Skid Row Kings Complete Series

by Winter Travers

  “That right there is the problem, Mitch. You just come in here, fixing everything without me even asking you to.”

  “I’m not going to stand by and watch you struggle, Scar. You needed a car, you needed someone to watch Levi, you needed a Goddamn bed,” Mitch boomed

  “I only need a bed because you popped mine,” I hissed.

  “Pretty sure you were an intricate part of popping that sorry excuse for a bed.”

  “Ugh, that’s not the point, Mitch. How am I supposed to know that I can do things on my own if you’re always there fixing my problems before I even know I have one?” I set my glass down and propped my hands on my hips. “I left Manny because he was hurting me, but also because I needed to live my own life. I needed to prove to myself that I can do this on my own.”

  “Who the hell says you need to do it on your own? If you have someone there to help, take the damn help. I’m not going to walk away so you can prove to yourself some asinine idea that you need to struggle to make it.”

  “I can’t expect you to always come along and rescue me.”

  “When are you going to see, you rescued yourself. You are the one who left Manny and drove halfway across the country and started a new life. You saved yourself.”

  I shook my head. “That was three days of my life, Mitch. Not three years. I just… I just need to know when you leave that I can do this on my own. I can raise Levi by myself and not have to depend on anyone.”

  “This is ridiculous.” Mitch paced the length of the living room. “Who’s going to watch Levi when you’re working? You know he hates going to work with you.”

  “I’ll find a daycare. I’ve saved up some money, and I should be able to swing it.”

  “You’d rather send Levi to daycare then let him stay with me?”

  “Mitch, I can’t expect you to uproot your whole life for Levi and me. How many children did you watch before I moved here?” Mitch tossed his hands up in the air and continued pacing. “I like you, Mitch, so much, but it’s almost too much at once. I just left Manny, and now I’m here with you. I haven’t been alone in so long that I don’t really know who I am.”

  “So with me, you can’t figure out who you are? This is bull shit, Scar,” he boomed.

  I flinched at his words. I didn’t want to hurt him, but I didn’t know what else to do. “Mitch, I don’t want to-”

  “Stop, I get it, Scar. I’ll give you some space, but I’m not fucking going anywhere. I’ll be here at eight to pick up Levi, and I’ll watch him while you work.”

  “Mitch, no. I-” He held his hand up, cutting me off.

  “You need daycare. I’m just doing what a daycare would do. Just think of it that way. You want to do this on your own, that’s fine. But just know, I didn’t want to step back, you made me.” He cradled my cheek and pressed a kiss to my forehead. “I’m not going away.” His thumb wiped away the tears that were falling from my eyes and then he was gone.

  He walked out without looking back and closed the door behind him.

  I looked around my apartment, and I’d never felt more alone.

  I knew this was what I asked for, but I couldn’t help but feel like I had just made the worst decision of my life.

  ______________

  Chapter 29

  Mitch

  “What the hell are you doing here?”

  “I could ask the same of you. I figured you would have been upstairs with Vi.”

  “She passed out, and I couldn’t sleep, came down here to work on the car.”

  I had driven around for an hour after leaving Scarlett’s, trying to figure out what the hell I was going to do. I had finally ended up back at the shop and was surprised to see Luke working on his Charger. “So, what the hell are you doing here?”

  I didn’t really know what the hell I was doing here. I should have told Scarlett she was wrong, but I knew she had to figure that out on her own. “Well, I think Scarlett broke up with me.” I grabbed the wrench Luke had laying on the fender and leaned into the car.

  “I hope it didn’t have to do with Kurt and the bullshit he pulled today.”

  “No, at least I don’t think it did.” I loosened the bolt on the radiator and helped Luke lift it out of the car. “She didn’t even mention Kurt.”

  “Good. Vi had said that Levi was pretty shaken up, and they went home right after we left.” We rested the radiator on the ground, and we both looked down at it.

  “I don’t know what the hell to do, Luke.”

  “Well, what do you want to do?” He pulled a rag out of the back pocket of his jeans and wiped his hands.

