AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Because I don’t feel a thing.
Just like he knew I wouldn’t.
Chapter 15
Noah
Seventeen years old
The minute my father opens the front door and finds me standing beside our little island’s sheriff, his face turns to stone.
“What did he do this time?” he questions with a scowl.
“We caught him drag racing through Main Street this time,” Sheriff Boyd explains on a frustrated exhale as my father ushers him into our home with me in tow. “It’s starting to get out of hand, Curt. You’re going to have to do something about your boy. Sooner or later, he’ll get himself in a world of trouble that evenIcan’t get him out of.”
“Yeah, I know,” my father retorts, running his hand over his face in disgruntlement. “Did anyone get hurt?” he asks apprehensively.
“No. Not this time. But between the fights he gets into and pulling reckless stunts like this, it’s only a matter of time before someone does,” Boyd rants on, looking just as disappointed in my behavior as my father does. “I swear, if he wasn’t Annabelle’s kid, I would have locked him up years ago to teach him a lesson. I must admit, I’m still of two minds about it. Maybe the best thing I could do for your boy is give him a good scare and press charges against him. Maybe that would set him straight.”
Instead of the imposing threat of imprisonment that Sheriff Boyd just laid out at our feet, it’s the mention of my mother’s name that really sucks all the air out of the room. As I glance over at my father and witness his crestfallen features pale a sickly shade of white, acting as if he has just been sucker punched in the gut by his childhood friend with the reminder of his late wife, my hands instinctively curl into fists, my throat burning with hatred for the man standing in front of me.
It’s been so fucking easy for him to erase my mother from his life that anytime he’s confronted with the fact that not everyone on this island has such a fickle and selective memory, he acts like it’s a backward slap to his current happiness.
“Do you have anything to say for yourself?” my father demands, pulling his attention off the sheriff to direct his resentful gaze on me, making sure to bypass his friend’s comment about my mother as well as the threat of locking me up.
We both know Boyd won’t do shit to me. Not while I’m a minor, at least. When I age out in a few months, then that’s a different story. Not that my asshole of a father really gives two shits what happens to me then. Especially after graduation. All he’ll care about is that he’ll no longer have the living, breathing reminder of my mother walking around his happy home anymore. I'm only halfway done with my junior year in high school, yet I bet the fucker is anxiously counting down the days for me to get my diploma and move out.
“Well, Noah? Do you?” he insists, his tone becoming more aggravated.
“Yeah.” I pull out the wad of cash inside my pocket and slap it on the kitchen counter. “I won.”
On that note, I brush past him, purposely knocking his shoulder with mine before heading upstairs, uncaring that I just added gambling to my long list of felonies in front of Thatcher’s Bay’s finest, no less. Not that I’m worried. Even though the good sheriff just insinuated he’d love to lock me up for my own good, he hasn’t done it yet, and even though he might have his reservations about it, I very much doubt he’ll do it tonight after he went through all the trouble of bringing me home safely without filing a report.
Just as I’m leaving the two men alone in the kitchen to discuss what a little shit I am, I catch a shadowy figure quickly hiding from my view at the top of the stairs. Even as she hurries on featherlight feet back to her bedroom, doing her utmost best to not alert anyone of her presence, I catch her retreating form anyway. It doesn’t take a genius to figure out who could possibly be up this late, eavesdropping on our conversation.
My stepsister is the worst Peeping Tom there is.
No matter how discreet she tries to be with her stalking tendencies, I always end up catching her in the act. I usually shrug that shit off my shoulders, but unfortunately for her, tonight I’m not as lenient.
Instead of marching to my room, I rush toward hers and kick the door in for good measure. A sinister smile immediately crests my lips when I realize in her haste, she forgot to lock her door behind her, making the little love tap I do with my boot swing her bedroom door wide open with ease.
She should know better.
But after tonight, I’m sure she’ll think twice before leaving it open again.
“The hell are you doing?! Are you insane? Get out!” she whisper-yells from across the room, her indignant tone grating on my every nerve.
I don’t let her say another word, preferring to take advantage of her surprise to pounce on her instead. My hand is quick to cover her mouth as I walk us both back into a corner of her room until her spine is flush against the wall.
“Why the fuck are you always spying on me?” I growl in her face.
Her eyes widen in fear before she vehemently shakes her head, lying through her teeth even when I have her mouth forcefully muzzled.
“Don’t fucking lie to me, Sky,” I seethe through my clenched jaw near her ear. “I feel your fucking eyes on me everywhere I go. It’s fucking unnerving. How would you like it if I did the same shit to you, huh?”
Her eyelids slant in pure hatred, sparking up an idea that will only kindle those furious flames I see burning in her eyes a little brighter.
“You know what?” I chuckle sardonically. “I think you fucking owe me a show. I’ve given you plenty of my own, after all. It’s about time you fucking pay up and return the favor.”
