out. That weird piece that I’ve tried filling with sex and more sex. That weird piece that without it, it feels like someone is twisting a needle inside trying to pop my kidney. It’s that weird piece I knew I could never really be whole again without it being filled. But I never thought that piece would come back. I never thought I’d ever get anything close to what my parents have. And now that I have the chance, I’m not gonna fuck it up.
Chapter 4
Megan
No. I can’t just get out of the car. Because. No. Stop fighting with me. You are the worst person to have around right now.
With another deep breath I slide out of my car, lock the door, and head towards Dean who is waiting with a dopey smile.
It’s what I imagine having a puppy is like. Sweet. Loyal. Faithful. Just happy to see you. God, can I keep him? Shit. No. No. I didn’t mean that. I know I can’t keep him. There’s no way he’d want damaged goods.
“I see you look beautiful in anything,” the compliment has me immediately blushing into a smile.
“Smooth.”
“Honest,” he corrects sliding one hand into his jeans.
Has the nerve to call me beautiful as he stands in front of me in a great pair of jeans and a tight black polo t-shirt looking like something boy band members grow into. Oh…like you never had a crush on a boy band.
“Come on. Let’s meet my family,” he insists and grabs my hand.
Instead of telling him to drop it or pulling it back, my fingers fold with his.
Damn things have a mind of their own!
“Wait.” I tug him to stop. “Before we go in there, tell me this. When I left...” The memory tries to clog my throat. “You were Dean Cofax. Now you’re Dean Kellar. What happened?”
With a heavy sigh he says, “You remember how my dad was?”
The scum of the earth that used his flesh and blood like a punching bag.
“Yeah.”
“After you moved away there wasn’t anyone else to keep me out of harm’s way. So I started hiding in the park and against buildings I felt safe in or close to. One day Dad, uh, Logan is his name, was on his way to work out at his favorite gym, and kinda took me under his wing. He once had an old man like mine and felt the need to rescue me or some shit. And he did. Well, he started, the rest of the family fell behind him.” I can’t help but smile. “That’s kinda how they work. Everything that happens, everything we go through, we go through together.”
“Did your dad...die?”
“Might as well have,” Dean mutters. “He gave up his rights to Kellar. No questions. No arguments. It’s cool. They adopted me and changed my last name. And let’s just say that was the second best day of my life.”
“Second best?”
“Finding you again is now the first,” the comment makes me slightly swoon out loud. Leaning his face a little closer to mine he says, “Now how about we go get some hot dogs? You still eat yours with both kinds of mustard?”
“You remember?” I giggle and let him lead us up the side walk to the red brick two story house.
“I don’t think there’s anything about you I could forget.”
Seriously! Who says shit like that! Who? Besides my favorite book boyfriends of course. I meant in real life. In real life no one ever says shit like that...
“Do you still insist on only wearing pink panties?”
I bat him with a hand that makes him toss his head back in a manly chuckle that sends tingles to the one highly neglected location on my body.
Don’t ask about my sex life please. Like the rest of my existence, it’s embarrassing and shameful.
Inside, we kick off our shoes and he leads me still by the hand, mouth moving what feels like a million miles per hour, “So I’ve told you about my dad—”
“Kind of,” I interrupt. “Haven told me he used to be an MMA fighter.”
“World famous. It was crazy to watch and even crazier to watch when he left...” his voice drops as we turn the direction of the kitchen, the entire house feeling warm and