  “I wanna pound on her fucking door until she lets me in and make her change her mind.” Changing her mind wasn’t the only thing I wanted to do to her, but Lord knew when the next time would be that I would be able to touch her.

  “Then why aren’t you?”

  “Because I know that’s not what she wants or needs. She had a shit life, Luke, and I don’t want to add to it and make it even shittier. I want her to choose to be with me because that’s what she wants, not because I made her.” I ran my hands over my head and closed my eyes. Had I been forcing her this whole time to be with me and she just finally had the chance to stand up to me?

  “From what I saw of her, she didn’t act like she was being forced to be with you.”

  “Then why the hell doesn’t she want to be with me?” I had so many fucking questions, I couldn’t make heads or tails of them all.

  “Why did she break up with you?”

  “She said she needed to know that she would be OK if we would ever break up. That she could support herself and Levi and not rely on anyone.”

  “So, just take a step back. Let her be. I mean, you did buy her a fucking car and watch her kid for her while she worked. I get what she’s saying. You never know if you can make it unless you try.”

  “Why the hell can’t I be there to help her? I’m not trying to take over her life.”

  “Mitch, come on. Think about it. Look around at this place. Do you think I could have done this on my own if I had someone giving me everything? I had to fucking earn it. Work hard for it.”

  “It took you fucking years to build this place up to what it is, Luke. I’m not going to wait fucking years for Scarlett.”

  “I get you, but is she worth waiting years for?” He tossed the rag at me and slammed the hood of the car shut. “I don’t think you have to wait years, Mitch. But I do think that you need to give her space and let her realize she needs you in her life.”

  None of this made sense. I needed to step back and let her realize she needed me? Why I couldn’t be with her while she realized that she needed me? “This fucking blows, Luke.”

  “Nah, it really doesn’t Mitch. If something is that good, it’s worth waiting for.” He clapped me on the back and headed to the stairs.

  “Hey, wait. Did you figure out anything more about Kurt?” Luke and I had driven all over, talking to everyone we could think of that might have a clue as to where Kurt would go. Everyone we spoke to had no idea who was making offers to him.

  “Nah. I can’t find a trace of him anywhere. I don’t know what else to do, Mitch. He knows where we are and that he’s always welcome here. His leaving might help him realize that this is where he needs to be.”

  “And what if he doesn’t come back?”

  “Then I guess this wasn’t where he was meant to be.” He jogged up the stairs, and I leaned against his car.

  What a fucking shit night. Kurt disappears into thin air, and Scarlett tells me to get lost.

  I was going to give her the space she wanted, but I wasn’t going to be very far away. Scarlett was mine. Now she needed to figure that out for herself.

  ______________

  Chapter 30

  Scarlett

  It was a quarter to eight and Levi was refusing to put his socks on, and I was ready to pull my hair out. I was more than determined to leave the house before Mitch got here, but it di
dn’t look like that was going to happen.

  “I don’t want to go to work with you. I wanna stay with Mitch and work on cars. Your work is so boring.”

  He had me there. The gas station wasn’t the most exciting job, but it was paying our bills for the time being. “No, Levi. I told you Mitch had other things he needed to do today so he can’t watch you.”

  “I don’t believe you.” He crossed his arms over his chest and stuck his lip out.

  “Well, believe, Levi. Now, get your socks on so we can leave. I can’t be late for work.”

  He stomped down the hallway to his room and slammed the door shut. I couldn’t tell if I was a raising a four-year-old or a teenager anymore.

  Just as I slipped on my shoes, there was a knock at the door, and I hung my head. We hadn’t outrun Mitch. I opened the door, fully expecting to see Mitch standing there in all his handsome glory but was surprised when I was face to face with a balding, beer-bellied man in his fifties. “You Scarlett James?”

  “Um, yes. Is there a problem?” He looked down at his clipboard, scribbled something on the bottom, tore the sheet off and handed it to me.

