AllFreeNovel
Share Us
The click of the door locking rings in the otherwise silence of the apartment. I look up at Jonas, across the counter into his intense eyes, scanning me from head to toe.
“We’re not him,” Jonas says without prompt.
My head jerks back from the blunt statement.
“I know that,” I say automatically.
“Do you? I can see every time we do something how it shocks you. I watch you brace, waiting for one of us to blow up after something happens that he’d normally punish you for. So, I’ll say it once more. We’re. Not. Him.”
Orin comes in close to me, and frames my face with his hands, “We know it’s going to take some time for you to retrain your actions and thoughts, but we will never harm you.”
Jonas leans on the counter, his biceps bulging, “My mom was abused by my dad growing up, until I was in the third grade when he drank himself into a stupor, and wrapped our car around a tree, killing himself.” The anger at his dad runs deep, laced in every syllable of his words.
It makes me worry that he might hold some resentment toward his mom for staying for so long. Which morphs into me worrying if Zander will someday hold the same anger for me.
My worry is so overwhelming that I ask in a rushed voice, “Are you as angry at your mom as you are at your dad?” I can barely hear myself ask the question so I’m not sure he can hear me across the counter space.
“Mama, Zander is not me. That boy hangs the stars and the moon on you. There is no doubt in my mind that he loves you, and holds zero resentment or anger toward you. Steven, though a piece of shit like my dad, is not him and you absolutely aren’t my mom. Don’t take that on,” he growls, his eyes burning into me.
“You don’t know that,” I say, dashing away a tear that dared to escape.
“Yeah, I do, mama,” Jonas whispers, holding my eyes with his own rich, hazel ones.
A knock sounds on the front door, and Orin goes to answer it.
Steven’s angry voice booms from the door, snapping me out of the warmth spreading through my body. My spine stiffens, and dread spears through my body.
“I want to talk to my wife,” Steven’s tone slithers down my spine.
“No,” Orin clips out.
I peek around Jonas to see Orin barring the way through the open door.
“Mama, go in the bedroom,” Jonas urges me softly, recapturing my attention.
“Heather! Come here,” Steven shouts, making me jump.
“Go,” Jonas nudges me toward the hall, then looking back over his shoulder at the two men at my front door.
“Who the fuck are you to keep me from my wife?” Steven barks at Orin. To my shock, he pushes past Orin, barging into my apartment.
How did he find out where I moved to?
Jonas turns around and stands tall in front of me, blocking Steven’s approach. He holds his hands up, palms out.
“You’re now trespassing, and my friend will be calling the police if you don’t turn around right now, and vacate the premises,” Jonas says clearly, in a strong tone that brokers no room for misinterpretation.
“Fuck off,” Steven says, trying to get around Jonas.
Jonas doesn’t put hands on Steven, but he does physically block him from reaching me.
“Orin,” Jonas says, nodding at him. Orin hits the screen on his phone and puts it to his ear.
“I suggest you leave, unless you want to make more trouble for yourself,” Jonas warns Steven.
Orin is talking on his phone, presumably to the police when Steven shoves Jonas who rocks back on a foot, but otherwise doesn’t move.
“Not smart. I’m not a woman half your size. Touch me again, and I’ll subdue you until the cops get here,” he grits out through clenched teeth.
