“And you never saw her again, until yesterday,” Keets says.
“Until yesterday,” I repeat miserably, lifting my glass once more, draining the last of the beer.
“So, what are you going to do now?”
I let out a whoosh of air between my teeth. “I wish I fucking knew. But I’ll start with another beer.”
“Well,” Keets says, standing up and turning the chair around, tucking it back in under the table. “I don’t know what to tell you about Shannon, but I do know that another beer won’t make the issue go away.”
“Keets,” I warn with a low growl. “Don’t start.” I’m not in the mood for his shit.
“Look.” He presses his palms flat against the table top as he leans over it to glare down at me. “All I’m saying is don’t do anything stupid, okay?”
I nod mutely at him.
“Good.” Keets smiles, pushing himself away from the table. “I’ll go get you that beer.”
I smile weakly and watch him walk away. I know he’s right, of course. Getting drunk will solve nothing. But at least it’ll help me forget . . . for a while.
“Are you sure you’re all right?” Ruth asks for the hundredth time.
We’re sitting in the living room of Stone’s house after she found and helped me. I don’t think I’ll ever understand how hilarious it must have been for her to walk in and find me face-down on the carpet. At least I managed to hold back wetting myself before she arrived.
“Yes,” I grin, lifting the mug of tea she’d made me to my lips. It’s sweet and hot, just the way I like it. I make a small sound of satisfaction as I close my eyes and savor it.
“You’re sure?” Ruth repeats, hovering around like a mother hen.
I sigh as I open my eyes and put the cup down on the coffee table. “I’m fine,” I promise her.
Ruth stares around the living room, a grim look on her pretty face. “How can someone stand to live like this?” She asks.
“I don’t know,” I reply, shaking my head. I glance up as the front door opens and Zeke walks in. He seems surprised to see us.
“Zeke,” Ruth calls him over. I hold my breath as he looks back and forth between the two of us. He hasn’t spoken a word to anyone since Grace left. My heart aches for him; I know all too well what it’s like to say goodbye to a parent for the last time. He finally sits on the opposite couch, and I let the trapped air out of my lungs in a rushed whoosh. It’s a small step.
“Would you like some tea?” I ask gently. He shakes his head.
“Tea?” Ruth laughs. “What are you, seventy?” To Zeke, “There’s a can of Coke in the fridge with your name on it, sugar.” She smiles.
He gives her a small smile and slips off the couch, disappearing into the kitchen. He returns a moment later with a cold can and sits back on the edge of the couch, his head downcast, eyes hidden from view. Ruth and I glance at one another, clearly thinking the same thing. How the hell are we going to get through to this kid?
“Seen any good movies lately, Zeke?” I ask desperately, waiting for some kind of acknowledgement that he even heard my question. Nothing. Nada. Zilch. I sigh in frustration and rake a hand through my hair as I hear a car pull up outside. I glance at the clock on the wall. It’s late.; it must be Stone. I jump as the door slams open, hitting the wall behind it with force. A figure fills the doorway and immediately stumbles, falling against the door. Stone.
Ruth jumps to her feet and hurries to his side, trying to help him, but he pushes her away and looks over at me, a slow grin curling one side of his lips up into a sneer. A half-empty beer bottle hangs from his fingertips as he stretches out a hand to me. I can smell the alcohol from where I sit on the couch, and I wrinkle my nose in disgust. “Hey, kitten,” he says in a low voice.
I flinch at the nickname, taking slow, deep breaths. He’s drunk, I remind myself. He doesn’t know what he’s saying.
Poor Zeke is sitting as still as a statue on the couch opposite me. I want to reach out my hand and comfort him, but I’m still stuck because of this damn bandaged leg.
“Jesus, Stone,” Ruth says, wrapping his arm across her shoulders as she leads him to the couch and helps him sit. “How much have you had to drink?”
“I dunno,” he slurs, glancing at Zeke. “He spoken yet?”
“Not yet,” I respond quietly.
“Kid needs to talk eventually,” he says, sitting up and leaning unsteadily toward Zeke. “Oi, kid, you gonna talk to me?”
Zeke jumps to his feet and races into his bedroom, slamming the door shut. I can’t believe Stone just did that. Is he fucking crazy? He sees me looking at him, my eyes wide.
“What?” he asks. Is he kidding? Does he seriously think he’s done nothing wrong?
“Don’t you think you were a little too harsh?” I snap.
“He’s my kid,” Stone says in a low voice. “Mind your own damn business.”
“Stone!” Ruth gasps, her mouth hanging open in shock. “How dare you talk to Shannon that way. She’s only trying to help.”
“No,” I start, struggling to my feet as I grab the crutches that lie on the floor. I still haven’t learned how to use them yet, and I have to brace myself on the arm of the chair as I prop them up under my arms. “He’s right,” I continue with a weak smile as I finally get my bearings. “It’s none of my business. If you call me a cab, I’ll be out of your way.”
“You’re not going anywhere,” Stone says sullenly, not looking at me.
I can feel the blood draining from my face. “Wh-what?” I gasp, suddenly very short of breath.
“You heard me,” he replies, raising his eyes to me as he swallows a mouthful of his beer. “You’re here until that leg is better.”
“You can’t be serious.” I laugh. “I’m perfectly fine on my own, and—”
“You’re fine on your own, huh?” Stone says, raising his voice as he slowly shifts and stands up, swaying slightly on his feet. “That’s how you managed to nearly break your fucking leg.”
“I nearly broke my leg,” I seethe in a low voice through gritted teeth, “because I found out you were married with a kid. So why the fuck didn’t you tell me?” Now I’m yelling.
“I thought we already went through this!” Stone shouts back. “I didn’t know I had a damn kid until yesterday! You think I wanted any of this?”
“Guys!” Ruth yells, and we both look over at her in surprise. I’d forgotten she was even there. My eyes drift slowly toward the person next to her and my heart sinks as I look at his tear-stained face.
“Zeke,” I say, choking on tears as I try to move the crutches around to go to him.
“Don’t,” Ruth snaps at me as I watch Zeke rush outside, slamming the screen door behind him. “You two have some serious shit to work out, and this poor kid doesn’t need to hear it. I’ll take him to my house for the night. You need to work things out, pronto.”
Stone rubs a hand over his head and looks a little dazed. “Fine,” he mutters, turning on his heels and walking into the kitchen. I hear the fridge door open, the rattle of the glass bottles as he grabs another beer.
“I can’t stay here,” I plead to Ruth, but she’s in no mood to listen to my complaining.
“I don’t frankly care,” she spits. “You guys need to sort your shit. Like it or not, there’s a kid to think about now. Clearly, the both of you need to grow up.”
I hate knowing she’s right.
“I’ll call you tomorrow,” she says in a softer voice. “I know it’s hard to believe, Shan, but he needs you.”
I watch her leave with Zeke in her car, sighing as I rake a hand through my hair. My legs are burning from the effort it takes to stand, and my headache is back and worse than ever.