Part Six

By Sunday morning Samantha wasn’t as terrified of us anymore and she had laughed a few times as well. I could tell she still felt weird about the food in her house and waiting for the other shoe to drop. I hadn’t made a move on her, nothing, not even touching. At this point I was just being her friend and making sure she was eating and looking after herself.

“What time are we heading home?” Jett asked me as we finished cleaning up after lunch.

“Probably just before dinner,” I said to him as I closed the last cupboard.

“I gather you’ll be spending more weekends here,” he said.

“Maybe, why?” I asked him.

“Thought I should leave the tv behind, I gave Sam the password to our Netflix,” he said as he sat down.

“Yeah, leave it,” I said to him.

We headed back to the living room and stopped short as we heard Jennifer and Samantha talking in low voices, probably thinking that there was no way that we could hear them.

“I don’t know Sam, I mean what does he want for all this?” Jennifer asked her.

“I don’t know, honestly I’m too afraid to ask,” Samantha said as Jett raised his eyebrow at me.

“I just don’t want you to be caught up in another Rosco situation,” she said.

“Don’t even mention his name, ever, please,” she said and I could hear the change in her tone.

“Sorry, it’s just, nobody’s just nice to be nice,” she said.

“I know, I don’t know what his endgame is, why he’s doing all this when they seem so normal and nice,” she said and Jett clamped his hand over his mouth as he started to laugh.

“There goes our reputation,” he whispered as I punched his shoulder.

“Who just comes up to you and orders you to be his girlfriend, he’s never talked to you before, why now? Then they just pitch up here and take over your house?” Jennifer was making some valid points, but I doubted that they’d understand.

“Maybe I should just leave, run away or something, then he can’t hurt me,” Samantha said and Jett had to physically stop me from moving forward. My temper was flaring and right now I was angry and my eyes were darkening into Kane’s.

“And go where? Sleep on the street?”

“I just… I can’t go through that again, I still dream of him forcing himself…” I couldn’t listen anymore and I shoved Jett away from me and walked into the living room trying to keep my expression neutral.

Both of their heads snapped towards us and Samantha swallowed with difficulty as she looked at me. She was searching my face wanting to know if we’d overheard their conversation so I forced a smile on my face and sat down on the other couch as Jett laid his head on my lap.

“What the fuck Jett,” I said as Jennifer started to smile.

“I need some of your super loving,” he said as he stretched his arms above his head.

“Shit, when’s Mac getting back?” I asked as I pushed him off the couch and he landed with a thud on the floor.

“Wow, one weekend with Samantha and I don’t even matter anymore,” he said as they both started laughing but he stayed on the floor.

“You’re an idiot,” I said, feeling the tension leaving the room.

Jett winked at me and Samantha laughed loudly at that as she relaxed. Jett selected a movie but all I kept thinking about was Rosco and me hurting him. I knew Jett was very aware of what was going through my mind as he tried to keep the conversation light.

Mac and Jett were already waiting in the car as I grabbed my overnight bag and stood on the porch with Samantha. Her nerves were back and if I hadn’t overheard her this afternoon, I would have laughed at the situation.

“So… we’ll pick you up tomorrow morning for school,” I said to her.

“What is it that you really want, Griffin?” she asked me.

“Not what you think, I don’t expect anything from you,” I said to her.

“Shit, you overheard us…” her voice trailed off.

“Yeah I did, what did he do?” I asked her.

“Is that why you’re here? To see how quickly you can score?” she asked me.

“What?” I asked her confused at the sudden turnaround of the conversation.

“Is that why you did all this, so I’d sleep with you out of gratitude?” she asked me.

“What are you talking about?” I asked her.

“Nothing… just go, thank you for everything but I’ll find my own way to school tomorrow,” she said and turned towards her front door.

“Samantha, I’ll be here at eight and if you’re not here waiting…” I said.

“Then what?” she asked me.

“I’d rather you didn’t find out,” I said to her as I grabbed my bag again and headed for the truck.

