it seemed like he was going to laugh.Instead, he asked,"You have a nice home. Are you parents in?"
Groaning, I snapped, "No, not right now. Why?" Seriously, what was with asking about my parents?
"They're not, but I am," a gravelled voice answered behind Jeremiah. Jeremiah spun around quickly, while Isaac stood, a noise falling from their lips.
"Way to go, Jack." I glared at my uncle.
Admittedly, every time he returned, a little tension would leave me and I'd sigh with relief. Once more, I had no idea where he'd been. At least he'd come home. Sometimes he looked a little more worn than usual, as he did now.
Rolling my eyes, I controlled my laugh asI watched him take on a pose of a tough man in front of the boys. His feet were spread apart in his tattered blue jeans and cowboy boots. His arms crossed over his large chest, which caused his flannel shirt to look too small for him. He held his short brown-haired head high and glared at the strangers with his piercing blue eyes.
Shaking my head, I said to Isaac and his brother, "Ignore him. He's just the hired help."
Uncle Jack snorted. He carefully walked around Jeremiah and Isaac without taking his eyes off them, and stopped at my side, only to ruffle my hair, which I hated and had told him over and over.
"What's up, kiddo? And who do we have here? If I had known we were having guests, I would have been home earlier."
"Whatever. Where did you go this time?"
" Hunting ."
A low noise, one that sounded like a growl, came from Jeremiah and Isaac's direction. I looked at them, screwed my nose up and raised a brow in question. They said nothing.
"However, it doesn't matter about me right now, kid. You're bein' rude. I think introductions are called for."
"Isaac, Jeremiah. This is my annoying, pain-in-the-butt Uncle Jack. Doofus, Isaac and I go to college together and Jeremiah is Isaac's brother, here to pick him up after we had wild monkey sex." All three of them nearly choked on their own saliva. They ended up spluttering and coughing to regain some oxygen back in their systems.
"Seriously, kid. You're gonna kill me one day."
Smiling, I nudged his ribs and offered, "I shall try my best."
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Jack. " Jeremiah glared. "Isaac, are you ready to leave?"
"Yes." Isaac nodded. "I'll see you tomorrow, Leila," he said with his usual sober expression. Had something happened here without my knowledge?
"Yeah, see you then. Nice meeting you, Jeremiah. I'm sure we'll be seeing a lot of each other now."
He turned from the doorway to glance at me. "We'll see." He smirked then left, with Isaac following.
"Damn it, Jack, look at what you've just done."
He scoffed, walked over to the top cupboard and grabbed out his stash of bourbon. He checked the level to see I hadn't drank any then continued to pour himself a large glass, which he drank down in one go.
What was it that had him on edge? I hadn't seen him like this since my parents up and left, leaving him with the responsibility of me.
He turned around, concern written all over his face. "I don't like it, kiddo."
I sighed. "What?"
"Them."
"Don't do this, Jack," I yelled.
"I have a right to," he yelled back.
"No. No you don't. You don't get a choice of who I hang out with. Come on, Jack, when was the last time you saw me with someone—anyone? I need this. I need normal."
He snorted. "You won't get it from them two."
"What does that even mean? You always say cryptic shit and never finish it. Is this one of those times, Jack, or will you finish?"
He stared at me in silence, annoying the hell out of me. My hands fisted at my sides.
"You know I'm always gone for you, right? To keep you… to keep all this running." He gestured to the whole house.
"I call bullshit. I know for a fact Dad sends you money."
"Just leave it, Leila."
Ooh, he called me Leila. This always marked the time he'd shut down on me.
"All you need to know is I care about you. I'll have your back." He sounded weary.
Concern for
Groaning, I snapped, "No, not right now. Why?" Seriously, what was with asking about my parents?
"They're not, but I am," a gravelled voice answered behind Jeremiah. Jeremiah spun around quickly, while Isaac stood, a noise falling from their lips.
"Way to go, Jack." I glared at my uncle.
Admittedly, every time he returned, a little tension would leave me and I'd sigh with relief. Once more, I had no idea where he'd been. At least he'd come home. Sometimes he looked a little more worn than usual, as he did now.
Rolling my eyes, I controlled my laugh asI watched him take on a pose of a tough man in front of the boys. His feet were spread apart in his tattered blue jeans and cowboy boots. His arms crossed over his large chest, which caused his flannel shirt to look too small for him. He held his short brown-haired head high and glared at the strangers with his piercing blue eyes.
Shaking my head, I said to Isaac and his brother, "Ignore him. He's just the hired help."
Uncle Jack snorted. He carefully walked around Jeremiah and Isaac without taking his eyes off them, and stopped at my side, only to ruffle my hair, which I hated and had told him over and over.
"What's up, kiddo? And who do we have here? If I had known we were having guests, I would have been home earlier."
"Whatever. Where did you go this time?"
" Hunting ."
A low noise, one that sounded like a growl, came from Jeremiah and Isaac's direction. I looked at them, screwed my nose up and raised a brow in question. They said nothing.
"However, it doesn't matter about me right now, kid. You're bein' rude. I think introductions are called for."
"Isaac, Jeremiah. This is my annoying, pain-in-the-butt Uncle Jack. Doofus, Isaac and I go to college together and Jeremiah is Isaac's brother, here to pick him up after we had wild monkey sex." All three of them nearly choked on their own saliva. They ended up spluttering and coughing to regain some oxygen back in their systems.
"Seriously, kid. You're gonna kill me one day."
Smiling, I nudged his ribs and offered, "I shall try my best."
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Jack. " Jeremiah glared. "Isaac, are you ready to leave?"
"Yes." Isaac nodded. "I'll see you tomorrow, Leila," he said with his usual sober expression. Had something happened here without my knowledge?
"Yeah, see you then. Nice meeting you, Jeremiah. I'm sure we'll be seeing a lot of each other now."
He turned from the doorway to glance at me. "We'll see." He smirked then left, with Isaac following.
"Damn it, Jack, look at what you've just done."
He scoffed, walked over to the top cupboard and grabbed out his stash of bourbon. He checked the level to see I hadn't drank any then continued to pour himself a large glass, which he drank down in one go.
What was it that had him on edge? I hadn't seen him like this since my parents up and left, leaving him with the responsibility of me.
He turned around, concern written all over his face. "I don't like it, kiddo."
I sighed. "What?"
"Them."
"Don't do this, Jack," I yelled.
"I have a right to," he yelled back.
"No. No you don't. You don't get a choice of who I hang out with. Come on, Jack, when was the last time you saw me with someone—anyone? I need this. I need normal."
He snorted. "You won't get it from them two."
"What does that even mean? You always say cryptic shit and never finish it. Is this one of those times, Jack, or will you finish?"
He stared at me in silence, annoying the hell out of me. My hands fisted at my sides.
"You know I'm always gone for you, right? To keep you… to keep all this running." He gestured to the whole house.
"I call bullshit. I know for a fact Dad sends you money."
"Just leave it, Leila."
Ooh, he called me Leila. This always marked the time he'd shut down on me.
"All you need to know is I care about you. I'll have your back." He sounded weary.
Concern for
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