World Of The Lupi 5 - Mortal Sins by Wilks Eileen

Author:Wilks, Eileen
Language: eng
Format: epub

TWENTY-TWO

A shower had swept in, washing the air with the best smells in the world. Toby sat in his bed with the window open, which Grammy wouldn’t like because the covers might get wet.

He didn’t care. He didn’t care what she liked or what anyone else liked or didn’t like. They could all just leave him alone.

Especially her. She’d never had a problem doing that before.

He’d heard her. He’d been about to come downstairs and get some breakfast and see if Dad wanted to do something, maybe kick the ball around or go to the park so he could practice corner kicks. Then he heard her talking to Dad. His stomach had seized up and his throat had closed, almost as if he were scared.

He wasn’t, dammit. He tried the word out in a whisper. “Dammit.” It didn’t make his stomach feel any better.

His door opened. Toby looked around, scowling. It was Dad, and he hadn’t even knocked. “You’re supposed to knock.”

“Knocking implies I’d go away if you didn’t give me permission to enter. I’m not waiting on permission. I’m not Grammy.”

A worm of guilt squirmed around in Toby’s gut. He’d yelled at Grammy to go away when she knocked. Tough on her. She always takes Mom’s side. “I don’t want to talk to her or you or—or anyone.”

“Anyone meaning your mother, I take it.” Dad came over and sat on Toby’s bed—again without waiting to be asked. “You will apologize to Grammy.”

Toby just scowled. He probably would. Just not yet. “You’re gonna make me go down and be nice to Mom.”

Dad shook his head. “No, I’m going to make you apologize to Grammy.”

Surprise wiggled in so fast he couldn’t stop it. “So it’s okay if I don’t want to talk to Mom?”

“I don’t tell you what to want or not want. I sometimes tell you what you must do or not do. I’ve decided this one is your choice.”

Curiosity made it hard to keep his anger hot, so he scowled extra. “How come?”

“More or less the same reason I allowed you to choose to speak with the press. If it’s a mistake, it’s one you can learn from.”

“I hate her.” His stomach roiled unhappily. “I’m pretty sure I do. What does she want, anyway?”

“She wants to talk with you. That’s all I know.”

“It’s about the hearing, I bet. She didn’t tell you why she’s here?”

“She won’t speak of her intentions until you come down.”

And they needed to know. They needed to know why she was here, if she’d changed her mind about custody, what she was going to do. Toby’s chin set stubbornly. “You could make her tell.”

Dad’s face turned hard, as if Toby had insulted him. “I do not make women do things against their will.”

Shame added itself to the unhappy mix in his stomach. “You think she’ll go away if I stay up here? Or come up and knock on my door and . . .” And that’s who he’d wanted to yell at, he realized. Not Grammy.

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