Once Saved (Negan x OC)

Chapter Two

"Now, Renee," Negan licked his lips, not diverting his hazel eyes from hers. The rumble of his voice reverberated deep into her bones. Maybe Ryan had been right, had he? She shook the thought at least for the time being. Being his son's girlfriend, surely he couldn't be trying to hint attraction, could he? Negan dabbed at his mouth with his napkin before sitting the cloth back on the table, "Are you going to school for anything?"

Renee shook her head, fighting the urge to twist her hair about her finger, "No... Negan," she had to correct herself from calling him by his last name rather than his first, "I haven't been to school since I graduated High School."

Negan nodded slowly, his eyes still on her as he took another bite of his spaghetti, slurping the long noodle into his mouth. He smiled at her upon swallowing, "There's nothing wrong with that, there's other ways to be educated... things to learn in this world that school won't teach you anyway."

Renee nodded, "That's my thought." She took a drink of the water which Negan had provided her, "Plus, I don't want to go into debt doing something I'm really not sure that I want to do for the rest of my life."

Ryan's eyes flicked back and forth between the pair as they spoke, taking in her point of view which me had heard before. The young man cleared his throat, butting into the conversation as he made himself comfortable where he sat, "My dad didn't know what he wanted to be for a while," he directed his gaze to the man in his early to mid forties, "Did you, dad?"

Negan huffed, raking his right hand through his slicked back, black hair, "No, I sure as shit didn't." He gestured to his son, "I had Ryan so early-" he leaned back in his chair, "I almost dropped out of high school. College definately was not on the agenda."

Renee secretly pushed for more information, "How old were you when you had him?"

The man let out a low whistle as he thought back, "Sixteen... nearly seventeen. I was in my Junior year."

Renee smiled at the man nearly eighteen years older than she, "That is young."

"You're telling me." He laughed and shook his head, "It made my life go differently than I ever thought but I wouldn't change what happened for the world."

As Negan helped himself to another bite of his spaghetti, Ryan spoke, "And then my old man got his head on straight, finished school and ended up becoming a basketball coach."

"That I did," Negan spoke around his mouthful and swallowed. "So, he continued, you guys been together... how long now?"

"It's been about a year," Ryan was the one to answer, seeming happy with that response.

"Any big plans?"

"Not so far," it was the young woman who responded that time, biting lightly on her bottom lip in thought, "We've just been enjoying one another's company and taking things a day at a time."

Negan nodded at that, "You're still young, no need to worry about some huge damn commitment. Hell," he pushed his empty bowl of spaghetti aside and raked his hand down over his face, "Lucille and I dated for seven years before we got married." He laughed and shook his head, "Those were good years, let us know for sure what we wanted."

Ryan's phone rang, grabbing the attention of all three individuals around the table. The boy groaned as he swiped to answer the call and lifted the black cased phone to his ear. His eyes were trained apologetically on his woman as he answered, "Hello?" He rolled his eyes, irritation coming across his face, "They did?" Ryan licked his lips slowly, twirling spaghetti around his fork as he listened, "Well I guess if there's no one else I don't have much of a choice, do I?" He closed his eyes and nodded, "Yeah, I'll come in now if you need me..." There was a pause, "Of course it's inconvenient, I don't know why you waited till the last minute..... ok..... ok..... I know. See you then. Bye."