AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Not very well.”
“Well, let's see you do better then!” I challenge, and he smirks.
“I’m good at everything I do, Candycane,” he says with a wink, grabs his ball, lines up, and throws a strike.
“I hate you,” I groan, falling back in my seat as he laughs.
“Just keep trying, you’ll get it,” he says encouragingly.
“I was really good at giving my first blow job, I just want you to know that. I don’t suck at everything I do…well, except when you’re supposed to suck.” I wiggle my eyebrows at him, making him groan.
“Cheap shots don’t count as lines… Just focus, Candycane.”
“Can’t blame me for trying. I’m clearly going to lose this game. Why do you still call me that, by the way?” I complain as I throw another gutter ball, but this time, it at least made it halfway down the lane first.
“Because when I was seventeen, you dressed up as a sexy candy cane for Christmas. The sight of you in that mini-skirt still haunts my dreams. The least I can do is remind you what a damn tease you are,” he says as he throws another strike.
Four turns later, he finally misses, only hitting four balls. Of course, that's because I shouted his name just as he was about to release the ball.
“Cheater,” Ren grumbles. I grin.
When it’s my turn to roll, Ren runs up behind me and takes the ball out of my hand! The guy in the lane next to us gives us some serious side-eye. The rest of the game is played much the same way, and by the end, I’m laughing so hard my abs hurt, and so is Ren. At least he was until he checked his phone.
“Fuck. Fuck, fuck, fuck!” he snaps. I watch as he changes into his regular shoes and jumps to his feet. “Stay here,” he demands, but if something’s wrong, I want to make sure he’s okay.
I return our borrowed shoes and put the balls back where we found them before heading outside to search for him.
When there’s no sign of Ren, I make my way toward his car. It doesn’t take long to hear two voices arguing. A small woman who looks very distressed is yelling at Ren. His back is to me, so he doesn’t notice as I walk over. Shit, is that…
“Kelly. You need to leave. I don’t have anything for you. Where’s her father? Have you asked him?” Ren holds his hands up like he’s ready to grab the erratic woman if he needs to. Damn. She looks rough. I didn’t even recognize her. What the hell happened to her?
“He doesn’t want anything to do with Lucy! She wants you!” Kelly cries.
“Ren?” I ask as I approach them. They both snap their heads to me. Kelly glares as Ren groans, wiping a hand down his face.
“This your new girl, Ren?! Is she the reason you stopped coming around!” Kelly demands, drawing his attention back to her. He moves to block her view of me but fails. “Wait, Rose! You’re WITH ROSE?!” Kelly screams, looking ready to rip my eyeballs out.
“Don’t worry about her, Kel. I thought you were getting sober! What happened after I saw you last time? You fucking swore!” The tension radiating off him is uncomfortable to witness, so I take a few steps away. I should go back inside. When I thought something was wrong, I never would have guessed it was something like this.
“You know I get pain. I just needed something to take the edge off. I’m not doing the harder stuff.” Her voice lowers, and her tone changes. “The least you can do is give me some cash, after all, you owe me!” Her tone changes so fast that I get whiplash. Shit. That was angry.
“I’m not helping you ruin your life. Not anymore. How the fuck did you even find me? Jesus, Kel…” Ren shakes his head. I turn away, deciding to head back inside to wait for Ren.
“Please, Ren, I just need a little to get me by…” Kelly begs, and I cringe. I can’t fucking imagine what she’s going through right now. I hope she gets help. It sounds like she has a daughter…Lucy. Fucking hell.
My heart hurts for them both.
“Rose!” Ren shouts as Kelly screams at him, and I spin around as he waves me over. I jog back and climb into the car.
“How much did you see?” he asks, and I shake my head.
“Only enough to know she needs help. The kind of help you can’t give.”
“Yeah.” Ren nods before shaking his head. “She’s my ex.”
“I remember.”
“She…when we broke up…when I broke up with her, she didn’t take it well. Showed up at the school demanding I take her back. Swearing she was pregnant with my kid…” Ren sighs, and I reach over and grab his hand, offering silent support. “Lucy isn’t mine. But she got into this horrible crash when I turned her away. Hit a fucking tree…got addicted to pain pills…”
