16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

Christian

I tested the knob on Darren's door, where he slept in the guestroom. Despite Mom catching us the other day snuggled in my bed, she wouldn't allow us to sleep together overnight.

It was just after seven thirty in the morning, and while I liked to sleep in, I wanted to curl up in bed with Darren for a bit before we got up to open presents.

The knob turned easily, and I opened it, wincing when it squeaked on its hinges. I peeked inside to see him rolling in bed, but he didn't wake up.

I pulled back his quilt and sheet and slid in beside him. The bed was a queen, but because he was so large, it was a tight fit, especially when he was in the middle of the bed. I curled up against his back, took a deep breath of his warm, sleepy smell, and wrapped my arm around his broad frame .

"Mornin'," he mumbled.

I pressed a kiss on his back. "Morning."

Darren scooted back and rolled over to face me. His eyes were still closed, but he had a sweetly soft smile on his face. "C'mere."

I moved in close, and he engulfed me in his arms and kissed my head. "Merry Christmas," he said.

"Merry Christmas."

"I like waking up with you in my arms."

My fingers ran along his face and through the light stubble on his jaw. "Me, too."

"I have morning wood, and I want to be naughty, but not today. It feels weird with the holiday and your family home."

My dick was hard, too. "We can fool around later."

We finally climbed out of bed a few minutes later, and I snatched Darren's navy blue and yellow LCHS football hoodie before he could and pulled it over my head. It was huge, but I liked it. It was snuggly and smelled like his soapy and earthy smell.

He grabbed me, lifted me by my pits as always, and kissed the hell out of me, morning breath be damned. Why did I love it when he did that? He was so strong, always making me feel safe.

"I love you," I mumbled, pressing our heads together. It was still weird to say out loud, but Darren needed constant reminders that there were people out there who cared about him.

"I love you."

He set me back onto my feet, and we headed downstairs, hand in hand.

Darren looked so cute with his messy blond hair sticking up everywhere and sleepy green eyes, yawning as he sipped coffee on the couch next to Grandad. I knew that one day I was going to wake up to that every morning .

The first present I grabbed was my present to him. It wasn't all that expensive, but I hoped he liked it. I handed him the small, wrapped box and sat on his other side as he opened it.

He smiled shyly as he opened his present. "Is this the one you bought at the festival?"

I nodded.

Darren pulled out a stained-glass ornament of two men kissing. It was so full of color and hope. As soon as I saw it, I knew I had to get it for him.

"Do you like it? You can hang it in your bedroom window, and all the colors will reflect over your walls."

"It's beautiful, Chris. I love it, but I have a better place for it."

"Where?"

"In my truck, hanging from the mirror. Maybe it isn't the prettiest place to be, but the spot is more special. And this deserves a special place to hang."

I sucked in my bottom lip as my heart burst into a million pieces. "You aren't afraid of anyone seeing the ornament?"

He shook his head. "No one's going to look that hard. It doesn't matter. It belongs in a place that's important to me."

I rested my head on his hard shoulder as my grandad opened his present from Darren and gushed. "Oh my. This is nice."

"The book has both of our cars inside," Darren explained.

"This is impressive. I can't wait to dive in."

Mom loved her book, too, and Grandma put her little Jack Russell figurine over the fireplace.

My family gave Darren a gift card from an automotive shop so he could get some parts for his truck if he needed them. To me, the present didn't seem like such a big deal, but to Darren… his eyes turned red as he sucked in his emotions. Each day, I learned more and more how important that truck was to him.

I saved my gift from Darren for last .

I was on the floor, grabbing the small box, when he came to sit next to me.

He looked nervous. "I hope it's not too much."

It would be amazing no matter what because it was from him.

I shredded the Christmas paper and opened the box to find the prettiest thing I'd ever seen in my life.

"It's ah… a Victorian bridal necklace… uhm, that doesn't mean we're engaged or anything. We're too young for that, or, ah…"

"Oh, my god! I love it!" I squealed.

I gently set the box down, and I lunged at him. "Thank you! It's so pretty." Then I shoved him away and pulled off Darren's hoodie I'd been wearing. "Put it on me?"

He chuckled as I turned around. He clasped the necklace around my neck, and before anyone could say anything, I rushed off to the foyer, where a large ornate mirror was hung, and stared at my reflection.

I touched the delicate pearls and crystals. They glittered like magic, and I loved how the strands draped gently around my neck. In the center were pretty crystals and dangling pearls.

Everyone came out to look. Mom lifted it gently with her fingers. "Isn't that the prettiest thing? What a lovely gift, Darren."

I looked at Darren, who was blushing and rubbing his neck, making me smile like a nut. "It's nothing," he said.

I scoffed. "Nothing? It's everything. God, it must have been so expensive. You shouldn't have spent this much on me."

"It wasn't that bad. Really."

My Darren was the sweetest boy I knew. I was so happy that I pushed aside my fears and took a chance on him. He'd surprised me at every turn, reminding me to never judge a book by its cover.

There was a pounding on my bedroom door the next morning. I opened it, surprised to see Darren looking pissed yet determined. I hadn't expected him either after he'd gone home.

"Hey?"

I reached for him to give him a hug and kiss, but he held me back by grabbing my hips. "No time for kisses. Get dressed and tell your mom you'll be back later this afternoon."

"Exciting! Where are we going?"

"To go kick some ass. Not… literally. Just… trust me."

