Page 108 of Succeeding Love

The next morning, I woke up early, still feeling like shit. I showered quickly, shaved, then checked myself in the mirror, making sure I didn’t look as shitty as I felt.

Lynn will walk her dog soon. On Saturday mornings, we usually woke up and did it together. It was a habit, one I wasn’t about to break, even though I was on the wrong side of the street.

Mom was still in her room, which was odd. She was usually up with the sun, making breakfast in the kitchen before I left for work. I haven’t been home on a Saturday in a while though, so maybe she sleeps in on Saturdays now.

I heard her as I passed by her room. She sounded like she was talking to herself. It was barely seven in the morning. Surely she wasn’t on the phone.

“He loves you, dear. Everything will work out. He told me as much,” I heard her say.

Was she rehearsing what to say to Lynn? I told her I would handle it, but I guess that didn’t stop her from worrying.

Hearing a dog bark, I dropped the thoughts of mom talking to herself and rushed down the stairs two at a time. I knew that bark. Kevin saw a cat, and I know Lynn has a hard time controlling him when he gets excited.

Throwing the door open, I saw not Lynn with Kevin, but Preston.

“Stop it, you stupid mutt.” Preston jerked Kevin back on the leash, managing him perfectly fine.

Preston saw me and stopped as I walked down to the street from my house. He was eyeing me skeptically. I know he dragged his crying mom into the house last night, but I wasn’t sure how much he knew about the events from the night before.

“Morning,” I muttered nervously.

Preston was the gatekeeper to his mother. I knew that well enough to know not to misstep again after sending his mom home crying.

“Morning,” he said in a hard tone.

Shit.

At least Kevin was happy to see me. He jumped up, wagging his tail excitedly as I rubbed between his ears.

Preston sighed, jerking on Kevin’s leash and telling him to get off me. Then he turned that cold stare back on me.

“Mind telling me what the fuck happened last night?”

My brows knit in confusion. Did Lynn not tell him?

“It was a shitty night,” I murmured, rubbing the back of my neck.

Preston scoffed. “Mom wouldn’t have cried herself to sleep over ashitty night. What happened? Why were you guys with my dad?”

Lynn really didn’t tell him anything. I wasn’t sure if it was my place. I also knew that I really didn’t have an option but to talk to him if I wanted to get to Lynn.

“We went to a charity dinner last night, and your dad was there, too. It was just a shitty night.”

“A shitty night,” Preston scoffed. “You keep saying that but aren’t telling me why.”

“Your dad got drunk,” I shrugged. “Made a fool of himself.”

Preston crossed his arms, looking older than sixteen. He looked me up and down, then said, “That doesn’t explain why mom was crying.”

This kid….

“I don’t know if your mom wants me to tell you everything that happened,” I admitted.

“Why wouldn’t she?” He lifted a brow.

“Because he’s your dad,” I said flatly.

“That’s even more reason to tell me. Let me deal with him, so mom doesn’t have to. What did he do?”