Us. There it was again, that he was still stuck here.
Steve did his best to straighten, smoothing his rumpled shirt, and bobbled in the motion. “I told her she’d not done right by you, begged her to call, and speak with you herself. I’m sorry, Louis, but she refused.”
Stung, Louis’s grip on the forms tightened, and they crinkled in his palm.
“So I told her to let you go. I would adopt you. That’s the paperwork. It’s all but done … just needs the judge’s signature.”
Louis reeled, distancing himself. His mom, who he’d laid his hopes on, had given him up? To Steve? She didn’t want him?
“Louis … I thought … thought we could start over,” Steve continued. He tried to walk forward, but twisted his ankle and fell against the wall.
Louis continued to reverse.
“You don’t have to call me ‘dad’. I know you’re too big for that. But maybe we can form a truce?”
Louis walked backwards, out of the living room and into the foyer.
“Louis?”
Out of his stepdad’s sight, he whirled, yanked the front door open and, leaving it ajar, fled. He drove recklessly, not paying any attention to his route, and the fog swallowed him, further muddying his view. He flew around a curve, his tires catching the edge of the verge, and raced down an unknown street, intent only on outrunning his pain.
A stop sign leaped out at him, too quick. He overcorrected to avoid it and spotted a person directly in his path. He spun the wheel again, the car twisting counterclockwise, and came to a stop in the middle of the street.
His heart pounding, his chest tight, he gripped the wheel, then it occurred to him to look for the person he’d seen. He rolled down his window, craning his head out, and spotted a girl.
“Dorothy?”
“Louis?”
What was she doing here? “One moment. Just let me …” Edging the car onto the side of the road, he parked and exited, his door remaining open.
She crossed the lanes, her arms curved over her chest.
“You’re cold,” he said. “I think …” Reaching into the back of his car, he dug through his things and shook out his Piermont Senior Jacket. He draped it over her shoulders. It was huge on her, but she seemed grateful. She tugged the edges closed.
“What are you …?” They both spoke at once, ending the question with a couple jittery laughs.
“Just out driving,” he said. “I should have … slowed.” His excuse sounded lame, but she seemed to accept it.
“I heard a car coming, but couldn’t see it for all the fog.”
Then again, her excuse was questionable. He gazed at her, unspeaking. Her eyes rimmed red, her face flushed. Had she been running from someone? It wasn’t his place to ask, but he couldn’t leave her here. “Can I give you a lift?”
She bit her lip. “I’d like to go home, but I’m not sure …”
He understood her discomfort. “You want me to call someone then?”
“Would you?”
He nodded. “Here …” Reaching into his pocket, he dug out his cell and extended it to her. Their fingers brushed, and they paused.
Louis released the device. “I’ll stay until whoever arrives,” he said.
She glanced down at the phone, dialed a number, and raised it to her ear. “Ria?” Dorothy’s voice cracked. She made a slight cough. “I need you to come get me. I’m …” She paused. “… a half mile or so north of the bridge.”
The bridge? Louis trailed his gaze over her again. Red marks shone on her wrist, her hair was mussed, and she had a tiny cut on her lip. Who had done that to her? The anger he’d felt for Steve transferred to her unknown assailant.
Headlights cut through the fog. A voice called out. “Dot?”
Dorothy shrunk back. “I’ll wait,” she mumbled into the phone. She reversed, almost hiding behind him.
“Dot? I’m sorry …” The car slowed.
Louis looked down at her. “You want me to get rid of him?”
She bobbed her head.
Holding the driver’s side door, he waved her into the seat, shutting it behind her. “Stay there,” he said. With determined steps, he crossed the road until even with driver. He recognized the guy behind the wheel instantly. The Eagles’ quarterback, Drew Sault.
“You …” Drew said, his gaze narrow.
Louis contemplated his response. His fists curled, his brain screamed to pound the guy. He’d evidently frightened her and, in his mind, deserved whatever he got. It’d be easy, not really a fair fight. He was taller and wider than Drew, weighed more than him by about thirty pounds. One swing. Even if he hit him just once, it’d be worth it.
Yet his arm hauled back, his muscles tensed, what came out sounded a lot like Steve. “She’s chosen to walk away,” he said, his voice deep. “You need to go home.”
Steve did his best to straighten, smoothing his rumpled shirt, and bobbled in the motion. “I told her she’d not done right by you, begged her to call, and speak with you herself. I’m sorry, Louis, but she refused.”
Stung, Louis’s grip on the forms tightened, and they crinkled in his palm.
“So I told her to let you go. I would adopt you. That’s the paperwork. It’s all but done … just needs the judge’s signature.”
Louis reeled, distancing himself. His mom, who he’d laid his hopes on, had given him up? To Steve? She didn’t want him?
