The Bad Boy is Mine

Chapter 5

"I'm sorry for hitting you." he whispers.

I sigh quietly.

"I know you are." I say.

I don't tell him it's okay, because it isn't.

It's not okay.

"I want you to be Charlotte's Mom." He whispers.

I look at him and raise my eyebrows. "She can't live with Mom. She has more of a chance of having a Dad with you. I want her to go to you. I want her to know that your Mommy." He says. "She needs to stop calling you Auntie."

"What if you shape up? What if you get help?"

He shakes his head. "I can't be her Dad." He says. "I'm not a good role model. I only way I would've been able to do it would've been with Rikki. She's gone. She wouldn't want me to be Charlotte's Dad after all of this. I really want you to be her Mom. Please, Rylee? Please?"

I nod slowly. "Alright." I sigh.

"That means when she's acting up, you can tell her to knock it off. When I get let out, we'll go to the courthouse and make it official."

"But what if I get married? She'll-"

"Call him Daddy." He nods. "I'll be okay."

"Alright." I sigh. "I'll do it."

****

He was let out a week later. Jace still won't leave.

We go to the courthouse and change the name on Charlotte's birth certificate so her mother's name is Rylee Harper Digby.

She's already started to call me Mommy.

We have to change everything.

I now claim two, myself and Charlotte.

I already feel different, like a certain amount of responsibility is on my shoulders.

I'm a Mom now.

They didn't let Jace out until late, and it's seven when we get to Mom's.

"Jace, you really don't have to stay.

"I'm staying, Rylee." He says.

Sighing, we all sit around while Mom makes dinner. Charlotte plays on the floor.

"Coming home you?" Charlotte asks. "You my Mommy."

"Do you want to come home with me?" I ask.

"Ya!" she grins.

"Well then I guess you are." I smile. She squeals, excited, and she plays with her toys.

We all eat.

Most people wouldn't even know that my Mom that I call Mom isn't my birth Mom; she's my step Mom who was a bitch when she raised me. She got Dad arrested for bullshit. My real Mom is somewhere.

My real Dad is...

God knows where he is.

That's why I miss my Dad.

He was forced to leave us by the police, and he fought for custody, and when he lost, my step Mom filed a restraining order.

The courts had us stay with her because they couldn't find my Mom.

Dad was pleading and screaming while he was dragged out of the courtroom.

He promised Adam and I he would find us again.

Jace is being very quiet.

I must've zoned out, because Adam is gone.

"Where's Adam?" I ask.

"Kitchen." Jace sighs.

Adam walks in with a bottle of Rum.

I swear my Mom is keeping it in the house because she wants Adam to drink it.

I make a move to sit up and take the bottle, but to my surprise, Jace does. He snatches the bottle right out of Adam's hand and walks to the kitchen.

I hear it get poured down the sink. The bottle hits the bottom of the garbage can.

"You know what I don't understand?" Jace blurts. He's not looking at me, or at my Step mom.

No, he's looking right at Jace.

"What?" Adam asks, irritated.

"You gave up your daughter. You hit your sister! You are ripping your family apart, and you don't care!"

"I am not!"

"Bullshit!" Jace shouts.

"Jace," I begin, standing up. Adam stands up too.

"How am I ripping them apart?"

"Your kid was crying hysterically when I got there with your sister! Your mom was crying! You hit the shit out of your sister but she's still fucking here for you! You shouldn't be doing this! I get it, alright? I get you lost your wife, and that sucks, and if I lost your sister, I'd probably lose it too, but if I got her pregnant, I'd man the fuck up and take care of my kid! You've got a beautiful daughter that deserves her father. Your wife wouldn't have wanted this! You are the man of the house, and you're fucking it up!" Jace grabs the front of Adam's shirt. "Man the fuck up, stop snorting and shooting and drinking and go the fuck to rehab. Fix yourself, come back, get your fucking kid, and start your life over again, with your kid. Make your wife proud! She's up above us heartbroken! You're a path of destruction! Fix it!"

If I lost your sister, I'd probably lose it too.

Does he like me?

Jace disappears upstairs and ten minutes later, he comes down with bags and bags and bags of cocaine and marijuana and heroin and crystal meth.

He takes it outside and tosses it in the neighbors trash.

Then he walks back into the house.

"Rylee, can we leave please?" he asks. "I can't sit here and watch people get their hearts broken for another second."

I have a sudden respect for Jace.

He may be an arrogant dick, but he's got a soft spot.

I nod slowly and put me and Charlotte's dishes away.

I pick up Charlotte and follow Jase out the door. I have Charlotte's clothes in a backpack. Jace lifts the seat and tosses the bag there. He gets on his motorcycle, I get on, and then I lift Charlotte between us. Charlotte's tiny fists clutch to Jace's back. I hold onto him, my mind racing.

I don't even know him! How the hell would he like me already?

So who likes Jace?

Wasn't his freak out at Adam true?