“Watch it, Jaden. That’s strike one.”
I just groaned at him. Fucking strikes.
“I’ll tell you what. Let’s start slow. Justtell me what he was like.”
I was silent now, holding back my snifflesas Darren continued to berate me. After a few thoughtful secondsand attempting to ignore the new sting in my ass, I finallyreleased a breath and answered.
“He was everything to me. He taught me howto ride, how to play football, he was always there when I neededhim. He was my rock.” I knew Darren would want more, so I startedto tip the edge and spill my heart just enough to make asplash.
“He was kind and gentle, strong and tough,and he never took any shit from anyone and he taught me to do thesame. Never show fear, just your war face. That was his thing. Bothhe and my mother strongly encouraged my independence and to goforth in life with gusto and guts. He taught me the value of hardwork and helping others. And he always had my back no matter what.So there, that was the kind of man he was.”
I could feel Darren nod in acknowledgment. “He sounds like he was a goodman.”
“The best,” I replied. “And I miss him everyday.”
“Was he the one who decided to have youtrained so thoroughly in self-defense?”
“Both my parents did. They wanted me to beable to protect myself. The same went for my brothers. They’recurrently in Krav Maga.”
“So, I’mguessing he wasn’t exactly the stereotypical dad who sits onthe porch with a shotgun while hewaited for your first date to arrive?”
I chuckled a little. “No, he didn’t need to.He knew I could handle myself just fine without him.”
“Or so he thought.” Darren smirked. God, fuck him.
“I was taken on by four heavily armed menwho had to tranquilize me to get me, and I still managed to inflictsome serious damage on them. Even you couldn’t have gotten out ofthat.”
“Obviously, you still have much to learnabout me.”
I rolled my eyes. He was such anarcissist.
“So how did your dad pass?” hecontinued.
“You already know the answer to thatquestion, so why are you asking.”
“You wanna go to strike two?”
I clenched my fist until it shook.
“No,” I huffed.
“Then answer the fucking question,” heseethed.
“Cancer,” I replied bitterly. Fuckingshithead.
He was quiet for a second as his handstightened on my back.
“Shitty way to go.”
“Yeah, I supposed it was pretty shitty, huh?Just like the rest of my fucking life.”
Then a hard smack came crashing down on myass, and I cried out in agony as my ass cheek throbbed like ablinking red light.
“That’s enough, Jaden!” he yelled at me.
“Well, whatthe fuck do you expect?” I shouted. “This is a sore topic for me,and I’m pouring out my fucking heart to you and all you’re doing ishitting me for it!”
“You need to learn to control your emotions.You let them get the better of you and that’s what gets youinto trouble with me. Being ableto control yourself around me will be a very beneficial trait foryou to pick up quickly.”
I was so frustrated with him and theconversation that I just buried my face into his shirt and silentlygroaned to myself. I hated him so fucking much; I just wanted tochoke the life right out of him.
“Do you understand me?” he nearlygrowled.
“Yes,” I stifled against his shirt.
“Good, now what did your daddy do for aliving?”
Daddy … Pfft. Another word I never used.
I might have loved my dad, but I was never a“daddy’s girl.”
“He was a mechanic,” I replied. “ForGM.”
“So he was a grease monkey, too, huh?”
“Yeah, I guess.”
“Did he ever teach you anything?”
“I’m no rookie when it comes to anengine, if that’s what youmean.”
“Why did your dad take so much interest inyou doing things that are clearly meant for boys?”
“Well, that’s awfully sexist of you,” Isaid, not surprised at all. “He taught mybrothers and me the same things, and he wanted me to be asresourceful as I possibly could, and I was eager for the knowledge.I would never say no if he wanted to teach me something. Besides,you already knew I was not a girly girl. I preferred trucks todolls. There’s nothing wrong with a girl learning the same thingsas boys.”
“Says you.”
“Does it bother you that I enjoy and know somuch about interests and skills that are typically dominated bymen?”
“I honestly don’t know how I feel about it.I’m used to the innocence and frailty of women, which is why I’mprobably so drawn to you. You’re so wildly different from that, andit amuses me.”
“Yes, I am not your average girl, which iswhy you shouldn’t be so surprised by my lack frailty or femininity.I enjoy a more exhilarating lifestyle than most girls do, but thatdoesn’t make me less of a woman because of it.”
“It just seems too dangerous. I worry aboutyou getting hurt.”
“Boys get hurt just as much as girlsdo.”
“Yes, but girls are much more fragile.”
“That’s because you grew up without anysisters to prove to you otherwise. Do I really seem fragile toyou?”
“You may not come off as fragile, but youare.”
“I’m not the delicate little flower you makeme out to be. I think I’ve proved that more than once. Besides, youcertainly don’t treat me like a delicate little flower.”
He chuckled then.“I suppose that’s true.”
“I’m unlike any girl you’ll ever meet, Darren. I really am oneof a kind. If you’d loosen the reins, you may just get to see itone day.”
“We’ll see.”
We were silent fora bit, and I wasgrateful that Darren let the topic slide for now, but I knew itwould probably come back again in the nearfuture. And just wheneverything seemed to calm down, Darren reached for my right wristand laid it down on his chest. I kept my fingers clenched into atight fist hoping he wouldn't notice.
“Jaden, open your hand,” he saiddarkly.
I groaned, knowingI was in for it now. Slowly, I opened my hand and revealed thefiled down nail that I had tried so desperately tohide.
“Goddamn it, girl.” He sighed, setting his head back on thehammock and exhaling heavily.
“It was an accident!”
Jesus, I soundedlike a fucking child.
“And do you know why
