Torn (The McKerricks Book 1) (26 page)

“
I’ll give him to you for twenty-four hours, as long as you let Henley and myself leave with the Maserati… and the dog.”

“
Wait, boss, what?” Micky is really starting to panic now.

She frowns for a moment longer before a devilish smile overtakes her face, and she gets up. I avert my eyes once I realize what she is wearing, or rather lack of. My eyes make their way toward Micky, apparently he doesn
’t have any problems watching someone walk around in a shirt and a extremely small pair of panties. In fact quite honestly hes ogling.

“
Connor,” I flick my gaze back to her, and she tosses the Maserati keys my way. I catch them deftly, grab Henley’s hand and make  my way out of the room.

“
I’m quitting, I’m totally quitting.” I can hear Micky’s mumbled words over and over as we make our way out.

“
Are you sure that was safe to leave him there?” I ask as we slide into the Maserati. Mr. Darcy hops into the back, and Henley makes herself comfortable in the front.

“
Well… is he dating anyone?”

“
No, not that I know of?”

“
Is he saving himself for something?”

“
Definitely not.”

“
Then it should be fine. He’s definitely her type, so she probably wont touch him anyways.”

“
What do you mean?” I cast a glance her way, before turning back to the road.

“
I’m not the only one with problems Angus. Nora doesn’t actually go after guys she likes. I just offered him up because she can’t sleep at all after watching something scary unless someone is in the house with her, and you said I was going home with you.”

My blue eyes meet her green ones and they are earnest, open. I love Henley being so open with me.
“You know… You’re the first girl besides my mom and sister that have ever been in my apartment. I’ve always kept it as a women free zone… but when I brought you there… it felt good somehow.”

“
That’s… I guess I don’t have to burn your bed after all.”

“
My bed? Why my poor bed? It’s top of the line.”

“
All I could think about was all the girls you fucked in it…”

She
’s looking out the window, and all I can see is her reflection in the glass, but I have a feeling that admission cost her more than she wants to admit. Taking her hand in mine, I can’t help the smile that starts to creep across my face.

“
Well I’ve never fucked any women in that bed but I plan to change that tonight.”

Chapter 20

She
’s panicking. I told her she looks fine. And she does. She looks beautiful. I told her it will be okay, and I know it will, it’s not like I’ll leave her if my parents don’t like her, but she is panicking anyways. She’s changed her outfit a dozen times, and she keeps tugging her sleeves down.

“
Stop pulling on your sleeves lover you’re fine.”

“
But what if they see…”

“
Your sleeves are long enough that nobody will. Take a deep breath. It’s going to be okay.” I try to reassure her since it is too late to back out now, as we pull into my mothers courtyard. She doesn’t look the slightest bit reassured. “Henley… lover, I’m not throwing you to the wolves. I’ll be there with you ever step of the way. I promise.”

I get out of the car, make my way to the passenger side, and hold Henley
’s hand as she climbs out of the car. She looks at me with that mild sort of curiosity, but she keeps her hand tucked in mine, and I can feel it trembling. She puts on a brave face, which I recognize as her ‘fake it till you make it’ face. It’s the face she used to wear exclusively. I let it go because I know this is freaking her out.

When I open the door, I can hear laughing in the other room, a womans laughter. Looks like Aiden brought
another
girl home. Well at least it will take some of the attention off of Henley. Aiden’s girls always want attention.

“
Thank God you’re here,” Gwen’s voice ratchets up as she walks into the entryway. “Aiden’s bimbo is…”

It
’s almost a worst case scenario. I know Gwen wont want to share Henley with me, she’s her number one most favorite author after all. Her eyes drag from me, to Henley, then down to our clasped hands. I can feel Henley try to almost pull away, but I hold her hand tight in mine.

“
Aiden’s bimbo is… what?” I try to pretend not to notice that this is really bothering her, Gwen that is, because Henley turned to stone the moment I didn’t let go of her hand.

“
Please tell me this isn’t what I think it is?” Gwen’s voice is super serious, and Henley’s shoulders slump almost imperceptibly.

“
It’s exactly what you think it is. Got a fucking problem?” The fact that she is spouting her mouth is starting to piss me off, but whats worse is its affecting Henley.

“
Yeah I do,” Gwen replies. She steps right up in front of me and starts bludgeoning me with her tiny fists. I let go of Henley’s hand to fend her off, but the moment I do Gwen seizes the opportunity to grab Henley and run, but not before calling out a challenge. “My problem is she is too cool for you asshole.”

With a sigh I take off after them, but Henley, is running along easily keeping up with Gwen. When I step through the doorway, I can hear my mother call out.
“Gwen you should have told me you were bringing a friend. I’ve got to set another place.”

“
I didn’t bring anybody, this is Connor’s girl.” Those words perk my mother right up, but Gwen is already at the top of the stairs towing Henley right behind her, so my mother turns her glare onto me.

“
I didn’t even get to meet her Connor. You’re supposed to introduce her before you let her run off.”

“
I didn’t…” I let out a sigh. How am I going to say Gwen stole her? “I’ll try not to misplace her next time… what’s going on with Aiden?”

“
Oh well… she’s sort of…” My mom is thinking really long and hard on her choice of words. “Unique.”

Well shit. That probably means she is a ridiculous person. At least ridiculous by my families standards. Which may or may not mean normal.

“So, tell me about your girl. Gwen seems quite taken with her… you haven’t even told me her name yet.”

