Hurricane Love

Fourty Eight

'Mum!' Ryker yelled, loudly, through the hallway of his house as we stepped in the front door.

I stayed close to him as we walked in and down the hall towards the lounge, the overwhelming smell of weed hitting my nostrils as I walked closer to the door and both male and female voices could be heard.

I subtly linked his arm as we stepped into the lounge doorway and I immediately pasted a smile on my face as I prepared to greet his mother again. The sense of awkwardness hit me as she looked up at us, eyes heavy, smile sloppy, joint in one hand and a beer in the other. A man sat on the sofa opposite also holding a joint and a beer. The man looked intimidating and scary, being of a very large build, wearing a dirty, white vest and jeans. He had a very long and scruffy beard and also had a huge black eye.

'Oh, you brought a friend home,' Ryker's mum said, before letting out a loud cackle as she looked to her friend. 'Deano, our Ryker has a little girlfriend now.'

'Wow, I've got to say I'm impressed, little man,' Deano said, smiling and revealing a missing tooth right at the front. 'You've got a little beauty of a future daughter-in-law there haven't you, Donna!'

'Daughter-in-law!' Ryker's mum, Donna, screeched, before letting out a very loud and patronising snigger.

'On second thought, I think we'll leave,' Ryker said, letting out a sigh as he nudged me towards the door.

'Oh, don't be like that, Ryker!' Donna cried. 'We're just fucking with you.'

'I didn't know you'd have company,' Ryker said. 'It's the middle of the week.'

'So you brought her to meet your mum?' Deano asked. 'How very fucking adorable is that?'

'I've already met her I think,' Donna mumbled, tilting her head as she studied me with squinted eyes before they widened and she smiled a toothy grin. 'Yeah, you've been here before!'

'Yes, I came around here to see Ryker and you invited me in,' I told her, quietly.

'That's right, I remember,' Donna laughed. 'So, what was the big, important thing then? Pregnant? Broke? Parents kicked you out for shagging a good-for-nothing bum from the shitty Meadowview neighbourhood?'

'Mum!' Ryker snapped. 'Shut the fuck up!'

It pissed me off immediately as I heard the way she talked about her own son and I was dying to set her straight and tell her how amazing he actually was and that she didn't even realise it but I didn't have the balls to stand up to her.

'Well, what the fuck is she doing with you, mate?' Deano laughed. 'She's looks like she's from the posh side of town. Did you shag him when you were hammered at some party, darling? Get yourself knocked up and now he's stepping up to the mark?'

'Deano, I won't hesitate to make your other eye match that fucking black one,' Ryker muttered.

'I'm just trying to lighten the mood, fucking hell!' Deano cried, raising his hands defensively as he grinned. 'The girl looks fucking terrified.'

He and Donna burst into fits of laughter as they studied my completely frozen face and Ryker stepped forward, pushing me slightly behind him.

'Actually, I came here thinking you might be sober enough to maybe have a normal conversation with Amelia and maybe try and get to know her but I should have known better than to think you'd fucking care about anything in my life,' Ryker said.

'Oh, Ryker, come and sit down, we can all have a nice chat and get to know Amelia if you want us to,' Donna laughed. 'Come on, sit down, have a drink, have a smoke.'