R.L. Mathewson's Blog, page 6
December 15, 2020
Misunderstood and Furious are Now Available!
I am pleased to announce that Misunderstood, the first Neighbor from Hell YA novel and Furious, the second novel in the Anger Management Series are now available!
As some of you know, I had been working on Furious over the summer, but was forced to put it aside so that I could make sure that Misunderstood was ready in time for its December release. Once I finished with Misunderstood, I returned to Furious, hoping that it would still make a 2020 release and after a lot of sleepless nights and the kindness of my team and help from Smashwords.com, I was able to finish it and put it up for a surprise release this week.
It took a little time, but Furious is now available in ebook at Amazon, iBooks, B&N, Kobo, and Smashwords. I will be getting both books in Audible and paperback next year. It will just take a little bit of time.
For those of you who are new to both series, let me give you a brief overview of both books.
What is Misunderstood?
Misunderstood is Sebastian and Mikey's story. It takes part in five YA books and finishes in their adult book. Each book tells you part of their story without the hassle of a cliffhanger so that you can enjoy reading about how they came to be without being left with a thousand-and-one questions. Misunderstood is the first book and Difficult is the second book, which will be released in 2021.
Besides Sebastian and Mikey's story, you will see a few other stories start to unfold in the series.
What is Furious?
Furious is the second novel in the Anger Management Series. Devastated, which was released last year, started the series off with Hunter and Kylie's story. It can be read as a standalone, but would probably be more enjoyable if you read both books to get a better understanding of what's going on with Shadow House, a place in the book.
This book was started almost ten years ago. I've been playing with it over the years, trying to decide where I wanted to go with the series and thanks to Devastated, I was able to answer those questions and finally finish the book.
Some of you have seen excerpts from this book over the years. It's Chase and Sloan'e story.
I hope you enjoy the books :) And if you have a moment, please consider leaving a review. It helps a great deal.
Thank you,
R.L.
Misunderstood
A Neighbor from Hell YA Novel
The first of the five book series is now available!
From New York Time’s Bestselling Author R.L. Mathewson comes the YA series inspired by the Neighbor from Hell Series…
The Neighbor from Hell YA Series.
For readers who enjoy stories that leave them smiling…
Do you ever feel like life isn’t going the way that you thought it would?
That’s what Sebastian Bradford is realizing as he tries to figure out how everything went wrong so quickly. He’d never expected things to end like this, but then again, he’d never expected a lot of things and that was the problem. He just needed to figure out how to fix this before it was too late. There’s only one problem with that…
He’s about to learn a life lesson that he will never forget.
Mikey Campbell loves her family, baseball, and teasing a smile out of her best friend. She’d never met anyone like Sebastian before. He was smart, funny, incredibly kind, and way too damn serious for someone their age and she had no idea why, but she was determined to find out.
Furious
An Anger Management Novel
Bestselling author R.L. Mathewson takes on the impossible with the Anger Management series.
For readers who love to see someone who’s been to hell and back finally get their happy ending.
Sometimes you have to go through hell to get what you want…
Was it wrong to hate your patient? Probably. This was just supposed to be another job for Sloane, but somewhere along the line everything changed and she found herself risking everything for the one man that could destroy her.
In the blink of an eye, Chase’s entire world was destroyed, taking away everything that he loved and leaving him struggling to go on. He hates who he’s become, hates the memories that keep him up at night, and hates knowing that the life that should have been his was gone forever. The only thing that gives him hope is the one woman that he could never have.
Because he would never survive losing her.
Misunderstood and Furious Are Now Available!
Dear Reader,
I am pleased to announce that Misunderstood, the first Neighbor from Hell YA novel and Furious, the second novel in the Anger Management Series are now available!
As some of you know, I had been working on Furious over the summer, but was forced to put it aside so that I could make sure that Misunderstood was ready in time for its December release. Once I finished with Misunderstood, I returned to Furious, hoping that it would still make a 2020 release and after a lot of sleepless nights and the kindness of my team and help from Smashwords.com, I was able to finish it and put it up for a surprise release this week.
It took a little time, but Furious is now available in ebook at Amazon, iBooks, B&N, Kobo, and Smashwords. I will be getting both books in Audible and paperback next year. It will just take a little bit of time.
For those of you who are new to both series, let me give you a brief overview of both books.
