“No. I didn’t want to ruin her tour by stressing her out. I’m worried she may not trust me again.”
“Disappointing parents is a part of the circle of life. You could have done much worse, if you ask me.”
“It’s just new territory. With sex in the equation, I’m no longer sure of the rules and boundaries. The law says I’m of legal age but the circumstances make everything skewed.”
“And isn’t it ironic that the very person who kept your love life non-existent now consumes it?” Willow let out a wry chuckle before purchasing a turkey leg and soda.
We grabbed our food and quickly found seats to eat. “Is Keenan talking to you yet?” I asked Sheldon.
“No. Strangely enough I haven’t heard from him this afternoon. I think he mentioned his dad coming home earlier this morning.”
“What does his dad do that keeps him away all the time?”
“He does construction work for his company and takes jobs all over the country for the right price, but I think it has more to do with him wanting to be away. I’ve been with Keenan for over two years and have only seen him a handful of times. He makes sure Keiran and Keenan are taken care of but mostly he stays away. I know it hurts Keenan but he ignores it. I actually heard that John used to be a very outgoing man long ago but after Keenan’s mother ran off, he shut down.”
“But there has to be more. Keiran doesn’t care for his uncle and I don’t think it is just because he is an absentee parent.”
“You may be right but neither of them are willing to talk. Keenan doesn’t seem to know much anyway.”
“But Keiran does. I know he does.”
“And his parents are dead, right?” She shrugged and bit into her turkey. “You don’t think so?”
“There was never any proof. They both just vanished.”
“Vanished?” Willow asked. I thought about the articles Jesse found a couple of days ago. He was still searching for any trace of his father with no luck so far.
“Yeah. Keenan once told me that Keiran’s father was disowned by their family and ran off years ago. He’s probably never even met Keiran if his mother was a one-night stand. He’s been with his uncle for years with no sign of his father.”
A disturbing thought popped into my head when she’d said that last part. “Wait, so he’d just moved here when I came to Six Forks?”
“Yeah, about three or four months before, I think.”
“Talk about Lifetime.”
“I wish I could get Keiran to tell me about his past. I feel like it has everything to do with why he is this way.”
“You ever think he might just have a really dominant personality?” Sheldon asked.
“You mean he’s an asshole?” Willow asked. “People’s parents split all the time. Your parents are gone and you’re just fine.”
I ignored the pain I felt at the reminder that my parents were gone and I had no idea why. Besides…was I really okay?
“Guys, he told me he was a bad person because he did bad things. That people made him do bad things. He never once mentioned his mother but he did tell me she was a prostitute and drug addict.
“So what are you thinking?” Willow asked.
“I don’t know for sure but what if – what if he wasn’t with his mother?”
“Where else would he have been?” Sheldon asked.
“Maybe her family took care of him until they couldn’t anymore? People are plural. Wherever he was for eight years his mother wasn’t the only person around him and whatever bad things they made him do followed him. It still follows him and I don’t know what to do. I don’t know how to help him.”
“You mean fix him?” Sheldon asked.
“I think what you are doing is what works. He seems a lot less…broody…these days. Maybe that’s enough.” Willow offered.
“Besides, he may not like the idea of you trying to fix him. He could take it the wrong way.”
“Guys, he told me I made him have nightmares! What am I supposed to do?” Sheldon coughed and spit out soda at my outburst.
“Wow,” she stated still coughing.
“That’s romantic,” Willow finished sarcastically.
“Nightmares of what?” Sheldon asked once her coughing fit was over. I ran down everything he told me last night and when I finished they looked more than a little disturbed and it wasn’t even a complete story.
“Do you think Dash and Keenan know?”
“Dash, maybe. Keenan, no.” Sheldon answered.
“Why Dash and not Keenan?”
“Because he has Dash’s back but he protects Keenan. Keenan looks up to him. He cares more than he lets on so he won’t want to taint that. ”
“I know what you are thinking Lake, but Dash won’t say a word. He’s loyal to a fault.” Willow stated.
“I think someone else cares more than they let on too. You should give my brother a chance then.” Sheldon smirked at Willow who scoffed and looked away.
“Look, I came for rides and prizes. Let’s go Pepé. We got shit to do.” She grabbed Pepé and stomped off with him.
“Why did you have to say that?” I fussed at Sheldon.
“What? You know it’s true. They are dying for each other and I’m sick of his ass walking around the house with pissy panties stuck up his ass.”
“Let them figure it out.”
“It isn’t me you need to tell that to. I’m telling you, Dash won’t wait forever.”
“So he will move on.”
“No, he’ll force her hand. The men in my family don’t play fair. Consider that a warning. Now let’s go get her. I can’t have my future sister-in-law mad at me.”
* * *
“I can’t eat anymore cotton candy. I’ll puke,” Sheldon whined. We were on the Ferris wheel after inhaling ample amounts of cotton candy. Sheldon of course, wanted to outdo us all and turned it into a competition.
“Eww. Puke that way,” Willow fussed, her voice filled with disgust.
“Stop pushing me.”
“Get away yuck mouth.”
“Ugh, tell her to stop pushing me, Lake.”
“Settle down children…Hey, slide over will you? I’m being crushed.”
“I’m going to murder you,” Willow threatened to Sheldon, ignoring me.
“Not if I puke on you first.”
“What are you, three?”
“You’re hurting my feelings.”
“Toss the candy, already.”
“We are on top of the wheel!”
“Maybe a kid will catch it.”
“Mmm,” Sheldon moaned as she took another bite. “Good cotton candy….Oh god,” she slapped a hand over her mouth. “No more.”
“Sheldon!” Willow shrieked.
I tried not to listen to my two friends bicker and even harder tried not to think about pushing them both off. That was bad right?
“Quit licking me!” Willow screamed.
“There was cotton candy on your face!”
Maybe not.
The ride started again and once it stopped for us to get off I was tempted to fall to my knees and kiss the ground. Willow had to hide Pepé her bag so he could get on the ride with us and she quickly took him out. He rolled his eyes at her before settling on her shoulders and looking around.
“Hey, look. Eleven o’clock.”
I looked over by the stage of acrobats and saw Trevor…with Anya. Kissing. Seeing the two of them together without a care in the world mad me sick and suddenly I wanted Keiran here with fierceness. “We need to move. I don’t want him to see me.”
“Too late. He’s already looking at you.”
Sure enough Trevor and Anya were both regarding us with hateful looks on their faces. I sincerely hoped Trevor wasn’t stupid enough to try anything. I took Sheldon and Willow’s hands and hurried away in the opposite direction.
“Hey, Lake!” I heard my name called out in a gruff voice.
“Well no one ever accused him of being smart.” Willow’s voice dripped with sarcasm.
“Keep walking,” I urged, rushing for the exit.
“He’s mighty ballsy,” Sheldon stated. She let go of my hand but kept up as I made my way to the car. A moment later she was on the phone telling someone that he was here. I had a good idea who.