Xavier
“Cannon ball!” Cassie screamed out as she jumped into the pool. It was about the tenth time she had done it and each time Morgan laughed. Cassie could be a lot to handle at times. She was in your face, over the top dramatic, and exhausting, but I adored the kid. She was also a breath of fresh air, my biggest fan, and the little girl who would always be just that, a little girl. Like I said before, her dating and growing up was something I didn’t think I’d ever accept.
Lord help any guy who ever broke her heart.
I leaned back in the hot tub and watched the two girls. Morgan would follow behind Cassie, and though she never did a cannon ball, she’d use the diving board. Now, being a guy completely infatuated with the girl, I loved when she bounced on the diving board.
“Holy Mary Mother of…” I turned to the left to see Carter staring at Morgan with his mouth hanging, practically panting. Horny little fucker.
“Asshole,” I said, gaining his attention. “Eyes off.”
“That yours?” he asked, sneaking another peek at Morgan.
“Her name is Morgan, and she is not a ‘that,’” I clarified. “She is my girlfriend.”
“Nice.” He dragged the word out, nodding his head at the same time. Just then my father stepped out of the back door and slapped Carter on the back of the head.
“Stop being a little shit, Carter,” he said before looking toward me. “She called ya, didn’t she?”
“Yeah,” I smiled.
“She plays you so well,” he said with a grin. “But I can't say much because she plays me too.” Cassie had a way with the men in the family. Well, besides Carter; he was in that little punk stage.
Morgan noticed we were no longer alone and grabbed her towel to wrap securely around her. I waved her over and she came, but with hesitation.
I got out of the hot tub and stepped up to her side, “Morgan, this is my dad, Paul.” My dad reached out his hand and shook Morgan’s. “Nice to meet you,” he told her.
“This little pervert is my brother, Carter,” I added and pushed at his shoulder.
“You’re just jealous,” Carter smirked.
“Jealous of what?” I challenged him, and he only laughed before stepping toward Morgan, lifting her hand to place a kiss upon it. He offered a wink after Morgan arched her eyebrow and I could almost imagine the thoughts rolling through her mind.
For the next few minutes I remained quiet while my father and Morgan talked like I hadn’t just introduced them only moments ago. She told him what a beautiful home and family he had.
She was awestruck, but my father wasn’t the type of man who threw his success in anyone’s face. “It’s just material things,” he always says. I was the same; I didn't give a shit that Morgan’s family lived in a run-down home; her father was a hardworking man who did what he could. He was a good man who loved his family and that was all that mattered.
Seeing Morgan interacting with my family made my heart race with excitement. This was a step for us, a big one. She was a tough girl, but was slowly warming up. When Morgan relaxed and let down her guard, it was an amazing sight.
“Carter, will you explain to me why the hell your muddy shoes are sitting in my entryway?” The sound of my mother’s voice echoed through the area when she slid open the backdoor and stepped out. The moment her eyes landed on Morgan her face lit up. “Who do we have here?”
“This is my girl,” Carter said, stepping up to Morgan’s side. I was just about to push him backward into the pool when my mother started to laugh.
“Yeah, I know better than that,” she said, rolling her eyes. “She is definitely not with you.”
“Why not?” Carter sounded offended.
“The girls you bring around remind me of the airhead Xavier used to date.” It was my turn to look at her with a “what the fuck” look. “This girl looks like she can actually carry on a conversation without giving herself whiplash from flipping her hair around like some idiot.”
Morgan tried to hide her smile but it lit up her eyes. She loved the fact that everyone in my family obviously disliked my ex.
“Hi hun,” Mom finally addressed Morgan. “I’m Caroline.”
“Morgan,” she held out her hand, “it’s nice to meet you.”
My mother bypassed Morgan’s hand and reached out to pull her in for a hug. She didn’t care that Morgan was still wet from the pool, or that she stiffened in surprise. It was just the kind of woman my mom was.
“It’s nice to meet you,” Mom told her as she moved back. “The two of you are staying for dinner, right?”
Morgan looked at me for the answer and I offered a shrug; she was up. I’d love to see her attempt to deny my mother the chance to cook for us.
I watched it all play out. Morgan looked at me, her eyes widening as if to say “help me.” When she realized I wasn’t going to offer any assistance, she tried to hide her aggravation by forcing a smile. I knew the genuine smiles from the fake as shit ones. “Sure,” she said to my mother, but it sounded more like a question.
My mother practically bounced with excitement as she spun around and went inside to get things started, completely forgetting about Carter and his muddy shoes. One by one my family followed, eventually leaving only Morgan and myself behind.
“Thanks for the help, jackass,” she whisper yelled, making me chuckle.
“No problem, babe,” I tossed back, earning a slug to my side.
“By the way, Xavier.” My dad stuck his head back out the backdoor. “What the hell happened to your face?”
“Red,” I offered a one-word explanation and it was all my father needed. He’d met my friends, and he’d also witnessed Red on the field during a game. He knew the shit that went down at my place was unpredictable. There was no reason to push for an explanation. When you came into contact with Red, it always ended in disaster. This wasn’t the first time I bore the marks of Red’s actions.
***
Time flew by—dinner, laughing, followed by some kick ass dessert that Morgan showed my mother how to whip up in a hurry. Chocolate, strawberries, whip cream, and cake mix. All I know is between my father, Carter, and myself, all that remained was crumbs.
We ended up in the family room playing charades, followed by a few other games my sister conned us into trying.
Morgan and my sister ganged up on me, and of course all my mother could do was laugh. When Mom leaned over and whispered, “I love this girl. She’s the right mix of sassy and sweet,” I knew Morgan was fully accepted into the family.
Night came quickly and I knew we needed to get going soon. The problem was it was so hard to break up the little clique forming right in front of my eyes. Cassie was in definite awe of Morgan; together they were a dangerous mix, but it didn’t scare me. I truly loved the bond they’d formed.
They were sitting on the floor and leaning back against the couch, looking through an old album of when we were kids. I leaned forward, pushing my way between the two of them. Almost simultaneously they looked at me and rolled their eyes.
“We should probably get going soon,” I told Morgan.
“Just stay over,” Cassie said without hesitation. “I have the trundle bed that Morgan can sleep on.”
My stomach dropped as I thought of a night without Morgan tucked in close. We spent most nights curled up together at her apartment, and tonight I hoped we’d be doing the same. As if the little shit could read my mind, she decided to add a little more.
“Don’t be clingy, dude, let the girl have some space.” Cassie nudged me out of the way and Morgan began to laugh.
Maybe together the two of them were more than I could take.