AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“I was like you when I was your age. Maybe worse. I hated the goddamn world and didn’t care who knew it. It took a toll on me, though. I was doin’ shit just to be doin’ it. I wasn’t lookin’ at the future, just at the here and now. I was a bad kid,” I tell him truthfully.
“I’m not a bad kid.”
“Didn’t say you were. I’m just curious why you’re always like this,” I say, motioning toward him.
“I’m … I’m just tired of moving all the time. I’m tired of her treating me like I’m a little kid and can’t handle shit,” he finally says.
“She’s your mom, man. They do that.”
“I know, but I’m not the same little kid she needs to protect. I can handle myself and protect them both.” That sparks my interest. What are they hiding from? I’d prefer to hear it from Lyra, but if I can’t get it from her, then Cam will do.
“What are you runnin’ from?” His eyes come to meet mine, and there’s a slight confusion in them.
“She didn’t tell you?” I shake my head. He looks toward the house before looking back at me like he’s debating answering.
“She won’t know you told me, Cam. I won’t say anything.”
“My dad was abusive. He found us three times, and each time, he beat her worse than the time before. We’ve been lucky he hasn’t found us in a while, but I’m stronger now. I can handle him,” he confesses, breaking my fucking heart in half. How can she do this to them? Let them live in fear like this? What kind of man is he?
“Fuck, Cam. I didn’t know, man.”
“She doesn’t talk about it because we don’t usually stick around one place too long. I’m surprised we’ve been here as long as we have. I’m sick of moving, Knight. Tired of making friends, only to lose them,” he tells me. I can hear the emotion in his voice, and it tears me up inside. He shouldn’t have to live like that.
“I get it, Cam. I do. And if I have anything to say about it, you won’t be movin’ anytime soon.” He stares at me as if I’ve grown two heads, wondering how I can stop her.
“You can’t make her stay. She never stays,” he adds.
“Things are different now, kid. I’m here.” He huffs a laugh.
“You think you change anything? She doesn’t care, Knight. She’ll run if he gets too close. She always does.”
“How many times have you moved now?” I ask.
“More than I can count. He finds us, and she bolts.”
“Fuck me. I’m not gonna let her run, Cam. Not this time.”
“What can you do?”
“I don’t know yet, kid. Let me see what I can come up with, yeah? You like it here?” I ask him. He nods his head.
“Yeah, and so does Billy. That usually means we’ve been in one place for too long.”
“Maybe we can change that. Things are different now that I’m around. I’m not gonna let him hurt her.” His eyes fill with unshed tears before he blinks them away. He quickly reaches up and wipes his eyes before looking back at me.
“You think you can protect her?”
“I know I can if she’d give me the chance.” He nods as he shifts from foot to foot.
“Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad if she knew I told you,” he tells me.
“You don’t think so?” He shakes his head, flicking his cigarette to the ground and stomping it out.
“No. She might come around and tell you more.” Jesus, there’s more to this? What the fuck else could there be?
“Might be right, kid. For now, we just keep this between ourselves, yeah?” he nods back at me.
“I can do that. What are you going to do?”
