Page 91 of Saving Ren

“You doing okay?” he asks his mum, wrapping his arms around her and holding her against him.

“This is bullshit, mum. You should’ve told us what was going on.”

Lauren eventually pulls away, takes a small step back, and looks up at her son as she cups the side of his face.

“I know, and I’m sorry. I thought I was doing the right thing, keeping it from you.”

Her jaw trembles as she talks, her eyes and cheeks are wet with tears, and she looks defeated as she looks up at Ryder and shrugs.

Fuck it. I know it’ll probably get me in all kinds of trouble, but I can’t just stand here when she’s looking so broken all over again. Hooking my arm around her neck, I pull her against me and kiss the side of her head. I feel her stiffen but have zero fucks to give right now.

“You okay to go in there on your own, or you want me to come in with you?” I ask, looking down at her.

“Am I missing something here?” Ryder asks, and before Lauren can,Irespond.

“Yeah, mate. Look, sorry to be introducing myself like this, but we’re actually together. We literally just met as all this happened between your mum and dad, but things escalated quickly and your mum’s living with me, and, yeah, we’re together.”

Ryder takes a step back, his eyes darting between us.

“It’s only been a few fucking weeks, Mum. What the fuck?”

“Dude, seriously, don’t talk to your mum like that. She’s got enough going on right now.”

Lauren’s palm presses against my gut, and she steps in front of me.

“Ryde, don’t start. It’s as complicated or as straightforward as you wanna make it. I’ve left your dad, and now I’m with Gabe. It’s all new. We have no idea where it’s going, but right now, it’s going good.”

With one hand on his hip, the other raking through his hair, his eyes continue to move between us.

“He looking after you?”

“Like a Queen,” Lauren replies, and fuck me, I really want to smile.

“Wild, right?” he questions, obviously knowing who I am.

“Yeah. Your dad’s crew have worked on a couple of our developments.”

He folds his arms across his chest and nods.

“You fixed up that old seventies place on the esplanade. Is that where you’re living?”

I feel Lauren nod from beside me, and I do the same.

“You can move into my place, Mum, you know that, right? Don’t go rushing into something just out of convenience.”

I don’t think I tense, but I definitely pull myself up a little straighter at his words.

“I know that,” Lauren replies. “It’s not like that. He genuinely offered me somewhere to stay just to help me out, but things changed. . .” She trails off, then lets out a long sigh. “You really want me to go into details and explain all what’s gone on between us, Ryder?”

“Fuck no. But I do want to know you’re safe, that you’re not gonna be used or fucked around.” His eyes land square on me, he even gestures with his head in my direction, just to clarify who his comments are aimed at.

The kid’s got balls, I’ll give him that. I like that Lauren has that though, that her kid is protective and looking out for his mum.

“I know who you are, know your reputation, couldn’t give a fuck about any of it as long as you look after my mum. You don’t, Iwillgive a fuck, and me and youwillhave a problem,” he states. Before I get a chance to reply, Lauren moves away from me and steps towards the front door.

“Right, now that the pissing contest is out of the way, can I get my stuff and get out of here?”

With Ryder’s eyes still burning a hole in the side of my head, I follow Lauren into the house.