AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Well, he can’t just disappear, as if into an alternate reality,” my dad says.
“Wait.” London holds up a hand and then runs back into the house. We’re all hot on her heels as she runs right for the guest room, to the bookshelf, and presses the lever that opens the secret door to the library.
“I didn’t even know this was here,” Quinn exclaims as London runs inside.
“Caleb Rome Ambrose,” London says, her voice hard as she scoops up her sleepy son and hugs him fiercely. “You are in big trouble, mister.”
She pulls back and takes Caleb by the shoulders.
“Why did you hide in here? You know that Quinn doesn’t know about this room.”
“I just wanted to hide,” he says and turns big eyes to the four men standing with their hands on their hips, watching him. “Who is that?”
“That doesn’t matter,” London replies. “You hid, and you had to have heard Quinn calling for you.”
Caleb doesn’t deny it, and his eyes slide over to me and narrow. “What does it matter? It was no big deal. I just wanted to come in here and wait for you to come home. That’s all.”
“Because you knew that when Quinn couldn’t find you, she’d call me, and I’d come home.”
Caleb reluctantly nods. “I wanted you to come home.”
“You don’t always get what you want,” his mother reminds him, but he firms his chin and glares at her.
“Yes, I do.”
“No.” It comes out of my mouth before I can hold it back. “You don’t. No one does. You scared Quinn, your mom, and all of us, Caleb. You don’t get to stand there and be disrespectful when what you should be doing is apologizing.”
“You’re not my dad!”
“Here we go,” Rome mutters behind me, but I don’t turn away.
“Caleb,” London begins, but I shake my head, stopping her.
“I’m not your dad. But I care about you and your mom, and I won’t stand here and let you be mean to her.”
That makes Caleb frown and look down, showing shame for the first time.
“She doesn’t deserve that. Quinn definitely didn’t deserve what you did tonight. Thisisyour fault, and you’ll apologize to the two women who love you the most.”
He doesn’t lose the frown as he looks over at Quinn, who’s been crying at the side of the room.
“Sorry,” he says half-heartedly. “Maybe you should have looked harder.”
Quinn’s jaw drops in shock as London gasps and then reaches for Caleb’s arm.
“That’s it,” she says and drags him out of the room. “You’re going to bed, and you’d better wake up with a better attitude tomorrow, or you’ll be grounded even longer than you already are for this.”
“I’mgrounded?” he shrieks as London marches him up the stairs. “That’s stupid! You can’t do that!”
“What is this attitude?” London demands. “Where did my sweet boy go all of a sudden?”
“He’s pissed,” Dad says conversationally as we all stand at the bottom of the stairs and watch London haul the kid into his bedroom. “And, I’d say, jealous as hell.”
“Definitely jealous,” Matt agrees. “It was nice meeting you, Rome.”
“You, as well,” Rome replies, shaking both of their hands. “Thank you for coming to help, even though there really wasn’t much to do. The moral support was welcome.”
“He’sneverdone something like this to me,” Quinn says, tears still swimming in her eyes.