  “Keep the door open. We’ll bring the car up first.” I grabbed the paper out of his hand trying to read what it was. He lumbered down the stairs before I could put two thoughts together and ask him what the hell he meant. “Shit,” I mumbled when it dawned on me that he was here to deliver the beds.

  The paper was ripped from my hands, and I looked up. Mitch was standing in front of me, a smirk on his face. “Good, I made it in time. I’ll make sure they get the beds set up and then Levi and I will head over to the shop.”

  “What are you doing here?” I pushed him out in the hallway, partially closing the door behind us. “I thought I told you I needed to figure out how to do this on my own.” I peeked in the door, making sure Levi was still in his room.

  “And I thought I told you I would be here at eight to watch Levi.”

  “You did, but I don’t want you to.”

  “We’re not going through this again, Scar. I get that you want to do whatever the hell you think you need to do alone, but I’m still watching Levi for you. Like I said, you need daycare, just call me Daycare from now on.” He pushed past me, opening the door.

  “Mitch, stop.” I grabbed his arm, and we both looked down at my hand.

  “Touching me is not the thing you should be doing right now, Scar. I’m two seconds away from slamming you against that wall and fucking this attitude out of you.”

  I dropped his arm like it was on fire and took a step back. “I can’t do this, Mitch.” Just being near him made me want to say fuck it to everything I had told him last night, but I knew I shouldn’t. I needed to do this on my own. At least for a little bit.

  He leaned close, his lips next to my ear. “I’m not going anywhere.” He sauntered down the hallway, and I heard Levi shout when Mitch opened the door.

  “Look out, coming through.” The door banged open, and pot belly and one other guy walked through the door. They both stopped in the living room and looked at me. “Where you want it?”

  “Down here,” Mitch called. They moved down the hall, the box banging on the walls and I sunk to my knees.

  “What in the hell is going on?” I whispered. All I wanted to do was live in my quiet little world with Levi, but Mitch was basically kicking the door in, telling me he wasn’t going to leave, and now I had two strange men in my apartment setting up beds that I needed but didn’t want because Mitch had bought them. I glanced at the clock on the stove and groaned. “Shit.” I was going to be late to work if I didn’t get my ass going.

  I stood up, brushed my hair out of my face and decided I needed a game plan. Mitch was right, I needed daycare. Except, Mitch wasn’t going to be my daycare. Well, he probably would be this week, but I definitely needed to find someone else. Once I got someone else to watch Levi, Mitch wouldn’t come around as much. I think.

  I also needed to start paying Mitch back for not only the car but now for the beds, too. I had no idea how I was going to be able to afford that, but knew I needed to.

  “Scar, don’t you need to go to work?” Mitch walked down the hallway with Levi on his heels.

  “Mama! My bed is a car, and Mitch said he’s watching me today. Can he, please?” Levi jumped up and down and threw his arms around me. I looked down at him, his face glowing with the fact he had a new bed and he got to spend the day with Mitch.

  “I know, bud. It’s exciting getting a new bed.”

  “Can I stay with Mitch, please?”

  I glanced at Mitch, his arms crossed over his chest and a small smile on his lips. I figured he would look a lot smugger than he did. He was, after all, getting exactly what he wanted. “Just for a couple of days until I can figure something else out, alright?”

  “Yes! I’m gonna go help put my bed together.” He took off down the hallway and dashed into his room.

  “You’re not playing fair again, Mitch.”

  “You better go, or you’re going to be late for work. I’ll drop Levi off at 6.”

  “I get off at four. I’ll swing by the shop and grab him.”

  “I’ll drop him off at 6. That’ll give you some time to yourself. Luke and Violet wanted to go out for pizza. Levi and I will tag along, and I’ll drop him off after.”

  He headed down the hallway. “Mitch, what the hell am I supposed to do for two hours until Levi comes home?”

  He turned around and looked me up and down. “I don’t know, but you’ll figure it out. Maybe try writing.”

  “That’s ridiculous. Just bring him home at four.” I crossed my arms over my chest and tapped my foot.

