Dear Bad Boy || Ransom Drysdale

"Fuck." I breathe out as Ransom turns the car off the main road and into the estate. The gravel road crunched under his tyres, it was a sound I hadn't ever thought about. Never realising that I missed it until I heard it again.
Ransom reached his hand over and rested it on my thigh, "shit, I never thought about how hard this might be for you." He stopped the car abruptly turning off the engine he turned to me, "do you want to go back? I can call and cancel."
I shake my head, "No, I can do this. It's just bricks and mortar, right?"
He simpers gently at me, squeezing my thigh.
I imagined the new owner had completely demolished the house ripping it back to bare brick leaving nothing of me and my life.
It was better to imagine it that way, because I couldn't bear to think of someone else painting over my memories.
But seeing it in the distance, almost exactly the way I had left it hurt more.
"Lets go," I pack away my feelings, "we can't keep Linda waiting." I force out a panicked smile.
"Fuck Linda, if you want to forget all of this we can."
I shake my head, this is supposed to be our happy time. I will not let my pessimistic thoughts overshadow this day.

"Well I suppose congratulations are in order." Linda circles around me without so much as a hint of delight, her eyes closing in on my hand.
Ransom scoffed at her lack of enthusiasm, shaking his head. Everything about her was laughable, she just didn't have it in her to be happy, not even for her only son.
"I'll call the club and see when they next have an opening." She pulls out her cell phone and starts dialling.
I had to stop the corners of my mouth twitching as she began trying to plan our wedding, the thing is and Ransom was too far gone in his disappointment to notice, that Linda did care. Just a little. It was in the small gestures. Like calling the country club.
I give Ransom a little nudge, "You gonna tell her or should I?"
He rolls his eyes, "Mother, we want to get married tomorrow."
She mimics him hanging up the cell, "tomorrow? Like some sort of tacky shot gun wedding?" She snipes lighting a cigarette, "Oh god...not again!"
Fran steps forward, "I think it's romantic."
"Of course you do." Linda scoffs, "remind me why she is here?"
Ransom steps forward seething, "she is Evas family...don't do this mother, you don't want to go down this road." They simultaneously pinch the bridge of their nose, puffing their chests in unison.

I can't help but smile affectionately, their similarities shining through their anger and yet somehow even through the argument it warms me.

"Down what road?" Linda throws out her arms.
"The one that would lead me to choose. Because, and I want you to really, really hear me clearly when I say this."
"Get to the point already I have a manicure at 6"
"If you push me any further; there is no doubts when I tell you I will chose Eva over you. Every. Single. Time."
I twirl the ring around my finger nervously, the argument between Ransom and his mother weighing heavily on my chest. I knew that there would be some animosity, but I never expected this.
Fran reaches out for my hand, "its okay, just breathe." She whispers, smiling fondly at the sparkling diamond.
"Wheres your special?" She asks.
I knew right away that she was talking about our cherry stalk, I also knew that she was trying to take my mind off of world war three going on in the back ground, and bless her for that.
"Its in the box back at the hotel, I'm scared incase it falls apart."
Fran places her gentle hand on my cheek, "if that frail little thing can go through all of that and still be intact... then you've got nothing to worry about. When I gave it to Ransom...I told him..."
"Wait!" Linda steps forward again, guns blazing, "when you gave what to Ransom?"
Fran looks flustered her eyes flitting violently between the ring and Ransom, it was easy to see that even after all these years she was still intimidated by Linda.
"The ring was m-mine. Eva picked it for Preston to give to me, but he died before he got the chance. It was with his things. I-I-I gave it to Ransom in the hopes that one day he would give it to Eva. Its what Preston would have wanted, its what I wanted."