Chapter 83 Chapter 83 Ryan
I am laying out on the stands stretching. Gemma and Erika are playing tennis, we are at the Country Club. I have a lighter brace to use now and I have lots of stretches to do each day. I can put some weight on it but I still have a few weeks the I am in the clear. Damn knee still hurts and it's going to be a long while before I can put my feet in heels.
Grant has not tried to call or see me. I have secretly been making treats and sending them to Ryan via Yesenia. He has been drawing me pictures, god I miss that kid. Something inside me snapped when he hugged me with his little arms and his sloppy wet kisses are the best. I haven't tried to reach out to Grant either, I guess he made himself pretty clear on how he felt.
"You are distracting! Put some clothes on!" laughs Gemma.
I shrug my shoulders at her. I have a sports bra and some short tights on. I sit up and grab a water from my backpack but before I can drink, I see a small boy dart through the tennis courts. OMG, no one is paying attention they are going to hit him. The closer he gets, I notice it's Ryan. Some woman is running after him yelling. I hop off the stands and run toward him. I grab him just in time for a tennis ball to hit me right on my spine.
"Elle!!!" he screams in my ear.
"What are you doing here? You should not be running through the tennis courts. You could get hurt. Promise to never do it again!"
He smiles and gives me one of his sloppy kisses. The dark haired lady reaches us trying to catch her breath.
"Thank you! He is such a brat!"
"He is four, he runs, there is nothing bratty about that!"
Ryan puts his little face in the crook of my neck. Grant comes running through the tennis courts and freezes when he sees me holding Ryan. He closes in slowly, the lady grabs his hand and their fingers intertwine. Fuck me! This is a girlfriend, she looks young though, not as young as me but young. She tries to grab Ryan but he wiggles away from her in my arms.
"He got away from me honey!" she bats her lashes at Grant.
"Yea ok! He ran through seven tennis courts, maybe hold onto him, he could have been seriously hurt!" I snap, he made it all the way to our court.
"He is so fast!" she smiles at me but her smile feels slimmy and gross. "You are so good with him, you should babysit for us! Are you free next week?"
"I am going to be in Mexico for Spring Break!"
"Oh, that is so funny so is Grant's regular babysitter!"
"Yea, I know. We are going together."
God I hate this bitch, she is dumb. I want to say I hate putting women down but the ones like her, they make us all look bad. Ryan asks me if I have cookies for him, the girlfriend is staring at me like the wheels are starting to move inside her empty head. Dimitri brings me my backpack and I bend down with Ryan, then I take out a ziplock bag full of cookies and hand it to him.
"One a day!"
I pick him up again and hand him to his dad.
"Do you two know each other?"
"Yes!" is the only answer he gives her.
"I am Felicity!" she gives me her hand and I take it.
"I'm Elle."
I can't stop the words before they leave my mouth. I don't want to be rude but I do.
I turn toward Grant. "Maybe don't leave your son with a random girlfriend who can't run."
"Bye Ryan!" I rub is little back and turn around.
I can hear him say something to her that I can't make out. Then I hear his footsteps move closer to me. I drop down on the stands again and continue my stretches. Gemma and Erika restart their game. I watch Grant's girlfriend leave the courts and disappear behind the shrubbs. He sits down next to me with Ryan in his arms. I reach in my bag and pull out my sweats then I put them on because we are grabbing lunch and I can't walk in the restaurant wearing nothing.
"How is your knee?"
I cock my head sideways. "How old is she?"
"Twenty."
"Great, I am a year younger. Go away, Grant!"
"It's not like that!" he pleads.
"Whatever you have to tell yourself to reject me!" I throw his words back at him. Ryan's little eyes dart between us while he holds his bag full of cookies.
"You have been sending treats with Yesenia! He loves them and he asks about you all the time."
"Go away, Grant!"
He is still sitting next to me. Dimitri moves toward us but I put my hand up. "It's fine, we are leaving anyway!"
Gemma, Erika and Tish grab their things and follow Dimitri and I out of the courts. Grant is left standing there with Ryan in his arms watching us walk away.
"He was staring at your ass as you walked away!" annouces Gemma.
"Well it's a really nice ass, so...." I laugh.
I turn and look, I shouldn't but I do and they are no longer there. Dimitri hands me my crutches and I take them. I cannot comprehend why I am so into him. We saw each other three times, I want to let go but something keeps pulling me back. I huff because I am annoying myself.
Walking in the restaurant, I spot Mason right away, Olivery and Brown. They are not alone, they all have girls with them, that's new. Grant's girlfriend storms in all fast and sits down with force until she sees me. Well well, I got to her. She glares and then turns her attention to Mason. His arm is in a sling, he looks like he is recovering well. I wonder if he knows about Grant and I. The hostess takes us to our usual table. Dimitri helps me prop my leg and takes a seat opposite of me. Grant walks in and puts Ryan down, he darts toward me as soon as he spots me.
"It's fine, I got him." I tell Grant from across the room, his anger melts away as he takes a seat next to his girlfriend.
Mason looks so damn confused, I am enjoying the look on his face. Ryan hops in my lap and he is kissing my face and making me laugh. We order drinks and the waiter leaves us. Gemma starts to ask Ryan questions about the things he likes. Tish joins in too. He is so animated and adorable he makes us all laugh. The hostess brings him a coloring page and some crayons. Ryan gets right to coloring while he tells us about his new favorite movie.
I look up and my eyes meet Dimitri's across the table.