"What is?"

"I haven't gotten anyone pregnant."

I hear Mark release a breath.

"But yes, she is where I've been every night." I take a few calming breaths until I know my words will come out even. "I'm just helping her out."

She sits down again and places the wine on the coffee table. "What do you mean helping her out? She goes to your school? What boys are you talking about? Where are her parents?"

I suck in a huge breath and try to answer her questions as straight as possible. "Yes, she goes to my school. The boys are her brothers-six of them." Her eyes go huge but she doesn't speak. "Her mom passed away a few weeks ago. Her dad is... unstable. So she just needs some help."

She lets out all the air in her lungs and leans back into the couch. "Okay," she says, then shakes her head slowly. "So you've been going there and what?"

I shrug. "I entertain the boys while she cooks dinner... or whatever. I just help her clean up a bit... get things done. There's a baby, Mom. She's in my class, she's fifteen and she carries the weight of the world. She wakes up, gets them ready for school and her aunt comes during the day to watch the baby while she's in class. But then she goes home and she does it all over again. She doesn't sleep well. And her brother—he told me she gets so sad that it makes her sick. I don't know what it means but I can't not do anything to help. She's alone. She has no one."

Mom wipes at the fallen tears on her cheeks. "I don't know what to say, Cam. I mean... you've always cared too much. Even as a kid you were bringing home strays... but this... this might be too far, even for you. This is someone's life. Someone's family. You take away some of that burden from her and it becomes yours. That's a huge responsibility for a kid your age. Are you sure no one else can help her?"

Her words instantly piss me off. She doesn't need anyone else. She has me. "I just want to help."

She nods slowly, picking up the wine and taking another sip. "We have to talk about this some more. Let me think about—"

"Think about what? I'm not stopping." My tone's defensive. Because even though she's trying to help, I know she's trying to find a way to take Lucy away from me. "You can't stop me from seeing her."

There's shock clear on her face, and I get it. I really do. But she has no idea how much Lucy means to me. And until right now, neither did I.

"Honey, I'm not going to."

"Good." I stand up with a huff. "Because I'm a good kid. You can't deny that. I always do what you ask. I never break the rules and I'm not doing anything wrong."

"I know that, Cameron." She stares up at me with pity in her eyes and I glare down at her. My heart pounds hard against my chest. I'm angry. I'm annoyed. And I'm frustrated because she doesn't understand it. But then again, neither do I.

Then Mark clears his throat. "She's kinda cute, right?"

I can't help the hint of a smile that forms on my face. "I'm going to bed."

"Goodnight," they both say, but I'm already half way up the stairs.

"At some point, you're going to have to start acting like his dad, Mark, not his cool big brother," Mom says quietly.

"Heather, I'll adopt him right now and start acting like a dad if you finally say yes to marrying me."

I chuckle under my breath.

Mom responds, "That's not gonna happen."

"You're breaking my heart, you know that?"

I close my bedroom door and throw myself onto my bed. I'm exhausted. But then I think about Lucy, and how tired she must be, and it doesn’t even compare. Shoving my hand in my pocket, I pull out my phone and bring up her number. I don't even think, I just dial.

"Hello?"

"Lucy?"

"Yeah..."

"Thank you for bringing me my phone. I don't think I said it when you were here."

Silence.

I clear my throat. "It's Cameron."

More silence.

I hang up.

Shit, that was awkward.

My phone vibrates in my hand. Her name flashes on the screen. I stand up and start pacing. The ringing stops. "Shit." I dial her number—busy tone. I try again—same thing. Then mine rings. I answer. "Hello?" I'm so anxious I smash the phone to the side of my face. And then I drop it...

"Hello? Cam?" The sound of her voice through the speakers fills all my senses.

"Hang on!" I yell. "I dropped the phone." I turn in circles rubbing the side of my face and looking for my phone. Where the hell did it go?

"Hello?" she says again.

"Shit."

"Hello?"

I drop to the floor and search for it. It's under my bed. Of course it is. I move the stack of porn hidden there and reach for it. "I dropped my phone. Just wait. Please don't hang up," I yell.

"Okay."

When the phone's in my hand, I start to panic.

A knock on the door has me jumping out of my skin. Covering the phone with my palm, I open the door.

Mark's eyes narrow when he sees my face... then widen when he sees the phone in my hand. A slow smirk develops. "Lucy?" he whispers.

I nod frantically.

He places his hands on my shoulders and shakes me gently. "You got this, kid. Just be yourself." I keep nodding. His eyes wander to somewhere behind me. "Your porn's on display." I turn around to see the last year's worth of magazines spread out on the floor. I must've knocked them over. I kick them back under the bed. By the time I turn back to the door, he's gone.