The Players (TP4)

24 - The scum hurt her bad

Ryan

Ryan heard the yelling through the open windows. The humidity had broken and the onshore ocean breeze was refreshing after a string of hot, sticky days. Curiosity brought him to the window, but his conscience carried him out the door and across the street.

His fist tightened as a guy towered over Lana, who was animated and angry.

"Why are you being such a bitch? We just want to go to the beach."

"Park in the town lot, not my driveway!"

Ryan's pace quickened. Although Lana seemed to hold her own.

"Your mother said I could."

"Why the hell are you talking to my mother?"

Watching off to the side was a woman with a young boy. She called out. "Come on Erik ignore her."

Lana turned to her and Ryan saw the pain in her face, before she yelled, "You know he's a cheating bastard."

"I know you're a bitch."

Lana went to kick or punch the guy, but he stepped back. Ryan had seen enough and stepped in. He put his arm around Lana to hold her back. "She doesn't want you to park here. Now move your car or I'll get the police involved."

"Jesus babe, let's just go. This beach sucks anyway." The one with the kid was stamping her foot.

Ryan tried to pull Lana away. She stared as the jerky guy picked up the little boy and put him in the car. As he was securing the kid in the car seat, he turned to Lana. "Your mother will hear about this. You're acting like a bitch! Lan, what happened to you?"

"You! You happened to me!"

Ryan held Lana back as she tried to lurch toward the jerk.

"Come on." Ryan's voice was low so only she heard.

She let him lead her across the street toward his cottage, but turned her head and hollered back. "Go to hell, You're a Prick!"

"You may be right, but yelling at him won't change it." Ryan calmly informed her as she willingly entered his cottage.

"I hate him! I really hate him!" Her voice broke with sobs.

Ryan would bet a Franklin she didn't always hate him. "Who is he?"

"My lying, cheating ex... husband." She wasn't crying but was angry.

It shocked Ryan he had never she was divorced. Before he could respond, Lana went off again. "I can't even believe he was with a kid. Bastard."

"You need a drink. Sit down."

She didn't sit but paced like a caged animal. He had never seen her this angry, not even after he threw Jessie out. He took out the bottle of tequila to make her a margarita like he had the others.

She saw the bottle. "Pour us a shot. We need limes."

He smiled, if she wasn't so upset it would be amusing. "I've got limes." Under his breath, he added. "... and another bottle."

She downed the shot after licking salt and then sucked on the lime. He stared fascinated.

"What? I went to college, you know!"

"I know. Now tell me about the dick in your driveway."

"You mean the sterile dick who refused every possible option for me to have a child. No donor sperm, no adoption. Why? Because the worthless piece of shit didn't want to raise someone else's kid. Now he's fucking buckling some whore's kid into the car, like... like they were a goddamn family."