Free Pretty Hate (New Adult Novel) by Ava Ayers Page A

the way, and I want to tell you that he had a real live man on the show named Dick Assman. That’s right... Dick Assman . Canadian feller.”
    “Why...”
    My mother flew back into the dining room and threw a piece of paper at me.
    “You want to know his name? Ask him yourself! There’s where he’s at. Merry fucking Christmas!”
    I unfolded the paper and stared at it: Mickey Sexual, Red’s Place, Nitro, West Virginia.
    “He lives in Nitro ? Where the hell is Nitro?”
    “Well, Beth, Rebel Love says you spend all your goddamned time on your computer noogling, so fucking noogle it!”
    “It’s Google,” I whispered. “I do not want this.”
    I folded the paper into a tiny square and shoved it behind my driver’s license holder in my wallet.
    “Well you got it now! Burn it, go see him, whatever! I’m finished! Now, are you done ripping me a new one?”
    “His real name is not on that paper,” I said.
    She stepped forward and stood over me.
    “Are you trying to make me lose my goddamned mind,” she said through clenched teeth.
    I looked up at her and back down at the lace tablecloth.
    “I thought so,” she said. “I’m going to bed. Been a real nice visit, as usual.”
    My mother left the room and I picked at the tablecloth while Merry-Bell sang Frosty The Snowman .
    “I did not want this,” I said as my eyes filled with tears.
    “Where’s your daddy live?” Merry-Bell said.
    I turned and stared at her.
    “He is not my daddy.”
    “Yes he is, girl,” she said and nodded. “Where’s he live?”
    “I don’t know, paper says Nitro. Doesn’t matter.”
    “Oh, Nitro, I know that place.”
    “You do?” I said and turned in my chair.
    “Yep. It’s where all the wrestlers retired.”
    “The wrestlers...what?”
    “There was a show on the television. I watched it every Monday night faithful, called Nitro . Those boys wear those itty bitty short shorts...man, they had the bodies. Never much understood boys rolling around, shoving their wieners in other boys’ faces though. What’s that called...a tea party?”
    I looked at my phone and felt like I’d been punched in the gut.
    “Tea bagging,” I said and rested my head on the table.
    “Really, tea bagging? Huh. Never too old to learn. Anyway, the Nitro show went off the air and all the wrestlers live there now.”
    “I’m gonna go home, Merry-Bell. I have something...anything...to do,” I said and stood from the table.
    I dialed Nicolas’ number as I walked back to Ivory-Lou’s. I needed to hear his voice, something to reassure me that he was real and I didn’t dream him, even if it was his voicemail.
    “Hello?” a girl said.
    I looked at the face of my phone to see if I had the right number.
    “Um, is this--”
    “Hello?” the girl said.
    “Hi, is, uh Nicolas there?”
    “Yeah, but he’s getting ready to dive. They’re all up on the cliffs! Is this Kim, are you guys coming?”
    “Kim? No,” I said and cleared my throat, “Beth. This is Beth.”
    “Oh, Beth! Hey, Beth, this is Willow. Nicolas told us all about you. You should come out. It’s a blast.”
    “He told you about me?” I said and smiled.
    “Yeah, said he has a real sweet lady-friend. Too cute! Anyway, want me to tell him you called?”
    “Um, sure, it’s nothing...nothing important. I just called to--”
    “Okay! Talk to you later,” she said and hung up.
    I pumped my legs as hard as I could and I ran back to Ivory-Lou’s house. The tears dried down my face and made it itch as the wind blasted against my skin.
    I flew through the door and leaned against the foyer wall panting.
    “What the hell?” Rebel Love said as she looked at me.
    I fell to my knees and gripped my shirt as I shook my head. Ivory-Lou walked into the foyer and stood over me.
    “I think she’s choking!” Ivory-Lou said and knelt in front of me.
    I shook my head as he knelt down and gripped my arms in his huge hands and shook me like a rag doll.
    “Can you breathe?” he screamed in