“All right. Do you need me to help you talk to your stepbrother himself?”
“No. I just…I guess I…” He grunted and then stood up. “Never mind. You don’t get it.”
“I’d like to get it.”
“Well, you don’t.” He huffed again, hitched his backpack on his shoulder and said, “Besides, you’re a fag.”
Aaron jerked, but he quickly pulled himself together. Where hadthatcome from? It didn’t matter. He’d practiced for this moment ever since he’d started teaching. The fact that he hadn’t been called the F-word since college was amazing really, especially since he worked with teens and tweens. He was well past due for some verbal harassment from someone. The fact that it was coming from Carter wasn’t even a surprise. The kid was clearly dealing with something.
“We both know I could send you to Principal Shock for using that language.”
Carter’s shoulders drew up.
“But I won’t. Because I don’t think you’ll learn anything from that.” Carter’s shoulders relaxed slightly, but he still looked scared, like maybe he couldn’t believe he’d really said that word to his teacher. Aaron almost appreciated that Carter was invested in seeing this moment through. Like a dare to himself. A test of some sort.
Aaron stood up slowly, peering down at Carter, who was already beefier than him, more muscular for sure, but still shorter. “My private life is no one’s business but my own. However, if you need me to help you at home, with your parents, or your stepbrother, I’m willing to do that. You don’t have to leave it this way with me, Carter. I’m on your side.”
Carter pondered him for a long minute, snorted derisively, and then stalked from the room.
Aaron sighed and rubbed a hand over his face. His day had already been a doozy between waking up to morning-after regrets, facing his dragon of a mother in her guise as principal, enduring Lauren’s scolding, and then running late to meet a student. The actual meeting with Carter hadn’t made things any better.
He just hoped the day wouldn’t get any worse.
Chapter Eleven
After leaving Caseyand Joel’s place in Casey’s Lexus, RJ went to the mall and did some Christmas shopping just to waste time. It felt weird to park a car that big and nice in the mall lot, but Casey had loaned it to him without any hesitation or limits, so if someone dinged it, then he reckoned that was at least partially Casey’s own fault.
It hadn’t taken RJ long to spend more than he’d intended to on some pretty, long-sleeved dresses for his mom from an upscale boutique and superhero toys for Beau and Perri from the only toy store left in the building. But then his spending spree came to an abrupt end. What should he get Doug or his stepbrother? He had no idea what thirteen-year-old boys liked these days. Or forty-six-year-old straight men for that matter.
Grabbing a Starbucks coffee from the kiosk, he pulled his phone from his pocket for the hundredth time. His messages remained stubbornly free of content from Mr. Aaron Danvers. He couldn’t make up his mind about how to handle that. He bought some wrapping paper, and then decided to continue his shopping another day. There was still plenty of time to procrastinate on the hard-to-find gifts.
Back at Mom and Doug’s, RJ parked Casey’s SUV on the car pad usually reserved for guests. He went inside and was instantly greeted by the scent of baking cookies. He grinned, eager for them, but first he hustled up the stairs to his room to hide the presents in a high place where snooping four-year-olds wouldn’t find them. Once that was done, he trotted down to the kitchen to snag a cookie or two.
Pausing in the doorway, he smiled at the sweet image of his two siblings decorating Christmas cookies. Even Carter sat at the table dutifully adding buttons to the snowman-shaped cookies’ middles.
“Hey, what’s up?”
“Making cookies!” Perri said, her cheeks smeared with green sugar sprinkles.
“C’mon, you too, RJ,” Beau said, pointing an icing-covered finger toward the empty chair at the kitchen table.
Carter shot a strange wide-eyed look at RJ, the meaning of which was indecipherable. Maybe it was fear? Or panic? RJ wasn’t sure. It didn’t make him feel very welcome, though. He grabbed two unfrosted cookies from the cooling rack and backed away with a regretful smile.
“Sorry, kiddos, but I have some things to deal with upstairs.”
Like angsting over whether or not to text Aaron, or whether or not he should make a demo, or whether or not he should bother calling that real estate lady Madison had given him the number for so he could start searching for a little place to call his own. Really, maybe he’d be better off making cookies with the kids. But Carter gave him another weird look…
So, nah.
“Where’s Mom?” RJ asked, surprised that she wasn’t hovering with so much potential for mess on the table, what with the frostingandthe sprinkles.
“Bathroom,” Carter said, darting another anxious look RJ’s way.
“Okay. You in charge while she’s away?”
Carter shrugged but said nothing.
“We’re big enough,” Perri said, tossing her long, blond hair. “Don’t need Carter to watch us.”
