Curvy Girls Can't Date Bad Boys - Kelsie Stelting Page 0,52
again. I had so many people supporting me. Why wasn’t my father one of them?
The hum of the garage door pulled my gaze away from Ronan. Beth’s car was pulling out of the garage and coming down the long driveway.
“A friend of yours?” Ronan asked, moving his hand from my shoulders. Now he linked one of his hands with my own. A steady source of support I desperately needed right now.
“She raised me,” I said simply. “But she works for my dad.”
“Your nanny?”
I nodded.
“I had plenty of those.” His voice was almost nostalgic. Like maybe not all of his memories were painful.
The gate slid open, and Beth got out of her car, which was still running. She glanced toward the top of the gate, looking for what I knew was there. A camera. The fact that she was helping me would probably cost her her job. Now I felt bad for asking.
“Beth, you should go back,” I said. “I’m sorry I called you out here, I just—” My voice cracked.
“Shush, honey.” She took me in her arms and held me tight. “As far as I’m concerned, I work for you.”
Her words were meant to be comforting, but they broke my heart even more. I missed my mom more than ever, missed having someone who saw me as a child and not as a movable piece in a high-stakes game of chess. But now we couldn’t clear the board and start over. Real damage had been done.
Beth pulled back and said, “You can always call me if you need anything.” At that moment, she seemed to notice Ronan, doing a double take in his general direction. “Is this the boy?”
A smile split my face, and I wiped away my tears, nodding.
He stepped forward, extending his hand. “I’m Ronan.”
Beth stalled at the sight of his tattooed hand reaching out to her, but Ronan kept a gentle smile on his face. His tattoos were for him, not to please or deter anyone else.
She took his hand in hers and held it firm. “You take care of my baby girl, alright?”
“I wouldn’t think of doing anything else.” Once she let go, he got on the bike, and then I sat behind him.
As he pulled out of the entranceway, Beth gave us a small wave. I tried to smile, but couldn’t, knowing all I was saying goodbye to.
I wasn't sure where Ronan was taking me, but he drove to the outskirts of Brentwood, into Emerson, and stopped at Waldo’s Diner.
“What are we doing here?” I asked.
“Thought you could use something to eat.”
Hungry was the last thing I felt, but he was probably right. I needed my energy, especially since I hadn’t been able to stomach dinner the night before. We took off our helmets and left them on the bike but brought my bags inside.
Chester looked up at us from his table and said, “Hey, girl!”
I returned his greeting with a smile and said, “Hi there, Chester, this is—”
But Ronan was already extending his hand and shaking Chester’s.
“How are you, Ronan?” Chester asked. “Gotten into any trouble lately?”
“Only the good kind,” Ronan replied with a smirk.
Chester shook a finger at him. “To be young again. Are you taking care of my girl?”
Ronan looked me up and down, heat in his eyes. “I wouldn’t dream of doing anything else.”
“Atta boy.”
Ronan put his arm around my shoulders. “We’ll catch you later, Ches?”
He nodded. “Bye, Ronan. Bye Zara.”
As we walked away, my mouth fell open. “He knows my name?” I whispered. “I thought he just called me ‘girl’ because he couldn’t remember it!”
Ronan chuckled. “He sees more than he lets on. Don’t let him fool you.” As usual, Ronan walked to a corner booth and took the spot with his back to the wall and his line of sight on the entire room.
“I can’t believe you know Chester though,” I said. “You know everyone.”
“Just the right people,” he said.
A waitress came, bringing us menus, and asked what we wanted to drink. I took coffee, and Ronan ordered water.
He excused himself to go to the bathroom, and I plugged my phone in to an outlet underneath the table. I needed to call Jordan and see if that room was still available.
While I waited for my phone to charge, I glanced around the place. There were couples and older people eating breakfast, along with a big TV in the corner playing the news. I didn’t like listening to politics or hearing the latest tragedy, so I tried to tune it