Page 29 of Absolution

I hold my breath as I scan the parking lot and sure enough, Ricca’s truck sits waiting in the far corner next to my bike. Score one for me on the promise scale today. A sigh of relief hits me as I notice that she didn’t run my bike over. Yet another sign pointing to yes on the Ricca version of the Magic Eight Ball.

I stalk over to the truck, takeout box in my hand, and knock on the passenger side glass. She startles at the sound, and stares a hole through me, before motioning me to hop in.

“This isn’t a stakeout, Ratchet. You didn’t need to bring a snack,” she sasses as I open the truck door and set down the box on the bench seat.

“Funny thing about eating in this town,” I retort back to her, sliding into the truck. “I don’t seem to get to finish my meal with having to rescue your ass.”

I smile back at her, but her face turns angry. I would never admit it to her, but seeing her eyes narrow and her chest heave like that turns me on. Fucked up I know, but I like what I like. It leaves me to wonder what hate sex would be like with her. I make a mental note to test the theory. She’s already a wild cat, but a pissy kitty might just make me bend a knee and submit to her.

“I do not need rescued, asshole. It’s your fault that I got fired today, or do you not remember that fact?” she sneers.

“Yes, that one is on me, but your boss needed to be taught a lesson. Good thing the first one is a freebie. The second lesson won’t be so nice.”

Ricca glares at me and just shakes her head at my joke. I watch her throw the gearshift into drive and head towards the street. She maneuvers into the light traffic, but remains silent. I drum my fingers on the dashboard, hoping to annoy her enough to break the silence. It doesn’t. Shifting in my seat, I turn and notice that her knuckles are gripping the steering wheel so tightly that they are completely white. What in the hell does she have to show me that is making her this scared? Have I given her any reason to think that whatever the fuck it is would bother me that much?

“So what’s this secret of yours?” I blurt out.

Did you not learn from the first time you tried to force something out of her? She’s like a gold vault at Fort Knox. Impenetrable until unlocked. I just need to find the right key to get her to lower the gates and let me back in.

“It’s not something that I can explain yet. You need to see it for yourself.”

“You aren’t driving me out to the country to kill me, right?” I tease her, trying to make her break the hardened look on her face. She side-eyes me, but she smirks just like I wanted her to. Another point in my win column already. This day might just shape up to be a decent one.

I settle back into the bench seat of the truck, and just let her drive. The narrow streets filled with small homes and trailers zoom by, until she finally slows and makes a left turn. She quickly turns again, and my eyes fall in disbelief when she pulls up next to a school building. The thought of one of my fears punches me in the gut. It can’t be true, could it? Was there a kid I didn’t know about?

She cuts the engine, and unbuckles her seat belt, before turning to face me.

“I can see your wheels turning already, but stop jumping to conclusions before I can explain.”

“Explain what exactly?” I question.

“Just wait. Once I show you, I’ll explain.”

She settles into her seat with her eyes trained on the front door of the school. An awkward silence settles between us. I try to think of a way to break it, but every time I try to open my mouth, she shushes me. If it wasn’t so frustrating, it would be kind of cute. Ricca looks to the clock on the dashboard, and her eyes flash with delight. The sound of a bell ringing echoes off the brick walls of the surrounding playground, as she watches intently. I lean forward, studying her face. As the kids start coming out of the school, her eyes dart from kid to kid, until they stop completely. I follow her gaze, and see what has her so locked on in interest. A young boy stands at the corner of the building. She turns to me, as I realize this kid looks eerily similar to her.

“It’s not what you think,” she blurts out.

“So that’s not your kid that I am looking at right now?” I hiss. “Because that kid looks just fucking like you, Ricca.”

Her eyes dart between mine and watching the kid again, in an unwavering panic.

“He’s not my kid, Ratchet,” she declares with a look of sorrow on her face. “He’s my brother.”

“You honestly think I am going to believe that kid is your brother. A kid that has to be nearly twenty years your junior. Do you think you can play me for a fool?”

It takes seconds for me to realize that the only fool in this situation is me. The pained look on her face tells me everything that I need to know. I’ve hurt her deeper than I could have ever imagined possible. The fucking broken word filter between my brain and mouth may have just shut me out of the picture for good, and there is nothing I can do about it.

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