Allison giggled. “I know how those nights are sometimes. Melatonin always helps me. I mean, I know it’s technically to help kids and all that. But it helps me, too. Especially if I’m worried about a test. Are you worried ab… out a… test?”
The more Allison peered back at us, the more I shook my head. Too much. She was talking and saying way too much. Her nerves were getting the best of her, and Clint would sense that. She apologized with her eyes before turning back around, the car slowly bobbing and weaving as Michael drove us all to school.
And the entire time, Clint was silent.
On the one hand, I wanted to push it. I wanted to know what the fuck was going on. But I didn’t want to do it in front of Michael and Allison. Because I knew that would make Clint very uncomfortable. So I kept massaging his knee and his thigh until Michael dropped us off. He pulled up to the back doors of the school and let us out, then went to go park the car with Allison. I had a feeling we wouldn't see them again this morning. So I pulled Clint off to the side. Into the shadows of the side of the school.
Where no one could see—or hear—us talk.
“Hey, are you okay?”
Clint shrugged. “I’m as good as I can be.”
I snickered. “Which is apparently not very good. I know something’s wrong. Do you want to talk about it?”
Clint dropped his bag. “Just—that shit with the lawyer yesterday.”
I nodded. “What happened?”
He leaned against the brick wall of the school. “Dad’s back in town.”
“Oh, no.”
“Oh, yeah. I told Cecilia time and time again not to tell Dad about the fucking lawyer. And of course, she didn’t listen. She’s awesome, but she never fucking listens. It’s like she thinks Dad’s actually gonna be this decent-as-fuck person one of these days. Then she gets shocked and hurt and scared when he loses his shit. She’s been married to him for four years! The fuck is she thinking!?”
I placed my hands against his chest. “Deep breaths. Come on, take them with me. There we go.”
I walked Clint through some even breathing. He was shaking against my hands, and I needed him to settle down. That explained everything. With his father back in town, shit always popped off. I smoothed my hands over his torso, trying to relax him. I watched him sink heavier and heavier into the brick wall as a cloud hovered over his head. His arms fell to his sides. He wrapped me up in his embrace and pulled me close. He kissed my forehead, sending electricity surging through my body as I closed my eyes. Tucked my head underneath his chin. And reveled in the way he stroked my back.
Clint sighed. “Dad doesn’t want me pressing charges.”
I scoffed. “Of. Fucking. Course.”
“He still thinks I had something to do with it. And he’s been keeping up with the police reports because he knew about the football field fight.”
I sighed. “Shit.”
“Yeah. To him, that’s proof enough that I apparently deserved what I got. Because, to him, those seventeen-year old boys were just ‘being boys and doing what boys do.’”
I pulled away a bit. “Did he actually say that?”
Clint nodded. “Right there in the fucking lawyer’s office. I was so embarrassed I wanted to melt into the goddamn floor.”
I gazed up into his eyes. “Clint? Your father’s a piece of trash.”
“Don’t I know it.”
“Clint, you need to press charges. They could have killed you. They almost did. Who the fuck does your dad think he is?”
He gave me a wary smile. “It’s okay, Rae. There’s no need for you to get worked up. I’ll figure this all out. Especially once Cecilia can stop updating my dad every second of every fucking day.”
“She just loves your dad. I get it. I mean, I don’t know how she loves your dad. But she does.”
He paused. “You get it?”
I felt my cheeks flush and I looked away from him. Fucking hell, I’d almost given myself away. Well, I’d practically given myself away, was more like it. Clint chuckled and pulled me back to him, placing a kiss to the top of my head. And as he rubbed my back with his large, strong hands, I felt my eyes fall closed.
“You keep doing that, I’m gonna fall asleep.”