Total pages in book: 79
Estimated words: 77775 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 389(@200wpm)___ 311(@250wpm)___ 259(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 77775 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 389(@200wpm)___ 311(@250wpm)___ 259(@300wpm)
“What was up with Jude?” he asks, canting his head in my direction, eyes pinning me in place.
I flick my gaze to Jude’s moonlit house and sigh. “I think he had enough peopling for the day.”
And needed to hide his massive erection.
It was totally massive. I’m still reeling from the anaconda that was about to escape its cage.
“That’s his usual MO,” Dempsey says with an amused huff. “It was something else.”
“Like what?”
He smirks. “Like you.”
Heat floods my cheeks and I wring my hands together under the blanket. “W-What do you mean me?”
Did he see all that transpired at the dinner table?
Oh my God.
“He’s just so…I don’t know. Obsessed with you.” He shrugs his shoulders before taking another drag. “If I didn’t know any better, I’d think he wants to fuck you.”
I shift in my seat, growing warmer and warmer despite the evening chill. “He doesn’t want to fuck me.”
But do I want him to?
Obviously.
I’m too intrigued and attracted to him to keep my distance.
“Whatever,” Dempsey says as he leans over to put the cigarette out on the porch floor. “Just giving my opinion.”
“Here’s my opinion,” I say, nodding at the discarded cigarette butt on the ground between us. “Smoking is bad for you. You’re not even old enough to legally buy them.”
“Since when do I follow any rules?” he counters, voice taunting.
“What does your dad think about you trying to get cancer before adulthood?”
“Honestly, he never really says anything.”
“Your mom?”
“She pretends not to notice. As long as I don’t blatantly do it in the living room, no one cares.”
The last three words are sharp and punctuated.
No. One. Cares.
I feel we’re teetering back onto the precipice of something big with Dempsey. In our conversations, he’s done a lot of complaining about his family, but I’m beginning to see a theme here. He feels unseen. Lost in the crowd. Forgotten. It makes sense why he’s always acting out. It’s an obvious cry for attention.
“They care,” I assure him. “How do you connect with your family? Besides riling them up with your words and bad boy behavior.”
He snorts out a laugh. “Bad boy behavior. You’re such a goodie-goodie, Tate.”
Wasn’t such a goodie-goodie when I got your brother hard in front of your family…
“Hardly,” I grumble, cheeks burning hot once more.
“They’re all too busy up each other’s asses all the time.”
“If they weren’t too busy, what would you hope to get from your family?”
He stills aside from the way he spins a silver skull ring around his middle finger. “Maybe a fucking thank you?”
The bitterness in his tone is sharp and prickly.
“Thank you for…”
“For being the goddamn scapegoat. The family fuck-up. Do you know how many times I’ve taken heat to protect everyone?” He leans forward in his chair, resting his elbows on his knees and staring into the darkness beyond the porch. “No one cares.”
There it is again.
No. One. Cares.
“Why do you feel it’s your duty to throw yourself on the landmine each time your family runs into problems?”
“That’s what we do,” he grumbles. “We Parks look out for each other.”
“Could they possibly be looking out for you in other ways that you’re not aware of?”
“Who the hell knows.”
But I do. I know. Jude obsessively watches over his family and tries to protect them. Nathan uses his influence and money to make problems disappear in an instant. Hugo charms people all the time in an effort to keep people from poking at his family. From the stuff Spencer has revealed, I know Callum was always going to bat for his little brother when he worked at the school. And Gemma is his twin. Twins are engrained to help one another.
They do care about him.
How do I make him see this?
“Those times you’ve gotten in trouble, who got you out?” I ask, turning to study his profile. “Did you do that all by yourself?”
He scoffs and shoots me an annoyed look. “Mostly Dad. Always there to clean up messes so the town doesn’t look down upon us.”
“Perhaps self-image plays a role,” I admit, “but you can’t honestly believe that’s it. You’re the product of an illicit affair with his son’s girlfriend. Your dad essentially blew up his life to be with her. Their love must’ve been pretty intense. You and Gemma are walking reminders of that incredible love story. I think you need to give your dad a little credit for cleaning up messes because he loves you.”
Dempsey doesn’t say anything, but I know I’m getting through to him. Sometimes people just need pointing out what’s right in front of them for them to finally take notice.
“You think they don’t care, but they do. Especially your father. I’m here because of him. He wants his children happy and healthy.” I reach over and clutch his shoulder. “Try spending some time with your dad. I want you to look past his exterior and truly see his motives when it comes to this family.”