Misty Reigenborn Romance Boxed Set (127 page)

Tony sighed.  "I can understand by being here for this long that this certainly isn't your typical household, but was your childhood really that bad?"

"Tony." She heard the front door open and close.  They hadn't bothered to say 'goodbye' she thought.  "I know that it might be a little hard to understand even with the way things are with your parents now, your Dad being dead and your mom being in a mental hospital.  I'm certainly not saying that I had the worst childhood ever, but.  .  .  “ 

She let out a sigh as she put the last of the leftovers into the fridge and placed the dishes next to the sink, so she could rinse them before she put them in the dishwasher. 

"I don't know how to explain this to you.  When you were growing up you had your dad there, taking you fishing and taking you to look at Christmas lights.  You probably had birthday parties and went trick or treating.  If your parents weren't around to do something with you, you had your aunt and uncle.  I never had that.  My mother has been married four times.  I can't remember my first stepfather's name he was such a huge influence on my life.  My mother forgot my birthday I don't know how many times when I was growing up.  She always pawned me off on someone else when it came to trick or treating.  The only childhood I really had was the time that I spent with my grandparents.  And those times were way too few and far between.  When I was there, when my dad was around; those were the glimpses I had of an actual childhood.  And messed up as it may seem my dad made me feel loved and wanted more when he was around than my mother ever has.  That's a pretty messed up feeling, thinking that the parent that gives a shit about you is too much of a coward to fight for you.  He's always full of excuses about why he never bothered to try for custody and now it's too damn late to matter.  So yeah, I would be a lot happier if my mother and stepfather would do whatever the hell it is that rich people without kids do on Christmas and leave me the hell alone."

"Ah sweetie.” He started to take her into his arms but then pulled back. 

"What?" 

"C'mon, let's go outside and have a cigarette." 

"Have you not seen my mother the chimney?  It would hardly matter if we had a cigarette in the house.  Though Lindsey, the hypocrite she is would probably have a shit fit if she caught me."

"So let's go outside then.  Do you have a backyard?"

"There's a pool out back.  I suppose we can go out there."

She led him to the back door which led outside.  Once they were outside he handed her a cigarette, lighting it for her, and then lit one of his own. 

"Are you gonna tell me now why you're afraid to touch me all of a sudden?"

"Ah, that.  I guess it's sort of a respect thing."

She took a deep drag of the cigarette.  "I would believe you except I think you're taking it a little far.  You were so far away from me on the couch that I could have sworn that Langston told you that I have the plague.  So I don't buy it Tony.  What did Langston say to you when you two were upstairs?"

He sighed.  "I'd really rather not tell you what he said." 

"Whatever that rich asshole said to you doesn't matter Tony.  It's not like you're ever going to see him again after this torture is over."

"Would it hurt to have a little respect for your mom and stepdad while we're here?" 

"Sure Tony." She stomped out the cigarette underneath her foot and held out her hand for another.  He handed her another cigarette without comment; waiting for her to go on.  "Like Lindsey respects me.  She always gave me crap about the things I liked when I was a kid.  She forbid me to read books outside of school at one point.  She couldn't stand the fact that I was nothing like her so she decided to take away the only thing that gave me pleasure.  And look at Langston.  We're here five minutes and he says something to you that makes you not want to touch me.  Then he thinks that just because we’re under his roof he can call you Anthony because he thinks it sounds better.  I know you hate being called Anthony."

"It doesn't really bother me that much Tor.  I give my aunt crap when she calls me Anthony because it reminds me of when I was a kid and the only time anybody called me Anthony was when I was in trouble."

"Just because someone is at your house doesn't mean that you can say and do whatever you want to them.  Quit dancing around the subject and tell me what the hell it was that he said to you."

"I'm sure he didn't mean it.  I think it was one of those macho Dad kind of things that guys say when their daughter brings home a guy."

"Langston is not my father.  I told my dad that I was with you and that you were twenty-one and he was fine with it.  I'm four months away from being eighteen.  I sure as shit don't plan on coming back here between now and then.  I hardly believe that whatever it was that Langston said to you had a damn thing to do with fatherly concern.  I can't believe I said that word when it was associated with Langston."

"I could sort of see myself saying something like that if I had a daughter.  He doesn't even know I'm a drug dealer."

"Just because you're a drug dealer doesn't mean you're a bad person.  And you did it again.  Just tell me what he said."

He sighed, and then looking embarrassed, which was something she thought she'd never see him look, said "He told me that he'd chop my penis off if he caught me with so much as my tongue in your mouth."

"Are you kidding me?" 

"Unfortunately not."

"Who the hell does he think he is?  I don't give a shit if he's fitting the bill for a school that I never wanted to go to.  I don't give a shit if he's married to my mother.  He had absolutely no right to say something like that to you.  That man had never said a kind word to me, has never given me a hug or told me he loved me or even acknowledged the fact that I existed.  You know what we're gonna do Tony?  We're gonna go upstairs and we're gonna screw on their bed."

"No Tory.  We're not."

"Damn it Tony.  You don't need to take that shit from him.  He has no right to treat you like that.  Let's go stay at a motel.  They'll never notice we're gone."

"We can't Tor.  That would be messed up."

"And you don't think what he's doing is messed up?  Are you going to take this shit from that asshole?  You don't take shit from anyone."

"He's your stepdad.  Don't you think that I should respect his wishes while we're under his roof?"

“I bet the only reason he told you that is because he's not getting laid."

"C'mon Tor.  We just had sex.  It's not like it's going to kill either of us if we go without it for three days."

