Page 108 of Cheap Shot
“It’s okay, Ramona. Thanks for being considerate of my feelings, but you are allowed to touch me.Allowedmight be a stretch because of how my brother feels about you, so probably minimal touching so I can keep my arms attached to my body.”
Ramona laughs loudly, tears spilling down her cheeks as she wraps her arms tightly around her waist. I stand there awkwardly for a few moments, running my hand through my hair as I search for an escape route.
“I’m sorry.” She gasps, trying to regain her composure. She stands to her full height, her eyes, full of determination, lock with mine. “I am sorry, Cole. For a lot of things. I’m sorry for the way I reacted when you told Coop and me about your addiction. I’m sorry about trying to keep you away from Darius. I’m just sorry. So very sorry.”
I step toward Ramona, wrapping her in my arms as a deep sob escapes her throat. “There’s nothing to apologize for. You don’t know me, and you had Darius’s safety to worry about. But I would never. Will never. Do anything to hurt him.”
“I know that now, but then….” She hiccups, swiping at the tears on her cheeks before smiling. “It doesn’t matter now. Either way, I wanted to apologize.”
“It's all water under the bridge, Ramona.”
“Call me Mona. All my friends do.”
“Are we friends?”
“No, we are family.” She holds her arms out toward me, giving me an out, but instead of running like I did in the past, I step into her arms.
“Yes, we are, Ramona. Yes, we are.”
I plant a kiss on her forehead and step out of her embrace as we both head inside the house. As soon as we cross the threshold, Ramona makes a beeline for Cooper, dropping onto the arm of the couch beside him. His eyes flick to mine, narrowing slightly, but I just smile. Cooper would do anything to protect Ramona from heartache, even if it means beating my ass. Once he’s satisfied that I didn’t harm his lady love, he turns back to the television.
“How did it go?” Michele whispers, sliding her arm around my waist and squeezing my hip two times.
“Why do I have a feeling you already know what happened outside with Ramona?”
“Because I do.” She smiles, her eyes remaining focused on my brothers and Darius on the couch. “Ramona has been trying to get a few minutes alone with you for months to apologize, but with you running anytime she enters the room, and Cooper hovering, she asked me for a little help.”
“You really are trouble.” I chuckle, planting a kiss on the side of her head. “Thank you.”
“No problem.” She giggles.
“Have you talked to either of your sisters lately?” I ask carefully, not wanting to poke at old wounds.
When she cut her father out of her life, her sisters and stepmother went right along with him, but a few months ago, both of her sisters reached out, wanting to repair the relationship they had. I doubt anything will ever go back to the way it was with any of them, but as long as they respect her boundaries, she’s willing to allow them to be a part of her life.
She nods. “Texted yesterday. She sent me a picture of her baby shower. Wished I was there, but?—”
“She understood why you weren’t,” I whisper, pulling her tighter into my side.
Her father still hasn’t apologized for the things he said about me and her mother, so they haven’t spoken. Not that he hasn’t tried many times over the last year to get in contact with her, but she refuses to give in.
“She does, and I’m glad, but I hate he did this to us, to our family,” she says, voice firm. “But he doesn’t get access to me until he apologizes for the things he said, and I know that’s never going to happen.”
I don’t argue. I don’t comfort. I just hold her, because at this point, that’s all I can do. Be there for her when she’s hurting and let her know I will always be here for her. Choosing me over her family is the biggest sacrifice she’ll ever have to make, but we have each other. Not to mention, my family has welcomed both of us with open arms. She belongs here. Not as someone I brought in, but as someone who claimed her own space.
“Okay, let’s eat,” Beau shouts, as he carries a large tray of assorted meats through the house and into the front yard.
At the mention of food, everyone stops what they are doing and starts moving toward the front door, but then it happens.
Beau stumbles slightly. It’s subtle at first—like he missed a step that wasn’t there. But then he blinks hard, sways again, and suddenly, the large platter shatters on the floor, and Beau goes down.
He drops like a stone. His body hits the floor hard.
“Jesus—BEAU!” Cooper’s already there, fingers pressed to his throat.
Michele’s faster than all of us, skidding to her knees, checking his pulse, calling his name, shaking him. Alise goes pale, frozen, her lips parted in a silent scream. Ramona pulls Darius close as he screams for his uncle Beau to get up.
“I need a phone!” Michele shouts. “Now!”
