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Authors: Krystal Wade
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opened up and dropped all the rain at once, it pounded the house.
“Not tonight—you’ve been through enough—but I promise to tell you.” Derick kissed my cheek, making me burn on the inside.
I wanted so much more.
“
Where is she
?”
Jolting awake to my dad’s angry voice was not exactly the best greeting to a new day. The sun slipped through the white mini-blinds, casting bright orange rays along the bedspread. Last night’s storm had passed, but a new one brewed; I was in trouble.
Big trouble.
Yet I couldn’t seem to move.
I closed my eyes, frozen with panic, and pretended my time with Derick would never end. Because I knew it was about to—for a very long time—and I was surprised Dad hadn’t barged over here earlier, demanding Derick be burned on some sort of stake for keeping his baby girl all night long.
“She and Derick fell asleep. After everything your daughter has been through, Joseph, I figured I’d just let them rest.” Derick’s mother sounded calm, gentle.
“
Together
?” Footsteps pounded the stairs, eliciting the same fast pace from my heart. “If your boy did anything inappropriate—”
“Enough,” Mr. Crawford boomed. “I am tired of your relentless insinuations about my boy, Joseph. He and your daughter have something very innocent, pure, and you always taint that with accusations.”
Wow. Just wow.
Derick took a deep breath and tightened his hold on me. “Sounds like we fell asleep,” he whispered.
“Sounds like I’m about to be grounded.” The only question was, how long?
“I will barrel through you if you don’t allow me to pass,” my dad practically growled. “Why didn’t you answer the phone, or the door, when we tried earlier? Why didn’t you send her home like responsible parents
should
do?”
“Maybe we should get up,” I said, tossing the blankets with my good arm. I needed to find my cell and clear the million missed calls and text messages I knew would be there. Yep, I was definitely dead.
Derick grabbed the comforter and tugged it back over us, flashing a devious smile. “If you’re going to be grounded for something we didn’t do, maybe we should at least enjoy ourselves a little first.”
“That’s terrible.” But oh so exciting to think about.
Closing his eyes, he lowered his head and brushed his lips across mine. “May I kiss you?”
A slight tip of my head and he wouldn’t need to ask, our mouths would meet, and—
The door burst open. “Get away from her.”
I bolted upright.
Dad rushed over and pulled Derick away from me, but Mr. Crawford followed right behind, stepping between my father and the boy I so desperately wanted to kiss.
Derick’s father had never so much as raised his voice while I was around, but now he positively seethed with anger, hatred. He narrowed his brilliant blue eyes, crossing his arms over his broad chest. “You know what will happen if you take her, if you walk out this door and create an enemy out of an ally.”
“
Dad
.” Derick glanced at me, concern written in his wide-eyed expression—as well as his tone.
“Let my son go, Joseph. Then walk out of my house without another word. Don’t return until you’ve calmed down, so we can explain this to her properly—or there won’t be a chance for goodbyes.”
This must have been more post-traumatic stress. Whatever happened between them made no sense. Enemies? Allies? Leave me here? Adoptive parents or not, Mr. Crawford had no right to tell my dad to leave me alone here.
“Now is the time?” Dad sighed, slumping his shoulders. “We’re losing her?”
Mr. Crawford nodded.
Tears pooled in the corner of my father’s eyes. “You said we’d have more time with her. You said this wouldn’t happen until…” He tightened his hold on Derick’s arms, glaring. “You. This is your fault.”
“Joseph, this couldn’t be prevented.” Mr. Crawford peeled my Dad’s hands from Derick. “Not unless you locked her away the rest of her
“Not tonight—you’ve been through enough—but I promise to tell you.” Derick kissed my cheek, making me burn on the inside.
I wanted so much more.
“
Where is she
?”
Jolting awake to my dad’s angry voice was not exactly the best greeting to a new day. The sun slipped through the white mini-blinds, casting bright orange rays along the bedspread. Last night’s storm had passed, but a new one brewed; I was in trouble.
Big trouble.
Yet I couldn’t seem to move.
I closed my eyes, frozen with panic, and pretended my time with Derick would never end. Because I knew it was about to—for a very long time—and I was surprised Dad hadn’t barged over here earlier, demanding Derick be burned on some sort of stake for keeping his baby girl all night long.
“She and Derick fell asleep. After everything your daughter has been through, Joseph, I figured I’d just let them rest.” Derick’s mother sounded calm, gentle.
“
Together
?” Footsteps pounded the stairs, eliciting the same fast pace from my heart. “If your boy did anything inappropriate—”
“Enough,” Mr. Crawford boomed. “I am tired of your relentless insinuations about my boy, Joseph. He and your daughter have something very innocent, pure, and you always taint that with accusations.”
Wow. Just wow.
Derick took a deep breath and tightened his hold on me. “Sounds like we fell asleep,” he whispered.
“Sounds like I’m about to be grounded.” The only question was, how long?
“I will barrel through you if you don’t allow me to pass,” my dad practically growled. “Why didn’t you answer the phone, or the door, when we tried earlier? Why didn’t you send her home like responsible parents
should
do?”
“Maybe we should get up,” I said, tossing the blankets with my good arm. I needed to find my cell and clear the million missed calls and text messages I knew would be there. Yep, I was definitely dead.
Derick grabbed the comforter and tugged it back over us, flashing a devious smile. “If you’re going to be grounded for something we didn’t do, maybe we should at least enjoy ourselves a little first.”
“That’s terrible.” But oh so exciting to think about.
Closing his eyes, he lowered his head and brushed his lips across mine. “May I kiss you?”
A slight tip of my head and he wouldn’t need to ask, our mouths would meet, and—
The door burst open. “Get away from her.”
I bolted upright.
Dad rushed over and pulled Derick away from me, but Mr. Crawford followed right behind, stepping between my father and the boy I so desperately wanted to kiss.
Derick’s father had never so much as raised his voice while I was around, but now he positively seethed with anger, hatred. He narrowed his brilliant blue eyes, crossing his arms over his broad chest. “You know what will happen if you take her, if you walk out this door and create an enemy out of an ally.”
“
Dad
.” Derick glanced at me, concern written in his wide-eyed expression—as well as his tone.
“Let my son go, Joseph. Then walk out of my house without another word. Don’t return until you’ve calmed down, so we can explain this to her properly—or there won’t be a chance for goodbyes.”
This must have been more post-traumatic stress. Whatever happened between them made no sense. Enemies? Allies? Leave me here? Adoptive parents or not, Mr. Crawford had no right to tell my dad to leave me alone here.
“Now is the time?” Dad sighed, slumping his shoulders. “We’re losing her?”
Mr. Crawford nodded.
Tears pooled in the corner of my father’s eyes. “You said we’d have more time with her. You said this wouldn’t happen until…” He tightened his hold on Derick’s arms, glaring. “You. This is your fault.”
“Joseph, this couldn’t be prevented.” Mr. Crawford peeled my Dad’s hands from Derick. “Not unless you locked her away the rest of her
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