What is Misunderstood?
Misunderstood is Sebastian and Mikey’s story. It takes part in five YA books and finishes in their adult book. Each book tells you part of their story without the hassle of a cliffhanger so that you can enjoy reading about how they came to be without being left with a thousand-and-one questions. Misunderstood is the first book and Difficult is the second book, which will be released in 2021.
Besides Sebastian and Mikey’s story, you will see a few other stories start to unfold in the series.
What is Furious?
Furious is the second novel in the Anger Management Series. Devastated, which was released last year, started the series off with Hunter and Kylie’s story. It can be read as a standalone, but would probably be more enjoyable if you read both books to get a better understanding of what’s going on with Shadow House, a place in the book.
This book was started almost ten years ago. I’ve been playing with it over the years, trying to decide where I wanted to go with the series and thanks to Devastated, I was able to answer those questions and finally finish the book.
Some of you have seen excerpts from this book over the years. It’s Chase and Sloan’e story.
I hope you enjoy the books 
December 13, 2020
The Final Pregnancy Chronicle
The content in this Chronicle and on this website is intended for adults, 18 years and older.
The Final Pregnancy Chronicle
An R.L. Mathewson Chronicle
“I want at least a half dozen children,” Jessica announced with a wistful sigh as she shoved Mathew off the chair and sat down, ignoring her twin brother’s pained grunt as he hit the floor.
“I want four. Two boys and two girls,” Elizabeth said absently as she glanced at the maternity ward’s waiting room doors only to sigh when no one walked through the double doors to give them an update.
“Two,” Cole said as he dropped down on the floor next to Sebastian, who was too busy reading over Mikey’s shoulder to pay attention to what they were talking about.
“How about you, Sebastian?” Cole asked as he opened a Coke and took a sip.
“Don’t care,” Sebastian murmured absently as he gestured for Mikey, who was sitting between his legs, lounging back against him, to swipe to the next page.
“Shouldn’t that be up to Mikey,” Joshua said, making the rest of them chuckle as the oblivious pair frowned down at whatever they were looking at on Sebastian’s iPad.
“Shouldn’t what be up to me?” Mikey asked as her gaze flickered up to Joshua, who instantly lost that smile on his face.
“Nothing,” Cole quickly said before his little brother got the chance to say something that would get himself killed.
“They want to know how many children you want,” Mathew, who apparently had no idea how badly this could end for him, said.
“Five,” Jonathan said with a heartfelt sigh as he dropped down on Sebastian’s other side.
“You want five children?” Mikey asked, blinking as she turned her attention to Jonathan as he swiped her Coke and finished it off.
“We want five children,” Jonathan stressed with a wink.
Nodding slowly, Mikey mumbled, “I see,” as she reached over and–
“Ow!” Jonathan gasped in pain as he fell over onto his side and curled up into a ball only to sigh heavily and mutter, “Fine. We’ll have six.”
“I’m going to kill your brother,” Mikey informed Sebastian while Cole bit back a smile because this really wasn’t going to end well.
“I know,” Sebastian murmured absently as he reached over and swiped to the next page for her.
“As long as you know,” Mikey said, nodding as she returned her attention to the iPad while Cole found himself glancing back at the doors and–
What the hell was taking them so long?
His mother had been in labor since this morning and so far, all they knew was that everything looked good, but that it was just taking a little longer than expected. He just wanted this to be over, Cole thought as he rubbed his hands roughly down his face. As excited as he was about having another baby brother, he was terrified that he was going to lose his mother.
He just couldn’t imagine his life without her, didn’t want to.
God, what the hell was taking them so long?
“Everything will be fine,” Mikey said as he felt her small hand wrap around his.
“I know,” he lied, entwining his fingers with hers, praying that she was right.
As she gave his hand a reassuring squeeze, he couldn’t help but wonder if Sebastian had any idea how lucky he was that he had Mikey. He had plenty of friends, good friends, but none of them were like her. He would give anything to have–
“Are you guys ready to meet the newest addition to the family?” his father asked, drawing Cole’s attention to find his father wearing wrinkled blue scrubs, looking exhausted, and happier than he’d ever seen him as he looked down at the small blue bundle in his arms.
“Oh, my god, he’s so cute,” Elizabeth said as she walked over to their father and got a look at their baby brother.
