Page 5 of Leave Me Broken

“Not since he called the day I got home.”

And that’s the only reason I’m not worried about him. He didn’t say where he was or what happened, but I know he’s at least alive. He most likely ran back to the Army like the baby he is. That’s a conflicting sentence, but I digress.

“When will Aunt Vicky be here?”

Just then, the door opens but instead of my aunt walking toward me, my Uncle Gary stares back at me with the mischievous smile I love. I squeal only because he’s been out of town for training for a little while, and since I’m not going to church, I’ve hardly seen him.

“Hey, kiddo.” No matter how old I get, he’s always called me kiddo. I secretly hope he never stops.

“Hey, Uncle Gary. You hungry? I made chili and it’s pretty good, if I say so myself.”

“Very good,” Grandpa chimes in.

Uncle Gary taps his round belly that hangs over his khakis and brown belt. “I’ve never said no to food this far in life, certainly not going to start now.”

I chuckle as I fill his bowl. Uncle Gary is my aunt’s third marriage, but they have been married for fifteen years, so he’s the only uncle I remember. Based on what I’ve heard my mother and aunt say about the guy before him, I should be glad. He has no kids of his own, but he took on my two cousins from my aunt’s first marriage and honestly, Jason and me like we are his own. I may not have gotten the best dads in my life but I’ve definitely lucked out in other departments.

“So, where is Aunt Vick today?” I place the bowl in front of him at the table before taking my seat across from Grandpa. I still have ten minutes before lunch is over, but I’m done with classes today. Coach did text me about a meeting in an hour, but I’m not sure I’m interested in a meeting with him. That would require us being alone, and after what he said at parents’ night, I’m not sure I want to be alone with him. Being with him in his office alone, where we have shared so many moments, I worry that I’ll give in, forgive him, and we will go back to where we were. He has a son. We can never go back to where we were because he has a son he lied about.

I shake my head and listen to my uncle. I missed where he said my aunt was. Him and Grandpa have moved onto fishing, and I don’t feel like asking him to repeat himself, or interrupting, so I sit back and enjoy the company of the two least drama-filled people in my life.

Until my phone goes off. I don’t have to look to know who the annoying ding belongs to, I set it as Coach’s ringtone on purpose because it’s loud and annoying—like him.

Especially when it goes off two more times and Uncle Gary stops talking and glances my way; Grandpa does too.

“Sorry.” I flip my phone to silent before dropping it on the table.

“You can answer that, seems like your coach really needs to talk to you.” Uncle Gary nods to my phone and that’s when I realize it’s face up and they can read Coach Ash-hole clearly. Crap.

Uncle Gary chuckles but continues eating. It’s the curious gaze from Grandpa that makes me shift in my seat. When my phone goes off again, I turn it off, because sitting under his stare is uncomfortable, and he saw my name for Coach. I know I shouldn’t have set it as that, but I couldn’t help it. It was Janelle’s peer pressure one of the nights I was with her. He kept texting and calling me, and we thought it was funny. I’m just glad I didn’t let her talk me into setting his contact photo as one of the NSFW photos he has sent me. Darn him for knowing my weakness is his body.

“I better get back to school.”

Uncle Gary tells me to have a good day and Grandpa reaches up to pull my face close and kiss my cheek.

“I might go hang out with Janelle tonight if that’s okay.”

Grandpa taps my cheek twice before lowering his shaky hand back to his lap. I wonder if Uncle Gary saw that. Judging by him stuffing his face, I’m guessing not. “Actually, she might—”

“Go,” Grandpa interrupts me with a knowing look. “Go enjoy your childhood, Ray-Ray.”

I open my mouth to argue but a loud engine pulling into Grandpa’s driveway cuts me off, only because I know who that engine belongs to.

You’ve got to be freaking kidding me.

“Welcome, Ashley.” Grandpa greets him at the door like they are old friends.

He smiles at my grandpa before he’s pulled in for a hug. Grandpa is a hugger but I’m wondering if they are actually old friends with how comfortable they seem. He taps Grandpa’s back, but his eyes jerk to me, and the smile he was wearing falls and in its place is a murderous glare that doesn’t scare me. It might cause another reaction . . . but I’m ignoring that.

He stops glaring when Grandpa pulls away. Ash’s eyes land on my uncle.

Grandpa turns toward us with one arm still around Ash’s midsection. He gestures to my uncle with the other. All three sets of eyes drop when Grandpa can barely lift his arm. Grandpa clears his throat. “Gary, this is Ash Pearson, Payson’s coach.”

Uncle Gary’s chuckle is low, and I already know what he is thinking. I drop my head to my hands because I officially hate how everyone knows about my retired obsession with the world’s biggest dickface.

“Yep, heard a lot aboutchya.” He grins my way. Ash does the same with that stupid grin I wish I could punch from his stupidly handsome face. I wish the whole son thing made me despise him enough that I found him ugly now. Unfortunately, that is not the case.

“Yes, I seem to be more famous in this family than anywhere else.”

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