took a long inhale of his cigarette and let the smoke glide through his nose. “After she was gone…it was like a switched flipped. Pounding that guy in the face over and over…I knew I needed to stop, but I just couldn’t. It took four guys to peel me off of him.”
I let the information sink in for a few minutes, thinking about the time when Ricky and Mia found out their mother was dying. She passed away not long after my dad. I had already moved to California and couldn’t come back for the funeral.
“Loosing someone you love can really make you do crazy things,” I said.
Ricky plucked a leaf o ff the shrub, picking it apart, his eyes wandering to some other dimension.
“Can I ask you something?” I said, snapping him back to the present.
Ricky peered over to me, raising his eyebrows in anticipation.
“What’s with the fancy car and the shopping spree today? Did you discover a money tree in your backyard or something?”
“I wish,” he laughed. “That would be a hell of a lot easier than what I have to go through.”
“What do you mean?”
He fiddled with the cap of the lighter, flipping it back, letting the flame burn, and then closing it back up.
“A few months after I got out, my dad came to visit me at the house. I wasn’t even sure I wanted to let him in, but he told me he had something for me. He said something about an inheritance he got from an old uncle. He wanted us to have it all. I guess he felt guilty for leaving when my mom got sick. So, I took it…And then he disappeared again. Every once in a while I hear from him, asking for some money. I bought the bar with some of it, and use it for Mia’s tuition and the car.”
Ricky and I sat in silence for a while, listening to the serenading cri ckets. The silence was peaceful. Not at all awkward with the pressure of needing words to fill the air.
We headed back inside when the mosquitos became unbearable , and he helped me clean the dishes.
“Thanks for giving me a ride today .” I offered him a hug, smelling the remnants of his new cologne off his shirt.
“No problem,” he said, as we pulled away. “See you at work tomorrow. Bright and early.” He tapped the top of my head with each word. He headed down the porch steps and turned around to face me. “I had a really nice time.”
Ricky reached for my hand again, but this time the feeling was different. It was gentler , and he caressed the skin on the top of my hand with his thumb. The movement sent the blood rushing through me, and I squirmed a little. I knew it had been a while…but holy shit. When did hand holding turn me into a hormone enraged teenage boy?
I will not jump on top of him. I will not jump on top of him.
“I’m really glad that we got to catch up tonight,” I said, clearing my throat. “Now that I’m back I could use a few good friends.”
I let go, breaking free from his spell.
“He’s the one who called you last night, isn’t he? The reason you had to change your number?”
I nodded , and with out saying another word he got back in his car and drove away. I stayed stock still in the threshold of the door until his car completely disappeared down the road.
Chapter 8
Ethan
I RUSHED INTO the Mug, seeing Ricky’s car parked outside. It was the third time I had been late for my shift all thanks to my completely unreliable brother.
“He’s on a rampage,” Mia warned from behind the bar.
I let out a defeated sigh, and headed towards his office to grab my order book.
“You’re late…again.” The first words out of his mouth , and he didn’t even bother to look up.
N ever a good sign.
“I know. I’m so sorry. I don’t have a car, and you know how Nick is-”
“What’s so hard about showing up on time for work? Casey can even manage it for fuck’s sake.”
I turned, hearing Casey gripe.
“Like I said…I’m sorry.”
“You need a car .” He leaned back in his office chair. “I can’t have you showing up late all the
I let the information sink in for a few minutes, thinking about the time when Ricky and Mia found out their mother was dying. She passed away not long after my dad. I had already moved to California and couldn’t come back for the funeral.
“Loosing someone you love can really make you do crazy things,” I said.
Ricky plucked a leaf o ff the shrub, picking it apart, his eyes wandering to some other dimension.
“Can I ask you something?” I said, snapping him back to the present.
Ricky peered over to me, raising his eyebrows in anticipation.
“What’s with the fancy car and the shopping spree today? Did you discover a money tree in your backyard or something?”
“I wish,” he laughed. “That would be a hell of a lot easier than what I have to go through.”
“What do you mean?”
He fiddled with the cap of the lighter, flipping it back, letting the flame burn, and then closing it back up.
“A few months after I got out, my dad came to visit me at the house. I wasn’t even sure I wanted to let him in, but he told me he had something for me. He said something about an inheritance he got from an old uncle. He wanted us to have it all. I guess he felt guilty for leaving when my mom got sick. So, I took it…And then he disappeared again. Every once in a while I hear from him, asking for some money. I bought the bar with some of it, and use it for Mia’s tuition and the car.”
Ricky and I sat in silence for a while, listening to the serenading cri ckets. The silence was peaceful. Not at all awkward with the pressure of needing words to fill the air.
We headed back inside when the mosquitos became unbearable , and he helped me clean the dishes.
“Thanks for giving me a ride today .” I offered him a hug, smelling the remnants of his new cologne off his shirt.
“No problem,” he said, as we pulled away. “See you at work tomorrow. Bright and early.” He tapped the top of my head with each word. He headed down the porch steps and turned around to face me. “I had a really nice time.”
Ricky reached for my hand again, but this time the feeling was different. It was gentler , and he caressed the skin on the top of my hand with his thumb. The movement sent the blood rushing through me, and I squirmed a little. I knew it had been a while…but holy shit. When did hand holding turn me into a hormone enraged teenage boy?
I will not jump on top of him. I will not jump on top of him.
“I’m really glad that we got to catch up tonight,” I said, clearing my throat. “Now that I’m back I could use a few good friends.”
I let go, breaking free from his spell.
“He’s the one who called you last night, isn’t he? The reason you had to change your number?”
I nodded , and with out saying another word he got back in his car and drove away. I stayed stock still in the threshold of the door until his car completely disappeared down the road.
Chapter 8
Ethan
I RUSHED INTO the Mug, seeing Ricky’s car parked outside. It was the third time I had been late for my shift all thanks to my completely unreliable brother.
“He’s on a rampage,” Mia warned from behind the bar.
I let out a defeated sigh, and headed towards his office to grab my order book.
“You’re late…again.” The first words out of his mouth , and he didn’t even bother to look up.
N ever a good sign.
“I know. I’m so sorry. I don’t have a car, and you know how Nick is-”
“What’s so hard about showing up on time for work? Casey can even manage it for fuck’s sake.”
I turned, hearing Casey gripe.
“Like I said…I’m sorry.”
“You need a car .” He leaned back in his office chair. “I can’t have you showing up late all the
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