“How’s Mom doing?” Cole asked as Mikey gave his hand another reassuring squeeze before she let go.
“Your mother’s doing great,” his father said, smiling down at the newest member of their family as the rest of their family gathered round.
“He’s beautiful,” Grandma said with a watery smile.
“What’s his name?” Joshua asked, moving in closer to see their baby brother.
“Hunter Shane Bradford,” his father said, leaning down and kissed Hunter’s forehead while Cole got to his feet and slowly exhaled as he got his first look at his baby brother and–
Changed his mind.
He wanted at least a half-dozen children and he wanted them with his own Mikey one day.
©Rerum Carta Industries, Inc. 2020. All Rights Reserved.
Misunderstood is Coming this Tuesday!
The first of five books of the Neighbor from Hell YA Series
From New York Time’s Bestselling Author R.L. Mathewson comes the YA series inspired by the Neighbor from Hell Series…
The Neighbor from Hell YA Series.
For readers who enjoy stories that leave them smiling…
Do you ever feel like life isn’t going the way that you thought it would?
That’s what Sebastian Bradford is realizing as he tries to figure out how everything went wrong so quickly. He’d never expected things to end like this, but then again, he’d never expected a lot of things and that was the problem. He just needed to figure out how to fix this before it was too late. There’s only one problem with that…
He’s about to learn a life lesson that he will never forget.
Mikey Campbell loves her family, baseball, and teasing a smile out of her best friend. She’d never met anyone like Sebastian before. He was smart, funny, incredibly kind, and way too damn serious for someone their age and she had no idea why, but she was determined to find out.
Coming December 15, 2020
Amazon 
iBooks Barnes and Noble Kobo Smashwords.com
Copyright © 2020
December 6, 2020
Excerpt from Misunderstood and Chapter 10 of the Pregnancy Chronicles
Coming December 15, 2020
“Are you crazy?” Sebastian managed to get out before the crazed girl who had somehow managed to tackle him to the floor threw more facecloths at him.
“Yes!” Mikey hissed out as she blindly reached over, grabbed a handful of cotton balls and-
Forced him to turn his head before she could make him eat the damn things as she continued ranting at him. “You are not getting your GED! Do you hear me, Sebastian Bradford? You are going to find a way to get your stubborn butt back in school and you are going to-”
“What the hell is going on in here?” Aunt Kasey demanded, cutting Mikey off mid-rant.
Eyes narrowing in warning as she forced herself to release the handful of cotton swabs that he hadn’t seen her grab, Mikey slowly nodded her head and bit out, “This isn’t over,” as she climbed off him.
With one last glare, she turned to face her mother and said, “He called me a filthy Mudblood,” effectively keeping her word.
Without missing a beat, Aunt Kasey blinked at her daughter and asked, “Aren’t you?”
Nodding slowly, Mikey said, “We are no longer speaking.”
“At least he didn’t call you a Squib,” her mother said, making Sebastian bite back a smile as he got to his feet just in time to see Mikey narrow her eyes on her mother before she turned around and stormed off, leaving them to follow after her.
“Then I’ll go where I’m wanted, woman!” Mikey said with a huff as she grabbed her book, headed toward the front door, and-
“Don’t forget a jacket,” Aunt Kasey reminded her, sounding amused as she watched Mikey pause by the coatrack, narrow her eyes on both of them as she blindly reached up and pulled Sebastian’s sweatshirt off the hook.
Mumbling what he thought was, “Filthy Mudbloods,” she yanked his sweatshirt on and shoved her book in the large pocket before she continued to the front door where she once again paused so that she could shake her head in disgust and mumble, “This isn’t over,” as she let herself out.
“That was my sweatshirt,” Sebastian said, unable to help but frown because he actually liked that sweatshirt.
“Yeah, you’re never getting that back,” Aunt Kasey said with a pitying look before she returned her attention to whatever she was doing in the kitchen.
“That’s what I thought,” Sebastian said, sighing heavily as he headed outside in time to see Mikey, who was adorably pissed, storm across the front yard, pause when she came to the street to look both ways, giving him enough time to catch up with her, and once she was assured that it was safe to go, she stormed across the street, up his driveway, and let herself in the front door.
