Chapter 2 #2
Jameson, on the other hand, learned to invest his money from the company well, and he was living in a cool house overlooking the cove.
His one true love, Indi, lived with him along with his daughter, Rio.
It was hard not to feel jealous as hell of both of them.
Colin, my twin, was killing it as a professional snowboarder, and in between contests he worked with a sports gear company.
And my younger brother, Nate, was a singer in a very successful band.
He was making big money playing gigs across the country.
This summer they'd landed a European tour.
Last I heard from him, he was in Italy. So, it was just me.
I was the loser, the disappointment of the family.
We'd had a rough, treacherous childhood with little supervision and minimal guidance, but all my brothers had somehow managed to skip past those obstacles and tamp down all the unpleasant shit to line up for good futures.
No wonder Dad was always so disgusted to see me.
As far as he was concerned, I was a fucking shit stain. I had to agree.
I glanced at my phone again. No text. I sat on the edge of the bed, mostly to stop the room from spinning.
It felt as if someone was drumming on my skull, and the numbing agent they'd used for the stitches had worn off.
I wasn't sure which hurt worse, my skull or the deep cut held together by surgical thread.
The pain pills would have been nice. I scrolled through my phone to figure out a different place to stay.
I could probably crash at my old apartment.
Denny and Vick were cool guys. They'd understand, but it meant a thirty-minute Uber drive, and I didn't have that much money.
Dad's bedroom television was blaring as I stepped into the hallway.
His hearing was shit now, and he kept turning the thing louder.
I headed down the stairs and out the front door.
I considered sleeping in the barn's hayloft.
The light was still on at Zander's. I took a chance and walked across to his front porch.
I glanced in the small window on the door and spotted Nev leaning over some paperwork on the kitchen table. It seemed luck was with me for the first time tonight. I knocked lightly. She looked up quickly.
I pressed my face into the small square of glass. She smiled and hurried across in her flannel pajamas and fluffy slippers. Nev was never into glam and trendy fashion or heavy makeup. She didn't need to be. She was top to bottom fucking gorgeous, only she was far too smart and humble to notice.
The door swung open and a warm aroma, cinnamon, possibly, surrounded me like a comfortable blanket. "God, please tell me you baked oatmeal cookies," I said.
Nev reached out and took my hand. "No cookies but I've got some cinnamon tea if you're interested.
" She pulled me playfully inside, then smiled up at me.
The light in the entryway was far more revealing than the dim porch light.
Her lips parted in shock. "What the hell happened, Ronan? You look terrible."
"That's good cuz it'd be weird if I looked good when I'm feeling like someone chewed me up and spit me out."
"Come to the kitchen. I'll make you hot cocoa."
I followed her to the kitchen and dropped my heavy backpack on the ground. The sound made her turn and look pointedly down at the pack. She scrunched up her face in comprehension. "He kicked you out?"
"Yep. But I'm glad to get away from him. The fucker took my pain pills."
"Why did you need pain pills?" She poured milk into a saucepan.
"Got my head slammed into a trash bin and … long, stupid and ugly story, which is typical in my life."
She let the milk heat and tore open a pack of cocoa. "Ronan, you know I love you. I've loved all of you guys since we were kids." She laughed softly. "Sometimes, I was sure my grandmother was going to take you all in so you could get away from your dad."
I dropped onto the chair. It helped the dizziness in my head.
"Your grandma, El Honey, was the best. I miss her.
She was the only person who could put Dad in his place, and she was damn good at it.
" I peered up at her even though the light in the kitchen felt harsh and made my head hurt more.
She immediately sensed it and turned off one of the lights.
"I've seen you do a pretty good job of it, too," I said.
"Dad respects you. Maybe you could give me a few tips cuz he thinks I'm the scum of the earth.
I'm his big disappointment. You know what that feels like?
To be a disappointment to a man who was literally the worst parent on the planet. "
Nev walked over and put her hand on my shoulder. "You're not a disappointment, Ronan. You just haven't found your path in life. You'll find it."
I smiled up at her. "Now you really are starting to sound like El Honey."
"I consider that the highest of compliments.
" A hissing sound came from the stove. "The milk.
" She flew back to the saucepan and pulled it off the heat just before the milk boiled over.
She carried the hot cocoa over and stopped to look at the back of my head.
My hair was matted with blood. "You poor guy. How many stitches?"
"A dirty dozen. Hurts like hell, too. Do you mind if I crash here tonight? I'll figure out something else tomorrow."
"Stay as long as you like," she said. "I can make you a sandwich if you're hungry. I'm pretty good at it." She winked. Nev owned the local sandwich shop. It was a popular place to eat.
"I'm sure you love making sandwiches in your spare time when you make them all damn day. I'm good. My stomach's not feeling great."
Nev sat down while I drank the cocoa. "How are the job prospects?"
"I'm waiting to hear about that construction job.
They're breaking ground on a shopping center over in Juniper.
I'll be a low man on the pole, but at this point, I'll take coffee errand boy if they offer it to me.
" I closed my eyes and winced as a jolt of pain went through my skull.
I loosened my jaw and took a breath. "Guess those pain pills have worn off completely. "
Nev got up from the table. "Finish your cocoa. The bed's made in the spare room." She headed toward the coat hook and pulled her parka on over her pajamas.
"Where are you going?" I asked.
"I'm going to get those pills back." She walked confidently out the door. I knew my luck had changed when I spotted Nev through the window.