“
Ah well, her and Gwen are friends. I met her through Gwen.” All technical truths. Although I probably got to know her faster than Gwen did, I’m sure they exchange emails or something else. Calls maybe. But I am sure neither of us mentioned that we were dating. “And her name is Henley.”

I watch my moms face closely in the less than five seconds it takes for her to make the connection. It morphs from thoughtfulness to shock to super excitement.
“I should have known it would take a romance author to tame you. You devil you.” She gives me one of those weird elbow jabs, the kind that should only be done between buddies, and I have to work hard not to laugh.

“
No mom, just stop there. I’ve got to go rescue her from Gwen.”

“
Dinner will be soon,” I can already see her forming our happily ever after in her mind. I leave her to it. I’m going to need all the help I can get to convince Henley that I’m for real. That I plan to stick.

I make my way upstairs, but not before glancing into the living room, and seeing just what kind of girl can be described as unique.

She’s tall, not ridiculously so, and lean. She looks like she works out. Yoga instructor maybe. Something athletic. She’s dressed nicely, not completely formal, but not going out for a job either. She looks normal, and she doesn’t seem to mind Aiden paying more attention to the game than to her.

With a shrug, I continue my trek towards Gwen
’s old room. Even though we have all moved out, our mom decided to leave our rooms exactly as they were, so that we can come home and stay any time. I don’t think she likes being an empty nester.

I pause outside the door, listening in, but there isn
’t a conversation that I can hear. It worries me. Henley and I have been through enough trouble this past week, I don’t need Gwen’s misplaced displeasure at us not mentioning we are dating to ad to it, so I step in with a slight knock on the door to rescue her.

Her and Gwen turn to take me in, but they stay hunched over their toes painting little designs on them.

“No boys allowed,” Gwen says with a frown, and Henley just nods in acquiescence with a sweet smile.

“
Like hell. You stole my girl. I came to get her back, and mom says dinners almost done.”

Gwen just scrunches up her nose, and I
’m glad to see that she isn’t too upset about me being with Henley. I’m sure she is worried about it getting messy. I don’t do the dating thing, and I know Gwen doesn’t want to lose her friend because I fuck this up.

“
You get along really well,” Henley says with a gentle sort of smile, as she stands up and wiggles her freshly painted toes.

“
About average,” I say tugging her hand pulling her closer to me.

“
They are way over protective. Both of them,” Gwen grumbles.

“
You don’t get along with your sister?”

Henley frowns at my question before looking away. Holy shit. Stumbled right into that land mine apparently. When she looks back she is wearing her honest face, as Gwen and I look at her curiously. I know that reaction peaked Gwen
’s interest as much as mine.

“
A little less than average. I haven’t seen her… in a long time.”

The only explanation she offers, doesn
’t appear to mollify Gwen’s curiosity although I know she is too nice to press the issue. But I know what it means. It ties back to Henley telling me she can’t get far enough away from Louisiana. She had to leave everything behind to run away.

We make our way around the dining table, and I pull out Henley
’s seat and help her sit before taking my seat next to her. She’s casts me a glance that says me pulling out her seat is hilarious. Aiden walks in with his new fling close on his heels, and he is smiling politely. They sit on the other side of the table, and Gwen takes the open seat on Henley’s other side.

“
Now I’ve met Gloria,” my dad says thoughtfully as he walks into the room. That must be Aiden’s girls name. “But I don’t believe you and I have met yet.”

“
Um, I’m Henley Williams sir,” her face is flustered, and she is fidgeting with her sleeves under the table. I take her wrist in my hand stopping her fidgeting, she casts me a sideways glance but lets her hands settle.

“
Call me dad, or Alan, or Mr. McKerrick. Now your name sounds familiar…”

“
Ah, I told you remember dad, she’s the one that left Connor hanging.”

Gwen, Aiden and my dad start snickering, and Henley has absolutely turned to stone. Maybe I should have mentioned that.

“It wasn’t that funny,” I reply irritably.

Aiden
’s snicker turns into a full laugh, which startles his date. “It was funny. It was
so
funny. Someone finally got the upper hand against
the
Connor McKerrick. And it was a little slip of thing to boot.” He flashes a mostly mortified Henley the signature McKerrick grin, “If you ever need
anything
you let me know.”

“
If she needs anything she’ll be telling me,’ I snap back at him, my hand tightening on Henley’s wrist.

“
Stop the pissing contest where it is, both of you,” my mother walks in the room with that commanding air, stopping both of us before we get out of hand. It’s her specialty. She sets the main course down on the table, some kind of fancy roasted lamb. Ever since our cooking classes, she’s been adventurous with cooking, but this is extravagant even for her. Probably because I brought Henley, nothing like the chance to impress the new date. It’s almost comical. Henley and my mother both trying to impress each other.

Mom takes her seat, and we start serving up food. Dinner, and the evening go well. Henley and my mother get along unexpectedly well, and it helps that Henley honestly really seems to enjoy Gwen
’s company, but it isn’t until we are loading ourselves into the Maserati to head home that she finally lets her shoulders relax.

“
It wasn’t that bad was it?” My voice is teasing as the car pulls onto the street, and I head toward my condo.

“
I don’t know I had this feeling… like I really wanted them to like me. It makes me anxious. I don’t usually care what people think, at least I try not to, but I really want them to like me.” She is clutching her arms, more like she is clutching her scars, and her eyes are gazing out into the darkness on the other side of the window.

“
You had them wrapped around your finger, especially my mother. Every smile lover, every laugh. They loved you, and even if they didn’t they would love you because I do.”