Sebastian closed the door behind them while Mikey grumbled to herself as she walked around the dinner table, pausing to pet his mother’s dogs and completely oblivious to the amused looks that his family was sending her before she dropped down in the seat next to Jonathan, grabbed a paper plate and helped herself to a slice of cheese pizza from one of the many pizza boxes piled high on the large kitchen table.
“Hey, sweetie, how was your day?” his mother asked him, smiling warmly as she finished pulling what he thought might be a pan of baked spaghetti with extra tomato sauce out of the oven before she walked over and pulled him down for a hug only to frown. “It’s freezing outside. Where’s your sweatshirt?”
“Mikey stole it,” Sebastian said, shrugging it off as he leaned down and kissed her cheek.
“I needed to establish dominance,” Mikey said, nodding solemnly and making his father’s lips twitch as Sebastian walked around the table and-
“Hey!” Mathew snapped with a murderous glare as he found himself unceremoniously shoved off his chair so that Sebastian could sit across from Mikey, who he was guessing wasn’t talking to him at this point. “You could have just asked, jerk.”
“I could have,” Sebastian admitted as he reached over and plucked the slice of pizza that looked delicious out of Mikey’s hands before she could take another bite.
Mumbling to herself, something that he noticed that she did a lot when she was cranky, she grabbed another slice of pizza that he would probably steal as Mathew sat down next to him with a sigh and shot Jessica, who was too busy trying to finish her homework while she ate to really care what was going on, a pathetic pout that she easily ignored.
“What happened to your hand?” Jonathan asked, making Sebastian bite back a curse.
“Oh, my god! Sweetie, what happened?” his mother asked, worrying her bottom lip as she took in the bandage that Mikey wrapped around his hand.
Before he got a chance to answer, Mikey said, “He talked back,” only to nod to herself as she added, “He’ll learn.”
Available Now for Preorder
Amazon
iBooks Barnes and Noble Kobo Smashwords.com
The content in this Chronicle and on this website is intended for adults, 18 years and older.
Chapter 10
The Pregnancy Chronicles
9 Months Pregnant…
“Definitely a mistake,” Haley said, slowly exhaling as she closed her eyes and tightened her grip on the bathroom counter while she waited for what she was really hoping was just Braxton Hicks to finish.
When the pain finally stopped, she released a shuddering sigh, moved to stand up only to decide against it and continue staring at the bathroom floor. Jason was definitely going to kill her, she thought, reaching up to push her glasses back up her nose as she stood there, debating her options.
She could continue standing there, hunched over while she waited for the next contraction to tear through her or she could try to shuffle her way back into the living room where she’d foolishly left her phone. Definitely going to kill her, Haley thought with a whimper as she slowly shuffled her way to the door and–
Decided that this would be a perfect spot to scream her head off.
Decision made, Haley tightened her hand around the bathroom counter and screamed her head off as the pain tore through her back and around to her stomach, destroying every last hope that this was Braxton Hicks. Unable to take anymore, Haley carefully lowered herself to the floor as she struggled to catch her breath.
“Your brothers and sister will be home soon, sweetie,” Haley promised as she placed her hands on her large belly, wondering what she was going to do even as she couldn’t help but smile.
They were having another baby boy.
She knew that Jason had been hoping for another baby girl to spoil and as much as she would have loved to have another little girl, she was just excited to have another baby in her arms. She missed holding her babies. But she didn’t miss this part, Haley decided as another contraction hit.
Definitely time to get off the floor, Haley decided as she struggled to breathe through the contraction as she reached up and grabbed hold of the doorknob. Slowly exhaling, she pulled the door open and–
“We talked about this, my little grasshopper,” Jason said with a sad shake of his head as he knelt down next to her and pressed his lips against her forehead.
“What are you doing here?” she asked with a watery smile.
“Duncan called me,” he said, placing his hand over hers where it laid on her belly.
“Duncan called you?” Haley asked, unable to help but frown.
“Mmmhmm, seems that one of the neighbors heard a bloodcurdling scream and called 911. He thought it might be a good idea to give me a call,” Jason said as he helped her to her feet.
“I forgot the phone in the living room,” she said around a whimper.
“Which is why I’m going to spank your ass when this is all over,” Jason said conversationally as he helped her walk out of the bathroom and onto the stretcher waiting in the small hallway.
“But…my poor ass,” Haley mumbled as her attention shifted to the paramedics and firefighters waiting to take her to the hospital.
