On Davis Row by N.R. Walker

Author:N.R. Walker [Walker, N.R.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2017-11-24T18:30:00+00:00

Needless to say, dinner was forgotten. I made Pops some toast and sat with him at the kitchen table after my old man had fucked off to his room. Pops looked over my banged-up eye and split lip, and he was on the verge of tears. “Sorry, CJ. I can’t do nothing to stop him when he gets like that.”

“Don’t be sorry. Ain’t your fault.” God, if Pops tried to stop my dad when he was in a rage . . . “Just stay outta his way. I can look after myself.” And I did, all things considering. I’d shoved him back. I hadn’t closed my fist at him or punched him. But I’d pushed him off me and told him to fuck off back to jail. He’d stormed out, swearing and yelling, while Pops put some frozen peas on my eye. “I’m not putting up with his shit no more, Pops. No way.”

“Don’t go pickin’ fights with him. Please, CJ.” Pops looked so sad it broke my heart. “Promise me.”

“I won’t start ’em,” I promised. “But I won’t let him treat us like crap no more.”

We both sat in silence for a while, then I made Pops another cup of tea and had one myself. My lip stung a bit and my eyebrow throbbed, but I’d had worse. If it weren’t my brothers picking on me, it was my father. But Pops had always, always been on my side. “You and me,” I said, giving him a nod. “We’ll stick together.”

“Is your eye okay?”

“Yeah, it’ll be fine.” I sighed. “And I had a good day today. Noah, he’s been helping me with my bike licence and stuff and helping me read. And he’s super patient, ya know? He doesn’t treat me like I’m stupid or nothin’.”

“When’s your course thing on again?” he asked. I’d told him before, but I reminded him. “Next weekend?”

I nodded. “Yeah. Saturday, for three hours.”

“What’ll ya tell your dad?”

“Nothin’. I don’t care if he finds out anymore. He can’t stop me from going. He might make life more miserable for me, but”⁠—I waved my hand to my banged-up face⁠⁠⁠—⁠”can’t get much worse, huh?”

Pops smiled sadly. “With a bit of luck, he’ll be gone again soon.”

God, I wished so. “We can only hope.”

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