AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Cory.” Isaiah’s stern voice broke into their argument. “Don’t talk to your aunt like that.”
Angela’s heart imploded. Just what she needed—Isaiah witnessing how inadequate she was at dealing with teenage mood swings. She turned to him and wasn’t too embarrassed to miss how good the green of his Gators T-shirt looked against his skin, as it draped over his muscular torso.
“I’ve got this,” she said.
Isaiah looked from her to Cory’s slumped shoulders. “I know, but I can’t stand by and watch one of my camp kids be disrespectful. Cory, you need to apologize to your aunt.”
Cory nudged his foot against the floor. “Sorry.”
Isaiah crossed his arms over his chest. “The way you were disrespecting her was sorry. I need you to apologize. Like a man. Lift your chin and look her in the eye.”
Cory raised his head and squared his shoulders. When he met Angela’s eye, there was a flash of regret. “I’m sorry, Auntie.”
Angela placed her hand on his arm. He stiffened and glanced around. Several other kids from the camp watched. She squeezed his arm instead of pulling him into a hug. “Cory, I love you. You’re not a burden and you’re not unwelcome. I know we’re still working things out, but we can’t get through them if we don’t work together. You can talk to me about anything. Don’t forget that.”
He nodded and the stiffness left his body. “I know.” His gaze darted to the side. A young girl Angela recognized from the camp walked by on her way into the gym. Cory glanced back at Angela. “Can I go now?”
Angela nodded and dropped her hand. “We’ll talk more later.”
“Twenty laps,” Isaiah said to Cory. “Learning to control your emotions is part of the discipline you’ll need to be professional at anything. Think about that while you’re running.”
Cory sighed, but nodded and trudged into the gym. They both watched him go.
“What’s going on with him today?” Isaiah asked.
Angela shrugged. She wished she knew where this burden nonsense came from, but Isaiah didn’t need to know all her business. “He was in a bad mood when he woke up this morning, but it really started brewing over the weekend.”
“He lives with you?” Isaiah’s dark eyes met hers. She felt the force of his gaze like a blow to the stomach. It took her breath away. Without Cory there between them she was acutely aware of Isaiah’s closeness. They didn’t touch, but she could still feel him. His nearness was like an electric current in her vicinity. Powerful, potent and potentially dangerous.
She shifted away slightly. The distance didn’t help. Isaiah was a big man and her instincts didn’t want to escape his gravitational pull. “I’m his guardian for now. For the most part, things have been going really well. It’s just when he gets like this…” When I have no clue what I’m doing. “I’m still learning the mind of a thirteen-year-old boy.”
His shoulders relaxed and he arched an eyebrow. “You really don’t want to know everything that goes on in the mind of a thirteen-year-old boy. Trust me.” He chuckled. His laugh was low, warm and sexy.
“Is it that bad?”
Isaiah rubbed the back of his head and gave her a smile that had her sliding back into his circle. “Worse than you can imagine. I’ll talk to him today and keep a close eye on him. He’s a good kid, but I can tell he’s got a lot going on in his head.”
“You really don’t have to do that. I’m not asking for any special treatment. Thanks for stepping in. I was about to go straight fool on him and that wouldn’t have helped.” She didn’t like appearing as if she needed assistance, but she had to admit, Isaiah diffused Cory’s sour attitude much faster than she had.
“It’s no special treatment. When it comes to all of the kids in the camp, if I think one of them is struggling with something I talk to them. Sometimes it helps to talk things out with someone who isn’t a parent.”
“That’s one of the reasons I thought he’d be willing to talk to me. I’m not his mom and he’s never hesitated opening up to me before,” Angela said, frowning.
