EIGHTEEN YEARS LATER
I EXIT THE bedroom to find my wife in the kitchen. “Good morning, little demon,” I whisper in her ear as I step up behind her. My arms going around her waist. Burying my face into her neck, she lets it fall to the side to give me better access. I groan, my left hand coming up to grip her chin. “I’m so—”
The front door opening and slamming shut cuts me off and I pull away. “Who the fuck is here this early?” I mumble. When you’ve got two teenagers, kids are always coming and going all hours of the day and night.
My wife and I both walk into the living room in time to see our daughter running up the staircase.
“Where have you been?” I demand.
Annaleigh stops midway, throws her head back and sighs before turning to face me. “We went to get coffee.”
“Who is we? And shouldn’t you be getting ready for school?”
A bleach blonde pops her head over the second story balcony. “Hey, Mr. and Mrs. S.” Her best friend waves down to us.
“I’m ready.” Our daughter gestures to her sweatpants that look three sizes too big and a T-shirt. Neither look like hers. I’ve never seen them before. I’m the kind of dad most kids hate. I’m very active in my kids’ lives whether they want me to be or not. I notice everything and am always asking questions.
I’ve never believed in God. But if I had, I’d tell him to go fuck himself. Those days spent with Elli in the basement trying to knock her up worked. I’m forever in my father-in-law’s and Tyson’s debt for coming and dragging me out of Carnage. But God laughed and said watch this. He gave me a daughter that’s just like me. Hardheaded, stubborn, and a pain in my ass. Then to make it worse, he said let’s make her look just like her mother.
“Hurry along. I don’t want you to be late.” Elli shoos them away.
Heading back to the kitchen, I follow her. “If she went to get coffee, where was it?” I ask my wife.
She gives me a pointed look. “Calm down. You worry too much.”
“She’s eighteen,” I point out. About to graduate high school. I don’t trust the boys she hangs out with.
She pats my chest. “It’s fine.”
“Mornin’.”
My wife pulls away to look at our son. His eyes are barely open, he’s got red marks down the side of his face where he’s been sleeping. His hair a messy mop on top of his head and hanging in his eyes. “This is what a teenager is supposed to look like in the morning,” I point out.
Our kids couldn’t be more different in every way. People who don’t know our family think they’re twins. But what do you expect when they’re the same age?
By the time they were old enough to talk, they’d tell people they were twins. We never corrected them. They know the truth, but to them they are brother and sister. Elli is Mom and I’m Dad and anyone who can’t understand or accept that can go fuck themselves.
“Hungry?” she asks him.
“Starving,” Brexton answers through a yawn.
“Up late?” I wonder.
“Yeah, was studying for a final.” Laying his face down on the countertop, he closes his blue eyes.
I hear the front door open and close again, and seconds later my father-in-law enters the kitchen. “Good morning.” He greets everyone with a bright smile.
“Dad, what are you doing here?” Elli asks, giving him a hug.
“Thought I’d drive you to work,” he offers. “We’re still doing lunch today, right?”
Elli’s been a licensed sex therapist since the kids were five. I told her she didn’t have to work but she wanted to. She chose to have a practice outside of the house. She didn’t want patients coming in and out for sessions. I understood and supported that.
“Of course,” she answers him.
Annaleigh enters with her friend and hits her brother on the back of the head. “Wake up.”
He sits up, rubbing the spot and narrowing his eyes on hers. “Some of us actually care about our grades and study.”
She laughs him off but doesn’t argue.
“Brex, want to do some shooting after school today?” Nicholas asks him.
“Sure,” he answers with a shrug.
“What about you Anna? Want to join us?” he asks her.
“No thanks. I’ve got plans.”
“What are you doing?” I wonder.
“Study group,” she responds without even looking up from her cell while typing away. “Graduation is in three weeks. Have to prep for finals.” Her brother snorts as if he doesn’t believe her.
I have to agree with him, but my wife speaks before I can. “With whom?”
“Ryann.”
At least I can confirm that. All it’ll take is a text. I’m quite close with a few Lords that I wasn’t back when attending Barrington. That’s what happens when you have kids the same age who go to school together.
“She’s not a senior,” Brexton argues.
“She’s in advanced classes.” Annaleigh rolls her eyes at him and adds, “You should let her help you. She’d probably teach you a few things.”
His face hardens. He opens his mouth like he’s going to say something that’ll just piss her off even more but decides against it. Picking up his cell, he walks out of the kitchen.
“You didn’t eat your breakfast,” Elli calls out, but he doesn’t respond. “Anna—”
“What?” She grabs a piece of bacon from her brother’s plate. “It’s no secret he has a crush on her. I’m just trying to help him out.” The smile she gives her mother says something entirely different. “If he’s going to be a Lord, he needs to grow some balls.”
“Annaleigh!” her mother scolds her.
She ignores her mother’s tone and turns to her grandfather. “I’m free tomorrow, though. I need to practice on throwing my knives.”
Like I said. She’s my twin. I’m not sure Brexton could shoot anyone unless his life depended on it. But Annaleigh? I have no doubt she’d stab someone multiple times if you try and tell her how to drive. Then she’d hide the body while setting up a search party.
“Absolutely,” Nicholas tells her with a proud smile.
“We’re off to school.” She then turns and rushes out of the kitchen. Her friend quickly following, waving bye.
“I’ll wait for you in the car,” Nicholas tells my wife. “Easton, I’ll see you at work.” He nods and leaves us alone.
“Finally.” I reach out and pull her into me. Cupping her face, I lower my lips to hers and kiss her, needing her taste to get me through the day. I’d love to drag her downstairs and keep her tied up in our basement until tomorrow, but I know that won’t be happening.
She pulls away and opens her ice-blue eyes to look up at me. “I know what you’re doing, and I don’t have time.”
“I’ll be quick.”
She gives a rough laugh. “Yeah, right. We both know that’s a lie.” Wrapping her arms around my neck, she presses her chest into mine. “But the kids won’t be home this weekend. They’re going on their senior year camping trip. You know what that means?”
I groan. “Means I’m going to have you to myself.” The thoughts of what I’ll do to her are endless. “We’re going to spend the entire weekend down in the basement.” I will forever love my wife, but she’ll always be my little demon that loves to be used. And I will always be her devil that will give her whatever she wants.
