Take it All (Blinded by Love) (32 page)

Lennox reached for her glass of water and took a sip before she answered, telling them both for the third time what her parents did, “They own a few gas stations across the province, four actually. Mom looks after the one in the Hill when dad has to go check on the other ones, but he only does that once or twice a month.” She placed a piece of chicken in her mouth, her stomach starting to twist with nerves.

“Where are they located, these stations I mean. What’s the name?” his father asked, intently looking at her as his mouth carefully chewed.

She swallowed her food, hard, the piece of chicken not fully chewed. “There’s one in Athabasca, Fort McKay, Rocky Mountain, and in Spruce Hill. It’s Ward’s Gas ‘n’ Go,” she said.

His dad bobbed his head up and down, a pleased look on his face as he focused on his food in front of him with no more questions. “And you’re mom, what does she do?” Lennox turned her head in Johanna’s direction, taken aback by the snotty tone of distaste that laced her voice.

“Mom,” Caleb said tightly, his fork clattering to his plate.

Lennox reached under the table and squeezed his thigh, telling him it was okay and not to worry. She felt him relax under her touch as she reached for her water, wishing she could tell her where to go and how to get there. But taking a sip to wash away the dryness, she was about to tell her what her mother did when Haley spoke up. “Why mommy, she does what you do but better.” Haley raised her glass with a smirk on her face before she turned to a stunned Lennox and winked.

“Haley,” her dad warned.

Haley rolled her eyes and went back to eating, ignoring the glares from her mom. After a lingering glare, her mom turned her intimidating gaze back upon Lennox and waited for her answer.

“She, um, she does the books for all the business’ and payroll, and when dad’s out of town she looks after the station,” she said feeling like she was an inch tall in height under her gaze. She had no idea why his mom was the way she was towards her.

“Oh, I see,” she said, her gaze dropping to her plate as she stabbed at a piece of broccoli covered in cheese on her plate. “What about you?”

“What about me?”

“Well, surely you’re graduated right?” she shook her head as if she were to say no it would be the worst thing she’d ever heard.

“Yes, I graduated last year,” Lennox told her, warily.

Johanna brought her glass to her lips and took a sip of her red wine before she said, “Are you working? Going to school; what is it you do with your free time?”

Lennox shifted in her seat under her stare, “I work, for my parents at the station in the Hill,” she told her, watching her eyes flick with a fire only it disappeared as quickly as it appeared.

“Is that to save up for college or...?” Lennox knew what she was asking, the whole table did and she could feel Caleb tense next to her and she saw Haley gawk at her then slump down in her chair.

She cleared her throat and ran her hands over her jeans nervously, “No, I work there full time; it’s actually going to be mine in a couple years.”

“The one in Spruce Hill?”

“Yes,” Lennox said softly, placing her fork down and pushing her plate away from her suddenly full.

“Why not one of the other ones?”

“Johanna,” Caleb’s dad cut in, shooting her a warning glance.

“Just a simple question as to why she’d want to stay in that town and not see new surroundings, William,” she said innocently, like there was nothing wrong with what she said.

Lennox felt her cheeks redden and her eyes start to burn but she didn’t want to cry in front of anyone and she wasn’t about to use the bathroom as an excuse to do so. So looking at his mom with a firm composure, she said, “It’s home. I couldn’t imagine being far from my parents,” she wasn’t going to say the last part but it blurted out, “and it’s close to Caleb.”

His mom looked between them unpleasantly as she nodded her head then went back to eating. Everyone went silent at the table. The only thing you could hear was the cutlery scratching across the plate and the clinking of glasses as they were picked up and put down. Both of Caleb’s parents were focused on their food and glasses of wine while Haley sat across from Lennox and Caleb, slouched in her chair playing with a tomato on her plate; a devilish smirk on her face. Lennox tapped on Caleb’s knee and motioned to his sister and he looked her way with raised eyebrows.

“How’s school going sis,” Caleb asked breaking the silence that was oozing with tension.