“Louis … I thought … thought we could start over,” Steve continued. He tried to walk forward, but twisted his ankle and fell against the wall.
Louis continued to reverse.
“You don’t have to call me ‘dad’. I know you’re too big for that. But maybe we can form a truce?”
Louis walked backwards, out of the living room and into the foyer.
“Louis?”
Out of his stepdad’s sight, he whirled, yanked the front door open and, leaving it ajar, fled. He drove recklessly, not paying any attention to his route, and the fog swallowed him, further muddying his view. He flew around a curve, his tires catching the edge of the verge, and raced down an unknown street, intent only on outrunning his pain.
A stop sign leaped out at him, too quick. He overcorrected to avoid it and spotted a person directly in his path. He spun the wheel again, the car twisting counterclockwise, and came to a stop in the middle of the street.
His heart pounding, his chest tight, he gripped the wheel, then it occurred to him to look for the person he’d seen. He rolled down his window, craning his head out, and spotted a girl.
“Dorothy?”
“Louis?”
What was she doing here? “One moment. Just let me …” Edging the car onto the side of the road, he parked and exited, his door remaining open.
She crossed the lanes, her arms curved over her chest.
“You’re cold,” he said. “I think …” Reaching into the back of his car, he dug through his things and shook out his Piermont Senior Jacket. He draped it over her shoulders. It was huge on her, but she seemed grateful. She tugged the edges closed.
“What are you …?” They both spoke at once, ending the question with a couple jittery laughs.
“Just out driving,” he said. “I should have … slowed.” His excuse sounded lame, but she seemed to accept it.
“I heard a car coming, but couldn’t see it for all the fog.”
Then again, her excuse was questionable. He gazed at her, unspeaking. Her eyes rimmed red, her face flushed. Had she been running from someone? It wasn’t his place to ask, but he couldn’t leave her here. “Can I give you a lift?”
She bit her lip. “I’d like to go home, but I’m not sure …”
He understood her discomfort. “You want me to call someone then?”
“Would you?”
He nodded. “Here …” Reaching into his pocket, he dug out his cell and extended it to her. Their fingers brushed, and they paused.
Louis released the device. “I’ll stay until whoever arrives,” he said.
She glanced down at the phone, dialed a number, and raised it to her ear. “Ria?” Dorothy’s voice cracked. She made a slight cough. “I need you to come get me. I’m …” She paused. “… a half mile or so north of the bridge.”
The bridge? Louis trailed his gaze over her again. Red marks shone on her wrist, her hair was mussed, and she had a tiny cut on her lip. Who had done that to her? The anger he’d felt for Steve transferred to her unknown assailant.
Headlights cut through the fog. A voice called out. “Dot?”
Dorothy shrunk back. “I’ll wait,” she mumbled into the phone. She reversed, almost hiding behind him.
“Dot? I’m sorry …” The car slowed.
Louis looked down at her. “You want me to get rid of him?”
She bobbed her head.
Holding the driver’s side door, he waved her into the seat, shutting it behind her. “Stay there,” he said. With determined steps, he crossed the road until even with driver. He recognized the guy behind the wheel instantly. The Eagles’ quarterback, Drew Sault.
“You …” Drew said, his gaze narrow.
Louis contemplated his response. His fists curled, his brain screamed to pound the guy. He’d evidently frightened her and, in his mind, deserved whatever he got. It’d be easy, not really a fair fight. He was taller and wider than Drew, weighed more than him by about thirty pounds. One swing. Even if he hit him just once, it’d be worth it.
Yet his arm hauled back, his muscles tensed, what came out sounded a lot like Steve. “She’s chosen to walk away,” he said, his voice deep. “You need to go home.”
✿
Spunky Southside Eagle cheerleader, Dorothy Payne, never expected to meet the guy of her dreams on the football field. Especially since he goes to the rival school, Piermont High. But a mid-game collision with Raider’s defense player, Louis Buntz, soon leads to mutual interest and a date.
What seems simple and full of promise, however, has unseen complications: her mom’s bad health, Louis’s rocky home life, and, biggest of all, the sudden jealousy of her longtime friend, Eagles’ quarterback, Drew Sault. The rash decision to go out with both further muddles things. Her heart pulls her one way, but her conscience pulls the other.
She shouldn’t be with a Raider when it looks like the guy she’s known the longest is falling apart.
*Other ebook retailers includes: Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Apple, Tolino, Vivlio, Smashwords, Gardners, Fable, Everand, Overdrive, Odilio, cloudLibrary, Hooplan, BorrowBox, Bookshop
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Suzanne D. Williams, Author
www.suzannedwilliams.com
www.feelgoodromance.com
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 Book 1){kind=link}
