“My woman and her cold feet.” The memory of what those socks did to me the first time I saw them makes my mouth water. She drops her ass to the bed and slides them on one by one. And just like before, my shorts get tight. What is it about those socks?
I hold out my hand and pull her into my arms, kissing her head. “Channel surfing?”
“Perfect.”
It isn’t long after we sit on the couch in front of the television that the lock on the door clicks. Axelle walks in and drops her stuff on the kitchen table.
“How’d it go?” Layla calls from the couch, her body in a ball at my side.
Axelle stops just shy of the hallway, her gaze still fixed on the floor.
Layla pushes up and pivots her body to face her daughter. “Axelle? Everything okay?” A tremor of worry laces her words.
I stand and move toward Axelle, but stop a good distance away. My shoulders get tight. Something’s off. And then I hear the telltale sniffle. She’s crying.
“What’s up, kiddo?” Not the smoothest thing to say, but I have zero experience in this area. All I know is that my woman’s kid is upset. This will upset my woman. I need to fix it.
Layla rushes to Axelle, throwing her arms around her. “Oh, sweetie. Did he say no?”
Say no? Killer? No fucking way. That kid’s a breath away from genius, and only a stupid fuck would say no to a girl like Axelle.
“He said yes,” she whispers into her mom’s shoulder.
Layla pulls back and gives her daughter a shaky smile. “Well, babe, that’s good.” She brushes Axelle’s hair back from her face. “Why are you crying?”
“There were—ugh, they’re so stupid!” She wipes at her eyes and tucks her hair behind her ears. “Kids from school were at the coffee shop. They had… pictures… printed out from some stupid website.”
“Fuck,” I growl over Layla’s audible gasp.
Her wide, panicked eyes find mine.
Axelle sniffs. “They were passing them around. Telling me they were going to show the teachers and principal tomorrow. Started making jokes about…” She shakes her head.
Fucking asshole kids. What I wouldn’t do to go down there and scare the piss out of them. “What did Killer do?” That little shit better have done something, or he’s going to have to answer to me, and he won’t like what I have to say.
Her face crumples as she sobs. “He told the guys to shut the fuck up. They started pushing him and…” She covers her face and cries.
“Is he okay?” Damn, first these douche-bag dicks are messing with Axelle, and now my boy Killer?
“They hit him once, but he did some crazy move with his arms and got the guy in a headlock. He choked him until the guy passed out, and the rest of the jerks took off.”
Sleeper hold. Nice to know my work with the kid is paying off.
Layla frames her daughter’s face, forcing eye contact. “I’m sorry that happened to you guys. I meant to talk to you about the photos, but I didn’t realize how quickly they’d spread. It’s only gossip.”
“Mom, the picture is real. The picture isn’t gossip. Did you really take off your top? In front of all those people?” Her voice is strong with frustration, possibly shame.
Layla’s eyes slide to mine then back. “No. I didn’t. It was an… inside joke between Blake and me. They took that picture at the worst possible time, and I… I…”
“Your mom’s a good woman, kiddo. You know that. I know that. Who gives a flying fuck what anyone else thinks? Those kids from school are mean, insecure, and jealous as hell. You’re a sweet girl, you’re smart, you’re drop dead pretty. People will do anything to take a girl like you down.”
Her blue eyes, shining with tears, stare into mine. She doesn’t talk, but looks at me as if she’s hearing a foreign language that she’s desperate to understand.
“I realize that you’re being forced to face things, mature things that a sixteen-year-old girl shouldn’t have to deal with. But this is life, and life can get ugly. Your mom loves you. Together, you girls can get through anything. Including some piece of shi—crap, gossip. You feel me?”
She blinks, looking stunned, then gives a slow nod. Layla’s cheeks are streaked with tears that she makes no effort to hide. On instinct, I take the few steps and pull them both in for a hug. They melt into my body, each wrapping one arm around my back.
I kiss Layla’s head. “With my fight coming up, things are going to get worse before they get better. If you girls are up for the challenge, we’ll get through it. Together.”
They hold on tight, neither of them saying a word.
“What do you say?” I release them and wait for their answer.
Layla looks to her daughter. They do some of that non-verbal conversation crap that chicks are so good at, and smile.
Axelle stands tall, tucks her hair behind her ears, and dries the moisture from her eyes. “Yeah, we can handle that.”
A smile curls my lips. “Sweet. Now, who’s up for some crappy TV?”
“Oh, me. River Monsters is on at nine.” Axelle takes off down the hallway to her room. “Let me throw on my jammies.”
My eyes move to Layla. Her lips are parted, and one hand is placed over her heart.