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Finally, when the last bit of come had dripped from my cock, I sighed, falling onto the bed and turning toward her. Her cheeks were flushed red, and I could tell she was embarrassed by what she’d said. Sure, it had thrown me off, but then it was followed up with the best damn orgasm I’d ever had.
“I’m sorry,” she said, looking down at the bed. “I know it is too soon to be saying I love you.”
“Don’t apologize,” I responded. “There is absolutely nothing to be sorry for. I feel the same exact way. I just didn’t respond because it surprised me.”
“Yeah,” she said, laughing. “It was kind of an awkward time to say it.”
“I think it was perfect,” I said, leaning forward and kissing her lips. “And I love you, too.”
She smiled big as my lips pressed against her. For several minutes, we lay there with our lips moving over each other’s, our emotions pouring out in kisses and heavy glances. Her hands came up around my shoulders, and she pulled me into her, her warm, perky breasts rubbing over my chest. My cock began to respond to her sensual nature, and things started to heat up once again. However, as I reached my hand for her breast, she grabbed it, looking toward the closed door and shushing me. I heard the sound of someone coming in the house.
“It must be my dad,” she said, jumping from the bed and pulling on her clothes. “I’ll be out in a second.”
I watched as she rushed into the bathroom to fix her hair, which was definitely wild and all over the place. I pulled on my cock and groaned, apologizing to him for all the strain he had been through over the last few hours. I pulled on my jeans and t-shirt and fixed my hair in the mirror on Josie’s wall before sneaking from the room and walking toward the living room. I could see Josie’s father walk from the kitchen into the living room, his face tired and worn. I knew it was time that I had a talk with the man. He needed to know exactly what he was doing to his daughter. As he turned toward me, I saw the large purple bruise across his chin.
Did someone punch Josie’s father?
I had to push that thought from my mind in order to get my point across, without sounding harsh or angry. He needed to know who I was and that I was in Josie’s life now. He had to start seeing his addiction for what it really was, a life-altering issue, and not just for him. I had no illusion that this would help anything, but I couldn’t go another day watching Josie freak out because her father kept jumping off the deep end. I loved her, and it was my turn to take care of her and protect her from the things she might not even realize were hurting her. Her father was one of those things, and although I understood it was difficult, I knew helping him was ultimately helping her.
“Josie has been worried sick,” I said sternly. “Look, man to man, you need to start respecting your daughter. Everything she does is for you, and I am staring at a completely exhausted woman almost every day. It is not her job to take care of you. I understand that you have a problem, and it’s not something new. It’s been going on for so long, you’ve been suffering through this from the first hand of poker you ever played. The thing is, though, you have to stop hurting your daughter and all the people around you. I would be more than happy to help you and get you into some treatment that could really help you.”
I stood there for a moment, watching him power up his computer as if he hadn’t heard a word I said. I gave him time, knowing a statement like that was probably hard to fully process. I knew it was hard on Josie, but I couldn’t imagine how hard it had been for him, having lost his wife and now being in danger of losing his daughter as well. All because of the gambling addiction.
“Mind your own business,” he grumbled, waving me away.
My heart sunk a little. I had completely wasted my breath trying to talk to the man. He had given up on everything, from treatment to life, and the dull look in his eyes told me everything there was to know about the man. He had given up like I had, figuring the people in my life were either gone or on their way out the door. It made me incredibly sad so I backed off, having said my piece. Just as I decided to end my conversation, Josie walked from her room and smiled at me, glancing at her father’s face, but hiding the shock she was obviously feeling. I hated that she didn’t feel comfortable enough to have me help her, but I also understood that I was new in their life, and she was used to handling these types of situations on her own.
I walked toward the door, hearing her tiny footsteps following after me. It was definitely time to go, and I could tell by Josie’s silence that she needed some alone time with her father. All I could do was support her choices and be there for her whenever she needed me. I walked to the door and opened it, stepping out onto the porch and watching her follow me out. She slowly closed the door and turned to me, a thankful look on her face.
“I’m sorry we have to cut the night short,” she said, pulling me close to her. “As you can imagine, I have a whole lot of questions for my father.”
“I know,” I said, smiling. “Just remember what I said. I am here for you, no matter what. If you need me, just call, and I’ll come right over. You are not alone this time around. I’m here for you.”
“Thank you,” she said, leaning in close to my ear. “I love you.”
The words flowed from her mouth and into my brain, sending shocks to my chest and stomach. I kissed her softly and pulled back, looking deep into her eyes. She smiled, knowing what I wanted to say and leaned up, kissing my nose. I watched as she walked back inside her house and shut the door behind her.
The words, “I love you,” made me feel like the luckiest man on earth. I seriously felt like I was floating on cloud nine, unable to plant my feet on the ground. Time after time, I had watched my friends fall in love and start to act differently, and now, I knew why.
Josie was the first girl I had ever actually loved, and the feeling was absolutely amazing. I jumped into my car and headed off, replaying the thought over and over again in my head. I loved this girl, and it wasn’t just any love. I knew I would love her for as long as I had air in my lungs. I knew I would want her every time I was around her, and there was no stopping that. Despite the intrusion of her father and his addiction, this night had been the best one in my entire life. I had finally realized what being in love was all about, and I never wanted the feeling to end.
Chapter 16
Josie
I was exhausted. Between the hot sex with Blaine and the fact that I stayed up all night trying to find out who punched my father, there wasn’t a whole lot left of me. My father refused to tell me what was going on, and he’d turned to his computer screen, completely ignoring me. I stormed away and shut myself in my room, raging mad.
I stuck my neck out every single day for that man, and he had the audacity to hide his whereabouts from me. He didn’t have any respect for all the things I did for him, and even after all this time, I still couldn’t help but feel hurt by that fact. When I went to bed, I still couldn’t sleep. I laid awake in my bed, thinking about my father. Although I acted tough on the outside, on the inside, my thoughts were much more kind and caring for my dad. I was terrified that he had fallen in with the wrong group of people, taking loans that he could never afford to pay back, and satisfying his gambling addiction with that.
I had no idea what to do about this new twist on his old problem. I had seen him get tangled up with the wrong guys before, and it never turned out pretty for anyone. They had beaten the crap out of my father, and I had to empty my savings to pay back all the money he was indebted to them for. I was lucky that it appeased them, but I knew if it happened again, it would not be as simple or clean. I didn’t know what to do, no matter how hard I thought about it. If my father had gotten himself into trouble again, it meant I was in trouble, too. I had every right in the world to know what happened, but still, my father sat silent.
I was so incredibly frustrated by that man, and I was still pissed off the next morning after a restless night. I got dressed and made it to school early, not wanting to sit at my father’s breakfast table in an awkward silence. I sat down at my desk in my empty classroom, pulling out my phone and realizing that Blaine had texted me. I was so caught up in my father that morning, I had completely missed his texts.
Blaine: Hey there, beautiful. Do I get to see you tonight?”
Josie: I wish I could, but with my father back, I need to sit down and have a heart-to-heart with him. I need to focus on him now, knowing that things cannot continue to go the way they have been. I can’t take much more of it.
Blaine: I understand. Did you find anything out about the bruise on his chin?
