Ditched Cheating Alpha, I Led My Daughter to Life's Peak novel Chapter 174

He stays quiet.

"Carson," I say.

He nods, slowly. "Okay... but I'll definitely say something stupid. What then?" He stares at me with wild eyes.

I slap my forehead. This is going nowhere.

Before I can say anything else, I hear a gasp from behind me. I turn around to see my mother, clutching her apron, hand over her mouth. She looks like she's about to faint. "Him?" She holds the door frame for support. "I had nightmares about this."

Carson's face falls. Mine does too.

"I got the baby pictures!" Michael shakes the album over Mom's head. Charlie cheers from beside him for a reason I don't quite understand (not yet at least).

"You better be careful with that, Michael," Megan says in her commander voice.

I don't know what else to do, so I just guide Carson past my horrified mother and annoying siblings and into the house.

He doesn't listen to me when I say just walk through though. He stops and flashes one of the smiles that makes me melt at her. "Hello again, Ms. Jones." He reaches his hand out. "It's really nice to see you again."

"Is that a threat?" she asks. She stares at his hand like it's the tool of a murderer.

"Mom," I warn. Carson pulls his hand back. I drag him to the side of the hallway to stand while I take my shoes off.

He looks at me confused. Poor thing. "Mia," he whispers. "Why is she looking at me like that?"

I shake my head. "Just... Don't do that. Come on." I take him right to the edge where the tile becomes carpet, but she's still right there.

She's watching his every move like a hawk. "You wanna know why I'm staring at you like this?" she asks, basically hanging over his shoulder.

He flinches, staring at her wide-eyed. "No, not really, Ma'am. Not particularly."

"Mom, seriously," I swat her away from him. "He's not a..." ... gang member. I give her a look.

She gives me an, 'Oh really?' expression.

"A what?" he asks.

"Nothing. Let's just go."

He nods. Then he almost walks onto the carpet with his shoes. I gasp. All eyes turn to him.

He freezes mid-step. "What?" He looks at me. "What did I do now?"

"We have clean carpets in this home, young man," Megan says in her commander voice, standing with her hands on her hips. "Take those filthy things off."

Michael's falling all over the walls, trying to contain his laughter. "This is better than I could've imagined. You can't make this crap up!"

When my siblings' appetites have been satiated, they sit across from us at the table and stare at him. They just stare at him.

He clears his throat and smiles. "Hey. Mia talks a lot about you guys."

Michael's grin widens. "Hey, Ash. It's been a... blast having you here." He laughs at his own terrible Pokemon joke.

I don't think Carson gets it. "Well, hey to the rest of you."

Megan gives Carson a disapproving look. "You said she talks about us a lot?"

Carson nods.

Megan hms. "Well she doesn't talk about you at all."

Carson sits back. "...Oh."

I give Megan a look. She gives me one back and points at him. "Come on, Mia? A jock? You can't even do a lap or eat a piece of kale." She looks Carson up and down. "What is you, the quarterback?"

"I am." Carson smirks. He seems so proud, and I can't help smiling with him to Megan's disgust.

Carson leans forward against the table. "And I've been team captain of nearly every sport at some point. I'm..." He rolls his shoulders out. "Kind of a big deal at my school."