She looked across at him, her smirk wavering as she straightened up, “Oh you know, nothing much going on there other than the usual; stoners kicked out for drugs, captain of the hockey team stuffing nerds in lockers, and stuck up snotty cheerleaders who are making top grades; it’s kinda insulting if you ask me.”

He laughed and his hand slid back on to Lennox’s lap and smoothed up and down her thigh, “Why, you’re not a cheerleader, you need... cheer in order to do that,” Caleb teased.

Haley stuck out her tongue and shook her head. “It’s insulting because they come across as smart– smarter than me– it’s a travesty really. Half of them are probably blowing their male teachers for top grades,” she huffed.

“Haley, not at the dinner table,” her mom sighed, then sipped her wine.

“On a positive note, I got my period in the middle of gym class today; guess I’m not pregnant after all,” she smirked. “Actually I guess it’s not a positive thing after all.”

“My God–”

“Haley–”

Johanna’s fork dropped to her plate as Lennox started choking on her water. Caleb sat next to Lennox, his body shaking with laugher as he shook his head at his sister; she shrugged her shoulders then snapped her fingers and said, “I know darn, right?”

“Haley, up stairs,” Johanna said, angrily, her hands balled into fists on top of the table.

“Oh, come on,” Haley groaned, her head falling back against the chair, “it was a joke mom, you know something you laugh at,” she said annoyed, eyes on the ceiling.

“Now, Haley Marie.”

She huffed as she pushed back from the table, “Right, I forgot, wouldn’t wanna put a crack in your precious face or that tight ass of yours,” she mumbled sarcastically as she walked out of the room. “Bye guys. Lennox I’ll talk to you soon.”

Lennox sat there in the dining room that was full of tension and awkwardness having no idea where to look or what to say. Caleb took his glass of water and tossed it back before saying, “Well, hate to eat and run but we have to get going; we’re going to a movie and it starts in forty,” he lied.

Lennox looked at him with knitted brows and a confused look on her face until his looked pointed and she realized he was getting them out of there before anything else happened. She nodded her head understanding, “Yeah, that is true,” she tried to sound convincing. “I’m just going to use the bathroom quickly. Excuse me.” She pushed her chair back and laid the napkin she had on her lap next to plate then headed back out to the front and to the bathroom next to the study.

Lennox locked the door behind her before turning on the tap and running the cold water. She submerged her hands under the facet until they started to feel like an ice cube and she removed them. She dried her hands off on the fluffy white towels then placed her hands on her cheeks and the back of her neck, cooling her warm flesh. She had dreaded the dinner all day, and for good reason. She didn’t know what purpose the Kingston’s had to not like her but if she wasn’t sure before, she was after
that
dinner. She wasn’t about to rack her brain with why they didn’t like her or what she could do to make them like her because she didn’t do anything wrong.

Other than the dinner she had been dreading all day, she was also dreading going home, and having to face her parents on how her weekend was. Of course there would be a lot she left out and a lot made up but she had texted her mom earlier and told her she and Caleb were spending the day together then having dinner with his family and she would be home sometime later on. Her mom asked how her weekend had gone and all she could tell her was it was good, and that they’ve just been hanging out and that she met some of his friends. At the end of the conversation her mother sent a simple text asking if they were being safe and she couldn’t help but shake her head, knowing what she meant but to Lennox it could go with something else other than sex. She told her mom they were and that she would see her later on and that was the end of the conversation.

But Lennox knew her mom. There would be more questions later and knowing they were having dinner with his parents they’d want Caleb over for dinner to get to know him better since the only time they interacted was when he picked her up and stood at the door talking to one or both until she was ready to go. It made her feel uneasy, the thought of him being around her parents for longer then he usually was; long enough to pick up on things she may not notice or see something wasn’t right or if with one look they would know he was on drugs then kick him out, forbidding her from seeing him again. Her head raced with the thoughts and sent chills across her body even when she knew her parents would never do anything like that. If she knew them, they would most likely be upset but that was about it because they were the type who would want to help.

