Chapter 4

In the morning, dad alone helped me. He didn’t mention why my mother wasn’t there. After one glance into his red-rimmed, narrow eyes, I wasn’t going to ask. Also, although he smiled while moving me into my chair, that weird, conflicted expression remained. Across the room, with her tail wagging slowly, Shayna sat watching dad’s every move. Every single motion. If he blocked her view, she moved enough to sit and again watch.

“Why don’t you run her outside and let her do her business, Kyle.” Dad straightened and looked towards his bedroom before adding. “I’ll, uh...” He swallowed before flashing me a tight grin. “I’ll check on your mother.”

“Okay, dad.”

Before my electric chariot’s wheels could turn, Shayna rushed for the doorway. With no direction from me, she looped her way to the back door. With a shrug, I rolled behind her. Had she already memorized the house? How did she know where we were going? With a sigh, I pulled the sliding glass door aside. After only a quick glance at me, she dashed onto the deck, sniffing and wagging between swift darts from place to place. Only once satisfied did she glance up to me, her tail—still.

When I gave a quick nod, she shot from the concrete and raced into the thick grass, where she squatted and hurriedly peed. The whole time she watered the yard, she kept her eyes fixed on me. Now I’d never owned a dog, and certainly never a mobility assistance dog, but the way her emerald eyes locked on mine ... A shiver rippled along my spine.

My stomach rumbled. Hopefully, breakfast was out already.

“Come on, Shay—”

She dashed for the door before I finished. With a shrug, I spun and rolled to her. When we slipped inside, dad stood behind the kitchen counter. His eyes were squeezed shut, and a coffee mug shook in one hand while his other clawed the countertop. About to call out, I caught a sudden motion. When I glanced down, my chest tightened, and my jaw slipped downward. The soles of my mother’s stockinged feet twitched on the kitchen tile. My gaze flicked upwards; the top of her dark hair swayed back and forth, twisting before my dad.

As a low groan left him, dad swayed forward.

“Oh God, dear. That’s amazing. I’m gonna...” was all he managed before hissing through gritted teeth.

At that moment, my wheel squeaked over the threshold. Wild, his eyes flew open. At first, he stared at me, then past me, before raising his face to the ceiling as his neck tensed. It was far too late for him to stop. As grunt after grunt sailed from his upturned lips, his whole body shook.

With each of his ever more chaotic thrusts, my mother’s loud slurping became longer gulps. Tipped with glinting red-gold nails, her clawed hands pushed his shirt upwards to rake dad’s shaking ribcage. After realizing my mouth hung open, I slammed my lips together and eased the door closed behind us. While any other motion would disturb them, dad was once more looking at me.

At first, I thought he’d be angry, but he lowered his mug to the counter and settled his hand atop my mother’s bobbing, twisting hair. After his other lifted, he placed a finger to his lips. As my heart hammered, I rolled slowly from the room, my stomach still rumbling. Breakfast would be late today. Except for my mother; she’d apparently had hers.

Very talented.

“Yeh, I noticed,” I muttered.

Stupid insane voice being stupid. After a low sigh, I guided the chariot into my room and turned up the music in my headphones. What would they do next? In the new normal. Once I’d pushed the door shut, Shayna spun in circles and settled onto her blanket. Ears perked, her shiny eyes flicked between me and the closed door.

“You’re hungry too, huh?”

At the soft thump of her tail, I joined her, staring at the closed door and wondering when it would be safe to leave. The electronica tunes weren’t helping the gnawing emptiness in my belly.

Luckily, we didn’t have to wait long. With a tight expression on his face, dad pushed open the door and gestured us out. As Shayna padded and I rolled to the kitchen, there was no sign of my mother. But their bedroom door had been shut.

The whole time he finished his coffee and helped me eat, dad remained silent. Once more, Shayna was laser-focused on everything he did. At the sound of click-clacking, we all watched my mother strut onto the kitchen tile. Strut? She never strutted.

At the sharp, rhythmic click-clacking, dad’s eyes widened as much as mine. She almost never wore heels. And the shiny black stilettos now on her stockinged feet were only ever taken on those mountain trips with dad. Also stockings? My mother usually wore pantyhose. And though she wore the same conservative gray dress, it seemed somehow less effective at covering her curves. Her eyes gleamed and her hair was perfectly brushed to sweep across her shoulders.

There was no question; she was strutting.

After flashing a smile at me, she walked up to slide her leg between dad’s. When she pushed into him, his shaking mouth fell open. As she leaned close to nuzzle his neck, a low growl left her ruby red lips. With my heart pounding, I peeked down at Shayna. Her gaze? Laser-focused on my parents right as dad pulled her into his arms.

“You gonna miss me, dear?” she murmured into his pulsing throat before nipping with her sharp teeth.

When his hands slid down, I should’ve averted my gaze and rolled away. But I didn’t. His outstretched fingers sank into my mother’s firm butt. The sound of her clawed nails dragging along his shirt back added to both their moans.

“Yes,” he hissed, before his mouth was engulfed by hers.

As I looked down at Shayna, she gazed up at me.

“I’m going to miss you so much,” my mother muttered after pulling her lips from him; dad gulped as his fingers caressed her shapely behind. “Will you meet me for lunch?” Before he could respond, she dragged her shiny tongue under his trembling jaw. “I’m already so hungry for you.”

Not normal. Nope. Also, lunch? Dad wasn’t taking me anywhere today. As I watched my entangled parents, I wracked my brain. We were still on spring break. So, school was out until next Monday, and I couldn’t remember any medical appointments.

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