“Well, while you three yentas were sitting around discussing your monthly visitor, Kevin the Dickfuck has been here being his usual dickfucky self,” Murphy mutters, making my blood run cold and my entire body get tight with rage. “He already went to the athletic director and tried to cause a big fuss, saying it’s not appropriate Owen’s mother is sleeping with the coach.”
I stand up from my stool so fast it goes flying backward and topples over onto the floor.
“Calm down, son. We’re gonna handle this,” Murphy warns me, stepping forward to press a firm hand on my shoulder. “You need to look at that video first so you’ll know everything we’re dealing with.”
Even though all I want to do is race out of here and find Wren and Owen and make sure they’re okay, I grab my phone from the table, pull up Murphy’s text, and jab my finger on the video to bring it up.
Palmer and Bodhi get off their stools and crowd around me to watch a cell phone video that looks like a bunch of kids recorded from the backyard of a cottage behind Dip and Twist. Even though the video was taken at night, I can clearly see the brick building behind them, even with the lights all off and the place dark, thanks to the security light shining down from a pole in the parking lot.
“Sharon Worsham’s grandkid is the one recording the video,” Murphy explains while the video pauses for a few seconds because of the shitty island Wi-Fi. “He didn’t show it to anyone right away, because he was out doing something he wasn’t supposed to after curfew with his friends and he didn’t want to get in trouble.”
“Are they doing the cinnamon challenge?” Bodhi asks excitedly. “Oh man, it’s so fucking funny when they start coughing and looking like dragons snorting brown smoke out of their noses. Rrraaawwwrrr!”
“I don’t know what the hell those idiots are doing. Just pay attention to what’s happening behind them,” Murphy orders.
The video is less than a minute long, and Palmer is the first one to speak when it finishes. I’m too afraid to open my mouth, or I’ll let out the guttural roar building up inside me and scare the hell out of everyone in here.
“That motherfucker is the one who trashed the Dip and Twist,” he mutters from over my shoulder.
As clear as could be, even though it was taken well after midnight, not far behind the teenagers eating spoonsful of cinnamon and choking and laughing their asses off is none other than Kevin fucking Stratford breaking the deadbolt off of the backdoor of the Dip and Twist with a hammer and then waltzing right inside like he owns the place.
“I guess when he got wind that you and Wren are dating and that you’re playing a huge role in Owen’s life, it pissed that little weasel right off,” Murphy explains. “He seems to think he can prove Wren is an unfit mother by trashing the shop and complaining about her all over town.”
“Where the fuck is he?” I growl as I shake Murphy’s hand off my shoulder, turn, and start stalking toward the front door.
“No one’s seen him since he left the AD’s office.” Murphy hustles after me with Palmer and Bodhi quickly following. “He could be anywhere at—”
My phone vibrates in my hand, and I stop right in front of the door to look down at it, my heart dropping right down to my feet. If I wasn’t currently thinking about all the ways I plan on fucking up Kevin Stratford, I’d probably fall right to my knees and cry like a baby.
Love of My Life: I’m sorry. I’m SO sorry. I didn’t mean anything I said, and I was just scared and stupid and being ridiculous. He’s here. I need you, Shepherd. Please. I’m so sorry.
Yep, if I wasn’t currently thinking about all the ways I’m going to ruin Kevin Stratford’s life, I wouldn’t even be able to start walking again and put one foot in front of the other to get me the hell out of here and get me to my woman. Because even though Wren is probably still scared and hurt by the line I crossed that I never meant to, she’s the strongest goddamn woman I know. Because even through all her confusion and pain, she can suck it all up and let me know when she needs me. And doesn’t that just make me feel like an even bigger dick for staying away from her and not being able to suck up my own issues? I never should have let her walk away from me last night. I should have made her talk to me and gotten to the real root of the problem like a mature adult instead of a toddler who got his feelings hurt.