“Will be properly spanked when this is all over,” Jason told her with a quick kiss on her lips as she shifted her attention to Duncan, who was securing her to the stretcher.
“How far apart are you?” he asked, shifting his attention to a bottle of oxygen.
“A few minutes,” she said, watching him as he worked.
Nodding, he asked, “Has your water broken yet?”
Closing her eyes, Haley said, “I’m pretty sure that it just did.”
Copyright © 2020
November 29, 2020
I’m Being Super Evil Tonight!
Dear Reader,
So, as the title explained, I am being super evil tonight! I am trying to pull something off, something secret, but in order to do that I need to make tonight count. There will be a Chronicle next week and a teaser from Misunderstood this week, but for tonight…
I put my evil plan into action!
I have something that I am trying to do and I need the next 12 days to pull it off!
I am very excited about this and if I fail…I shall blame the cats, mostly because they’re stalking me and I feel like they’re planning my murder at this point.
Other than that, I should probably tell you that I moved Misunderstood’s release date up to December 15th so that you wouldn’t have to wait longer
November 22, 2020
Chapter 9: The Pregnancy Chronicles
The content in this Chronicle and on this website is intended for adults, 18 years and older.
Chapter 9
The Pregnancy Chronicles
Maybe she should take up a new hobby? Haley thought as she laid there, wondering why Buffy couldn’t give Spike a real chance.
She loved Spike.
There should be a Team Spike, came the next thought that had Haley nodding as she opened Facebook and sighed with disappointment when she didn’t find a group dedicated to her favorite Buffy the Vampire Slayer vampire. That led to her considering starting a group for Spike only to decide against it since it sounded like a lot of work.
Twinkies…
God, she hadn’t had a Twinkie in a long time, mostly because anytime she bought them, her husband and children would devour them before she got a chance to have one. She should get some Twinkies, Haley decided with a firm nod as she grabbed her phone to send Jason a text message about her Twinkie needs only to toss her phone aside and sigh because she could actually go for some mashed potatoes and a Milky Way bar.
Maybe she should take a nap? Haley thought as she lay there, staring at the television while Buffy said something to Xander, making her wonder why they didn’t kill him off in the first season.
“I’m so bored,” she mumbled against her pillow only to sigh.
Maybe Grandma would get back early from her trip? Haley wondered as her gaze flickered to her grandmother’s door with a hopeful smile that slowly died when her grandmother didn’t roll through the door to torment her. That led to Haley debating rolling over onto her other side so that she could stare at the couch for a few hours while she wallowed in self-pity only to change her mind since wallowing sounded boring.
At least the day was almost over, Haley thought as she grabbed her cellphone to check the time and saw that it had only been an hour since Jason left for work. There was definitely no way in hell that she was going to manage bed rest for another four months when she’d barely survived the last hour.
Maybe she could go on modified bedrest, Haley thought, more than willing to give it a try. Hoping to catch Roger in a good mood, she sent him a quick text asking him about it only to grumble a moment later when Jason sent her a text with a big fat No, letting her know that Roger had a big mouth.
She should definitely get a hobby, Haley decided only to feel her lips twitch as she watched her baby boy walk through the front door with a satisfied sigh. Once he had the door closed behind him, he started yanking off his school uniform until he was left in a white tee-shirt and his boxers.
With an absently murmured, “Mother,” Cole dropped down on the couch next to her, curled up with a blanket and helped himself to the cookies that Jason had left on the coffee table for her. Once he was settled, he said, “What did I miss?”
For a moment, she considered asking him why he wasn’t at school but…
“We hate Xander,” Haley said, pushing her glasses back up her nose as her son nodded solemnly, “We really do.”
Copyright © 2020
November 8, 2020
Pregnancy Chronicles: Chapter 8
The content in this Chronicle and on this website is intended for adults, 18 years and older.
Chapter 8
Pregnancy Chronicles
The Second Trimester
“Are you pouting?”
“No,” Haley mumbled, knowing that she was damn well pouting and not really caring.
There was a heavy sigh and then, Jason was kneeling on the floor next to the couch, the same couch that she was now medically ordered to spend her days on until the end of this pregnancy.
“This is for the best,” Jason said softly as though she didn’t already know that.
When she didn’t say anything, mostly because she preferred to pout at the moment, he gently ran his fingertips along her jaw as he said, “This will be over before you know it,” lying to her.
