ready for that conversation yet. Dad’s worst than Josh when he
gets his teeth into something and I needed time to get things straight in my
head first. I figured I’d relaxed too soon when he cleared his throat and
eyeballed me. Shit.

“So
what’s going on with the girl at the diner?”

I glared over at Josh who was
pretending that he hadn’t heard what dad said.

“Don’t look at him, your mom and
I have been eavesdropping around the house. We pick up stuff.”

“Damn dad you snooping?” what
the hell? I come from a family of snoops.

“It’s not
snooping son, here lately you’ve been acting strange and we had no other way of
getting to you. This was the only recourse left to us, so tell.”

“Nothing’s
going on, I don’t even know the girl.” My gut hurt when I said that and I
wasn’t too jazzed about the way dad was looking at me.

“Son we haven’t had a chance to
really talk about what happened with Patricia.”

“Dad…” I
started to cut him off but should’ve known better. Seems like being lost inside
my own head I’d lost touch with the way things ran in my family.

“I
know you’re not about to shush me boy, now listen. What happened
happened
. It was unfortunate in more ways than one but
nobody blames you for any of it. You were always sure that she was the one but
I knew different.”

“What do
you mean you knew?” I sat up straight for this one, this was the first I’d ever
heard of this. “Why did you never say anything before then?”

“Because
you’re my son and it’s what you wanted at the time. Nothing wrong with a young
man having a girlfriend, I just always knew she wasn’t your one. Now from what
little I’ve gathered you seem to be on the road to the real thing and so you
don’t make a muck of it the way your brother did…”

“Hey.”
Josh threw the ball at dad, which he snagged in the air.

“Boy you
were a maniac, let’s not pretend otherwise. Now Matthew I expect you to have a
little more sense and handle this situation like a Steele. There’s no need to
be afraid of this girl whoever she is. Let me ask you this first; how does she
make you feel?”

I
looked at him and then at my brother who was suddenly very interested in the
conversation. I felt like I was on the damn couch being analyzed. Who talked
about their feelings and shit with their dad? He seemed to understand my
discomfort because his next words went right to the heart of the matter.

“There’s
nothing to be embarrassed about, this is very important. If this girl is the one
for you then you have to look at the situation through different eyes. First
you have to put the whole Patti thing behind you, you need to move on. The sin
was hers it was never yours; your life didn’t end because she turned out to be
a…whatever she is. I won’t have any son of mine beating up on himself over
something he had no control over. Be a Steele son we have of our own code, we
don’t stay down for long and nothing beats us.”

“Dad I
don’t know what I feel okay; I just, I need time to get my thoughts together. I
don’t even know if I want to get involved.”

“The
choice might not be yours son; fair enough, just know that if you need to talk
your mother and I are always here. Now back to the school thing, we’re going to
have to take a weekend soon and head up there and get things rolling. School
will be starting before you know it.”

“Summer
just started old man take it easy. I want to hear some more about Mattie’s
woman troubles.”

“Shut up you ass; okay thanks dad.”
He turned and left the room leaving me and the nosy one alone. “What have you
guys been saying around here to set him on my ass?”

“Not me bro, must be the girls.”

“Your
wife is as bad as you are. Now mom’s gonna be on my ass about this shit next.
Why are you so sure that I like this girl anyway?”

“Been
there done that bro. The way you reacted to her is a sure sign that she’s
already got her hooks in you and you haven’t even really got to know her as
yet. You want to do some sort of search on her?”

“Not yet I’m still deciding
whether or not I want to go there.”

“Don’t think too long bro, like
dad said the choice might not be yours. If she tears you up inside the way Lamb
did me you’re fucked.”

He left after imparting that
sage advice, leaving me alone with my thoughts.

For
two days her reaction plagued me. We never did go for ice cream that night
because Carrie wasn’t feeling well and there was no way Josh was going to leave
her side. The guy is like a fucking tyrant when it comes to his wife. Dad must’ve
told him a thousand times that she was okay it was just a little set back from
her illness, but the way he carried on you’d think she was given a death
sentence.

I
kept driving into town for a glimpse of her and feeling lost when I didn’t get
one. I went to bed at night thinking about her and woke up the same. She’s
succeeded in getting my mind off my past fuck up, now my every thought was of
her and what she was doing to me. Dad’s talk had helped a little in easing the
lingering guilt and the feeling that I’d let my family down somehow. That still
didn’t mean I was ready to run out and jump back on that horse again.

I
can’t believe I’m actually a little apprehensive about where this was going.
One minute I would think it was too soon and the next I was wondering what if.
My nosy ass family seemed to think it was a done deal though no one was
bringing it up. I could tell from their behavior that they had already made up
their minds. Mom was into giving me secret smiles and kissing my cheek every
chance she got, calling me her baby boy and shit.

 
Josh keeps giving me these looks when he
thinks I’m not looking, and he and Carrie are always on my ass these days about
my look. I got my haircut for the first time in weeks and Carrie was playing
fashion police. And everyone was suddenly very interested in my social
calendar. I have no interest in swimming in those shark-infested waters again
any time soon but I have to be honest. Something’s going on, I just wish like
fuck I knew what that something was.

KADYN

Just
another day, same as the one before but at least it was new. That’s the way I
wake up these days. Gone were the days when I awakened with hope and excitement
of things to come. I was happy to just make it through the day in one piece
with no new crap on my plate. Well that was true until a few days ago, when
that overgrown behemoth came into my life. He wasn’t even in my life really. I
only knew his name because I’d heard his friends call him by it. We hadn’t
officially met or anything, not even the day he accosted me on the street. He
was so angry, seems that’s the only kind I attract. I must have some sort of
defect or something.

That’s
why it was best that I stayed the course and hold fast to the decisions I’d
made. Never mind that it would destroy every dream I’d ever had of marriage and
babies and a loving husband. It was easier this way, better. I’d been feeling
so safe here too, having my dad at my back as a shield between me and my past
has helped me to put one foot in front of the other. But with this new
development, I’m not sure if that’s true any longer.

 
It wasn’t Matthew’s actions that bothered me,
no it was my own. That first day standing at that table looking down at him,
his hair wild and sexy, muscles nicely tanned under the tank he was wearing.
Before he’d even picked up his head and I’d seen those intense eyes, something
strange had started unfurling in the pit of my stomach. Something I shouldn’t
be feeling, not after what I’d been through. He had danger written all over him
and if I had any sense, I’d stay the hell away from him. It could only lead to
trouble and I’d had enough of that to last me a lifetime.

When
he’d looked at me with such disdain and growled like an angry bear instead of
fear, I’d felt a kernel of excitement. For the barest of seconds, I’d felt just
a little tingle of…what? I don’t know. I never had a chance to experience young
love. Never knew what it was like to be the object of someone’s affection;
never been part of that enigma. The teenage love story. Something else I’d had
to sacrifice because of one man’s obsession. My throat choked up with tears as
I mourned another lost. For the first time since my nightmare had begun, I
wished for things that I had long denied myself. There was no hope for it though,
and besides who said he was even interested? In both our interactions, I’d
found myself on the receiving end of his displeasure…