“Mom, really. Don’t worry about me. Josh has been dealt with and I have Nate and Jesse looking out for me. I’m ok, I was a little shaken up and then Nate beat the crap out of him. I’m all good. I promise.”
“Are you sure, honey?”
“Yes, mom. I’m sure,” I tell her. “You need to be there for Nanna. Don’t worry about me.”
“You know I’m your mother, right?” she says with relief in her voice. “It’s impossible not to worry about you.”
“I know,” I smile. “But I’m safe. I’m going to stay in and have a movie night with the boys because they’ve been grounded.”
“Grounded?” she grunts. “What for?”
“Using their fists instead of their words.”
“Oh, dear,” she groans. “You know I don’t condone violence, but just this one time. I mean, did he get him good?”
“Oh, yeah,” I laugh. “Knocked him out cold.” Nate’s arm tightens around me as the boys listening in on my conversation. I smile up at him and he presses a kiss to my forehead.
“Jesus,” she sighs. “Listen, honey. Your daddy is bugging me for some answers so I better go. Be safe, ok? I want to hear from you first thing in the morning and every hour after that until I get home. Got it?”
“Alright,” I laugh. “You got yourself a deal.”
“Love you, baby.”
“Love you too, mom.”
With that, she hangs up the call and I put my phone down beside me. I snuggle deeper into Nate’s side as I watch the movie Jesse put on. I don’t think I even watch for ten minutes before I fall asleep.
All I know is that when Nate is waking me up, the room is suddenly covered in darkness and I’d managed to sleep the whole afternoon away. “Come on, babe,” Nate says. “We’re going out.”
I rub my eyes as I sit up in bed. “Huh?” I grunt. “What are you talking about?”
“Jesse wants to go out and pay a visit to your favorite cheerleader.”
“What?” I grunt again, still foggy from sleep. “We can’t go out. You guys are stuck here until your dad decides he can trust you again.”
“That’s never going to happen,” he smirks down at me. “Come on, get yourself ready. Jesse has been dying to get out of here. I made him wait so you could get more sleep.”
With a groan, I push myself up out of bed and trudge over to my closet. I’d bet all the money in the world that we’re going to a party but I don’t bother getting all dressed up. Instead, I grab a pair of boots and a jacket before throwing my hair up into a messy bun.
I walk out a moment later and Nate takes my hand before leading me down to Jesse’s room. “Bout time,” he groans as we appear in the doorway. “I’ve been waiting hours for you to wake up.”
I roll my eyes as I watch him walk over to his bedroom window and slide it open. “What are you doing?” I grunt as I watch him climb through the window.
He looks back through at me. “What does it look like I’m doing?” he says. “Now, hurry that fine ass up. We have a party to crash.”
“You’re kidding right?” I question. “I’m not escaping out the second story window.”
“That’s fine,” Jesse grunts. “You can stay behind.”
My mouth pops open. I don’t want to stay behind. I narrow my eyes on him. “You wouldn’t leave me behind,” I challenge.
“Want to make a bet?” he says with a sparkle in his eye.
I let out a huff and storm towards the window. “Damn it,” I groan. “What’s wrong with using the door?” I ask as I take hold of the window sill and look out. Nate comes up behind me and helps me up onto the window ledge while Jesse grabs hold of me on the other side. My heart races. “I swear, if either one of you let me fall off this roof, I’m going to kill you.”
“You seriously think I’d let you fall?” Nate questions behind me.
I turn around and narrow my eyes on him. “I don’t know,” I say. “There’s a long list of things that I never thought you’d do to me.”
“Really?” he questions. “You want to take a stab at me while you’re hanging off the roof?”
“There’s no better time than the present,” I say with a grin.
He rolls his eyes and shakes his head before climbing out the window behind me. The boys expertly make their way along the roof and it’s clear they’ve done this a few times before. Jesse climbs over to the edge before jumping down to the ground and I watch in horror as he indicates for me to follow. “You’re shitting me,” I groan.
“Hurry up,” he whisper yells so we’re not heard from inside.
Nate continues to hold onto me as I make my way over to the edge. “He’ll catch you,” Nate promises.