That was followed by her narrowing her eyes on him, to which he responded with, “If it makes you feel any better, everyone will be taking turns checking in on you.”
“It does not,” Haley said with a sniffle, because what would really make her feel better now would be to be taken off bedrest, allowed to continue taking her daily walks and doing more than just staring at the television, and to be allowed to enjoy pregnancy sex for the rest of her pregnancy, but thanks to an emergency room doctor, she’d been put on bedrest.
She’d been hoping that it was a mistake and that the doctor had been overreacting, but then Roger, the traitor as far as she was concerned at the moment, backed the doctor up only to follow that up with she should have been on bedrest already. Once he’d said that, there was no changing Jason’s mind. He’d decided that her ass was staying on the couch during the day and at night, she was in their room and he refused to discuss it.
He also tried to take a leave of absence from work to look after her, but she’d somehow managed to talk some sense into him and now…
Now, she was stuck here, binge watching every show known to man as she waited for her baby to make an appearance. She knew that it was for the best and would never do anything to endanger her baby but she felt like pouting, so she was damn well going to pout.
“I had Cole stock the mini-fridge with water and juice,” Jason said with a pointed look at the min-fridge next to the couch. “There are plenty of snacks within reach, your lunch is in the fridge, and the bathroom is only a thirty second walk away. I want you to take it easy today, okay?”
With a grumbled, “I will,” she bit back a sigh when he pressed a kiss to her forehead, told her that he loved her and with that, left her alone with the remote.
Deciding that she might as well get this over with, she turned on the television, opened the Netflix app, and–
Couldn’t help but wonder why Cole was dropping down onto the loveseat with a sigh or why he was only wearing a pair of pajama pants when he should already be dressed in his school uniform and on his way to school right now. At her questioning look, he said, “I decided that I couldn’t leave you like this,” as he reached over and helped himself to the package of cookies that Jason had left for her.
“I see,” Haley murmured as she watched her son devour a cookie in one bite. “And school?”
There was a long-suffering sigh and then, “Would only get in the way.”
“And what did your father say about this?” she asked, watching as her son settled in more comfortably on the couch.
“I didn’t want to bother him with the details, but I’m sure he’ll understand,” Cole said with a helpless shrug as he shoved another cookie in his mouth and gestured to the television. “So, what are we watching?”
Before she could answer, Jason walked back into the living room and when he saw Cole, he simply sighed as he reached over the back of the loveseat and–
Had Haley wincing in sympathy for her baby boy when Jason yanked him over the back of the couch, settled him on his feet, and shoved towards the door while Cole threw a panicked look over his shoulder, mumbling, “Save me mommy!”
“I’ll see you tonight, my little grasshopper,” Jason said as he shoved Cole out the door and she once again found herself alone, already bored out of her mind.
Copyright © 2020
November 1, 2020
What Would You Like To Know?
So, with the December release quickly approaching, I am doing my best to get ahead on this book. With that being said, I need to focus on Misunderstood this week with the promise of a Chronicle next week.
If there is a Chronicle that you would like to see, please let me know.
Other than that…
I figured we’d take this opportunity to answer any questions that you might have
October 30, 2020
October 25, 2020
Excerpt from Misunderstood: A Neighbor from Hell YA Novel
The good news was that she probably didn’t have to worry about writing that book report anymore, Mikey thought as she took in the large man glaring down at her.
“Start talking,” Uncle Trevor said, not really looking all that happy to find her curled up in his son’s bed, which was understandable since she wasn’t exactly supposed to be here.
“I missed you?” she said with a hopeful smile only to add, “so much,” when he narrowed his eyes on her.
“What did we talk about, Mikey?” he asked, sighing heavily as he folded his insanely large arms over his chest while he waited for an answer.
“That making Jonathan cry for my own amusement is wrong?” she said, ignoring the gasp of outrage from the other side of the room.
“For the last time, little girl,” Jonathan snapped as he shoved his blankets aside and got to his feet, “I had something in my eye!”
“No, he didn’t,” she mouthed, shaking her head as Uncle Trevor tried to bite back a 
smile only to end up clearing his throat and turning his head with a small cough to cover the chuckle that escaped.
“You know what? We’re over!” Jonathan bit out as he grabbed a change of clothes from his bureau and stormed off towards the door only to add, “Over!” again as he slammed the door shut behind him.
