Final Score. Michelle Betham

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СКАЧАТЬ them hang in the air as they both watched their son play with Amber’s hair, wrapping it around his tiny hand and pulling at it gently. This perfect little man had been created in the midst of a not-so-perfect relationship. And Amber doubted it could ever be anything but that. Too much had happened, too many things had been said. Too many truths had been told.

      ‘We had something, Amber. You and me. Remember? We had something.’

      ‘I know we did, Ryan. It’s just…’ She was distracted by Jim’s reappearance in the room, her grip on Rico tightening as her eyes followed him, watching the way he walked, the way he smiled at everyone who acknowledged him. She’d allowed this man to take over her life all those years ago, and now there was no way back.

      ‘I’m going to get a drink,’ Ryan sighed, pulling himself away from the wall.

      ‘Ryan…’

      ‘Later, Amber.’

      She threw her head back, stroking her son’s soft, dark hair as he snuggled into her.

      ‘Do you want to get out of here?’

      She opened her eyes to see Ronnie standing there. He was the only person who could bring some sanity and sense into this rapidly deteriorating situation.

      She nodded, kissing the top of Rico’s head.

      Ronnie smiled. ‘Okay, well, I’ve just got a couple of things to tie up here, but I’ll only be a couple of minutes.’

      ‘I’ll wait for you out in the main reception. I’d better let Ryan know I’m going.’

      Ronnie leaned over to kiss her quickly before retreating back over to the bar, smiling at Freddie Sullivan as he approached Amber.

      ‘Everything alright, kiddo?’

      ‘I’m trying to make it that way, Dad.’

      Freddie frowned at his daughter, taking Rico from her. ‘Something you want to tell me?’

      She looked at him. ‘Like what?’

      Freddie raised an eyebrow. ‘Like, London?’

      All of a sudden that move to London wasn’t sounding like such a good idea. And a huge part of her wished she’d given it a lot more thought before mentioning anything to anyone. So much for leaving the days of rash decision-making behind.

      ‘Look, Dad, forget London, okay?’

      ‘So, you’re not moving down there, then?’

      ‘I don’t know…’

      ‘What’s happened?’

      ‘What do you mean, what’s happened?’

      ‘Something going on between you and Ryan?’

      ‘Nothing’s going on between me and Ryan.’ And that’s where the problem lay. ‘I just wish it was,’ she said quietly. ‘Then none of this crap would be happening.’

      Freddie frowned again. ‘’I don’t understand, sweetheart.’

      She leaned over to gently kiss Rico’s warm cheek, stroking his hair. ‘No. Neither do I.’

      ‘Do you want to talk about it? Whatever it is you’ve got on your mind? Would that help?’

      Amber smiled at her dad. He was the best dad a girl could ask for, and she loved him beyond words. But she really didn’t want him getting mixed up in any more of her turbulent and complicated love life. He didn’t need that, and neither did she. ‘No, it’s okay. I’m gonna go with Ronnie, grab something to eat.’

      ‘Do you want me to take Rico?’

      ‘Oh, no, Dad, it’s alright. He can come with us.’

      ‘He doesn’t want to do that, do you, little fella? You’d rather spend some more time with your old granddad. He can stay the night, can’t you, kiddo? If your mum doesn’t mind.’

      ‘Dad, are you sure? You’ve had him all day, and I… I can’t just…’

      ‘Amber, it’s fine. I love having him, you know I do. You just go with Ronnie, okay?’

      ‘Okay.’ She smiled, kissing first Rico, then her dad. ‘I’ll call you later. You be a good boy now, baby, you hear me? No acting up for granddad.’

      ‘He’ll be fine. You go, go on.’

      She made her way out of the Players’ Lounge, keeping her head down because she didn’t really want to stop for any small talk. She just wanted to leave Tynebridge and go somewhere away from it all. Just for a little while.

      ‘Hey, Amber, hang on!’

      She’d put one foot outside of the door when he caught her, giving her no choice but to stop and face him. ‘What do you want, Ryan?’

      ‘I thought we were taking Rico home together?’

      ‘And when was that decided? I don’t remember making any plans. I didn’t even know Dad was bringing him in until ten minutes ago.’

      ‘You’re leaving him with Freddie, again?’

      ‘What do you mean, “again”? You make it sound as though Rico’s never with me. It’s one night, Ryan.’

      ‘Why?’

      She narrowed her eyes as she stared at him. ‘Why, what?’

      ‘Why are you leaving him? Come on, Amber, you haven’t seen him all day…’

      ‘Can you just quit with the lectures and the guilt-tripping and anything else that has very little to do with you.’

      ‘He’s my son, too, Amber. So I think it has quite a bit to do with me. Jesus, I don’t even know how we got to this. To here. To the point where we can’t even have a frigging conversation without it ending in an argument. And it really doesn’t have to be this way, you know that, don’t you? It doesn’t have to be this way.’

      She looked at him. A man she’d once thought she’d loved so much, but was Ronnie right? Had she ever really loved Ryan Fisher? Or had he always been nothing but a distraction. Something to hide behind because she was scared of giving in to someone she really should have left behind a long time ago.

      ‘Everything’s just so confusing, Ryan. And I’m sorry; sorry that it’s all turned to this so quickly, but… I don’t know. I just don’t know any more.’

      He closed the door of the Players’ Lounge behind him, moving so he was standing in front of her, and she reluctantly leaned back against the wall.

      ‘Can’t we just talk, Amber?’

      ‘About what?’

      ‘About us. About how we can make this work – you, me and Rico. We’re a family now, babe. СКАЧАТЬ