Perfect

“Who the fuck do you think you are, coming back here this early in the goddamn morning?”

Rory wrenched his arm out of his father’s hold, turned and faced him, and showed him he wasn’t afraid of his bullshit. “I said I was out, and that’s the end of it.” He didn’t talk about Lena with Brian, didn’t even like thinking about her when he was in the fucker’s presence.

Brian let go of Rory, grabbed a cigarette from off the counter, and the pack crumpled. He put one of the sticks in his mouth, bent over, and turned on the stove. The burner’s flame was a vibrant blue, and he bent closer to it and lit the end of the cigarette. When he straightened, he inhaled a few times, blew the smoke out through his nose, and chuckled. “You with that little girlfriend of yours?”

Rory might not talk about Lena with his father, but that didn’t mean Brian didn’t know about her. It was kind of hard to hide the love of his life for three years, especially when she’d come to this shithole over the past few years for one thing or another.

Rory turned and started walking toward his room, not about to talk about Lena with this worthless waste of space human. Brian had never been a father to him. He’d been a bully, a man who got drunk and started using his kid as a punching bag, because he’d been so worthless he couldn’t even find a shred of love in that black heart of his. Brian didn’t give a shit about what Rory did or when he came home. This was just a tactic to start shit with him, and if he kept at it, Rory knew they’d start throwing down.

Did he want to fight with his father? No. He wished he’d had a decent childhood, and that he could talk to his dad about Lena and his plans for their future.

“I’m still talking to you, Rory,” his father said with a slight slur in his voice. “You don’t fucking turn your back on me while I’m talking.”

Rory continued walking away. He wasn’t going to let this asshole ruin what he’d shared with Lena tonight or the high she always gave him with just her presence. Brian and Rory might share the same six-foot-three height, but Brian no longer had the muscle mass he probably had back in the day. The alcohol, shitty lifestyle, and lack of staying healthy made him overweight, slow, and lazy.

“You fucking that little girl? You want pussy, you need to fuck a real woman, boy.”

Rory clenched his teeth and walked into his room. He should knock the fucker out for even saying anything about Lena, but he just wanted to crash for a few hours before he had to go to work. With school officially out, and Rory able to say he’d stuck it out and finished high school, he planned on working for a little while, saving more money, and moving toward his goal. He still had to talk to Lena about that, and that was what was on his mind, not the fight his old man was trying to start.

He went to shut the door, but his father was there, putting his foot in the way so he couldn’t close it.

“I asked you a question.” His father pushed the scarred wood inward, and Rory didn’t bother stopping him. If he wanted to do this, fine. Rory was more than ready.

“What I do isn’t your damn business. It hasn’t been for a long fucking time.”

Rory had lost any fear he’d ever had for this man. Now he just went up against him with what he had. Of course he wanted out of here—away from Brian, this shitty house, and the bad memories—and he would be gone soon. Leaving Lena wasn’t what he wanted to do, but he wasn’t, not really. He knew doing this would better both of their lives. He’d be able to provide for her and give her what she needed. Once he talked to her, told her what he planned on doing, they could decide how things were going to play out. He wanted her with him, right by his side, but he also didn’t want her giving up her plans and dreams.

Brian chuckled and shook his head, leaning against the doorframe. “Why are you even still here, Rory?”

“Believe me, I won’t be for long. And I wouldn’t be here if I had any other choice.”

His father raised a graying, bushy eyebrow. “If it wasn’t for me taking care of you after your loose as fuck mother kicked the bucket, you’d be nothing but a memory now.”

Rory clenched his hands into fists at his sides.

“Shut your fucking mouth.” Rory didn’t know his mother, didn’t remember her, but that didn’t mean this piece of shit could badmouth her. Yeah, he knew from what Brian had said enough times that his mother had slept around before they got together and that she’d been heavy into drinking as well. But he didn’t care about any of that. This asshole didn’t talk bad about the dead, no matter who they were.