Crazy for Me (Under Heavy Editing!), V.A. Monaghan [reading in the dark .txt] 📗

know that this will be one of the hardest things in my life.

Tate's POV
The cop slammed me up against his car. I could barely hear anything. Lights were flashing, sirens were blaring. I saw them drag Jonjon out of the house. I knew I wouldn't get anything as bad as him. Maybe ten years at most with possible parole. This is what I get I guess. I was warned before I got in deep that this could happen but to keep my mouth shut no matter what. That won't be a problem for me. My mom won't even wanna look at me once she find out everything. And Natalie.........Natalie isn't around to make me do anything.
I got sentenced ten years with a possibility of parole after 5 years. I got on that bus with all the other convicts. At least I wasn't headed to some cold place like Jonjon, who was put in a level 8 prison in Pennsylvania. Instead, I'm headed to Texas. Ye fuckin haw. Chapter 9

*5 1/2 years later*

Natalie's POV
"Colton Tate Croft! Get you little ass over hear right now!" I yelled to my now almost 5 year old son.
He scuttled over to me like a puppy with his tail between his legs. He had tried to run into the toy store next door again. I couldn't stay mad at him though. His eyes were big and blue like...his father's. His skin was naturally a bit lighter than mine, but the Texas sun made him more of my color. Colton was a big boy, just like his father. After 21 hours of labor, he was born November 14th at 24 inches and 11 pounds 13 ounces. Like I said, he was a big boy. He still is. Everyone assumes he's in 2nd or third grade when he doesn't even start school till next fall.
"Awww...I'm sorry for yelling at you little man," I said cuddling up to him, "I was just scared you'd get lost okay baby?"
"Okay mommy...awre you done shopping? I'm tiwred and I'm hungwy." He said, his lack of "r"s being very obvious.
I laughed, "Okay son. We can go now. How about we stop at Bonnie's for some dinner and then head home?"
He nodded enthusiastically. Bonnie's Dinner was his favorite place to eat. I totally understand because the waitresses there dote on him like a small prince. They also give him a free root beer float if he's good, which he usually is. We drove there in my little Taurus, Selena Gomez blasting. He was more like a 13 year old in the fact that he thought she was "hot". It was pretty funny when he'd flirt with teenagers at the mall.
We stepped into the air conditioned diner with relief.
"Natty! C.T.! Why haven't I seen you here sooner?" Anna squealed, hustling over to us. She was a a tiny blond with a pixie hair cut and large green eyes. She completely adored Colton. Her, along with most people, thought "Colton" was a mouth full so he was christened with the nickname C.T. even by the little kids at his daycare.
"Hey Anna," I said giving her a quick hug, "Colton wanted something to eat before we went home from shopping."
"Well of course he'd want to come here! He knows we serve the best root beer float on a hot summer day like this one!" she giggled, kneeling down to his level.
She walked us to a booth on the opposite side of the dinning room from a big group of rowdy looking guys. I was very grateful for that.
After taking our drink orders of Mountain Dew and chocolate milk, Colton started squirming.
"What is it big boy?" I asked him, using my nickname for him.
"I gotta go potty. Will you please bring me to the bathwoom?" He wined
I heaved a dramatic sigh, "I guess..........."
He giggled and followed me past the group of guys and went into the bathroom with me. After waiting and waiting and waiting, I opened up the bathroom door.
"Big boy! You better hurry up, otherwise I'm gonna leave without you!"
"No mommy! I'm coming! I sweawr!"
I was giggling to myself when I heard a voice. A voice I hadn't expected to hear again.
"Natalie?"

