Rugged To The Core

Chapter 44

Special thanks to Finest_Wine for this lovely cover ♥♥♥

Lucky

"Forgive me but your father is stark raving mad."

     Naomi and I were sitting on the steps outside, watching a basketball game which TJ, Best and a few other guys partook in. I had just recounted the coffee ordeal to Naomi and she was quite furious.

"I just can't understand why and how he could hate me so much." I shrugged. My eyes wondered off to Best who was crouched over with his hands on his knees in the court.

"Maybe It's something your mother did and he's taking it out on you."

     Best sauntered across the court to the steel fence, he gripped the chains with both hands, staring at me. He looked knackered, he mildly panted as he watched me. I smiled and waved at him.

"He called me a liability and called my existence a mistake." I droned, hearing his voice screaming those words in my ear.

     The basketball game had come to an end, Best and TJ began shaking hands with the players on the court.

"How did your parents meet?" Naomi queried, I hadn't been expecting the question. "Do you think your parents were forced into marriage because your mother got pregnant? Maybe he just wasn't ready to start a family..."

I thought about It for a second. "I don't know, that could be further from the truth. There's a alotta things swirling in my head, a lot of hypothesis. What drives me mad is the fact that at the end of the day that's what they are — hypothesis, I don't know squat. All I know is my parents are failing at one thing — parenting."

     Best and TJ were a lot closer now, they conversed as they strode, keeping their eyes on us.

"If I had a father even remotely like yours?" Naomi asked rhetorically, she shrugged, shook her head and tsked. "I would run away, even with consequences like: rape, being used for money rituals or human trafficking. If I have to, I would sell tomatoes just to make ends meet."

Best and TJ stopped before us. "Hello ladies..." he greeted, reaching out to stroke Naomi's chin but she jumped away.

"Eww, don't touch me. You're sweaty."

"Get used to it, sweet cheeks. Know that this piece of meat is all yours..." He wiggled his eyebrows and cocked his fairly impressive biceps.

"Hey..." Best breathed out.

"Hey." I greeted, handing him his face towel. He collected it and wiped the beads of sweat off his face.

"I'm parched." He announced, eyeing my water bottle.

    
"Here... " I handed it to him.

His eyes suddenly fell on my bandaged hand. "How did you manage to burn yourself again?"

"I-uh... I was frying -"

"What were you frying? Fish?" TJ asked.

I chuckled.

"God, I hate frying fish!" Naomi moaned.

"Should probably wear a mitten next time." TJ suggested jokingly.

"Hahaha." I sarcastically replied. "Real funny."

     Naomi and TJ then dived into a banter, leaving Best and I in awkward silence.