R&R

Chapter 37

I stood in the kitchen of my apartment with April, Randy and Vinny. Nancy had Nyx at their place so we could have a night to ourselves, it was the first time she would spend the night without us. I didn't like the idea but it was necessary... She needed independence but I was dead inside now.

I stood leaning against the counter as April fretted around an outfit she had made me for the fight tonight.

Vinny was complaining about the outfit, too short apparently, I was going to just wear gym gear but April was horrified by this idea so she took it upon herself (I assume on Ricardo as well) to make me an outfit.

April let out a frustrated sigh. "Vinny!" She groaned. "Ray needs to look hot when she kicks her brothers ass!" She explained in an exasperated voice.

"Yeah Vinny!" I backed her up, mostly out of my own amusement.

"Okay." Vinny held his hands up. "I'm just saying, if something flashes then it's on you!" He gestured to April then straight to Randy who was grinning from ear to ear in the corner, like some kind of chaos goblin. "What do you think Randy, letting your wife wear clothes like this?"

"Letting me?" I butted in.

"Vinny baby." He began with a smug smile. "Have you met my wife?" He gestured to me with a toothy grin. "She dresses like tomb raider on a daily basis! She is a constant tease, this isn't new to me." He gestured to the pile of black glitter.

Vinny looked a little disturbed. "Randy..." He rubbed his face with an exasperated expression. I had become the chaos goblin now, enjoying Randy rubbing Vinny the wrong way.

"C'mon now Vinny." Randy was being a fuck now. "Isn't there something you get Nancy to wear... when it's just you two?" His grin widened.

Vinny let out a sigh and turned to me for help. I thought about just shrugging and letting him deal with it after the 'letting me wear it' comment but I couldn't, Vinny was like a dad/uncle to me.

"Alright, I'm gunna get into the costume, let April paint my face then we can go to the gallery." I went to grab the outfit but April grabbed it first.

I looked up at her in surprise, she had been telling me for a long time how much she wanted me in this fucking outfit but now I was going to wear it and she snatched it away?

"I'm... gunna have to sew you into it..." She told me with a guilty expression. I rolled my eyes, of course she did. I followed her into the bathroom and stripped off. She began to put my outfit together. We chatted happily about it all, I obviously wanted to win but I didn't really mind if Apollo won, either way it would be a win for me.

Either I won and that would be cool or Apollo won and he would feel like he was really getting somewhere with his training.

Once I was sewed into the outfit, April had me sitting in our room as she applied some black glitter and makeup to my face. "Isn't this like old times?" She mused as she brushed my face with something.

I chuckled. "I guess so."

"Like me and you getting ready together! It's just so... nice to have, when you and Randy moved away I felt so alone." Her lips quivered a little.

I gave her a smile but that mystery was once again planted in my brain. Who wrote that fucking note!?

Whoever it was, didn't act upon their knowledge... I looked up at April... No... It couldn't be...

Her innocent ocean blue eyes were so kind, she would never. Nah, April would never do that to me, make me feel like my daughter was in danger. She was unhinged but she would never ever manipulate me like that, no way.