Page 10 of Pieces of Me

“Shut the fuck up, Charlie!” Donna bellowed. “Her boy’s standin’ right here, asshole.”

Charlie had the grace to look abashed, and he mumbled something into his beer as he glanced away.

Scott was sporting what Rylan was starting to recognize as his usual deflecting smirk, but he could see a telltale whiteness around his lips. God, what must it be like, endlessly hearing your own mother being called a whore.

“Well, miracles can happen,” Scott said, his voice holding a deliberate breeziness. “Bob seems like a nice-enough guy. He’s trying.”

“Bless his heart,” Donna replied, ushering Rylan and Scott to a small table set in the back. “Maybe all she needs is the love of a good man.” As she moved off, Rylan could hear her grumble under her breath, “Sure. If this was a goddamn romance novel.”

Rylan winced, but Scott didn’t seem to have heard, spinning one of the cardboard coasters on the tabletop with his finger. “Who’s that lady?” Rylan asked when she was gone. “Donna.”

Scott shrugged. “Owner of the bar. She―uh―she caught me dumpster diving behind the Whataburger a couple of years ago, lookin’ for food.”

Rylan gasped. “Why? Where was your mom?”

“At a birthday party,” Scott said, spinning the coaster, “that lasted for three days.”

“She didn’t come home for three days?” Rylan couldn’t keep the horror from his voice.

“Nope. No food, and no money. I didn’t know where she was, so I was tryin’ to scrounge food for the kids. Donna caught me and took me to Publix and bought us some milk, bread, and eggs.”

Rylan didn’t know what to say, and as he floundered, a mutinous look crept into Scott’s eyes, daring Rylan to feel sorry for him.

“Well, thank goodness for Donna” was all he said, and Scott relaxed. “I’m surprised she didn’t turn Heather in.”

“She wanted to. I begged her not to, for the little kids’ sake. I―I didn’t know where they’d end up, or if they’d get to stay together. The devil you know…” Scott flicked the coaster away, watching as it spun to the floor. “So I came over here one Saturday and cleaned the windows, swept the walk, to pay her back. When I don’t want to―be home, I come here, and she lets me hang out.”

Donna bustled back over and set two frosty mugs of soda and a huge plate of chili-cheese fries in front of them.

“Thank you, darlin’,” Scott drawled, and Donna batted her eyelashes at him, running her palm over his bicep.

“Most welcome, gorgeous,” she rasped. “Enjoy.”

The smell of the fries made Rylan’s mouth water, and since he’d skipped the pizza earlier, he had no problem digging right in. He stuffed several fries in and licked his fingers clean. “Do you think Donna really wants to―you know? She calls you ‘gorgeous’ and touches you a lot.”

Scott snorted around the fries crammed in his own mouth, picking up his mug and washing them down with Coke. “Nah, it’s not like that,” he said when he could. “Her son, who was only a couple years older than I am now, was killed in Iraq by a roadside bomb.”

Rylan winced. “Damn.”

“I think she jokes with me like that to keep me at arm’s length, you know? She can treat me like her son, but I ain’t her son.” Rylan nodded, and Scott continued. “I don’t get a creepy vibe from her like I have from some others.”

“Other women?”

“And dudes.” Scott’s tone was casual, offhand. “One of Heather’s boyfriends last year, when he was drunk, would get kind of handsy with me. Wanted to ‘wrestle,’ but it was pretty much so he could play grab-ass.”

“What happened?” Rylan’s appetite was gone again, and he pushed the fries away.

Scott’s eyes met his. “I punched him in the nuts when he tried to fondle my nuts.” He smiled mirthlessly at Rylan’s wince. “And my lovely mother kicked me out of the house, not him.”

“What?” Rylan couldn’t help the gasp that escaped him. “Where did you go?”

Scott gazed over Rylan’s shoulder, his eyes distant. “Lisa’s parents happened to be gone that weekend, thank fuck, so she snuck me into the house. By the time they came back, the dude was in jail for smacking Heather around and breaking her nose. So I went home.”

Rylan could only sit mutely, shaking his head. Scott didn’t say anything more, his lips suddenly a grim line, and Rylan got the distinct impression he’d never opened up this much to anybody…ever.

On impulse, Rylan reached across the table and touched Scott’s forearm. He could feel him tense up under his fingertips, but he didn’t move away. “You don’t know us yet, but my dad and me, we’re nice guys.”

Scott’s arm didn’t relax, but his face softened a little. “Yeah, I can tell. It won’t last, though. Once Bob starts hatin’ Heather―”