"That's not the point.  Just because you don't think it's cool to have sex under his roof doesn't mean that you have to be afraid to touch me.  That pisses me off.  Everything was going so well.  We finally got everything worked out so that we can be together; be happy without all the bullshit.  We get here and the first thing that Langston does is create more bullshit.  I'm not going to take this.  I'm not twelve years old.  If I want to hold your hand; if I want to kiss you, then I'm going to.  What's the worst they can do Tony?  Kick us out?  Right now there's nothing that would make me happier."

"Will you please play nice Tor?"

"Play nice?  Are you kidding me?  I've kept my mouth shut for seventeen years.  I got into it with my dad.  The messed up thing about that is it's all because of her.  It's all because of Lindsey that I had a miserable childhood.  It's like I was some kind of doll that she didn't want but couldn't stand the thought of someone else having."

"I'm sure your mom loves you.”

"You can tell how happy she was to see me.  Your aunt showed more interest in me in five minutes than she has in seventeen years."

"Aunt Lori's special.  She makes everyone feel that way.  Some people have a harder time showing their feelings.  I'm sure that's the problem with your mom."

"Sure Tony.  First I had to listen to my father making excuses for her, defending her, now I have to listen to you.  Fuck."

"I don't want to fight Tor."  He pulled her into his arms.  "Let's go inside.  It's cold out here."

"And do what Tony?  Fuck fuck fuck."  She was suddenly so angry she wanted to scream.  "I just want to go to bed Tony.  Will you hold me until I fall asleep?"

"Tor, I don't think that's a good idea."

"Damn it.  I'm not asking you to screw me.  I'm asking you to put your arms around me in my bed, fully clothed.  I'm so upset right now I doubt it'll take me long to fall asleep.  They call it a defense mechanism Tony.  I'm very familiar with the concept.  When I was a kid, if I wasn't reading, I was sleeping, shutting out reality.  Those two probably won't be back for hours.  They'll come crawling in after midnight, drunk as hell and pass out.  So you'll be safe.  You can slink safely back to your assigned room long before Lindsey and Langston get home."

"I love you Tory." He took her hand.  "I hate to see you so miserable."

She sighed.  "And you wonder why I was so excited to come back here."

"It's just a few days baby.  Keep thinking about good things.  Think about what we're gonna do when we get back home." He tried to give her his usual cocky grin but didn’t fully pull it off. 

He looked pale.  Tory put a hand on his forehead, giving him a concerned look.  "Are you okay Tony?  Don't tell me you're getting sick.  Then I'll be stuck hanging out with Lindsey and Langston all by myself for three days.  Ugh."

"It just hit me that I really wanna get high.  I'll get over it baby."

"Are you sure?  Do you wanna go to the hospital?  I don't know what they'd do for you, but at least we wouldn't be here."

"Hell no I don't want to go to the hospital.  We don’t need-your parents to find out that I'm coming down from three weeks of getting high out of my mind.  Then they'd really hate me."

"I don't give a shit what they think of you.  When I turn eighteen, it's going to be even easier to pretend that Lindsey and Langston don't exist.  I doubt they'll bother to show up for my graduation.  If you need to go, let's go."

"I'll be fine.  If Uncle Keith can quit doing coke cold turkey after like twenty years, I think I can handle this." 

"But your uncle was never really heavy into it was he?"

"I wouldn't say that Tor.  He had been into it pretty heavy for a while.  He almost got suspended right before my dad died because of it.  They never knew he was doing coke, hell I don't know what those dumbasses thought he was doing, but he was acting messed up.  He quit after Dad died, because Aunt Lori threatened to leave him and take me and Carl with her if he didn't get his shit together.  He only did it now and then after that, but I know how hard it must have been for him to quit.  The way the hard shit makes you feel is like nothing else.  You know the way weed makes you feel, it's a much more mellow high.  Everything's funny, you may think about your life and it may seem like an abstract concept, but you're still pretty much in control of what you do.  The worst you'll do when you're stoned is eat a bunch of junk food and say some pretty stupid shit.  With the hard shit, you're flying.  Everything is different and all you can think about is your next high.  Hard drugs screw with your mind and if you do enough, they'll keep it screwed.  Like how I didn't remember you calling the other day.  I really didn't remember Tor.  If I'd have been in my right mind I wouldn't have been thinking about anything else."

"Do you want me to stay in your room Tony?  I don't give a shit what Langston says.  I'll sleep on the damn floor if I have to.  I won't be able to sleep if I'm worried about you."

"I don't want to cause a problem Tor." 

"I'll tell them you're sick with the flu.  I don't want you to be alone through this.  When I told you that I'd stick with you through this I meant it."

"I'll lay with you until you fall asleep and then I'll go to my room and listen to music or read a book.  If I need to I'll go outside, go for a walk to clear my head.  Things are bad enough with your parents.  I don't want you getting in more trouble because of me."

"Things have never been good with my parents Tony.  People here don't walk around the neighborhood late at night.  If they see somebody out in jeans and an old leather jacket they'll probably call the police."

He gave her a weak smile.  "Welcome to the world of the privileged huh?  You wanna go for a drive?  Go see a movie?  It's still pretty early isn't it?"

She pulled her cell phone out of her pocket, and checked the time.  "It's a little after ten now.  I'm sure they have a late movie at the theatre.”

"Okay.  Let's go.  You drive since you know where everything is.  You know I grew up three hours from here and have never been anywhere near this neighborhood?  Must be nice to be rich and not have to worry about anything."

"Yeah, right.”

She followed him into the house and up the stairs so she could grab her coat. 

"Look at Lindsey and Langston and tell me that rich people don't have problems.  I think I'd much rather live in a crappy apartment and worry about making ends meet than deal with the bullshit problems that rich people invent."

He helped her into her jacket and then pulled his on.  She still had the car keys in her purse so she checked to make sure she had her house key and then followed him back down the stairs, setting the alarm system and then leading him to the door.