Read Blackness Takes Over & Blackness Awaits for Free Online Page A

his chest and then lets me go. I sit back down at the table and slam my orange juice.
    “Well that was fun,” I say, trying to brighten the mood of the room. “Who wants to take me to Neiman Marcus to find some cover up for these lovely bruises?” I QVC model my face. It’s not working. They’re still reeling from all of that information.
    “Guys. I’m fine. I’ve lived this life for seventeen years and I’m doing just fine.” I smile genuinely. “I don’t want your pity. I don’t tell this story to people for just that reason. Everyone has some fucked up shitty story about their childhood. I’m no different. I can’t see my father again. I can’t make my mother come home and love me. I can’t make Uncle Mick’s cancer go away. I can’t make Liam’s attack go away. But this is my fuckin’ life and no one else’s. This life made me who I am today, and I love who I am so I’m not sorry and I don’t feel bad for myself. There are worse stories out there boys.” I look at them in the eye one by one.
    “I can’t believe you’re fuckin’ seventeen years old!” O’Sullivan laughs.
    I shake my head and chuckle. “Really? That’s the takeaway you’re going with Sully?” Kavanagh’s head shoots up and he looks at O’Sullivan right in his face, waiting for something, his gaze is tense. I watch and wait too because I have no idea what silent communication is going on.
    “What?” I arch my brow.
    “No one calls him that. He fuckin’ hates it and never allows it to roll off anyone’s tongue at him,” Callaghan explains quietly, waiting for Sully to blow up at me I guess. I look at Sully and wait. His panty dropping smile sweeps across his face and his chocolate eyes sparkle.
    “I like it when she says it,” he says, looking directly at me but talking to his boys. He breaks eye contact and shrugs. “I guess there are a lot of firsts going on around here lately. Shannon tells us her truly fucked life story, Kavanagh is sleepin’ with a chick for the first time ever, Callaghan is talkin’ for a change, and I like the name I’ve always hated. What the hell is goin’ on in this house?!” We all laugh.
    “Cally, what’s he talkin’ about?” I ask Callaghan as I’m obviously missing something else. He arches a brow at me.
    “Cally?” he rolls off his tongue, thinking on the nickname a minute. “Okay. I have the tendency to be a little closed off, I don’t talk much. I mean I talk but just to bullshit, pull chicks, stuff like that. I never talk about anything important, according to my family and these dicks,” he scoffs, nodding at the guys. He’s nervous.
    “What’s that about Cally?” I ask softly, trying to encourage the non-talker to talk. I reach my hand across the table to his and give a quick squeeze. He interlaces our fingers and rubs my knuckles with his other hand.
    “My mom died when I was little. Fucked me up according to therapists and doctors.” He sighs and shrugs. “Like you said, we’ve all got some fucked up story. Mine’s no different.”
    I get up and climb into his lap, wrapping my arms tightly around his neck, nuzzling in. “You’re not fucked up,” I whisper. We all sit there in silence for a few minutes until some of the tension slips away. I climb out of Cally’s lap and resume my seat in the chair next to him. He scoops my hand back up and resumes his previous hold and stroke pattern.
    “Kavy, what about you? Who are you knockin’ boots with?” I snicker at him. He shakes his head at his new nickname and smiles the smile at me that’s only mine.
    “I’m not knockin’ anyone’s boots Kid.” Kid? I’m guessing the seventeen-year-old just got a nickname…I can handle that. “I’m sleepin’ with you. I never let chicks stay after said boot knockin’. I don’t sleep that well to begin with and I certainly don’t cuddle with randoms. I’ve never slept as well as I do when I sleep with you. Don’t know what it is, but it’s workin’