Read Online Ball Peen Hammer by Lauren Rowe - Free Book Online

life.”
    “Anything for you, Z. You know that.”
    Zander looks at Ryan again. “You wouldn’t blame Peen for dying his hair blue if you saw this girl.” He sighs reverently. “ Daphne .”
    “Good times?” Ryan asks.
    “I think I’m in love.”
    “So did this Daphne girl wind up dying her hair to match Peen’s after she saw the color on him?”
    Z motions to me like the answer’s self-explanatory. “What do you think?”
    Ryan and Zander burst out laughing.
    “ Hey ,” I say, but I’m smiling.
    “You owe him one, Zander,” Ryan says. “He looks fucking ridiculous.”
    “Oh, I know. Peenie fell hard on his sword for me this time.”
    Ryan glares at me. “Wipe that goofy grin off your face, Papa Smurf. I was really worried about you. And Dax is going out of his head. He thought maybe you fell off your balcony or something—which, knowing you, isn’t outside the realm of possibility.”
    “Sorry,” I mumble. “I just didn’t check my phone for a few days, that’s all. You know how I get sometimes. I hate being reachable every minute of every day—it stresses me out.” I flash him my dimples, the ones the ladies can never resist, and Ryan returns my smile, which I take as a very good sign. “Sorry, Rum Cake,” I continue. “I really am. I was just taking a technology-vacay for a bit, I guess—I wasn’t avoiding anybody in particular. I was just...” I sigh. “You know how I get sometimes.”
    Ryan looks at me sympathetically. “Yeah, I know.”
    There’s a long beat, during which all anger seems to evaporate from Ryan’s body.
    “So, you’ve got a thing for MILFs these days, huh?” Ryan asks.
    “Divorced soccer moms.” I wink. “The produce section during school hours is a MILF-y wonderland. Highly recommend. Five stars.”
    Ryan chuckles.
    I shrug. “Nothing serious for me these days; you know how it is.”
    “Are all the MILFs divorced?”
    “Mostly.”
    “If they’re not, you’re following the Ten Year Rule like a good boy, right?”
    “Yes, Master Yoda.”
    “Good boy.” Ryan exhales again and his eyes flash with unmistakable sympathy for a brief moment. “Keane, you can’t go MIA like that on us, okay? If I didn’t find you here today, we were gonna tell Mom and Dad.”
    I’m aghast. “No.”
    “Yes.”
    “You wouldn’t do that to me. Not Mom .”
    “Well, answer your goddamned phone more than once a week and we won’t have to resort to that.”
    “Shit. You’re not serious, are you?”
    “Yes, I am. Why the fuck didn’t you at least answer Dax? You always answer Dax. He said he called and texted a bunch of times. He was really worried, Keane.”
    I shrug. “Dax said he wanted me to do him a favor so I didn’t call him back right away. And then I just forgot. Sorry. I wasn’t avoiding him on purpose. I was just busy, you know, being every woman’s fantasy.” I flash him my dimples again, but this time, Ryan shoots me a look of sheer annoyance.
    “You know what, Keane? This is bullshit,” Ryan says. “I know things haven’t worked out the way you’d hoped, but that’s life. It’s time for you to move on and grow up. This stunted-teenager routine is getting old. Everyone faces disappointment in life. Pick yourself up and move on.”
    I’m shocked and I’m sure my face shows it. Why’s he turning all parental on me all of a sudden?
    Ryan’s face turns sympathetic. “Keaney, you can’t let one setback turn you into a complete loser for the rest of your life.”
    I press my lips together. “It wasn’t just a setback, Ryan. It was everything.”
    Ryan exhales. “No, it wasn’t. You think so, but you’re wrong. Get up, wipe the dirt off your knees, and move the fuck on. Your dream didn’t work out? So find a new dream.”
    I swallow hard, not knowing what to say.
    “Well, glad to see you’re all right,” Ryan says after an awkward beat. “I’ve got shit to do. Call Dax.” He turns to leave.
    “Ry, wait.”
    But Ryan doesn’t stop.