Come What May - L.K. Farlow Page 0,6
behind. I try to turn to see who’s at my back, but my newest friend isn’t having it.
“Seraphine!” she yells, turning my face back to hers.
“Des-Desi?” I ask. “You g-got some splainin’ to do!”
Her face pinches and mine falls. I think she’s mad at me. “Are you m-mad at me?”
“Are you high?” she asks. Her voice sounds like a mom—or at least how I think a mom would sound—and not a high schooler. Like a teen mom… I crack up at my own joke. “Seriously, what’s going on?”
“I’m good.” My head rolls back, landing with a thump on what has to be a man chest. A quick glance to the upper-right confirms it—my dark-haired friend is at my back. “Gooder than good. I’m grrrreat!”
She scoffs. “You sound blitzed, Tony the Tiger. Who are the dude-bros?”
I pinch my eyes closed as a wave of dizziness overtakes me. Jason starts rubbing his fingers over my exposed arms, and I shiver. “Uhhh. Friends?”
She mutters something under her breath and then Cliff steps in. “We were headed to the Ferris wheel, if you don’t mind—”
“I do mind,” Desi says, standing taller.
“Look, we don’t want any trouble.” Jason leans in and kisses my neck. “We just wanna take the lady for a ride.”
The two other men snigger while I sag farther into his hold. My limbs feel like jelly and I think… no, I know if he keeps rubbing on me, I might just orgasm. My skin feels like there’s a live-wire plugged into it and even the barest of touches is electric.
“I don’t think—”
One of the guys cuts her off. “Listen, kid, this doesn’t involve you.”
A few more words are exchanged, but I’m too busy watching all of the bright, pretty lights to listen. “Ooh! The funhouse!” I try to bounce on my feet, but the ground moves under me. Luckily, Jason catches me.
“Seraphine—”
Now I’m the one cutting her off. “Have a fun time, Desi!”
The guys guide me away from Desi and toward the funhouse, murmuring to themselves all the while. It takes two of them to keep me upright. “Strong… drinks…” I murmur, nausea churning in my gut as they guide us into the line for the attraction. “So strong.”
“She’s good, man,” one of them says.
“Mmm,” the one at my back rumbles his agreement.
“G-good for what?” I ask, my teeth chattering, even though I’m sweating.
“Everything, baby girl, everything.”
Chapter Three
Mateo
I’ve got the house to myself, a bowl of frijoles charros—leftovers sent home from my mamá—an ice-cold beer, and a rerun of Bitchin’ Rides playing on the flat screen.
Tonight’s a rare night alone and the house is quiet. Too quiet. Without my motormouth here, flapping her gums. I joke that I’d pay her to be quiet, even for only five minutes, and yet with her being out with her friends, I find myself missing her incessant chatter.
The kid keeps our house lively and fills the void and without it, I feel… almost empty. Shockingly, at sixteen, she still enjoys spending time with her old man, but I know my days are numbered. Soon enough, the allure of boys and parties and things of that nature will all far surpass dear old dad.
With a few hours to myself, I was tempted to hit up a bar—to seek out some companionship for the evening—but chasing tail is a younger man’s game, and it’s not like I’m going to bring a woman back here. Not when Desi will be home in a few short hours. I would never let her see me disrespect her mother that way—God rest her soul.
I’m four episodes in when my phone rings, blasting out some stupid pop song Desi picked out. I swipe to answer, and my daughter’s worried voice fills my ear. “Dad…”
“¿Qué pasa?” I ask. What’s up?
When she doesn’t answer right away, I’m instantly alert.
“Pollito, are you okay?”
“Yeah, but Seraphine—Mr. McAllister’s whatever—is here, and she…”
My heart slows when Desi says she’s okay but revs right back up at the mention of the dark-haired beauty. “What about her?”
“I don’t know. She seems… off. Like she’s high or something, and she’s with these three guys and they seemed shady. Up to no good. Like, Dad, they literally had to support her, because she couldn’t stand. I tried saying hi and checking on her, but she just sort of looked right through me, and when she did answer me, she sounded loca. I think… I think she needs help, Dad.”
I scrub a hand over my face, proud of Desi’s compassion—she gets it from her