TouchDown- book one The Bradford Series

Chapter 29

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Chapter 29

Aiden

He has balls, I'll give him that. I knew the first thing dad would do is come after Riley. She's the easier target for him. He won't go to the hospital where Blake and the others are, he would have to have balls of steel to go to Grandma. Riley is the one who isn't surrounded by Bradfords. How could he be related to Grandma or Blake? He's nothing like them. Nothing even remotely like me. Sometimes I wonder if he's really my dad.

It explains why I'm an only child. Mom had to have stopped there for a reason. Which is strange because this family group is huge but not my individual family. It's just me and mom and dad. Everyone else has two or three kids and then there's our friends that are included. Why did my parents stop at me?

And yet I think the answer has been right in front of me this whole time. Dad doesn't fit in this family. Just like Grandfather, he butts head with Grandma. That woman rules the roost. None of us mess with her.

But Dad doesn't like that anymore. He wants to rule just like Grandfather did but he's not built for it. Oh he knows how to bully and lie and cheat but that isn't how to lead this family. Grandma gets her way because of love and respect. That and I've seen her really mad like once and I'm glad it wasn't at me. She's fucking scary.

Dad doesn't understand that. Instead he tries to manipulate us to follow his way. We're all too smart for that. Especially the lady in front of me. Dad has seriously miscalculated her and that I would defend her. He actually thought I'd just go along with him and let Riley think I'm just like him.

I'm nothing like him, and I'll prove it

From the look on his face, I'd say Dad's pissed that I caught him trying to convince Riley to walk away from me. I heard what he said, I know he wants her believing that I'm just like him. Riley knows better but I'll still find a way to prove to her that I'm the better man.

Taking Riley by the shoulders I push her towards the living room. Those beady eyes are burning into the back of my head as I push Riley away from him. My eyes stay on hers, searching silently for an answer. Urging her to confide in me, I keep my eyes on hers, hoping he hasn't screwed this up.

"Riley? Please tell me he didn't hurt you? Tell me we're still okay?" When her eyes dart away from mine and look right at her feet I feel the uncertainty of our precarious position. She's recoiling inside herself. I can tell by her body language that Riley is losing her confidence in me, and in herself.

"You have so much you need to deal with, Aiden. Maybe you'd be better off if..." I hear the hesitation in her voice, as she struggles to tell me that she's leaving me. I can literally feel my dad smirking behind my back, with his 'I told you so' attitude. I'm not going to let that happen.

"No, no, don't do that. Don't make an excuse because of him! He's not a part of us. This..." I motion back and forth between her body and mine. "This is all that matters to me. I love my family but I want you. I need you with me, Riley. Please don't do something we'll both regret."

I'm going to fight for her

"Aiden, let it go, son. She's making the right decision. Even Riley knows that you're out of her league. You can do so much better than this. Stop slumming with a girl that will be waiting tables the rest of her life and let's call Leighton to fix this." There's that smug conceited attitude I hate about him. I would like nothing more than to wipe it right off his face. "Really Aiden, even she understands that this was just another one of your phases. Let's just chalk it up to a learning experience and move back to reality."