At Uncle Trevor’s questioning look, Mikey said, “He’ll be back,” with a firm nod that had him opening his mouth to say something only to close it when Jonathan walked back into the room, looking calmer than he had a few seconds ago. With a helpless shrug, Jonathan said, “I forgive you.”
“For getting you stuck at the top of the Ferris wheel or for making you cry because I was bored?” Mikey asked, mostly because she liked clarification. She didn’t bother asking him if he forgave her for making that video since she doubted that he would ever forgive her for doing that.
Then again, since he didn’t know that she’d made a video…
It was probably for the best if she didn’t mention it at the moment.
His eyes narrowed on her as he said, “There was something in my eye,” before he took a shuddering breath and waved it off as though it was of little consequence. “For the sake of our relationship–”
“Ah, we don’t have one,” she pointed out only to have him continue as though she hadn’t said anything.
“–I’m willing to forgive you.”
And with that, Jonathan turned around and walked away, leaving her sitting there, shaking her head in disbelief as she turned her attention back to Uncle Trevor to find him rubbing his hands roughly down his face as he said, “I really just can’t with that kid.”
“Understandable,” Mikey murmured, nodding solemnly as she glanced down to find Sebastian on his back with one arm thrown over his face, fast asleep on the bed next to her.
God, he looked exhausted, Mikey thought even as she couldn’t help but smile. He’d stayed up all night, helping her get through her book and when she’d been too tired to make out the words, he’d taken over, reading to her while she’d curled up next to him with her eyes closed as she’d lost herself to the soft timbre of his voice as he’d made the story come alive.
At some point, she’d fallen asleep only to wake up to find his arms wrapped around her, holding her close. When she’d tried to roll over onto her side, he’d growled as his arms tightened around her and pulled her closer until she gave up trying to roll over onto her side and snuggled in closer only to fall asleep within minutes. He really was a demanding bed hog, Mikey thought, biting back a sigh when she once again turned her attention back to Uncle Trevor to find him watching her, looking as though he was debating his next words.
Finally, he said, “Mikey, I really don’t think this is a good idea.”
“What’s not a good idea?” she absently asked as she shoved the blankets off her and swung her legs over the side of the bed as she reached over and grabbed her book that wasn’t as bad as she first thought, off Sebastian’s nightstand.
“Sleeping in the same bed with Sebastian,” he said with a pointed look at them.
“Would it help if I told you that I hadn’t planned on sleeping over, but that boy,” and this is where she paused so that she could point a damning finger at Sebastian, “wouldn’t let me borrow a dictionary without an interrogation?”
Frowning, Uncle Trevor asked, “Wait. Why don’t you have a dictionary?”
“Because my religion forbids it,” she said with a firm nod that had him narrowing his eyes on her.
“But your religion is okay with you sleeping in the same bed with a teenage boy?” he countered.
“It does when I have a book report due on Monday,” Mikey said, holding up the thick book.
“And you couldn’t have asked your parents for help?” he asked as she slipped her feet back into her sneakers.
“Not if I wanted to get a passing grade,” Mikey admitted with a sad shake of her head that had his lips twitching.
“I see,” he murmured, looking thoughtful before asking, “And how exactly did you get in here?”
“I feel that it would be in my best interest not to answer that question,” she said, tossing the book on the bed so that she could reach down and grab the sweatshirt that really was quite comfortable and pulled it on.
“And I’m assuming that you’re not going to tell me how you got out of your house without your parents knowing either?” Uncle Trevor asked, clearly understanding her need for survival.
“You assume correctly,” Mikey said, sighing in relief as she grabbed her book.
“And I also assume that you’re going to want to go tell your parents about this before I get a chance to,” he said, making her wince.
“And just out of curiosity, when will that be?” she asked, licking her lips nervously as she started to slowly move closer to the door, really hoping that he was kidding.
He wasn’t kidding.
“When I’m done talking to my son,” he drawled with a look that told her that she better moving her butt and since that seemed like a good idea at the moment, she nodded, cleared her throat, and murmured, “That’s probably not going to end well for me.”
“Probably not,” Uncle Trevor murmured as she stood there, debating her options only to decide that she really didn’t have a choice in the matter. With that in mind, she nodded to herself, murmured, “Okay,” for some reason and turned around and did what she had to.
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