Page 177 of Rebellious

“Then do it over the summer.”

Over the summer when they’d visit Rule and see Molly. “CJ told me you all will go to LA then.”

“Yeah. Ain’t lettin’ Megan go to LA alone afuckingain for now. That’d be three fuckin’ times in a row. Can’t handle no more.”

“She might have something to say about that.”

“Lil’ pain-in-the-ass-motherfucker probably will,” Outlaw grunted.

“You love every moment of the hell she puts you through.”

He scowled.

“I’m not disrespecting her,” Easton said quickly. “I’m just making an observation.”

That didn’t appease Outlaw either. “Ain’t your fuckin’ place to observe nothin’ about my Megan.”

“It isn’t,” Easton agreed.

“What the fuck you want? I know you ain’t fuckin’ asked me to drop in to discuss my wife. Yancy or Marksum pushin’ back about Ryan?”

“No, but that’s what I want to talk to you about. As well as CJ,” he added, relaying the conversation he’d had with Coach Yancy. “As far as I know, CJ loves football. The fact that he won’t even fight for the position shows how untethered he is to school life.”

“Fuck.” Outlaw scrubbed a hand over his neck. “I thought we’d gotten past this.”

“His person is here, but his heart is with the club.”

“It could be as simple as CJ steppin’ out the way for Ryan. My boy right. He’s home more than he’s here.”

“That isn’t a good thing if you want him to earn his diploma.”

Although Easton didn’t know what Outlaw would say, when he opened his mouth to speak, he raised his hands.

“Before you blast me, he’s your son. You know him better than anyone—”

“Except his ma.”

“Right,” Easton agreed. “Except Meggie. You hired me to lead the school, but most importantly, to watch over the Dweller kids. CJ needs to talk to you. Hear from you he’s not you. That he doesn’t need to have sex now if he isn’t ready.”

Outlaw snapped his brows together. “What the fuck that mean?”

“Exactly what I said. I couldn’t take this fucking office and ended up in Wilhemhein’s class by some miracle.” Thankfully, he was getting a feel for the school’s layout. “Jaleena Davis and Skye Ratcliffe were buzzing around him. I didn’t blame his annoyance, so I took him with me for a smoke.” He nodded behind him, in the direction of the track field. “He said he doesn’t like Skye but can’t stop thinking about kissing her. But he also thinks something is wrong with him. By the time you were his age, you were already sexually active.”

“Fuck me,” Outlaw groaned. “His ma told me to talk to him, and I did. I thought I got through to him. But after his overdose, he’s changed. And after Rule broke down and I ran his ma away cuz I was a stupid motherfucker…” He shook his head. “CJ lost something, Easton.”

“He won’t find it with a girl if he isn’t ready. That’ll make him feel worse.”

“He already been with a girl.”

“Ember LeBan. Technicality. She’s actually a grown woman.” As if he could talk. He was a grown fucking man, and him and Molly...

He winced.

Outlaw lifted a brow. “What the fuck was that for?”

“No reason,” Easton said, his mood dampening.

“A motherfucker don’t make a fuckin’ face for no goddamn reason. Tell me the fuckin’ truth.”