Falling for Trouble

His aunt and uncle, the ones who had taken him in when he lost his parents, hadn’t really wanted him there. They had enough on their plate, and then they were forced to take in a kid who wasn’t theirs, one who had a penchant for getting into trouble. That was how he got his ridiculous nickname, Trouble. Kid had been the only one who had stuck by him, had been the only one who gave two shits about his life.

She lifted her head, and her startled green eyes held his. Her cheeks turned pink, and then she quickly looked back down. Something was up with her. His head started pounding again, and he groaned and shuffled to the table. Plopping his ass on the seat, he let his head fall into his arms and closed his eyes.

Damn, she took care of him, real good care of him. There had been too many times he had been in this exact position, hung-over at the kitchen table with her making him breakfast.

She set a plate in front of him, and he lifted his head and mumbled his thanks. She hadn’t said anything, which he found odd. Usually, she was all about talking, all about reminding him how he shouldn’t drink so much. Damn, had he brought someone home last night? Fuck, he couldn’t even remember.

When he looked at her, he noticed she kept her eyes downcast as she ate. “Everything all right, Kid?” The sound of his own voice had those fucking construction workers drilling behind his eyes working overtime.

He heard her swallow, and then she lifted those gorgeous eyes to him. Fuck, he wished he could give her everything she deserved.

She’d had a pretty fucked-up childhood, what with a cracked-out mom who didn’t care about her. Thankfully she had gotten out of that situation early enough. Of course, it hadn’t been soon enough for him. They had met shortly after that, and as they said, the rest was history.

Sophia Isabella Kidd was his rock, whether she knew it or not. He knew without her he would have gone down a bigger slope than the current one. He might drink and fight, his past with women not very admirable, but dammit, without Sophia, he probably would have been in prison right now, or worse, dead.

“F-Fine.” She went back to eating and, although he wanted to push her to talk to him, he let it go for right now.

Putting down the food was harder than shit, but not because it tasted bad—Kid could cook—but because when the bacon and eggs hit his stomach, it felt like a lead weight settling in for the winter.

“Man, I feel like shit ran over. What the hell happened last night?” Her head snapped up, and her eyes grew wide. “Was I that drunk?” Her lips parted like she was about to say something, but she snapped them closed again. “I didn’t kick anyone’s ass, did I?” He did a quick physical inventory, and it came back that he had no injuries that would suggest he got into a fight. Then it dawned on him. “Shit, Kid, you didn’t walk in on me fucking some chick, did you?” A vivid image of tight, full breasts tipped with dusky nipples slammed into his brain. Despite him feeling like crap, his dick got hard, and that just made him feel like an even bigger prick.

By the stunned look on her face, Abe surmised she probably had caught him with someone. It wasn’t like she cared who he fucked. Well, she never acted like it. But the disgusted expression that crossed her face on more than one occasion when she found him and the girl he screwed that night naked, either in his room, kitchen, or living room, had always ingrained itself in his mind.

Yeah, he was a shitty guy and an even shittier friend for putting her through that. Of course his intention had never been to let her see his gritty inner life. Where she was all good and sweet, he was futile and despicable.

“I’m sorry, Kid. I hate that I’m such a crap friend to you.” He reached across the table and took her hand in his. “I’m gonna do right by you, sweets, I promise. You shouldn’t have to put up with my shit.”

Truth be told, if Sophia said she wanted him, that she felt a sliver of the emotions he felt for her, ones that had nothing to do with being friends, he would change in a heartbeat. Yeah, maybe if he changed on his own, she would see him as a man worthy of her love.

He saw tears swimming in her eyes, and he frowned. “What’s wrong?” The hand holding hers tightened, but she drew it away and stood. Her head was shaking, but she didn’t say anything. Abe started to panic. “Sophia, what the hell is wrong? Did someone hurt you?” Rage built inside him. Had some prick messed with her last night at the bar? He tried to recall everything that happened, but the last thing he remembered was downing a shot and finishing his beer. After that, everything was black. “Sophia.” He stood and rounded the table, ignoring his pounding head and cramping stomach. Abe gripped her shoulders and turned her around.