Blind Love (The Complete Box Set Romance Series) (6 page)

I had a bucket,
sponges, and a mop. The bathroom would be cleaner that it had ever been.

I was startled
when the door opened. I hadn’t expected anyone to be here. I recognized a few
guys from the baseball team. Guess they were practicing today. One leaned on
the wall while the others surrounded me. The baseball team? Threatening me?

I outweighed some
of them. I glanced at all of them, then went back to what I was doing.

“So, it is true.
You had to clean the bathroom.”

All of them
laughed. I continued to ignore them. No need to challenge them. I could win,
but I’d get hurt and I’d probably have another detention.

“I know what you
covered up,” the kid I thought was named Glenn said.

I wasn’t biting.
They’d get bored and move on, I just had to stand firm.

“Because I wrote
it about Taylor,” Glenn said.

Okay, they were
really pushing my buttons. I wanted to punch him in the face. If I took him
out, the rest would scurry away. None of them had the balls to take me on
alone. That’s why they’d all come here to mock me as I cleaned.

Fuck them. I kept
wiping down the walls, getting all of the graffiti off. I learned, according to
the writers, which girls were good at blow jobs and which girls weren’t. Not
that I was in the market for a blow job.

I was going to
keep my nose clean for
awhile
after this. I owed it
to Mr. Dean for taking me in. I didn’t need to bring any more trouble to his
doorstep. As it was, I knew Mrs. Dean was gunning for me to fail.

Always a good
feeling.

Someone poked me.

“We’re talking to
you.”

“I’m not talking
to you.”

This time, the
poke was harder. I clenched my fists, but I refused to swing. It would be their
word against mine and I knew who’d win. No one would believe that the jocks
would do something like that. No, instead the kid who lived in a trailer and
got in trouble all of the time must have thrown the first punch.

But I wouldn’t. I
wouldn’t give them the satisfaction. I instead took my frustration out on the
wall I was scrubbing.

“Let’s piss on the
wall. Then he’ll have to clean it up.”

The door swung
open again as Cole marched in. “What the fuck are you guys doing?”

He was their
leader and was clearly unhappy with them. I didn’t make eye contact with him.
Our friendship was tentative, so I wasn’t going to screw it up. The guys looked
at their shoes. “We were just fooling around. No harm done.”

“Beat it, guys.
Before I tell Coach on you.”

The shuffled out,
but no one touched me. Cole turned to me as the door closed. “They’re assholes.
I’m sorry.”

I shrugged.
“Whatever.”

“They wanted to
get you into more trouble. Freshman can be buttheads.”

“No argument
here.”

“You still coming
over tonight?” Cole said.

He leaned up
against the wall I had just cleaned.

“Are they going to
be there?”

“Shit, no. I don’t
hang out with them. I prefer seniors and maybe some juniors.”

“Yeah, I can make
it.”

“You need a ride?”

“I’ll figure that
out.”

Maybe I could walk
or borrow a bike. Cole didn’t live that far from Taylor – they were all rich.
Cole slapped me on the back. “Can I ask you something?”

“Sure.”

He indicated the
wall. “Why’d you do it?”

I debated not
telling him. Would it sound weird? “It said that Taylor was a slut and I didn’t
think anyone should write that about her.”

Cole nodded.
“She’s a tease, but not a slut. I don’t know anyone who has done her, and I’m
sure that anyone who has would brag at banging her.”

The thought of
anyone banging her bothered me. It shouldn’t. I had no claims on her and she
probably didn’t even consider us friends.

“That’s probably
true being as she’s the most popular girl in school.”

“Did you tell
her?”

“No. She doesn’t
need to know. I get in trouble all of the time. At least this time was worth
it.”

“Worth it? What
did Mr. Dean think?”

“He gave me a pass
on this one and asked me to try harder not to get in trouble.”

“And those
dickheads came in here looking for a fight,” Cole said.

“Yep.”

“Well, buddy, I’ll
see you tonight. Eight.”

Cole left me to my
thoughts. Should I tell Taylor? What difference would it make? She might even
get mad at me. Sometimes girls did that – shooting the messenger. No, she could
remain in her bubble and not worry about these things.

***

I had been home
for a few hours when Taylor found me.

“Can we postpone
the math tutorial until tomorrow? I have a date tonight.”

“Sure, Taylor. I’m
going out, also.”

“With a girl?”

“No, just hanging
with some guys,” I said.

I hadn’t been on a
date in a year. I had no money and no job. I couldn’t take anyone out.

“That’s cool. I
need to go get ready.”

“It’s easier being
a guy,” I commented.

She nodded, then
left me. I was playing a game on Facebook when Mrs. Dean barged into my room.
She barely knocked then strode in. Guess it runs in the family. I looked up at
her.

She pointed her index
finger at me. “You are on borrowed time.”

I didn’t know what
to say to that. Mr. Dean had reassured me that everything was fine. Had he
changed his mind?

She stepped
further into the room, her eyes wild. “I don’t like you.”

Fair enough. I
wasn’t going to say anything. She had something she wanted to tell me, so I’d
let her talk. No need to piss her off further.

“If you screw up
again, I’m sending you back to the rock you crawled out from under. I don’t
know how you schmoozed my husband, but I’m not so easily won over.”

Good to know where
I stood. If I could just avoid her, we’d be fine, but that wasn’t possible. We
were living in the same house.

Mr. Dean had given
me the key to the house and the keys to Taylor’s car that she couldn’t drive
right now. I was happy it was a mid-sized SUV, not some BMW. I wouldn’t have to
ask for a ride tonight.

