The Whole Time

Ch.2 Bitterness

EDITED

"Jeremy?!"

"What the hell are you doing?"

Her surprise melts into anger.
"What are you doing?" She says trying to shrug him off, tugging her arms back, it's useless.

"Where's Billy? Where's your kid? What the hell are you doing at a bar?"

She breaks out a disbelieving laugh, her bloodshot stare shooting daggers at him. "You're joking? You're joking. Jeremy, let me go. Don't be fucking weird."

"Someone around to pick you up or should I order an uber?"

It's a losing battle, she tries to rip out of his embrace and he keeps a hold, forcing her to look at him. Blowing a strand of hair out of her face, she takes a break from fighting him and drops her head between them, exhaling.

"Jeremy, let go of me, or I'll scream. I'm not kidding. What I'm doing here is none of your business. I haven't seen you in what, four, five years? You were always fucking over protective but this is a new level of ridiculous."

"At least I'm concerned about the parentless behavior going on in there"

"Don't," she shouts, stepping closer and staring up at him through thick long lashes.

"Do not use that phrase with me, Jeremy. Unbelievable. You have no idea what shit I'm going through right now and you have the audacity to automatically assume that I'm the one in the wrong when you don't even know the situation."

"Fine," he snaps, I won't argue with that. "You're still putting yourself in danger."

"In danger of who?" She asks, sarcasm in her tone. "Oh that right, men!"

"O. Yeah, we're the worst," he mutters, disguising his agreement as sarcasm.

They both turn at the sound of the club door opening, he keeps a hand on Candace, loose enough for her not to feel like he's holding her hostage, even though he sort of is. The volume from inside increases for a moment while Monty and Johnny file out, their coats and beanies on. The two of them exchange glances, no doubt concerned about the way he's outside, holding a drunk girl like a creep

"Help," Candace whispers, laughing to herself.

"You good man?" Monty peers between Candace and Jeremy.

"You're uh, not taking her home, right?" Monty asked

"It's not like that."

"Because she's very drunk," Monty continues, while Johnny hangs back, watching. Monty slips his phone out of his pocket and starts tapping the screen, ordering an Uber.

"It's Candace Flynn. I'm looking out for her."

"Candace?" Johnny perks up. Married or not, he thinks Candace is hot.

"Where are Stacy and Vanessa, why aren't they here with you?" Johnny asked

"Aw" Candace slurs. "I miss the girls."

"You and me both," he bites. "They'd have been dealing with this bullshit instead of me."

"You don't have to deal with me. I'm a grown woman now, Jeremy. I can look out for myself."

She didn't need to remind him she was a grown woman, he had been trying not to notice the sharp angles of her face, the loss of that adolescent roundness in her cheeks. Her perky breast and the fullness of her lower torso and hips. She'd always been lean and tall, but adulthood, and likely a baby, had given her a mature figure and damn if it didn't suit her.