Page 49 of Freeze Frame

“Ouch. Baby brother has claws today.”

“Did you want to sit?” I asked David. “You had a hell of a day by the sounds of it.”

“Sure.”

He didn’t sound sure. I wanted Violet to leave, but I didn’t want to kick her out too soon. I wanted her to like David, and she wouldn’t if she felt I was being weird about him. We moved to the living room where Violet took the chair and David and I sat on the couch with the dogs. It didn’t improve the situation any because now she stared at us like we were being interviewed.

Interrogated.

“So, David, what do you do for a living?”

“I’m a custodian at the university.”

“David took me to the botanical gardens there actually. I’d never been before. You should go, Vi. It’s so pretty there.”

Violet smiled softly. “That sounds nice.”

“I used to take Jax there all the time when he was a kid, but I’ve never taken a date there before. It was a bit of a gamble, but I think it paid off.”

“Jax?” Violet’s eyebrows scrunched together.

“My son.”

She tilted her head. “You have kids?”

“Just the one. Raised him myself. He’s all grown up with a couple of boyfriends now.”

“Hey, Violet, I wanted to show you something.” I practically leapt up off the couch and grabbed her arm. “Come on, it’ll just take a minute.”

I tugged at her arm until she got up, and I led her down the hallway to my room, sparing a quick glance back for David so I could shoot him a smile that I hoped would be reassuring.

I yanked her into my room and closed the door.

“Don’t you dare, Vi. I’m warning you,” I whisper-yelled.

“He’s old as fuck, though. He has a kid who is old enough to have boyfriends. Plural. Don’t you think that’s strange?”

“Shhhh.” I glanced at the door. “Keep your voice down.”

Violet’s eyes flashed, and she set her jaw. Folding her arms over her chest, she tilted her chin up. It was Violet’s classic fighting stance.

“That wasn’t a no,” she said triumphantly.

“It was a hell no. It was ait’s none of your fucking business.It was ahe makes me deliriously fucking happy.Should I continue or are you ready to acknowledge that none of this is your business? I love you, Vi, but you don’t get to make decisions for me.”

“While that might be true, I still get to have opinions.”

“No, you don’t. I didn’t ask for your opinion, and I don’t want it. You can either be supportive and happy for me, and quiet about what you think, or you can leave. David has had a shittyfucking day, and the last thing he needed was you crashing in here with your holier than thou, Violet to the rescue attitude. I need you in my corner, not my business.”

“He’s old enough to be our father. Doesn’t that make you uncomfortable?”

“What makes me uncomfortable is that you care. I think it’s horrible that I found someone who makes me happy, who doesn’t think my job has ruined my life, who cares about me, and your reaction is to shit all over it.”

“Of course he wouldn’t care about your job.” Violet scoffed as though it was somehow a bad thing that David was accepting of my choices.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“It means that he’s a weird old man who wants an easy target.”