~ ~ LEVI ~ ~

It was late summer in South Carolina and the sun had almost finished its shift for the day.

"Ugh," I groaned, pushing my damp hair from my forehead. I was tired, dirty and sweaty, having been on my knees for half of the day. Resting back on my calves, I grabbed the last Dr Peppers and drank it down then wiped my hand across my mouth.

Hearing a noise, my gaze lifted to the distance where making its way to the house, caught up in a swell of dust, was a car I recognised.

Setting my empty can down, I picked up my hammer and pushed up to my feet, I watched the car turn into our dirt driveway. I headed down the porch steps to greet my ma.

She'd been gone, Christ knows where, for just under a month this time. It wasn't the first time she just upped and vanished. The worst part was when she decided to return, it was usually with a stray in tow.

And by the looks of it. It was the same this time.

There was a guy driving her beat-up old Ford. But was there someone in the rear passenger seat?

The crunch of brakes brought the heap of junk to an abrupt standstill and the passenger door was flung open and out came my ma, waving her hand incessantly in my direction.

Slamming the door behind her, she swayed on her feet, telling me everything I needed to know. She was under the influence of drugs or alcohol. It didn't matter which because it was all the same to me.

My gaze moved from her to the man getting out of the driver's side. Tall, built like a tank. He moved around the car and followed my ma. His steps were sure, solid, so I guessed he hadn't been drinking.

As he got closer, there was no hiding his disappointment at our house behind me.

But to be fair, it had seen better days. Being the man of the house at seventeen, I'd taken it on myself to fix it up the best I could with what limited tools and cash I had—which, trust me, wasn't a lot.

The man's eyes dropped and a deep frown sat on his weathered face. Yeah, it was fair to say he didn't like the look of me none, either.

I knew the feeling would be mutual. So standing there wearing only a pair of loose hung jeans and sneakers and still holding my hammer, I made myself stand taller.

Show no weakness. The voice in my head reminded me.

I wasn't skinny by any means. But I wasn't well built either.

"There's my baby," my mother slurred, wrapping her thin arms around me.

Yup. Whiskey with cheap perfume wafted around me, assaulting every one of my olfactory nerves.

She pulled back, and I craned my neck to try and look around her. Yeah, there was someone else in the car alright, but they seemed in no rush to get out.

"Kenny, meet my baby, Levi." She gripped my chin, dragging my attention back to her.

"Good to meet you, son," his gruff voice did little to ease the rising discomfort as he parked right alongside my ma and held out his hand. His hand swallowed mine, and the handshake was like the rest of him. Rough. Hard. He was purposely squeezing the life out of mine, but I bit back my grimace and forced a tight smile.

"Levi, baby." my ma started, but I already knew what she was gonna say. "Kenny, here is your new daddy. Kenny Charles."

And the unease in my gut intensified, sending it into free-fall.

Would this be lucky number six?

I seriously doubted it.

The other five had left their mark in one way or the other, and not in a good way. Although, I'm being a little unfair. Husband number three, Jon, he was nice. Treated me like a human being, almost like a son.

But my mother screwed that up and even when he found her fucking future husband, number four, he said he would forgive her. But she tossed him out and moved in Brad.

I shuddered.

Brad was handy with his fists.

And I had to ponder what delights I would face at the hands of Kenny.

"Who's that back there, Sir?" I asked flicking my chin the direction of the car.

"Call me Kenny, son and—" Flicking his head over his shoulder. "That's my boy, Gage." He smiled, but it wasn't pride I saw, or affection. In truth, I couldn't put my finger on it. "Gonna be turnin' eighteen soon."

Kenny beckoned his son from the car and I heard the creak of the rear passenger door. With the sun setting directly behind him, I could only make out his build. And just like Kenny, he was built like a tank too. And coming closer, I could make out he had fair hair, the same colour as Kenny's.

I hoped that was the only thing he shared in common with his pa.

The door slammed, and he threw something over his shoulder, which I guessed was a backpack. He was in no rush as he ambled his way over, his booted feet kicking up the dirt and dust with every step.

"Gage," Kenny slapped him on the back, and I noticed his son's frame tense. "This is Levi, you're new brother."

Another first for me. A brother.

None of the other dead-beats had kids, or maybe they did? What did I know?

Gage held his hand out and my eyes climbed his hand all the way up his thick arms, and then I got my first good look at him.

And my heart was knocked sideways.

At almost eighteen, Gage Charles was already over six feet of perfection.

His fair hair fell in his eyes but did nothing to hide the intense, almost jade coloured gaze as it swept down my body, seeing everything and forcing my jaw to skim the ground.

Gage was that guy.

You know the one I'm talking about? We all know someone like him.

Perfect in every way, and people either wanted to be him or be with him.

And I was no exception.

Wanting to be with him, I mean, because I'd always known I was gay. Never doubted it. Not that I'd told anyone. Our town wasn't exactly welcoming to anything different.

But me and Gage here. Well, we were complete opposites and as cheesy as it sounded; he was the day to my night and my night was a cloudy, rainy one at best.

"Gage, here is good at football—are you, boy? Good with a ball?" Kenny asked.

I shook my head. "No. Can't say that I am."

"Damn shame," he said. "What? So you one of those bookworms, nerdy types?" He made nerdy types sound like cuss words as he eyed me carefully.

"My Levi is sharp as a whip," said my mother and you would almost think she was proud of me. "But what he's really good at is art! Aren't you baby?"

My eyes flicked to Kenny, who didn't even try to hide his look of disdain. "Drawing is for pussies," he scoffed.

I said nothing but my ma laughed and play shoved him. "Don't be grouchy, Kenny." She wrapped her hand around the back of his neck and pulled his mouth to hers.

Ewe. Gross

I dragged my eyes away and found Gage staring at me.

Yep, we were all going to get along great.

And so on that late Summer day in August. The Charles' moved in. And we became a family of sorts. Call us the Brady Bunch. No, I'm kidding.