Tate's POV
The day I got out happened to be the day some of my boys got out too. One of them had family in Texas and got a Yukon dropped off for him. He invited us on a road trip down to some small town on the coast called Quintana. We went to get some food from a tiny diner and we'd been in there all of ten minutes when a chick walked in with a little boy. The girl looked a little familiar but I forgot about her. My boys were crackin jokes about her.
"Damn, she's fine." Marcus said.
"I know! If she didn't have that kid, I'd have her on the table right now! "Mmmm! Papi! More more more!" she'd scream" Fancisco laughed.
We were all loud and joking, glad to be out of prison up in San Antonio. The girl walked towards the bathroom, the little kid holding her hand talkin non stop. I quit paying attention to them until I heard the girls voice. The beautiful voice I hadn't heard in over five years.
"Big boy! You better hurry up, otherwise I'm gonna leave without you!"
My head turned at the sound of my old gang name. Then I realized who it was. It was her. It was Natalie. When your in the lock up, you forget almost everything about the outside. Things change, people change. Including her by the looks of it. Her blond streaks were gone, along with the fringed bangs. She was only wearing a little bit of make up, only some mascara and some slightly sparkly lip gloss. Instead of a black mini skirt and lime green and black checkered suspenders and a tight shirt advertising a band, she was wearing light denim Capri's with a light blue razorback tank top. The only thing that reminds me of the old her is the same beat up and drawn on converse.
"Natalie?" I managed in a strangled voice.
She stopped dead and turned her head around slowly. The little kid rushed out of the bathroom saying, "See mommy? I made it! You didn't leave me!"
My eyes stayed to him. He looked about 7 but talked as if he was 5. He had familiar blue eyes and skin a little lighter than Natalie's. How can she have a 7 year old son? I was with her and I know for a fact she was a virgin when we got together. He suddenly walked up to me, his eyes wide.
"You have tattoos? A lot of tattoos. Mommy won't let me have a tattoo yet. Only the ones you have to put on with watuwr but they don't last fowevuwr." He said looking a little pissed.
Trying to calm him down a little bit about the tattoos I said, "You have to wait till you're waaaaay older. How old are you buddy?"
"My name is NOT buddy. It's Colton Tate Cwafowrd and I'm four only till November 14th then I'll be five. I'm the tallest kid in my class. Mommy says my daddy was really tall too. Does that count?"
I stared at him for a second before saying, "No. It doesn't count boy. Go sit at your table. I need to talk to your mommy."
He must have heard the authority in my voice cuz he shuffled back over to their booth. All the guys had been dead silent.
I stood up and grabbed Natalie's wrist, "I'll be back in a few. Keep an eye on the kid. Make sure he doesn't get in any trouble."
They nodded and I pulled her out the front door of the diner. I stopped and turned around, waiting for the explanation that should have been given 5 1/2 years ago.

Chapter 10

Natalie's POV
Instead of doing what any normal struggling single mother would do and telling him the truth, I yanked my arm away from him,turned on my heel, and walked back into Bonnie's.
"Colton. Come here. I'll have Anna drop our food by later." I called out to him. He scrambled out of the booth and sprinted towards me.
Tate was still standing outside while when we started walking to my car. I buckled Colton into his booster seat but was slightly pushed into the car. Tate turned me around and looked me in the eye.It was weird seeing him. He was more muscular than he was when I got pregnant with Colton.
"If he's my son, you have to tell me. Is this why you left? Have you seriously been here this whole time?" Tate asked, his words coming out fast.
"I don't owe you any explanation. You chose your life. I chose mine." I spat in his face.
I had finally maneuvered my hand to get a hold of the drivers seat door handle. I pushed him away and took the car keys from my pocket, before slipping into the car. I had just started the car when Tate started knocking on my window and began yelling "You have to tell me! Come on Natalie!"
I sped down the road, being careful not to run over Tate. Then he'd have an excuse for me to stay. I couldn't help the couple of tears that rolled down my cheek. I glanced at the mirror and quickly looked back at the road, hoping Colton hadn't seen my tear stained face. We pulled into our apartment building about 10 minutes later, even Colton knowing enough not to talk.
We got into our tiny 2 bedroom apartment and I turned on an episode of Go Diego! Go! and went into the kitchen. Why the hell was my life so messed up? When I moved here, I found a job at a gas station and lived in a motel for 5 months before I could afford a small studio apartment above a shoe store in town. I got my GED during the time before and a few months after Colton was born. Now I'm a manager at a bridal shop and make $15 dollars an hour. I made me and Colton a life as fast as possible. I haven't had one boyfriend or