[Teen and New Adult Romance]
"Life as a trailer trash kid is nothing short of shitty, especially when the love of my life pretends that I don't exist."
River wants two things: to get out of Gladstone and to be with the boy from her childhood. With h...
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Frank's house smelled like spaghetti and garlic bread as we walked up. The windows were open, and there was opera music playing inside.
"Don't worry. He's a good guy. He might even teach you how to play chess." Kaleb sent me a soft smile, which threw me sideways. Kaleb hadn't smiled at me like that in years.
"Did he teach you how to play chess?" I asked, trying to imagine Kaleb calming down enough to concentrate on chess, but I came up with nothing. Kaleb was a mover. He liked to be doing something with his hands or feet. Sitting and just playing a mental game of chess with someone didn't seem like his way of doing things.
"What would you say if I said no?" Kaleb's gaze found mine.
"I would say that's what I thought." I joked, knowing it was true.
"Well, he likes chess, and he likes to play cards. He's a simple guy, River. That's all I'm saying. He won't try anything on you like that asshole, Vinny." Kaleb knocked on the front door.
An older man with wrinkles and grey hair whipped open the door. "Kaleb, my boy, so nice of you to bring your friend over finally."
"Er... well, she needs a place to stay tonight and for the rest of the school year." The back of Kaleb's hand grazed my forearm, causing me to catch my breath.
"You're sure her parents are okay with this? The last thing I need is the law pounding down my front door." Frank said.
"The police would have to check out my mom's place first," I laughed uncomfortably, hoping that Kaleb would touch me again.
Kaleb slid his arm around my shoulders as he tugged me into him, sending warmth from my head to my toes. "She's not lying, Frank. Her dilapidated trailer needs to be checked out thoroughly. They don't treat her right there. I don't even think the cops would allow her parents to have her back if they understood the magnitude of the situation. I'll vouch for you and so will my dad. I just want her to stay in a safe place from now on."
"Well, okay then. As long as the bills are getting paid, I won't ask any more questions. If what you say is true, I think I'll just get angry at what they put your little gal through, and I don't want to get angry at the moment." Frank waved us in cheerfully. "The apartment is out back. Let's get you situated."
Kaleb released my shoulder and took my hand, slipping his fingers through mine. What the fuck was going on? Honestly, I didn't care. I squeezed his hand, happy to be so close to him. Had he broken it off with Maryanne?
From his behavior, I assumed he had. Maybe we were finally getting together. If only his parents didn't hate me, but maybe that wouldn't be a problem anymore. What had changed? Something had, and I needed to get to the bottom of it soon. I wanted to be with him. Did he want to be with me? Could we actually make this work between us this time?
The garage ended up being detached, and the apartment was on the second floor.
