Page 29 of Straight, No Chaser
Where Molly is. Any more she defines home to Eli. And fucking me too if I'm honest with myself. But, right now I'm not sure if I want to run away or hurry back.
"Can we come over? I want to dig with you."
Mom chuckles along with me. He loves to search for worms while she prunes her flowers. Helping her lug around bags of mulch bigger than himself while earning the occasional ride in the wheel barrow. Both of them able to piddle for hours in and around the house I bought for her. After the way my father fucked her over, the least I can do is keep her free of financial worry. Now she can spend the time she has left puttering in her garden and volunteering at her church.
The waitress scoops up the twenties I lay on the least sticky spot I can find on the Formica. I guess I'm getting my exercise in the outdoors today.
* * *
Eli mumblesincoherently but his eyes remain shut as I hoist him against my shoulder. Punch drunk on sugar, sunshine, and spoiling, he slept the entire ride home. Exhausted by too many hands of go fish and too many tubes of cupcake frosting. Gram Judy knows how to keep a kid happy.
His head lifts as the garage door closes. "Are we home?"
"Yeah, we are."
"Is Molly here?"
I sure as hell hope so. "Probably."
He nods against my neck, fighting against his grogginess from his excitement to see her. A struggle I totally fucking understand.
Neither of us has to wonder any more. She sits at the kitchen table. Deep in thought furiously typing on her laptop. Her cute legs swinging against her stool. Yellow flip flop dangling precariously from her right foot.
"Molly!"
Her head flies up, and she yanks down her ear buds. A huge smile brightening her sweet face. For him. Not me. All of her attention laser focused on Eli. Like I'm not even fucking there.
“Hey buddy, I missed you.”
He slides down my body. His feet barely touching the floor before he races to her. Relief steals his drowsiness completely.
“Does your belly still hurt?”
Realization of my lies frowns her forehead when her gaze meets mine.
“No, now it’s just my heart.”
Fuck me. That fucking stings more than I ever imagined. Totally deserved but still torturous to my own chest.
His face falls with worry. “Can we still play cars?”
“Of course. I’ll be okay. Eventually.”
Yep, that's a kick to my balls. Shocking how she can fucking inflict such deep pain with just a few words. “I’m going for a run.”
Neither of them cares about my so fucking obvious escape. Eli already racing to his room, while she stares at me. Her broken spirit visible in her body jerking off her seat. Arms wrapping around herself before she follows the only other person in this house, who still has a heart, to his room.
* * *
"What doyou want to do boss?"
I stare at the piece of shit in front of me. Hanging limp from my two bouncers' corded arms, artworks of intricate black tats covering their skin. Stupid motherfucker ruined my plans to get fucking wasted again tonight. A bad habit I need to break but just can't seem to.
Getting the shit beat out of him for shoving one of my waitresses isn't fucking enough. He thinks he can get away with manhandling my employee over an incorrect drink order? Hell the fuck no.
"His ride here?"
Satisfaction warms my veins when Lucky dangles a small key ring from his pudgy fingers. He knows me and my perverse style of revenge too well.
