บททั้งหมดของ The Moonshine Task Force Series: บทที่ 161 - บทที่ 170

KarinaFebruaryI'm watching the kids that just filed into my classroom. On Friday afternoons, typically everyone is hyped up, not paying attention and ready to go. This afternoon, I notice one person in particular, is pretty far off that game. Caleb has a seat at the desk he normally occupies and puts his head down, burrowing deeply into the hoodie he wears, pulling it up over his head. I try to catch his eye, but he keeps his head down, eyes closed."How's it going today?" I ask the class as a whole."Long day, Ms. H," one of the guys sighs as he shakes his head. "Really long day. I can't speak for the rest of the class, but I had a freakin' pop quiz in Calculus that I'm ninety-nine percent sure I bombed. Happy Friday to me."Reaching into my desk, I grab a chocolate bar. "Here ya go, Maddox. Bury your sorrows in chocolate, works for me."He gives me a smile before he rips it open and eats half of it in one bite. "Anybody having a good day?" I prompt them.There's a

MenaceHavoc yawns loudly from where he sits beside me in the driver's seat. "Tired?" I rub my own eyes, having had a few late nights myself the past week."Exhausted man, I don't know how you did this as a teenager, going to school." He takes a drink of his coffee.Even though it's almost four in the afternoon, he's still drinking java."Didn't have a choice." I shrug, nothing about what I did back then was special. No matter how many times people tell me it was amazing, I've never felt that way."No." He shakes his head, a firm tone to his voice. "You say that shit all the time. That you didn't have a choice. You had a choice, as evidenced by Caleb's mom. When are you going to stop acting like you've been a martyr and just admit you're a good man?"Sighing, I push my head back against the leather seat. "I hate acting like what I did was some sort of sacrifice.""It was a sacrifice. Fuck, you've been responsible since you were sixteen years old.""Because I made a dumb

KarinaMarch"Do you have everything we're taking?" I ask Caleb and Mason as we grab bags we're taking to a Moonshine Task Force lunch.I've never been to one of these before, but Violet told me a little of what would be going on. All the families are invited, and everybody gets to hang out with each other, without having to worry about working. Apparently, they try to have them once or twice a year, and it started after Trevor got hurt. Last night I was up late making potato salad and two different cakes. No matter if I'm tired this morning or not, it made me feel like a member of the team. I never had that sense of community with Braxton, or even with my own family, but here, I'm comfortable enough to pitch in and help whenever it's needed. "Yeah." Mason holds up the bag he's carrying, nodding to Caleb who has the two cakes in his hands. "Okay, let me grab the paper plates, and then we can be on our way.""I thought Violet was bringing the plates," Mason yells over his

Menace"I swear to God, Mason, if you spray me with that water hose, it's on." Karina gives me a menacing (no pun intended) look. It's almost enough to make me want to spray her, just to see what she may do. Sometimes she's all talk, other times she's a force to be reckoned with.A smile plays on the corners of my lips, as I hold my finger off the trigger of the hose we're using to wash her car. My tone, and look, is innocent. "Would I spray you on purpose?"Her head tilts to the side, looking like she's trying to tell if I'm a calculating bastard today or not. "Given that it's the bowels of hell hot out here, I should be begging you to spray me, but I don't feel like having a wet t-shirt contest." She gestures down to the white tank top she's wearing.Truth be told, I'm not into letting my neighbors see what's mine either. Never been the kind of guy who likes others to see what I have. Needless to say, I've never had and never wanted a threesome, which has, believe or not, bee

KarinaBeginning of JuneMonths ago when I accepted a request for a message from Mason Harrison on the dating app I'd recently signed up for; I couldn't have imagined this was where I'd be. Standing in his driveway, fighting to hold back tears as Caleb, the child I never knew I wanted, prepares to leave for college. Beside me, Mason is tense as we try to avert our eyes from the heartbreaking scene going on in front of us. Caleb is leaving for the University of Alabama today, and Jess leaves for Ole Miss two days from now. I'm not sure what the future holds for the couple, but it'll be almost impossible with them both on scholarships, to be able to keep their relationship going.They spent the whole night out with one another last night, only showing up here at six-thirty a.m., to fall asleep on the couch wrapped up in each other's arms. When I woke them up at eight, because Caleb has to be in Tuscaloosa at noon, the stark sadness on both of their faces almost killed me."I know