I heard her slam the front door and shook my head as I climbed into the driver’s side and started the truck. The drive home was quiet and none of us talked. Mac was fiddling with the radio and Jett kept ruffling his hair and ducking Mac’s elbows.

“So when do we lay into Rosco?” Jett asked.

“Shit,” Mac said as he started to laugh.

“What? You know Griff’s been itching to flex his fists,” Jett said.

“The moment I see him,” I said and Jett’s hand landed on my shoulder.

“My boy’s all grown up,” he said and pretended to wipe a tear from his eye.

“You’re an idiot,” Mac said as I smiled.

“Fine Mac, you can sleep in my bed tonight,” Jett said as I parked the truck in front of the pack house.

“You’re so asking for a beat down,” Mac said as we climbed out of the truck and headed inside the house.

I headed for the dining hall where I could hear voices and both my parents smiled when they saw me. Mac followed soon after holding Jett in a choke hold with one arm and only releasing him when everyone was looking.

“Hello, my dear fans,” Jett said and took a bow.

“Idiot,” Connor muttered.

“You know, Dad, one of these days you’re going to start hurting my feelings,” Jett said.

“What feelings?” Mac asked him.

“I feel a lot for you Maccy boy,” Jett said and ducked behind me as Mac turned around.

“Calm down kids,” I said as I pushed Jett away and sat down next to my mother.

“How was the weekend?” she asked me.

“Different,” I said and Damon turned towards me.

“Different how? Geez Griff I hope you kept it in your pants,” he said as Finley smacked his arm.

“I agree Mom, there’s crack in the water,” I said as she laughed.

“We were all very well behaved,” Jett said.

“Where did you sleep?” Damon asked.

“In the living room, on the couches, although Mac’s a good cuddle, nobody beats Griff,” Jett said as Damon laughed at him and I just closed my eyes.

“Is this that bromance thing again?” Finley asked.

“Yeah but now we’ve got a girlfriend as well,” Jett said.

“I don’t want to know,” Kat said as she closed her eyes.

“I want to know, this sounds interesting,” Archer said as I laughed.

“Well Uncle Arch, it’s like this, Samantha belongs to all of us, she doesn’t know it yet, I doubt Griff knows it, well he knows it now, but like I was saying…” Jett said.

“She does?” Mac interrupted him.

“Yeah, I mean we all spent the weekend, she didn’t favor anyone, if she did, obviously it was me, but Griff’s all broody, sure you’ve got the pretty face, but I mean come on, I’m me,” he said.

“I see it, yeah,” Mac said and laughed, “you’re delusional.”

“You only pick on those you love Mac,” he said and laughed as he caught the spoon Mac threw at his forehead.

“Romance Griff, every girl wants to feel special,” Kat said.

“Yeah be more like your Dad,” Jett said.

“So I whisk her off to St Barts for a weekend?” I asked as Finley glared at Damon.

“That didn’t end so well for your father,” Finley said as he looked away.

“Well I wasn’t going to buy the house across from her and put cameras inside,” I said as Damon started to chuckle.

“Those were the times,” Connor said and laughed.

“Thanks for putting together my first crib Uncle Connor,” I said.

“How are we talking about this now? I thought we were talking about Samantha,” Finley said.

“All this talk makes me want to go back to St Barts,” Damon said as Finley blushed, “you remember that shower?”

“Holy shit, we don’t want to hear that! Seriously Dad!” I said.

“I want to hear about the shower,” Jett said as Mac slapped the back of his head.

“Looks like someone didn’t get lucky this weekend,” Damon said as my face reddened.

“Dad…” I said as he laughed.

“Unlike me, I got very lucky this weekend,” he said as Finley smacked the back of his head.

“And people wonder why I’m the way I am,” I said.

“Come here Griff, I’ll soothe all your aches and pains,” Jett said as I slapped away the hand that was reaching for me.

“Fuck off Jett,” I said as he moved closer to me on the bench.

“No way Jett, you promised me a foot massage,” Mac said.

“I have time for both of you,” Jett said.

“You guys are too weird today, I can’t deal right now,” I said as I stood up from the table and left the dining hall.

“I love you too Griff!” Jett yelled amidst laughter.