“Shut up,” I said again, and she closed her mouth. “Shut up so I can fuck you…and show you how much I love you.”

She nodded and although her eyes stayed shut, a tear rolled down her cheek. I sucked it off her chin before it could fall to the floor.

Then, I fucked her.

Hard.

I showed her how much I loved her until I couldn’t tell where I started and she began. Until all that was in that room was me and her and the thing between us that kept pulling us together like magnets. Until we were lost in sensations and orgasms.

And in each other.

I fucked her until we were one person, and in a way we were, because I’d lost myself along the way, and I found myself again in the most unlikely place.

I’d found myself again in the haunted eyes of a girl who was just as lost as I was.

Or maybe, we didn’t find each other at all.

Maybe, we just decided to be lost together.

Chapter Twenty-Four

King

Doe and I were lying in bed on a Saturday afternoon, watching Demolition Man. Her idea. Not mine. Out of all the DVDs in my collection, that was the one she’s watched the most in the past few days. She also liked Disney movies, but every time she watched them, I thought about Max and a pain formed in my chest thinking that she might never be around to watch them with us.

Or Max might be around, and Doe might be gone.

I was going to do everything I could to get them both under one roof with me. Although as the days went by, the reality of putting together the money for the payoff seemed less and less likely.

Disney princess movies may have just been a bunch of fairy tales, but the idea of the three of us together—four if you count Preppy—was my idea of happily ever after.

“All restaurants are now Taco Bell,” Doe said in sync with Sandra Bullock’s character. She knew every line. It was downright adorable. Besides, we were naked, and I had one hand on her tit and the other was cupping her pussy, so I had no complaints. “Why is the house half-painted?” She turned to me abruptly, propping her head on my chest.

“Cause when Preppy and I first moved in, it was already an old house, but we kind of trashed it with all the parties and didn’t think much of fixing it up. Then, I asked Preppy to fix it up a bit because I expected to bring Tricia and Max here.

“But why did he stop?”

“Because I went to prison, and the house being painted didn’t seem to matter to either of us anymore. There wasn’t a chance in hell they’d let me have her at that point. Besides, Preppy may be able to cook, and he’s a killer mechanic, but he’s a shit handyman. So, the place kind of went to hell while I was gone.”

“Well,” she said, stretching her arms over her head. Her perky tits bounced as she yawned and hooked her leg over my thigh. “You better get to painting again because we’re going to get the money, and she’s going to come home.”

“Yeah, baby. We’re going to get her back.” I was unsure if I was speaking to her or trying to convince myself. The truth was that each and every day that passed by, Max was slipping further and further away.

Preppy opened the door, and Doe sat up quickly, pulling the sheet over her bare chest.

“Dude, fucking knock much?” I asked.

Preppy ignored me and hopped up onto the bed, settling himself between me and Doe. He slung an arm around each of us.

“I just love you guys,” he said, squeezing the three of us together like we were one big, fat, odd-as-fuck family.

“Is there a purpose to this love fest?” Doe asked, giggling as Preppy leaned in to tickle her.

It should’ve pissed me off that he was even touching her, but there was nothing sexual about their connection. Although I often found myself jealous of their easy friendship. I had to work my ass off to get Pup to like me, and even then, I was shit at it.

But, Preppy wore both his crazy and his heart on his sleeve, and I was always a little envious of how easy it was to be around him.

All of us together just made sense. Doe could read bedtime stories to Max as she fell asleep at night. Uncle Preppy could teach her how to make pancakes. Those were the kind of images that made it all come together for me. It was clear. I had to do whatever it was going to take to make this shit work.

Max had to come home.

Pup had to stay.

I’d told her I was a selfish prick, and I’d meant it. I just didn’t think she realized how true that statement really was. I guarantee that she had no clue that I was hiding the truth about her past from her.

I didn’t plan to fall for her, but I did. Now, she wasn’t just a pawn I was going to use to get Max back. Now, she was a part of my life.