I quickly threw on some jeans, a T-shirt, my pink Chucks, and a sweatshirt. It wasn't pretty, but I was in a rush. Looking good took time. After brushing my hair and teeth, I put on a pair of diamond studs.

"Perfect," he said, grabbing my hand and dragging me downstairs.

"Mom… I'll be back later!" I yelled.

"Do you have your phone?"

"Yes."

"Is your phone charged?"

"Yes."

"What time are you going to be home?"

I looked at Darren. "We'll be back before dinner," he yelled out.

"Okay, be careful."

When we got into his truck, he rubbed the dashboard. "I know you can make it there, Baby Girl."

I lifted the dangling stained glass, smiling as it refracted the winter morning sunlight.

"Dare… what is going on?"

He started the ignition and put the truck in gear. "So, you're probably not going to like this, but I'm fucking over it. It's time for a change."

I swallowed the forming lump, having no idea what he was talking about, but I hoped he didn't mean about us. "What change?"

"Don't be mad, okay?"

"Dare, don't tell me not to be mad. Then I probably will! "

"Then forgive me if you do, but this needs to be fucking done."

"Darren…" I warned.

He gripped the steering wheel tight enough to turn his knuckles white. "We're going to pay your dad a little visit."

"What?!"

My stomach suddenly turned nauseous, and my hands shook. "No, no, no… We can't."

"Why can't we? It's time he knew how much he's hurting you. Think of this as a second Christmas gift, not just for you, but for me. Dammit, baby… You're hurting, and it's his goddamn fault. He needs to know."

"But… but… What if he admits he never wanted me or… I'm not sure I can take that, Dare."

He reached over and grabbed my hand. "You need to, baby. If we want change, we have to take life by the balls. That means we need to stand up to our parents when they've wronged us. Nothing makes you feel more in control and empowered than letting them know how much they've hurt you and that they aren't allowed to hurt you again. Maybe he'll be a pussy and back off even more. Maybe he'll realize what an asshole he's been and fix things. I'm hoping for the latter."

"Oh, god… Okay. Okay. Let's do it."

"Yeah?"

I nodded. "I may throw up, though."

He chuckled. "Then I'll hold your hair back and clean it up for you. In all seriousness, I'll hold you through it all. You don't need to be alone like I was when I finally stood up to my dad. It's scary as fuck. I know. But when I did, it was the start of the new me. Dillon did the same to me, standing up to his bully."

"I'm going to be sick, for sure."

Darren dragged the back of his fingers against my face. "You won't. You're so strong. I love you, baby."

That reminder of how he felt about me sent a surge of unexpected confidence through me, just like I'd done for him on Christmas Eve .

"Where does this asshat live?" he asked.

"Chevy Case. There's this old house we used to live in. He got to keep the house since he paid for it."

"You mean this is the house you grew up in?"

I nodded.

"Bastard."

"To be fair, Mom didn't want to live there anymore."

"What about you?"

I shrugged. I'd already made it clear I never wanted to leave. "If we hadn't come here, then I would never have met you."

Darren briefly glanced at me with a broad smile before turning his eyes back onto the road. "I love that we did. It all may be moot if I can't get Baby Girl to cough her way to DC. Driving on country roads is one thing. Taking the highway is another. I haven't fully tested her speed limits."

I rubbed the dashboard as Darren always seemed to, personifying his truck. "She'll get us there."

An hour later, we made it and parked in front of Dad's house. Nostalgia hit harder than a fist to the nose. I'd grown up here, but being distracted by love, I'd forgotten how much I'd missed this place.

Everything was the same, from the lush landscaping, even in the winter, to the familiar Christmas decorations. The house was covered in lights, but they were turned off, and a giant wreath covered the door.

It looked like a home straight out of Cape Cod, with the dormers in the attic. The house was wood, painted white with black trim, shutters, and a bright red door. Before the divorce, Dad had planned on converting the entire attic so that I would have more privacy, which obviously never happened.

Darren whistled, startling me out of my memories. "Nice place. What does your dad do?"

"He's ah, a corporate lawyer in DC. He does well. "

"And he couldn't have just sold this house and given your mom half of the money to buy her own place? I bet this house is worth at least a cool mil."

"A couple of mil. This area is expensive. Hell, all of DC and surrounding suburbs are expensive."

"I hate him already."

I snorted a laugh. "My dad was always good to me, Dare."

"Until you moved away."

"Yeah."

I couldn't argue there.

"Does he even call you?"

"He has a couple of times, but I usually just get quick texts."

"That's about to change now."

But before we could get out of the truck, the front door opened, and a woman stepped out onto the portico. She turned around to face the door before Dad pulled her close to him. They kissed for what felt like forever before they waved goodbye.

It was so weird to see him with another woman. I understood my parents were no longer legally bound to each other, but it still hurt to witness.

"Huh. Well, that explains him losing out on the ‘ Dad of the Year ' award. He's got a new girl and is distracted, not that it justifies his behavior," Darren said.

"M-maybe we should just go."

Darren turned to face me on the bench seat and grabbed my hand. "We'll go back if you insist, but I want you to trust me. Confronting him with how you feel will make you feel better, even if things don't change. Right now, he's in a bubble, and it's hard to see the hurt he's causing you. Seeing you face to face will hopefully set him straight."

With a heavy sigh, I nodded. I was terrified, but with Darren at my side, I think I could do this.