“I’m sorry you
feel that way,” was the only thing I could think to say.

“You are on
notice. I mean it, Dylan. I don’t think you are a good influence on my
daughter.”

Right. Her
daughter had immediately turned to drugs and alcohol the second I stepped in
the front door.

Her daughter was
fine and she had little faith in Taylor if she thought I could influence her
that easily. I pressed my lips together so as not to say what I was thinking.
It wouldn’t help the situation at all. I had to be respectful, even if she was
ragging on me.

I was here because
Mr. Dean wanted me here. If he ever changed his mind, I knew I’d be back in
that trailer as fast as he could drive me. I bit my lip so nothing would slip
out.

“I don’t like you.
I don’t want you in my house. My husband thinks he needs to save everyone. I’m
just embarrassed that you are here.”

“Mother,” Taylor
said.

I looked over to
see her in the doorway, her hands on her hips. She was in a robe and had her
hair up. Her face was made up more than it needed to be. She was pretty without
makeup.

Now was not the
time to tell her that.

“You stay out of
this, Taylor,” Mrs. Dean said.

“Not when you’re
shouting so that the whole neighborhood can hear.”

“The neighborhood
cannot hear me. You know I wouldn’t if they could.”

I slid my hands
into my pockets. I was going to have a front row seat to a cat fight, I
thought. I’d heard about mothers and daughters. It was all true in the Dean
household.

“How true. It’s
all about appearances to you.”

Said the girl
covered in makeup. I tried not to smile.

“This boy is bad
news.”

“That’s awful,
Mother. He’s just a kid who has had some bad breaks.”

I probably should
point out that they shouldn’t talk about me like I wasn’t there, but I was not
getting into the middle of this. Mr. Dean was out somewhere, and I had no idea
when he would be back. He would not be able to save me from this.

“Your father has
turned you,” Mrs. Dean said.

“Really? You think
I don’t have an opinion of my own?”

“You and your
father are a team. I know how this household works.”

Taylor rolled her
eyes. I got the feeling that they had this fight on a regular basis. I only
happened to be the subject this time.

“Right, Mother.
We’re all against you. I think you owe Dylan an apology.”

“You’re suddenly
on his side? You’re his new cheerleader.”

Which was ironic,
since she was, indeed, a cheerleader.

“I’ve just decided
to give him a chance,” Taylor said. “You should, too.”

Her mother groaned
then left, brushing past Taylor. I tried not to look at the spot where Taylor’s
robe came together. From this angle, it looked like she was naked underneath
it. Her feet and legs were bare.

Oh, crap. I was
getting a boner.

I turned my body
away from her. “You don’t need to defend me, Taylor.”

She stepped
further into the room. For the love of God, leave, I thought. She put a hand on
my shoulder. I about shot out of the chair. “
It’s
okay, Dylan. She’ll come around. She just takes longer.”

“
It’s
fine, Taylor. Go get ready for your date.”

“You okay?”

“I’m fine,” I
said, trying to keep my voice steady as an attractive girl was half clothed in
my presence.

Holy shit. Just a
tug of her belt and she’d be naked. Would she be surprised if I did that? She’d
probably get mad and then I’d really be out on my ass. Think of math.
Differential equations. Convergence. Harmonic sequence. Shit. It wasn’t
working.

“Are you sure?”

“Yes, Taylor.
Please, go. I’m fine. I’ve had a lot worse happen to me.”

I was getting
angry and I shouldn’t. She had no idea the effect she had on me. Or any girl in
a robe would have on me. I was a teenaged boy, after all.

***

After her being in
a robe on Saturday night, I was happy that Taylor was fully dressed when I
helped her with math on Sunday. I’d gone to see my mother and was feeling
depressed. Spending time with Taylor would lighten my mood.

We decided to work
at the dining room table. Her father was out washing his car. I had no idea
where Mrs. Dean was. Besides meals, I hadn’t seen her, but I did spend a lot of
time in my room when I was not at school.

I had the book laid
out and a pencil ready for Taylor. She bopped into the room looking like we
were going to be baking cupcakes or something. I was happy that I was going to
be spending time with her, but was she that happy about it, also?

Or had
her
date gone that well?

I hadn’t been home
when she got back. My curfew was later. I was a guy. That’s how it worked,
apparently. I’d just been happy to borrow her car.

She plopped down
in a seat next to me, her notebook in her hand.

“Ready?” I asked.

She frowned. “I
want a soda first. You want one?”

I nodded. She left
and came back with two cans and a bowl of potato chips. She was stalling. I
could understand that. She didn’t want to do this math, but she had to learn
it. Not that she would use it again. If she was that far into the weeds in high
school, she shouldn’t take it in college.

“What do you want
to major in at college?” I said.

She looked around
to see if anyone was in the room with us. Not sure why. “I want to be a nurse,
but my mother wants me to be an engineer.”

“Not with your
math skills.”

I realized how
that sounded as soon as it was out of my mouth. I expected her to stomp out.
Instead, Taylor laughed. “You are right, but I need to at least pass this
class. And then never take anything like this again.”

“Not a bad idea.
How was your date last night?”

Maybe I was
stalling, too. I had looked forward to spending the afternoon with her. I
shouldn’t. She was off limits to me, but a guy could hope. I’m sure she had no
interest in me. She was the good girl and I was the bad boy. That only happened
in trashy teen movies.

Not in real life.

“It was okay. He
was kind of a jerk.”