hadn’t seen it since, and I wouldn’t see it now. “You know Linny at school?”
“Yep.” He nodded.
Linny was biracial. On outings with her mother, people assumed their relationship was of a nanny/child capacity. I made a similar insinuation since I was lighter, with a honey complexion, like my father. Lady was black like my momma.
I feigned annoyance, which wasn’t hard. “Today, she’s my nanny.”
“Och, I get it.” Leith laughed.
He didn’t get it. He had a mom who loved him, and he probably wouldn’t trade her in no matter what shady shit his parents were up to. His family was loyal. They’d die for each other. Some kids at school whispered that they’d kill for each other too. But at that moment, the mystery behind Leith’s vibrant blue eyes sent another sigh breezing through my lungs.
“Yeah, I love her, my . . . mom.” I cleared my throat, thanking my lucky stars that, in the next room, Lady was no longer getting her brains screwed loose.
A few minutes later, Leith had the controller, sitting back, his legs spread wide. His concentration granted me the reprieve of smiling and staring. The door burst open. I cringed at the sight of the john leaning against the doorframe.
Eyes dead on his, I growled, “Not today, John. You see I have company.”
The john removed the cowboy hat from his head—a non-necessity in Southern California. Although, I had hoped he’d cover up john number two, nestled against his pale thigh. “All I see is a little boy.”
Leith was up in seconds. “Get those eyes checked. I’m nae wee boy!”
“You a leprechaun?” The john chuckled, and I presumed he was making fun of Leith’s accent since Leith was a cool 5′ 7″ to the john’s 5′ 8″ or 9″, and still growing.
“I’m nae feckin’ Irish paddy. And we MacKenzies have more respect for our women!”
“MacKenzie?” The john’s eyes requested verbal confirmation from me. When I offered a smug glower, he stuttered, “You’re not . . .”
“Aye! Next time, I’ll cut that wee tongue out yer mouth, ye clatty bastard.” Leith’s accent thickened. Though the rest of his statement was undecipherable, his tan skin tinged red, driving the threat home. Leith slammed the bedroom door, then his ocean blue gaze pierced through me. “Wit’s John’s surname?”
“John? He’s, uh, one of Lady—” I gulped, not sure if it was because of Leith’s stance or my impending reference. “One of Mom’s johns.”
“I see. I’ll know it soon.” Leith ran his index finger over his bottom lip, unaware of what it did to me, while deep in contemplation. “He seems to know ye, Chevelle. How much?”
My eyes narrowed. World’s biggest crush or not, Leith crossed the line. “Excuse me?”
“Och! I’m a feckin’ eejit, some idiot?”
“Some say you’re the smartest kid in class.” So, stop looking at me like a botched science project. I’m good! Picking up the PlayStation controller, I tapped it in my hand then discarded it. Gaming enabled me to remain numb, but frayed emotions would wreck my score.
“Still need an answer,” he insisted.
“Not that well, Leith. Okay?”
A slow smile came to his face as if contemplating something. My insides melted into putty. “Ye’re my hen, Chevelle.”
“You called me hen?” I snapped each word through tensed, defensive lips. My momma had raised me to be a civilized individual before she fell by the sword. Momentarily, however, I’d forgotten. Leith could sucker punch me way across to Timbuktu. My gaze flicked over his attractive face, and I warned myself to hold tight to my fury. “How dare you!”
Leith shook his head and laughed at me. It almost added insult to injury until I noticed the warmth in his eyes. He wasn’t laughing at me. The affection starved girl I had become thawed. My heart thumped excitedly as his smile turned my brain, my bones, my soul, into putty. The truth clicked: his hen, his girl. Speechless, I savored his words. “My hen, my lass, mine.”
The air charged with electricity. Leith’s arms encircled my waist. Unable to recall my last hug, my heart raced, pounding in my ears as he again called me his.
For those few years prior to the wool falling from my eyes, Lady had erased the horror that befell my parents. She’d replaced the loneliness with toys and shiny things for the two of us and drugs and alcohol for herself. Once the motivating factor drained from her bank account, the shiny things disappeared, and I was introduced to the empty vessel. That version of Lady had transformed