  “No. He’ll be home at six.” He walked to Levi’s room but turned around at the door. “You better go, Scarlett, you’re going to be late.” He ducked into the room and shut the door behind him.

  I glanced at the clock on the stove and sighed. “Dammit.” He was right, I was going to be late. But he was also crazy. He was going to keep Levi two hours longer than I needed him to? I took two steps towards Levi’s room to tell Mitch that I would pick Levi up but instead grabbed my purse, hitched it over my shoulder and grabbed my keys off of the table.

  I didn’t know what the hell to do. Mitch was right, but he was wrong too.

  I did the only thing I knew for sure I needed to do. I went to work.

  Mitch and his pushy ways would have to wait till later.

  ______________

  Mitch

  “What are we going to do today, Mitch?” Levi asked as I strapped him into his seat. The furniture guys had left about an hour ago, and we were finally on the way back to the shop. Levi had bounced around on his bed for an hour, talking non-stop like he had eaten a pound of sugar.

  “Well, since it’s Sunday and the shop isn’t open, I thought we’d check over the ‘Vette, make sure she’s running good and then the rest of the day is up to you.”

  “Awesome! Is Frank going to be around?” It seemed that Levi had taken quite a liking to Frankie. Which was a good thing since I hoped after Scarlett and I got back together that she would be babysitting every once in a while for us.

  “I’m sure she’ll be there.” I shut his door, rounded around the truck and hopped in the driver’s seat.

  “Is Kurt going to be there?” Levi asked as we headed out of the neighborhood.

  “I don’t think so.”

  “Good. He scared mama and me last night.”

  I glanced in the rearview mirror and frowned. “He scared you?”

  “Yeah. He yelled like my dad always used to. I didn’t like it when he yelled at Mama or hurt her.”

  “But Kurt is nothing like your dad, Levi. He would never hurt you or your mama. He was just upset but not at you.” Fucking Kurt. He had to fly off the handle in front of Levi. The kid had been through enough; he didn’t need this too. “Kurt went on vacation for a while anyway, bud. He won’t be back for a bit.”

  “Good. Did he
take Bumblebee with him?”

  I couldn’t help but laugh that Levi called Kurt’s car Bumblebee. “Yeah, he took it with him.”

  “Darn. You think Kurt will give me a ride in it when he comes back?” I guess Levi wasn’t as afraid of Kurt as he said he was if he still wanted to go for a ride with him.

  “I’m sure he will.”

  “Cool. Can we get donuts?”

  I chuckled under my breath and put on my blinker to head into town to get donuts. “I guess we could stop and get some, but we’d have to get donuts for everyone.”

  “OK. I want the biggest donut they have with a ton of sprinkles,” he declared, holding his hands up.

  Levi yammered on and on about the donut he was going to get, and I couldn’t help but think if this was how each of my mornings was going to start from now on, I was down with that. The only thing that would have made it better is if Scarlett would have been with us.

  But I figured that would change soon, and I knew as soon as I put my plan in motion, Scarlett would be mine again. All I needed was a little help from Levi.

  “Hey, bud. Do you know what your mama’s favorite color is?”

  “Orange. She always paints her toes that color.”

  Perfect. I know Scarlett said I didn’t play fair when I had Levi on my side, but I wasn’t playing to be fair, I was playing for keeps.

  ______________

  Scarlett

  It was four fifteen, and I was home.

  Alone. With nothing to do.

  I couldn’t even watch TV because, well, I didn’t have one. I had thought about reading a book, something that I hadn’t done since Levi was born, but, I also didn’t have a book either. I was coming to realize that I was lacking in anything entertaining for myself.

  There was always the possibility of taking a nap, but now that I had the option to nap, I was wide awake.

  So, I did the one thing I didn’t want to do because Mitch had suggested it, which was try to write.

  I plugged my phone up to the tiny Bluetooth speaker I had and turned on my favorite singer, P!nk. I never got to listen to music I liked because Levi was always my little DJ listening to Radio Disney all of the time.