But even though she knew that as well, she wasn’t about to tell them because she didn’t think there was anything to tell and even if there was, she would handle it on her own because Caleb was
her
boyfriend and she would do what she could to help him in any way she could. She would stand by him and help him through his problems and most of all she would always be there for him; she wasn’t going anywhere and she made that clear when she chose not to walk away from him when she found out about his drug addiction.

Lennox finished and headed out of the bathroom only to see Caleb and his parents in deep conversation. They stopped talking when they heard her enter the room. Caleb’s face was like stone and his eyes were dark and full of fury when he looked her way, “Let’s go,” he snapped.

Not waiting another second she rushed to his side and took her purse from his grasp, turning to his parents. “Thank you for dinner,” she said, startled by their intimidating statues looming over them with icy stares directed at her and Caleb. She wasn’t sure what they were discussing before she returned but looking at Caleb and his parents she knew it was something intense.

Caleb turned and whipped open the door and gestured for Lennox to go then followed behind when she stepped out on the front step and the door slammed behind them. She jumped and briskly he walked by her, headed directly for the car; leaving her on the steps alone. The outside light flipped off leaving her surrounded by darkness so taking a shaky breath she made her way to the car to find Caleb standing outside leaning up against it, his back to her and a cloud of white smoke above his head. She bit her lip, hesitated by her door, unsure if she should leave him be or go to him and make sure he was okay and try and find out what had happened in the short time she was gone.

Releasing her lip, she called, “Caleb?”

As he blew out a puff of smoke he said, “Its cold, Lox, get in and I’ll be there in a sec.”

She nodded, forgetting he couldn’t see it then pulled open her door and folded in. She put her purse between her legs then pulled her seatbelt across her lap and buckled it, the whole time her eyes never leaving Caleb. His shoulders were higher than normal and she could tell his teeth were clenched as she watched the small muscle on the side of his jaw twitch. A few minutes went by before she watched as he reached into his front pockets and flipped open his cell phone, putting it to his ear.

She watched his head nod up and down then shake a few times while he listened, looking over his shoulder at her through the window. His face was still hard but his eyes had somewhat cooled down but he still looked perturbed and she wasn’t sure if it was over whatever had happened inside or if it was something else. He nodded a final time; no longer looking at her then snapped his cell phone shut and stuffed it back into his jean pocket. Tossing his smoke down, he stepped on it before he pulled his door open, jumped in and started his car. He didn’t say anything as he pulled his seatbelt on and took off down the street.

They were a block away from his parents when Caleb pulled over on a side street and abruptly put the car into park and looked at her. She noted his breathing was heavy but waited until he was ready to talk about whatever it was that was infuriating him.

“My parents... they can be bastards and I’m sorry you had to witness it firsthand tonight.” He ran his hand over his jaw, scratching the sides.

She waved her hand in the air; brushing it off. “It’s okay, I mean I didn’t do anything so...” she trailed off, shrugging her shoulders.

“No, you didn’t, that’s just them,” he sighed.

“You okay?” she asked, reaching over and taking his hand in hers, her thumb making circles on the top.

“Yeah, I’ll be fine,” he flipped his hand in hers then locked their fingers. “You work in the morning?”

“Tomorrow evening I believe, why?”

“Stay with me tonight?” he asked softly, a vulnerability to him she had never seen and, if she had wanted to, she wouldn’t have been able to form the words to say no.

“Always,” she whispered lightly then leaned across the car and he met her half way, claiming one another’s mouth in a hurried and hungry kiss that had Lennox gently biting his bottom lip, her teeth grazing over it as she pulled away, a smirk creeping over her lips.

His eyes narrowed at her, his lips twitching, “You know what that does to me?” he accused.

She batted her eye lashes and an innocent smile came into play as she asked, “What does what?”

“What,” he mocked, shaking his head. “Listen, I need to run something by you,” he said, becoming serious.

“Okay yeah, what’s up?”

“I need to go pick Ty up at his place then take him somewhere. I’ll swing by my place and drop you off first though. Em should be there but I won’t be long,” his eyes flicked to the dashboard then back at her, his attitude completely impatient then.