Page 41 of Fighting Fate
“I keep telling you, Chooch, something is only worth as much as you’re willing to risk.”
“In that case, you can keep your crisps!”
Mum’s dinners are amazing, and on a Sunday, they’re her best. I’m about to argue that with him when another athlete walks on the screen. I recognise her from all the Olympics promo going on at the minute. She’s pretty, and when she sits beside Rory, my stomach twists.
He’s smiling at her, and she’s edging closer and closer to him. So close that when he laughs at the presenter’s quips, their thighs touch. The entire time I’m watching, my stomach is knotting tighter.
“She might as well sit on his lap,” I grind out, earning myself an amused side glance from Dad.
“Can’t blame the lass. He’s a handsome bloke,” he laughs. “And I bet he’s popular with the ladies too…just like his dad used to be.” Because he’s not happy with what he’s shared, he continues. “Ronan Knight used to be a lady magnet. Everywhere he went, there was always a pretty girl in sight.”
“Really?”
“I imagine it’s the same for Rory.”
“And what makes you think that?” My rough question is met with surprise.
The conversation isn’t helping settle me or my wayward thoughts. When the presenter starts pushing for Rory to show the swimmer some of his moves, I might as well be a ticking time bomb. This is probably why he told me not to watch it when he left my place at the crack of dawn.
Stupid of me or not, I had to. Even feeling the way I do right now, I can’t leave the room. Rory’s so charismatic. There’s something hypnotic about him that sucks you right in.
“I don’t know why they’re pushing for him to manhandle the girl on the television.”
“It’s stupid.”
Dad chuckles, nudging my shoulder with his. “Maybe, but it makes for talkative television. With the way the press are hounding him, I’d suspect that this will set tongues wagging.”
“What if he has a girlfriend or you know…someone?” I’m not Rory’s girlfriend, and we’re not serious like that, but it really fucking sucks watching another woman rub herself all over him like a nasty fucking rash. It’s not even like he can move anywhere because he’s already on the end of the sofa. It still doesn’t stop me from giving him the evils.
“If looks could kill…” he muses when the doorbell rings, and he gets up to get it with a pat to my shoulder. “Try not to crack my TV with your glare.”
It’s not his TV he should be worried about with the way that the swimmer keeps flirting with Rory. It’s pissing me off that he’s doing fuck all about it too. But then again, she’s beautiful, with her long golden hair and slender curves.
Dad is about to leave the room when he turns back to me and asks, “Why’re you so interested today?”
“Because Mum is hounding me about my sex life.”
“Jesus.” He grimaces. “Forget I asked.”
Unlike Mother Dearest, he’s not into prying and nagging. Dad’s always been the quiet, observant type that simply nods his acknowledgement at things.
I’m turning up the volume when the room is invaded by kids, followed by Jamie and Dorian’s boyfriend, Jake. Before things get awkward and my brother asks questions about Rory, I change the channel to one of the kids’ favourites and head out to the kitchen.
“I call dibs on sitting next to you,” Molly, Jamie’s daughter, calls at me.
“Me too,” Pippa, Quincy’s daughter, adds, knowing that if she doesn’t call dibs too, Daniel will.
He doesn’t seem too bothered when he smiles at me, following me down the hall. Daniel looks so much like his dad, but his expressions are just like Dorian’s.
“Aunt, Will?” He tugs me back before we make it to the kitchen. “Can I ask you a question?”
Oh.Uh-oh…this doesn’t sound like it’s going to be good. The kid is nine years old, but he rationalises things like a full-grown man sometimes, and the look on his face—the worried-as-fuck expression that is so much like his mum’s—tells me this isn’t going to be one of our usual LEGO chats.
“What’s up, handsome boy?”
He stalls for a moment before he says, “I asked Jake if he could be my dad, but he doesn’t want to.”
Oh shit.“Umm…he said that?” Doesn’t sound like Jake. He adores Daniel way too much to cut him down like that.