Free The Halo Effect (Cupid Chronicles) by Shauna Allen Page B

brushed past him into the house. “I’m cooking steaks for dinner,” she said before she shut the door.
    He smiled to himself. His favorite. Well, besides pizza.
    “ TRISTAN! ” she hollered not one minute later, making him jump clear outta his skin.
    He hurried into the house. “Mom?”
    “Back here!”
    He followed the sound of her panicked voice to the bathroom and found her ankle-deep in water, her face awash in alarm. Water was spewing from the back of the toilet at a furious rate, drenching his mom’s legs as she fumbled behind the bowl reaching for something.
    “Come here, Tristan, and help me look for the shut-off thingy to get this water stopped!”
    He waded in and the cold water drenched his jeans. He sucked in a surprised breath and bent over the toilet to look. He reached in and fumbled a bit, his hand brushing his mother’s as they both felt around for a stop valve of some sort. Too bad he had no idea what he was searching for.
    “I think that’s it,” she said, grabbing onto something metal. He felt her hand and gripped it as well. “Oh, jeez, this is a mess.” She sounded like she was on the verge of tears.
    She turned the knob. The valve didn’t budge. She twisted the other way. Nothing. “Help me!” she cried.
    He tightened his hold and they both yanked on the thing as hard as they could. It was like the darn thing was superglued in place. He knelt down and peered closer. “I think it’s rusted,” he said, peering up into her frustrated eyes.
    “Shit!” she said, her voice cracking. “Sorry. I meant shoot. ”
    He rolled his eyes and cocked his head toward the water. “No, Mom. You meant shit. ”
    A short laugh burst from her lips. “You’re right. I meant shit. ” She pressed him aside and bent over. “Here, let me see. Maybe I can get it. We’ve got to get this shut off or we are screwed! ”
    He moved toward the door and watched, wishing for once that he was bigger and stronger and able to help his mom with more things around the house. She squatted and peeked under the commode.
    “Sweetie, go get a, uh . . .” She looked at him with a confused, girly expression, “tool thingy for me to grab this with. Whatever you’ve got.”
    He smiled. He could do that. He rushed off and grabbed a wrench from his toolbox and returned it to her.
    “Thanks, baby.”
    She turned and worked it around the shut-off valve behind the toilet. She twisted herself at an awkward angle, trying to force the knob with all her might. But his mom was pretty itty-bitty. She adjusted her grip and tried again, blowing the hair from her face. He silently willed the rusty thing to give way. Instead, she lost her foothold on the slick tile and slid backward, slamming her back into the corner of the sink.
    Her head snapped back then forward as the wind was knocked from her and an ooommph rushed from her lips. Her legs buckled beneath her, her ankle twisting at an unnatural angle. Her final sound was an agonized scream as her eyes glazed over with pain.
    Tristan’s heart knocked against his ribcage. He knew he wasn’t strong enough to do much for her. “Mom, Mom,” he panted, backing away from the door. “I’ll . . . don’t . . . I’ll get help,” he said as he rushed outside and sprinted like a madman to the first place he thought to go.

Chapter 9
    Noble straddled his Hog, just about to crank her up and give his tune-up a test run when Tristan came bolting in the open garage door, breathless and wide-eyed.
    “Help,” he heaved between pants. “Need . . . your . . . help.” He bent over like he was about to puke and sucked in air like a starving man.
    Noble jumped from his bike and rushed over, his eyes scanning outside for any sign of Sweet Cheeks. “Where’s your mom?” he demanded.
    The kid tilted his head toward his house. “Inside,” he sucked in another breath. “She’s hurt . . . water . . .”
    Noble didn’t hear another word. He took off for next door, his legs pumping beneath