You Have My Attention

Twenty

« Winter's POV »

Kason flinches and hisses, jerking away from me. I huff in annoyance, fed up with him trying to run away from the alcohol.

"Hold still," I mumble, grabbing his chin with my hand forcefully and applying gentle pressure onto his crusting, oozing cuts. He curses through a groan, squeezing his eyes shut. I wince.

"Sorry. You wouldn't quit moving."

He sighs. "It's fine."

After I finish cleaning and aiding the rest of the cuts and bruises, I put the first aid kit away and sit across from him at the dining table. He's looking at the wood in deep thought. I can tell he's beating on himself inside that attractive head of his.

"It's not your fault that you don't know how to take care of her," I say boldly.

His eyes snap up to meet mine, body rigid and eyes hard. I recall the last time I spoke about Emily in the woods. He became cold and guarded, but I'm pretty sure I made my statement clear that he couldn't be an ass. If he doesn't want me to talk about Emily, he needs to tell me why, or at least how he feels.

"Yes, it is," he finally says, looking away. I'm shocked that he'd even replied, staying quiet. Will he explain further?

Yes, he does.

"Emily is— was, Sam's sister. When she left...she left Emily behind too. I adopted her from this orphanage and..." He shakes his head, as if shooing something off in his mind. My eyes widen slightly. Does that make him a father?

"Emily's your..." I don't really want to finish that sentence. It seems strange for Kason to be a dad. It doesn't seem normal.

"No. She's just...she's my little sister. I'm her legal guardian. She's told me she thinks of me as her brother, her family, but I'm no good for her. Or for anyone," he explains gravelly, running a hand over his face.

I notice the stress presented on his face. Dark circles underneath the eyes. Sunken irises. The exhaustion is evident. There's something more here. I just can't piece some things together.

"So...when Sam left, why didn't she take Emily with her? She would've known you weren't ready to be a guardian, right?" I ask, choosing to not state some facts. It was unsaid that Kason is unfit for being a legal guardian. His home is fine. He cares enough. But, he's a criminal, even if he has a good reason for it, which I'm sure he does somehow. He street fights, and forgets to take her to school. He's not ready. He never has been. But I believe he could be.

Kason's jaw clenches. His hand tightens into a fist. I can tell he's biting his tongue. I mean not literally, but you know? He won't talk. He won't tell me anything. I feel like whenever I get close to figuring something out about him, he pushes me two steps back. I can't grasp how he can be so clearly kind and
generous - despite being a dick
simultaneously - and then turn into the complete opposite. Why won't he open up to anyone?

"Okay," I sigh. "I give up. I won't push. I won't ask. I won't try to get to know the guy I'm living under the same roof as. Just..." I shrug, disheartened, and stand up, pushing the chair back forcefully. "Whatever."

He doesn't say a word. I gnaw on my lip as I head toward Emily's room, happy to have an escape. I'd taken it upon myself to take her to school, so she's no longer here. But there's no way I'd go back into Kason's room, not where his scent lingers everywhere.

I shut the door and plop onto the purple-plum colored bedspread. Tears sting my eyes, but I force them away and swallow. There's no freaking way I'm going to cry over another boy ever again. Not after everything I've been through with Vincent. This has nothing on my past.