“Yes, sir, the last thing I want is to hurt her. We’ve talked about the future and where our lives are headed. She’s different from other girls. She more mature and responsible. She cares about things that matter, and honestly, right now I think I need her more than she needs me.”
Her father didn’t reply right away. He simply sat there and thought about what I’d said. I couldn’t promise him we would have it easy. However, I could promise him I’d protect her from me. I would never hurt her. If anyone was hurt when this was over, it would be me.
“Fine, then. Good. I like you, Brady Higgens. I think you’re good for each other.”
I breathed a little easier.
Death by Corn Bread
CHAPTER 39
RILEY
I wrapped the afghan around my shoulders tightly to block the cold night breeze. Brady was beside me on the back porch steps. Dinner had gone well, and Bryony was tucked in bed. She’d enjoyed having a new face around to perform for and entertain.
Between her and Grandmamma, I wasn’t sure what Brady thought of my family. Bryony had kept giving him buttered corn bread, which he ate like a champ, Grandmamma had asked him three times what his name was and if he’d seen Thomas, and then to end the night, Bryony had made him a pallet by our bed and told him to stay.
If I sat back and tried to see us through someone else’s eyes, we resembled a zoo. Dad had chuckled through all of it. Mom had kept apologizing under her breath. But Brady had smiled and assured everyone he was having a good time.
“Are you about to vomit from all the corn bread?” I asked him.
“I’m a growing boy. Bryony knows that. She was just making sure I ate enough.”
I laughed at that. “Death by corn bread.”
“It wasn’t bad. I enjoyed it. Was a nice break from my house. This was real. I used to think mine was real, but now that I know what a complete façade it is, I can appreciate the real thing.”
“Have you thought about how to handle it? Are you going to confront your dad or tell your mom?”
He sighed and ran a hand through his already messy dark hair. “Yeah, and I don’t know. I have to confront him, and I have to tell my mom. Both I need to do. But the idea of how much pain she’s going to be in kills me.”
I wondered about Maggie. How all this would affect her. She had found happiness in their home. Now this was about to explode.
“Are you going to wait until after the championship?”
He shrugged, then shook his head. “No. I can’t. This is more important than football. My mother gets in bed with that asshole every night. Hell, he could be giving her a damn STD.”
I hadn’t thought of that. But I doubted that would happen.
“She’s married, so that’s unlikely. It seems to be an affair for both of them.”
“She’s a whore. She could be having an affair with several men. And I hate to say this, but he could be doing the same. Who’s to say she’s the only one?”
Good point. I didn’t argue that. My stomach twisted at the thought. Just when I thought I couldn’t get any sicker.
We sat there awhile staring out at the stars with our thoughts.
Gunner was okay with me and Brady. His girlfriend wanted to be my friend. This should all make me happy. But the way Brady was hurting, nothing could make me happy. His world was being ripped apart. There was nothing I could rejoice over at this point. Nothing that would fix that.
“I’m worried about Maggie. She’s just now settling in and living life. She’s found security, and I’m about to blow that shit up in her face. With me, I’ve never had tragedy to face. Life has been easy. So fucking easy I am soft. For Maggie, she’s been through so much already. Now the only family she has left is about to explode in front of her. Her mother was my dad’s sister, so does that mean she has to go with my dad when he leaves? Because he will leave. My mom won’t have to go anywhere. I’ll make sure of that. But Maggie should get to stay with my mom. Fuck,” he muttered, dropping his head into his hands. “This is so hard. How do I figure out the right thing to do in all this? So many people’s lives are going to be affected. Not just mine. How do I protect them?”
He was just seventeen. He shouldn’t be having to protect his mother and cousin from this. It was too much responsibility, and it was unfair. I reached over and linked my hand with his. It wasn’t much, but it was all I had. In life, sometimes there was nothing that could comfort you. Nothing to take the pain from your chest. But a simple reminder that you weren’t alone helped. If just a little.
“Do you think he even considered us for a moment? Me, mom, and Maggie? Or did he just think about himself?”