I pull back. “This thing has got to go.”
Quickly, I release the clasp behind my neck, freeing my arm so I can better appreciate Charlie.
“Are you sure you should be doing this?” she asks.
“I’m okay.” I push her back on the couch and then yank the blanket from her grasp.
Her dark hair fans around her lovely face. Her lips are partly open, her cheeks are flushed, and her blue eyes are laced with desire. Fuck. I’m going to lose this bet in an epic fashion, and I don’t care. All my blood has converged in my cock, leaving my brain at its mercy.
“Do you have something to say, Troy?” she asks in a dangerous, husky tone.
Her velvety voice is like a caress, a prelude of what’s to come. She knows she has me exactly where she wants me.
“I do. I—”
The shrill ringtone of her phone interrupts my speech of defeat. I expect her to ignore it, but her hazy eyes become lucid in a flash. She jerks to a sitting position and then jumps off the couch to get to her purse on the kitchen counter.
“Hello?” she answers.
I watch her, keenly aware of the sudden tension in her body. Her eyebrows furrow as she listens.
“Slow down, Ben,” she says.
I get off the couch too, any trace of my erection gone. I don’t need to hear what her brother is saying to know things aren’t okay.
“Okay, I’m coming,” she replies before she ends the call, promptly shoving her phone back in her purse. “I have to go to Littleton,” she tells me.
“What happened?”
“My parents had a huge fight. Ben said my father packed an overnight bag and left. Mom is locked in her room, crying. Ben is freaking out.”
I don’t know much about people with Down syndrome, but my guess is they’re more sensitive than most. Even if that wasn’t the case, he’s only a teenager. He shouldn’t be alone to deal with his parents’ marriage problems. I was young when my parents divorced, but I remember their fights as if they happened yesterday.
When Charlie reaches for her car keys, I say, “You can’t drive.”
“You don’t understand. I have to go now.”
I touch her arm, needing to show my support through actions. “I do understand, but doing something reckless won’t help anyone. It’s a long drive to Littleton, and we’ve been drinking. Let’s call an Uber.”
She looks into my eyes for a moment, torn, but finally she relents. “Okay.”
I order a ride. “I’m coming with you.”
Her eyes become rounder, surprise shining in them, but then her expression turns into relief. “Thank you. I can’t believe this. My parents should know better than to fight when Ben is around. He can’t handle shouting and arguments. It really gets to him.”
“Can he call someone to stay with him until we get there?”
“The only person he could call is his girlfriend, but it’s late, and she’s like him. I’m not sure if she would be much help.”
I don’t understand Charlie’s remark about her brother’s girlfriend, but it’s unimportant right now.
“Okay. How about we call him back when we’re on our way? We can keep him on the phone; it might help with his anxiety.”
“Good idea.”
The Uber driver won’t arrive for ten minutes, and while we wait, Charlie almost digs a hole in the floor with the way she’s pacing. Nothing I could tell her would make her feel better, so I just let her be.
In all honesty, if it weren’t for my busted shoulder, I could probably drive. I didn’t drink as much, and I’m as sober as a rock now. But after the speech I gave her, it would be hypocritical to suggest I get behind the wheel.
Charlie calls her brother again as soon as we slide in the back seat of our ride. Judging by the conversation, I get the gist that Ben is somewhat calmer. I don’t know what his mother is doing though.
The ride to Littleton seems to take longer than an hour even though there isn’t much traffic at this time of night. When the driver stops in front of her parents’ house, she almost jumps out and runs to the front door.
I follow her, feeling a little bit awkward for being here. I’m a stranger to them, and I’m about to witness some major family drama. Charlie makes a beeline for what I guess is Ben’s room. I’m correct, so I hang back by the door, not wanting to intrude. The teen is on his bed, clutching a pillow. His tear-streaked face and red eyes tell me he’s been crying a lot.
Shit. This is bad.
I hover by the door while Charlie sits on the edge of his bed and engulfs him in a bear hug.
“What happened, Ben?” she asks.
“I don’t know. I was playing a video game with my headset on when their shouting made it through. I didn’t want to hear them, but it was impossible.”
“I’m so sorry. Is Mom still in her room?”
“I think so.”
“I’m gonna talk to her.”
“Okay.”
On her way out, she stops next to me and whispers, “Do you mind keeping him company?”
“Not at all.”
She squeezes my arm and then heads down the corridor.
I finally dare to walk into Ben’s room, unsure about what to say or do.
“What game were you playing before?” I ask, feeling stupid the moment the question comes out of my mouth.
“The Witcher.”
“Oh, cool. It’s one of my favorites.”
“Yeah, mine too.”
I glance around his room, noticing Ben shares Charlie’s enthusiasm for fantasy realms, board games, and comics.
“Charlie tells me you also participate in LARP. She’s convinced me to come next time.”
Ben’s eyes widen. “Really? That’s cool. What character are you going to play?”
“A troll.”
A smile appears on his flushed face. “That’s awesome. I’m a troll hunter. You’re going to need a costume.”
I make a face, which results in Ben laughing. “What?”
“Your expression of horror was priceless. I wish Charlie had seen it.”
I rub the back of my neck. “She’s seen it already.”
“What’s the deal between you and her? Are you dating now?”
I’m taken aback by his question, which is stupid. I told Jane about Charlie and me, so why wouldn’t she have told her brother?
“Yes we are.”
Ben’s expression becomes serious. “If you’re Charlie’s boyfriend now, then I have to come clean about something.”
Gee, what could he possibly want to tell me?
“Okay.”
“The prank with the chickens was my idea. My girlfriend’s parents own a farm.”
I stare at him without blinking for a moment, trying to keep my laughter bottled in, but it bubbles up my throat anyway. Charlie returns, finding me in such a state of amusement that I have tears in my eyes.
“What’s going on?” she asks.
“I told Troy the chickens were my idea. I think he lost it,” Ben deadpans.
Swallowing my laughter, I wipe the moisture from underneath my eyes. “I’m sorry. Your brother gave me the giggles.”
With a half-smile that doesn’t reach her eyes, Charlie shakes her head. Her reaction sobers me up. They’re dealing with a shitty family situation, and here I am, laughing like an idiot.