Choosing You

Kid grabbed Shannon by the arm and dipped his head until they were nose to nose. “I don’t have to be anything. We’ve got a golden opportunity. Golden. Don’t fuck this up. We’re gonna be beyond set. You hear me? Get a kick ass house, sweet car. Everyone in town will know we’re rollin’.” He let her go.

“I know. We’ll get there,” Shannon soothed. “The first step is getting him to trust me. Then, I can get a relationship going with Olivia. Once I do that, he won’t be able to get rid of me. I can ask for custody and let him pay me off. Or let him know that with a bit of money, I’ll go away. But he’s not going to get that money until at least the summer. So the big money is down the road. For now, I’ll see if he won’t give me money here and there. The hotel. Gas money. Money for taking time off work.”

“No, you won’t see if you can get the money. You’ll get the money. I’m just looking out for our future. You have to think ahead.”

Kid tapped his index finger against his temple.

“I know, baby.”

“You know? You didn’t even want to come out here. You’d have seen that article and just been pissed off. Women think small. That’s why you need a man. You need me to think big picture.”

“I know. This is why I missed you. I wanted to talk this over with you. Make a plan,” Shannon placated.

Kid stepped closer to her and took her shoulders in his hands. He shoved her backward on top of all the laundry on the bed, then joined her there. Shannon twisted toward him.

“I got big plans.” He grabbed her head and kissed her. He tasted of beer and cigarettes and smelled of stale sweat, but Shannon blocked that out and focused on how his body felt pressed next to hers. He wasn’t a prince, but he was hers.