Chapter 13

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

Lara

I loop the lace and pull it through the other, tugging until the knot is nice and tight. The sneakers fit perfectly. I feel a little bad about taking a pair of Samantha's shoes, but Kaleb was right. It's the least she can do.

Besides, I'll drop them back in a few days, along with her laundered clothes. I cringe at the memory of her dropping the clothes into Michael's room earlier. Awkward was not the word. Kaleb loitering behind, listening in, hadn't helped.

But at least the leggings and T-shirt fit . . . just about. I shrug on Michael's jacket, the large size making me feel less self-conscious as it swallows my body. Sniffing the collar quickly before anyone can see, I smile when his cologne surrounds me. How can he make me feel this safe when I only just met the man?

Rolling up the sleeves, I roll my eyes because I need to get a grip. Tugging the borrowed shirt down again, not that it helps, I stand from the stairs.

"Princess, come have breakfast, and then I'll drive you home," Michael calls from the kitchen table.

"Oh, that's okay. I can run back." I insist, despite the slight limp I have as I join them in the kitchen.

Michael's head snaps to me. "The fuck you will," he tells me, twisting to look at me over his shoulder.

His words irk me. That, coupled with my anxiety about not doing my usual morning exercise, makes me stop short and snap, "Excuse me?"

But he doesn't back off. Instead, Michael turns in his seat, his body facing me full on, and doubles down. "Princess, it's not happening. You're lucky I've let you walk at all this morning."

"Let me?" I huff, my mouth dropping at his words. "I wasn't aware that I needed permission. And I'm not asking. I'll run back."

"No, you won't." He shakes his head. "Say it a third time and see what happens." His face sets in a blank stare, and something in my lower tummy flutters.

I open my mouth to do just that, but his face darkens, and something inside me takes over. Survival, maybe. Whatever it is, I swallow the words, glaring when he smiles at me like he just won .

Because he did.

Jackass.

Helen shifts at the counter. "I'll make you something, sweetheart."

Stepping into the kitchen, I shake my head. "Thank you, but I don't normally eat breakfast."

"You should," Michael reprimands me. The man's been in a sour mood ever since we came downstairs.

"Leave the lady alone, son. The first rule of dating is to know when to pick your battles." The older gent sits across from Michael. He gives me a playful wink as I pull out the seat beside his son.

"Dad."

I don't need to see his face to know Michael is exasperated. Christopher seems very happy to annoy his son about the possibility of having a girlfriend.

"What?" He grins. "I'm just having a bit of fun I missed out on in your high school years."

Helen's words from last night take root in my mind. I guess it's hard to have a girlfriend if you can't be touched.

Is he a virgin?

I feel a thrill race through me at the idea of being the one to teach him, of sharing that with him. But one look at the way his eyes roam my body as I settle into my seat, I know I won't be his first.

I guess he found a way . . . just one his mom doesn't know about.

"What time is everyone coming for the movie night this Sunday?" Helen joins us at the table, gathering plates and cups into a pile.

"Oh, I can't." Kaleb shakes his head. "I'm driving one of the trucks for the timber yard. Leaving tonight."

"Again? Can't one of the other drivers go?"

Kaleb shrugs, grabbing another muffin. "It's a heavy load. Plus, there's nothing to stay for. Something tells me this Halloween will be just as quiet as last year." He and Michael share a look.

Shit, do they know about the party at their campsite?

A loud clang startles me.

Helen leaves the plate where it fell, the ceramic chips littering the end of the table.

Straightening, she stands behind Christopher, her hands settling onto his shoulders. "Chris, tell the boys they need to stay here this weekend."

"They aren't boys anymore, Helen," he tells her, patting the back of her hand. "Daniel and Charlie are joining us here, so you'll have Belle. Sam will be here, too."

"Nuh-uh," Sam mumbles around her muffin. "There's a Halloween party on Sunday."

My eyes bulge at her words. There's only one party I know of, and this is the one table it does not need to be announced at.

"You're grounded," Christopher reminds his daughter.

"I'm twenty-one. "

Their dad opens his mouth to argue more, but Kaleb beats him to it. "Old enough to be arrested for grand theft auto, assault with a deadly weapon, and just being a general pain in my ass."

Her lips pinch. Kaleb's lucky that looks can't kill.

I slouch further into my seat, not wanting to be seen. My mom and I go at each other's throats whenever we're in the same room, but this sibling rivalry is a whole new ball game.

"Grand theft? It was your fucking car, and I didn't assault anyone." Sam points a finger at her own chest.

Kaleb points down the table toward me. "You hit her with a tree."

So much for not being seen.

Michael sits up straighter beside me. "Yes, you did."

"The road was slippery, and I was in the car, too, not that you care. You two are the fun police."

"That's what happens when you drive like a moron," Michael adds.

"Oh, and I have fun." Kaleb sneers. "It just doesn't involve jumping on the nearest college dick."

"Hey!" both their parents yell.

My eyes widen. Holy shit. Breakfast with my mother doesn't seem so bad right about now. No, I take that back. Nothing's that bad.

Reaching over, I snag the piece of muffin trapped in Michael's hand. His eyes flit to me, then back to his now empty hand .

Blueberry, meh. I thought it was chocolate chip.

He doesn't say anything, but his hand drops to my knee, giving it a small squeeze. My insides melt. The small gesture means so much more for him than I'll ever understand.

Silence settles over the room, no one willing to break it first.

I'm thinking about sneaking out when Michael stands and pulls my chair out too. "I'm going to take Lara home."

I give the room a small wave. "Bye."

Kaleb scrubs his face. "Bye, Fawn. Don't be a stranger."

"Bye, Lara. Make sure you keep your promise and go see the doctor in town if you're still in pain tomorrow, please," Christopher tells me. It's not a question.

Maybe his boys get their demanding personalities from him. It's always the quiet ones.

"Do you need Kaleb to carry you out to the car?" Michael whispers.

I shake my head quickly. The worry on his face wipes away my annoyance at his earlier words. He's just worried. "I'm feeling better, not one hundred percent," I admit, honestly. "But I'm okay. I'll go to the doctor if I need to," I promise again.

His eyes search my face. "You better," Michael warns after a minute.

So bossy.

The large hand on the small of my back makes my thoughts fall away, but even distracted, it's hard not to notice the shift in the room at Michael's action.

Stepping into the living room, I glance back to see Helen give me a bright smile.

"What are you blushing about?" Michael asks as we step out into the cold air.